Abel keeps his mouth shut to listen, so he can focus on what the other man has to say, and when he's done, he can understand how that would feel a little off. He can't forget the way Alexei looked either, the way he'd practically begged him to listen and he'd refused. It was...a rather dark spot.

"Alexei, if you think I'm going to bring up your involvement to that kind of detail, I'm going to say right now that I'm not. That's personal, and that kind of...that kind of pain, it doesn't help anyone. I only asked because I can't just talk about Project Thebes in any further detail without it involving you. I wasn't- I'm not going to just share with him all the things you did. That isn't the reason I asked permission. He knows who you are to me, so when I explain that the navigators were selected without any knowledge of the project, but the fighters were informed, that's all I meant."