A genre-savvy Archmage would:
Assure the commodore that the measures are being taken for the safety of him and his men, to ensure that the symptoms do not spread uncontained without at least a cure.
Instead:
This is the part where he angrily snipes that magic is the domain of the mages, and Comm. Fluffybutt should go play with his toy airships or something.
Isn't it grand how the people in charge of delegating orders tend to be the worst at communicating?