Yet the temptation to survive was stronger for many, perhaps for all, than loyalty to their own clan.
Still, none voiced it openly just yet. There were too many unknowns, and they were unwilling to place their trust in mere speculation.
After all, there was also the possibility that those ships were already under enemy control.
Someone spoke this thought aloud, and it pulled many back from the edge, distracting those who had begun to consider surrender.
"But how could they have boarded our ships?" one Minotaur demanded over the comms. "And that too, from the very center of our formation. Even if it were possible, they would have had to enter in complete stealth."
"And even then," he continued, his voice tightening, "their movements should have been detected. No matter how small the team they sent, it couldn't have been in the millions. And if it was large, how could such a force move unnoticed?"
The question echoed across the channels, heavy with doubt and unease.
