When the netherbrain tells us that we only did what it wanted, I want to shout at the Imperator: It plays on your fears! You fear that you’re the tool, not the puppetmaster, and it knows it! We would still have to fall back (because obviously our mental capacity does not suffice), but the standing is different. We were not *led* there by the brain. That’s just its spin to get the Imperator to give up. Though exposing that to the Imperator could cause an even stronger blow — to make this a non-optimal answer it could prompt desperation that needs a wisdom check to get the Imperator to see the actual options to fight again (a mind flayer is not supposed to be led by emotion, but fear to have lost autonomy obviously exists, and the realization that even that realization was false can hit deeper) — and if we lose, cause the imperator to join the brain earlier.