Combining is one of our strongest resources against potential threats. [He confirms, with a nod...though her question completely throws him.]

It...

Ah.

Hm.

It doesn't hurt.

[Suddenly, he feels strangely embarrassed to talk about it, which has never come up before. On his world, everyone knew that they combined. He'd never had to describe it.]

It allows me to put my strengths with that of my team. We...work together. In one body. [Now he's going to add sadness to the awkwardness, and he really doesn't know what to do with that. None of his team is here.]

That does not matter, right now.

You have something important to be doing?