Mutiny

"Keep me informed, Sivo. This is not the end."

"If-not we fall in battle, brother."

"If-not we fall."

Two humans, one dressed in a military uniform and the other in formal civilian attire, approached the Kaidon from the other side of the hangar deck. Kel shut off the communicator and prayed for his friend's safety.

Kel spoke first. "We can resume the peace discussions at another time, Governor. Attend to your own problem while I put a stop to mine."

"With all due respect, Supreme Commander," responded the small human leader, "I believe our problems are one in the same. Your position is far more dangerous than mine. Allow me to provide as much help as I can so that you may in return do the same."

Kel pondered the idea for a moment. It felt humiliating to require the assistance of lesser beings to control his own men, and it did not help that these humans were his foes not long prior. However, before he could come to a conclusion, the military commander interjected.

"Governor Schuyler, our forces are spread thin as is. The *Renascent* cannot provide aid as long as it is in drydock, the *Thanatos* is occupied with it's own escorts, and the *Centurion* is barely intact. We are the only ship available, and I firmly believe it's my duty to protect you instead of sacrificing ourselves to the supercarrier."

"Captain," Kel responded. "You put forth a good point. My carrier is far too defended in its current state to attempt a counterassault. However, I still have contact with a friend onboard the vessel. It is possible he may be able to find us an opening. He already intends on keeping the starboard hangar deck secure for my arrival."

"If you intend on flying back though that flak-filled mess in that thing, you've got a death wish." The captain gestured to the phantom behind Kel.

"What do you suggest?" the governor responded.

"I'm not sure, at least not completely. Until the Thanatos's and Centurion's problems are resolved, we only have the *Destiny*, *Smoke and Mirrors*, and the ship we're standing on." The captain spoke of the *Nevermore* and her two escort vessels, tiny ships barely a third the length of Kel's own corvettes. "Most of the Covenant's fleet jumped away at the first sign of mutiny, and we have no way of communicating with the two vessels that remain."

This was news to Kel. Having no access to a command center meant he had no understanding of how his own forces fared outside of the information Sivo gave him. As cowardly as it seemed to simply abandon the fight, most of Kel's ships would not have been able to scratch the *Harbinger* even if they tried, and the fleet contained support vessels that under no circumstance could he risk destroyed. Yet two ships remained, likely his two largest that could still pose a threat to the *Harbinger*: the *Surveyor of Spoils* and the *Pitiless Promise*. If they remained behind, then perhaps they still intended to fight. Whoever ordered the retreat in Kel's absence did so tactically, and the Supreme Commander was thankful.

"May I request access to a command room on one of your escorts?"

"Certainly not!" The captain was taken back by the idea of allowing Kel into a very secure location so soon after the cease fire was declared.

"You have every right to not trust me, which is why I will go alone with human escorts. The rest of my men on this ship will remain with the Phantom."

"What do you need the CIC for?"

"I intend to make physical contact with the crew of my cruiser, the *Pitiless Promise*, but I need to ensure that my Phantom is not destroyed. It will require an escort, one that provides no threat to the cruiser on it's own but can shield the craft from the mutineers' fire."