During the group's punishment, Commander Sable visited every single one to offer his condolences and guide them to forge a path ahead. It was tough for the commander to talk to Erin and Bill who were hurting the most.
Iris was Bill's new girlfriend and Erin's childhood friend. The connection they had formed with her was far greater than what Leon, Mako, or even Nathan had with her.
In his many years of service and battles, the commander had experienced his own fair share of losses, some that even he had yet to recover from and some he would rather never talk about.
He had seen what could happen to people after experiencing extreme loss and excruciating pain, and he didn't want that life to befall his students, not after what happened last time.