[ Van Zieks listens carefully, though the way his brows furrow and his expression darkens even beyond its usual iciness do nothing to hide his disapproval. ]

There are more on our side who share your ethos than one might expect. The tantalizing temptation of 'order' - and of taking a shortcut to achieving it - enthralls not only those who live in the shadows.

[ He himself has been swept up in it before, unwillingly become a cog in the machine that keeps everything running smoothly even as any semblance of verity is crushed between the gears. ]

It's a slow-spreading cancer. One inconvenient truth disappears silently, but more inevitably follow in the cover-up - until the amount of lies threatens to rot the foundation of the entire system. Until unraveling just one of those threads puts the entire organization at risk.

So you will have to pardon me for every time I will refuse to compromise. It will keep things in balance, indeed - maybe even prevent the Department's house of cards from crashing at our feet.