"I know. That's what I believe. But you have to think about what contact with a more primitive race can do," he advised gently. "What happens when a far more powerful, technologically superior race just pops out of the sky? They could take us as gods, they could become angry - very angry - we could supplant their whole culture without meaning too," he waved his hand around them. "Imagine if we came here. If the Chantry was still in charge and the Fleet came out of nowhere. Do you honestly believe the Chantry would welcome our presence, however helpful, or would it ignite a new holy war?"

Those questions were what made it difficult to decide when to step in and not, why not being seen was so important. And so long as they were discussing it, he wanted to make that clear to here. It wasn't out of cruelty or antipathy that such a rule existed. It was to protect, even if that meant not everyone survived.

He gave her a gentle squeeze. "But between you and me I threw out the Prime Directive awhile ago when I came here. Doesn't seem much of a point to it, and I personally don't want to live like a hermit avoiding everyone."