[...Sir you are very lucky Naoto's infiltrating and can't wade into this argument herself.]

As I recall, MapLink was one of a very small handful of Defenders who weren't completely paranoid, which may also color your perspective. Not to mention, as a Defender he was less likely to be on the receiving end of the problem in the first place.

It was never about being 'too good for rules.' It was about being able to help others without being beholden to bad orders just because someone higher up the chain of command gave them. Priority doesn't allow for that kind of flexibility.