"Admiral," Zelnick hissed, pushing him away a little less half-heartedly. "You can't just tell him to go away." And now that he had something else to think about, it was easier to resist the (totally un-) pleasantness of ZEX's attack.

Voice taking on a slightly irritated tone, he said more loudly, "Disregard Admiral ZEX, Tanaka." Quieter again, he told ZEX, "If he needs to talk to me, then he needs to talk to me."