[ He's answering each of these questions readily, no hesitation, calm and easy, meeting Byerly's eye the whole time. ]

Your cover at the time was compromised, but that doesn't mean you're completely useless. Granted at the time I assumed you were trained as more than a civilian informant, but you'd still proven capable in that area, whether trained or not. Your cover in this one base was compromised, but there might've been uses for you elsewhere in the future, and your skills are broadly applicable enough that some niche would've been found eventually. You have contacts in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, they're less useful without you. You're still native, and more pointedly, native to the future. There's a lot you know that's useful to keep on hand.

[ There's a whole list of practical reasons, which he's sure Byerly's only partially interested in. A pause, then. ]

You cared about her. You thought I might try to kill you, went out of your way to try and safeguard yourself from it, but you took the risk to try and reach out to me, anyway. You went out of your way to make sure that I would protect her. You swore on your loyalty to your people and the Emperor who protects them.