Sparhawk nods. "Our cultures are different, that is my reasoning. My training as Knight of the Church leads me to believe that women should be protected, although since boarding this vessel, I have tried to curb this instinct so as not to insult those I must work with."

He stares at her.

"My interference was as the Preceptor of the Pandion Order, and Prince Consort, a man with more experience in combat and leadership than many. The injured do not belong on the battlefield, unless there is no other choice. Your injury made you unfit for combat, and one of those we faced could have used your wound against you should you have entered the fray."

He steps closer to Jo now.

"You may have survived, but you were weakened, and could have become a liability to your team. I sought to remove you from the battle for your own safety, and the safety of others. Had a medic tended to you, I would not have stood in the way of your convictions."

This is probably the longest speech that he has made to anyone on Stacey yet. It's something that has been eating at him since the fight, and Jo, you're the lucky one that gets the full brunt of it.

"If your Army is similar to the armies of my world, this should have been obvious to you. Your judgment was impaired by the threat to the crew, and by the duties that had been given to you. I am sure that Sir Leon would not have begrudged you time to at least have your wound tended before entering the fray again. If he had, then he would be no fit commander. as to your weapons, why not leave them behind? They could have been recovered from the battlefield, as you could not. What am I 'not getting' about that."

He does his best to use Jo's intonation as he throws her own words back at her.