"I see." He sees that shoulder slump, and hears the defeat in her voice, but is strangely reluctant to reach out to her. It feels strange to do so, but he keeps his hands tucked firmly behind his back as he absorbs that information. He still has an unsettling sense of something being "off", and he's far to old to begin questioning his own instincts.

"What a time to go to war," he remarks with a bit of a sigh, accepting the subject change with ease. "I'll be sure to ask them, as well."

He pauses briefly for a moment to collect his thoughts, and tilts his head slightly as he asks his next question: "How long has it been since the destruction of the Collector base?"