We were fortunate the troopers did not join in the mutiny. They seemed to have the attitude that since the spacers had gotten everyone into the problem they would let the spacers deal with it. Until someone paid them and pointed them at an enemy, they didn't care. It didn't matter to them who that enemy was.

Sherman canceled all leaves and restricted everyone to their ships. Being stuck on The Battle of Kuzikos for the moment, Sherman assigned me to work with his new XO, a Fleet Sub-Commander Blaze. Together with Sherman and his other fleet officers, we contacted his ship commanders and their security officers and tried to put together a picture of the current state of the fleet.

Many crew members were demanding to be released, both from the ships and their contracts. Most owner-operator ship commanders were also prepared to walk away from the contract which they felt had already been broken. They claimed their insurance didn't cover illegal acts like trying to overthrow the Moiarchy, furthermore, most of the policies were underwritten by Cack companies. I contacted Phil. Our fleet was in a similar position. There had been the usual loudmouths as well as some other suspicious activity among the crews, but no overt acts of mutiny.

Requesting that all disciplinary procedures be suspended, Sherman called for a fleet-wide conference. News of the mutiny had spread throughout the other fleets. All work ground to a halt as the crews logged into the virtual conference room as spectators.

I sat in a pod in Sherman's C&C and logged into v-space. I opened the major chat channels and set the output to text so I could monitor the response while I watched Sherman's speech.

Even Sherman's avatar looked tired and depressed as he stared down at the "floor", waiting silently while the active user count climbed. The chat channels were strangely quiet and the message logs halted as everyone waited to hear what he would say.

At last, he looked up at the audience and spoke. "I cannot tell you how disappointed I am at the way this expedition has turned out. 

You should know that when New Sparta exiled me, Shines Like the Sun took me in, offered me a position and even gave me ten-thousand Solarii to do with as I wanted. I could have retired to a resort world and spent my remaining days in luxury. Did I? No, I spent it on you. I formed the Consolidated Colonial Space Force and attacked the arthropods which threatened the settlers on Azul. Together, fighting for humanity, we drove the bugs from all the colonies of Nuevo Mundo.

"When Shines Like the Sun asked for my help, I brought you with me. After all that he'd done for me, I was glad to help him. I also I wanted you to share in that opportunity, for Shines Like the Sun is generous with his friends. But now you refuse to go any further and I face a terrible choice. Do I abandon you here to stay friends with Shines Like the Sun, or do I violate my promise to him and leave with you?"

Sherman paused and I could practically feel the tension in the crew in the absolute silence of the network. "Whether it's wise or not, I shall choose to stay with you."

The chat channels filled rapidly with excited posts.

"I would not let anyone say I led you all out into alien space only to abandon you and join the aliens," Sherman continued. "No, since you will not follow me, I'll follow you and endure whatever happens along with you. Alone, I doubt I'm worth very much; together, we can still accomplish much. I have no home to go back to. I consider you my true homeworld, my family and my friends. I cannot leave you. That is a promise you can count on.

Sherman paused and took a deep breath as the chat logs scrolled past too fast to read. "At this point, I'd like to suggest we take a short break for an hour or so and let every man and woman think about where the fleet will go and what we will do. Discuss it with each other and let us re-convene so we can formally decide."

His speech was a success. The crews talked enthusiastically about going home and many from the other fleets joined in excitedly. In fact, a number of owner-operators, including nearly all the ships of The Patriotic Force of the Free Government of the Thousand quit their fleets and joined Sherman's fleet.

The com officer on duty signaled the C&C. Sherman and his sub-commander had gone there so he could privately coach them on what to say during the next meeting. Sherman stabbed the connect button on the data panel. "What is it?" he barked.

"A shuttle has arrived from the Flower of Dirt."

"Were we expecting a shuttle?"

"None were scheduled, however, the shuttle pilot says he's carrying one of Shines Like the Sun's officers and he wishes to meet with you."

"Deny him permission to dock."

"Sir?" came the startled reply.

Blaze, Sherman's XO, shot me a panicked look. Such an act was tantamount to treason.

Sherman just scowled down at the camera on the data panel. "You heard me. Send him back."

"Yes, Sir. Com out."

No one spoke in C&C. Sherman scowled at me. "I want you to take a shuttle and go over to Flower of Dirt. Tell that green cricket that this," he took in the C&C with an irritated wave of his arm, "is all just a show. Tell him that if he'd get a grip and trust me, I'll not only have this mutiny quelled and the men behind me again, they'll be eager to go wherever he wants."

"Are you sure?" I couldn't believe he actually thought he could do that.

"Yes! I'm sure! In fact, tell him to send the shuttle back again so I can refuse it. That will show the men I'm not his lapdog."

He dismissed me with a turn of his back. I hesitated, unsure if he was entirely rational. "Go!" he shouted when he noticed I hadn't left.

"Very well."

My breaching pod and troopers long gone, I spoke to the hanger master who had to confirm with Sherman the use of one of their shuttles. Sherman's outraged reply sped up the process. In minutes I had navigated to the Flower of Dirt where I explained that I was from Sherman's flagship. I was rushed into Sunshine's presence without even a whisper of protocol.

"You are being not the Sherman," Shines Like the Sun said as soon as I appeared before him.

"No, Sherman was not yet able to leave his men so he sent me to represent him. He wishes you to know he is still loyal to you and so will his men be once they've had a chance to calm down, gather their courage and think rationally about their situation."

"This is congruent?"

"Yes. He only asks for a little time to convince them and assures you their attitude will change."

Sunshine stared at me motionlessly. I wondered--if he had had a human face--what expression he would be showing. Lacking his fancy plastic plumage, he stood before a wall of data panels wearing only his chitinous exoskeleton. I worried that his stillness might be a sign of anger and hoped he wasn't about to throw me in the brig as a co-conspirator. For all I knew, he could be examining me suspiciously. Or it was just as likely that he could be frozen in terror at this vast gamble falling apart. Perhaps he was just wondering what I was thinking.

"If you are thinking this is wisdom, then let this be."

The translation device's smoothly modulated voice gave no clue to Sunshine's emotional state.

"Sherman has only one other request," I added.

"What is this being?"

"He would ask that you send another shuttle over with an official summons. He'll refuse to come, but this is all a part of his plan."

Again, a long quiet stare followed. OK, now I've gone too far, I thought. I probably just offended Sunshine's honor--perhaps fatally.

"To what purpose is this design?"

"To convince his men to follow him and continue this expedition."

"He Who Looks Up is an anomalous collective. You cohere in battle but de-cohere in peace."

I shrugged. How could anyone argue? "Perhaps we have had more experience with battle than peace," I suggested.

"I am thinking this congruent. Be returning to your ship."

I left, glad to be off that dim, hot and dry ship and back on the borrowed shuttle. Navigating back to The Battle of Kuzikos, I was eager to tell Sherman that Sunshine had agreed to his plan and to end my term as Sherman's messenger. The pilot pulled up short of Sherman's ship and began an argument with their flight control officer.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

The pilot leaned back in his seat and folded his arms in disgust. "We've been denied docking privileges and instructed to hold our position."

"Why?"

"It seems the fleet commander doesn't want it to appear that the Cacks are influencing what is going on over there."

"And what would that be?"

"They're beginning their meeting of the SCs to decide what the fleet will do."

"Can we access their feed?"

"Sure." The pilot manipulated one of the shuttle's panels and the connection appeared in my netpiece.

Once again Sherman stood on his virtual stage, this time looking a little more certain and resolute. "It should be apparent to Shines Like the Sun that our relationship has changed. I'm certain he feels that I've betrayed him. I have refused to meet with him, partly because he'll probably arrest me, but mostly because I'd be too ashamed to face him.

"We are now in greater danger than we've ever been since leaving human space. If we are going to return home, we need to make immediate plans for how we'll do that and re-supply the fleet. As things stand now, I doubt we'll get very far. While we're doing this, we need to bring the fleet to full alert. I don't need to tell you of the massive forces Those Who Dwell Within can bring against us. In fact, you may not have noticed it, but even as other ships have come over to our fleet, The number of warships accompanying Shines Like the Sun has grown even more. I'm certain his fleet is at least equal to ours in number. If we are going to leave, we should do so as soon as possible.

"But now is the time to hear your views. If any man or woman has an opinion on what we should do next, let them speak now, regardless of rank."

There followed a minute of awkward silence in which no one said a word. Finally, one crewman signaled a desire to speak. Sherman's sub-commander, who was moderating the discussion, added his avatar to the stage. A flood of comments flooded in from everyone. Some urged going back to Solarian space, others urged that we continue on with Shines Like the Sun. Many just venting their feelings and fears. At length, one of Sherman's fleet officers, who I had seen with Sherman in the C&C planning this with Sherman, joined the conversation.

"I don't know why we are wasting this time sitting around and talking. If Fleet Commander Sherman will not lead us home, let us appoint a new leader. Let's buy the supplies we need, collect our support craft and ask Sunshine for jump ships back to Solarian space. If he won't supply the ships, then let's ask him for guides to negotiate transit permissions through friendly systems. If he refuses us even that, then let us form up in battle array and send ships out to the nearest transit station and seize it to keep Sunshine or the locals from blocking our way."

The speech was moderated up and spurred a lot of "me too" posts.

"If you do this, don't think I will lead you," Sherman cut in. "I can see too many things wrong with this plan. But just so you know that I can take orders as well as give them, I will support whomever you elect to replace me."

This dampened some of the crew's enthusiasm. More discussion followed but the opinion was clearly divided. Finally, another sub-commander who had been in C&C with Sherman joined the discussion.

"This is ridiculous! Do you all realize how absurd it is to ask Shines Like the Sun for jump ships to transport a force that won't follow his orders, or ask for guides when we are ruining his plans? I would never get in one of his jump ships for fear he might dump us off in intergalactic space, thousands of light-years from the nearest transit station. Nor would I follow a guide who might lead us into a trap. If we are to leave against Shines Like the Sun's wishes, it would be safer to sneak off, which I think is impossible.

"But all this talk is nonsense! Do we really even know what he is planning? I think we should select some men we can trust and sent them with Fleet Commander Sherman to ask Shines Like the Sun what he wants us to do. If it is a harder objective and involves greater risk than specified in our contracts, we can either re-negotiate our contracts or we can exercise our release clause, but either way, at least we'll not have to watch our backs if we leave."

The mod points fluctuated. Opinions were beginning to shift in her direction.

"Once our envoys have talked to Shines Like the Sun," she continued, "they can return, tell us what he says and then we can decide what to do."

The ship commanders and their crews ultimately followed her suggestion--just as Sherman planned. Envoys were sent and came back with the reply that Shines Like the Sun had an enemy named Fading Glory who was nearby and that he intended to end their conflict with a surprise attack. Of course, if he should flee, then they would have to decide what to do then.

The crews were not convinced the force was not still heading straight for the ruler, but they agreed to continue after negotiating a fifty-percent pay bonus.

Relieved to finally make it back to my quarters on the Torchbearer, I started to catch up on my messages when Phil came by to get the inside scoop on what had happened on both Sherman and Shine Like the Sun's ships. When he had left, I had just returned to my work when someone knocked on my door. "Come in," I said.

The door slid back and Cathrine Kacsmaryk peered inside. "I was looking for the FC. I was told he was here."

"You just missed him." She hesitated at the door. "Can I help you?"

She stepped inside, closed the door and sat in my one spare chair. "I've been doing some research," she began with an awkward wave of a datapad, "...on Fading Glory."

"Oh?"

"He's not just another Cack. He's a regional director, like Doggedly. Doggedly's territory guard's the Outer Gates of the Cack Moiarchy. Fading Glory guards the Gate to the Inner Worlds of the Moiarchy."

I leaned back in my chair, a familiar sinking feeling in my stomach. "You think Sunshine intends to overthrow his brother after all?"

"He hasn't technically lied to us. But unless he's the type to kick open the door without robbing the house, yes. I think we're headed straight for the Cack homeworld."