"All the same, you're likely onto something with this mention of a contingency. I may be inclined towards arcane corrections, but you're a leader of another stripe. A military mind with a knack for getting others to follow you. Perhaps you can put that charisma to use and start devising back-up plans? Ways for civilians to protect themselves or reinforced places to hide. An armoury perhaps. Simply putting in place drills that one falls back on when disaster strikes."

Whoa, the two of them are actually agreeing AND working together, as well as admitting the other is better at a given task than they are. These sort of things have a way of bringing people together.