I always try to find the affection option for my current companion in conversations. If I get a -1 then so be it. After a while of using one companion you get used to which options they are going to like. Malavai Quinn always likes it when I'm respectful to imperial officials, and likes it when I make choices that further the empire. I like how they familiarize you with your companions interests and loyalties, it helps flesh out these characters.

Supposedly Americans didn't lose their British accent, the British developed an accent. http://www.nicholasjohnpatrick.com/post/767354896/did-americans-in-1776-have-british-accents

I came across this issue as well with Boarding Party and Foundry. I had not completed the "Call to Arms" quest or either of the flashpoints on normal before. I had to abandon both the "Call to Arms" quest and the quest for the flashpoint, Then I had to re-accept "Call to Arms" (which is still a normal quest). "Call to Arms" has you walk into a story area and talk to some moff and he gives you the normal flashpoint quest. At this point I abandoned just the flashpoint quest and kept "Call to Arms". then to re-accept the flashpoint quest you have to talk to the guy standing outside the entrance to the flashpoint. When I talked to the guy then, I had the option to chose hard mode. I don't know if this will work for anyone else, or how that translates to republic flashpoints, but I thought I should put that out there.