Mutiny Impossible!

[Bubbles McGee]

Alright, but even if we agree on all of this the fact remains that it would have had to be proven that Kirk wasn't really Kirk before Security could be expected to support a mutiny. Clearly, this was not likely as all of the senior staff was in the brig along with Kirk-in-Lester.

Yes, Sulu and Chekov refuse to carry out any more orders, but there is plenty of room in the brig and other crewmembers can do their jobs.

So then how would:
A) the prisoners in the brig managed to escape
B) could they hope to persuade Security to support them while being chased down by them after having successfully escaped the brig (assuming that they could somehow).

A mutiny just doesn't seem plausible in this scenario.

 

[Timo]

...the fact remains that it would have had to be proven that Kirk wasn't really Kirk before Security could be expected to support a mutiny. Clearly, this was not likely as all of the senior staff was in the brig along with Kirk-in-Lester.

Agreed.

how would

Through the "critical mass" approach, I guess. With enough officers opposed to the CO and accessing the ship's systems for their part, Security could be neutralized, as its strength seems to derive from phaser-equipped foot patrols and curiously primitive and ineffective means of remote surveillance...

Even the ruthless and paranoid security of the Mirror Enterprise could be overcome. So I could see three plausible outcomes, assuming the mind transference would not wear off like it did:

a) Further mutineers get caught until the brig starts to overflow; executions have to commence, but at this point issues of legality arise, and "Kirk" blows his cover.
b) Some of the mutineers manage to convince some of the security, and a struggle for control of the ship ensues, much as in the backstory of "The Pegasus". The side with Spock wins, as the computer wizard turns the ship's interiors and intruder control functions into a weapon against the other side, and prevents them from doing the same. A lot of careers are over even if few lives are lost.
c) The mutineers manage to get heard and convince Security to put things on hold until the legality of orders by "Kirk" is evaluated; Lester eventually blows a fuse and is exposed.

Two important factors must be considered here. One is that the ship isn't in desperate straits in the middle of unknown space. Rather, she appears to be within easy reach of higher authorities, such as Starbase 2 three days distant, or USS Potemkin with her assigned rendezvous with the hero ship, or indeed Starfleet Command which from the technical POV evidently can be contacted by subspace easily enough. Security could thus accept all sorts of "on hold" situations that the mutineers could arrange for by complying with all the legal security measures.

The other, of course, is that the heroes are not really interested in staging a mutiny. They will settle for much less, and can demonstrate this to Security easily enough.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Bubbles McGee]

a) Further mutineers get caught until the brig starts to overflow; executions have to commence, but at this point issues of legality arise, and "Kirk" blows his cover.
b) Some of the mutineers manage to convince some of the security, and a struggle for control of the ship ensues, much as in the backstory of "The Pegasus". The side with Spock wins, as the computer wizard turns the ship's interiors and intruder control functions into a weapon against the other side, and prevents them from doing the same. A lot of careers are over even if few lives are lost.
c) The mutineers manage to get heard and convince Security to put things on hold until the legality of orders by "Kirk" is evaluated; Lester eventually blows a fuse and is exposed.

I pick b for the best alternate version of the episode. That would really kick-ass!