He deflates at Wing's words, optics lidding for a moment. He'd thought recording the message was hard: this was harder.

"You don't understand. I'm worse than useless right now, if people think they have to protect me. I'm a liability." Which he's never been in his life before. "Look. I'm not afraid. The worst he can do is kill me. And I'll come back from that. What I can't handle--what's worse than that--is this. Anticipation, fear. The knowledge that at any moment it could all end."

"I'm crossing that bridge now, Ambulon. Someone has to do something. We can't attack him unless we know his weaknesses. We knew Overlord's and look how well that went?"

He turns back to Wing, shaking his head. "Please. Let me do this. I have to."