Why a starship captain leaves the bridge to serve as diplomat

As the assault develops, Wong says he should never have left Raven and could have deployed the ground force sooner from the bridge. Ambassador Todovic counters that his capable officers would already have requested an earlier deployment if one had been possible. She also reminds him that naval commanders routinely perform diplomatic work and that his personal standing carries weight with Tano's leaders. His presence ashore is part of his command responsibility in the Peacekeeper Initiative. He must now return to orbital command while the ambassador and ground commander manage the surface crisis. Before departing, he gives her a superior sidearm and makes clear that her survival matters more than recovering the weapon.