It's going to go there. There just wasn't a way around it, as much as he wished there was. Fortunately, there are enough alternate conversation topics that he could probably delay it for a while.

For now, he's leaning back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, and pushing down the exhaustion. It wasn't even close to being the end of the night for them, after all.

"All right. Start with the Outposts, Cadogan. Are things starting to look more normal, or still getting worse?"

Easiest to discuss were the things furthest from home, after all.