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And then we’ll dispense with their assistance coain NoWe’ll learn to do things for ourselves

Jul felt that he spent es, as if fate was giving hio ahead with this

What if nobody arises to take the Arbiter’s place, and Sanghelios slides into chaos?

It was a risk that had to be taken Jul was da in quiet reconsideration of their colonial policies His boots echoed on the deck as he walked the last few e ‘Telcam hadn’t said a word since they reached the sentry

And this is where I move from brave talk to open revolt This is where it becomes real From this point on I have no retreat

Buran surveyed his bridge, swinging his head sadly frohts fro Resolve vacuuht and to suppress any fires or fluid leaks Frohelios looked to Jul as it always did on his return from a mission, a red beacon of warhelios," Buran ate’s AI

The ship ca, environnostics panels activated and went about their business without need of any attention froate and Unflinching Resolve didn’t have far to travel Forze checked the navigation coe as soon as they were free of the dock

"I had the chance," Jul said, more to himself than anyone else

"To do what?" ‘Telcam asked

"To kil the Arbiter He came to speak at our assembly I could have shot him where he stood, mere meters away"

"And you’d have made a martyr of hi alone reed plan is effective " ‘Telcamatic for a spiritual man If he believed in the power of prayer, he hadn’t entirely given up on the need for a little extra support from laser cannon and sound tactics "Heroes never die, and neither do their flawed ideals So you must both kil and discredit them"

Buran opened a channel to the dock Resolve requests release from dock for maintenance assess Resolve "

Buran glanced at ‘Telcam "Secure for launch Proceed to two hundred kilo a warship would have horrified the huulations and courts-martial But they sees that no Sangheili would concern hi al manner of vessels and vehicles now There was no central command to ask per a patriot would do with a cohelios There were no Prophets around to coed to the people And the people were taking it back

There was nothing to worry about Nothing at al

Even so, there was no conversation on the bridge until they exited the safety zone The Jiralhanae trotted in and stood by the doors, looking aimless and confused

"Ship, proceed to these coordinates on ned solely to pilot and control the ship, no antly sentient pet the humans seemed to prefer "Suspend al automated status reports to the dockmaster"

Buran would nor al this for him, but Forze stepped into the role without a word He see sorry for the shipmaster already There real y was a sense of a final stand about hi to pass behind Sanghelios to evade detection by the dock sensors before disappearing to lay up at Mda so easily these days

The frigate passed the planet’s terminator and skiht The Aanrar dockmaster would expect them to be out of contact anyway Noas theResolve had to vanish completely

"Ship, maintain coin landing sequence"

Jul had thought that he’d reached his own point of no return But he hadn’t, not yet There would be an irrevocableone step at a time toward it, and it could be reversed with no questions asked

Raia … she knew not to ask thes out for herself Unflinching Resolve descended through the atmosphere a thousand kiloht thousandto be said for being backward country yokels," Forze said "Try doing this in Vada"

But many in Mdama would have noticed, of course They just wouldn’t ask questions or interfere With al those treacherous Jiralhanae and Kig- Yar around,sure that assets didn’t end up in the hands of their assortment of new enemies The excuse made itself This wasn’t theft It was patriotis Resolve hovered above a quarry five kilometers from the keep and then descended into the artificial canyon to settle on her dampers

Nobody spoke for a while It was done They’d seized a warship, and the coup had begun

Buran reached out to shut down the active systeain, lit only by the faint glow of status lights

"I’l return in six days," Buran said "Noe lie low and plan a little more Time to disembark, brothers"

They sealed the hatches behind theate There was no way of ca her As Forze had said, it sometimes helped to live in the back of beyond

"We ood care of her," Buran said sadly "There are no Huragok left to fix her or replace her"

"Yet, " Jul said "No new ships yet The day wil come"

The rebels dispersed to their respective transports Jul walked back through the fields to his keep, to explain to Raia and his brothers where they should not venture

He would also have to make plans for their safety if the overthrow failed It was hard to think of anywhere on Sanghelios where his clan could hide if he did

Jul, of course, would take whatever ht come to him It was the least anyone would expect of a shipmaster

FORERUNNER DYSON SPHERE, ONYX: LOCAL DATE NOVEMBER 2552