12604/Diplomatic Preparations

Diplomatic Preparations
Date of Scene:	28 August 2022
Location:	Airfield: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Some discussion of the upcoming diplomatic situation with the Shi'ar. Also, a yacht! Which speaks space posh. Naturally.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Erickson, Natasha Romanoff, Jessica Drew

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Michael Erickson has posed:
    Since their raid on a HYDRA research base - volcanic island and all! - a volume of weird, reverse-engineered technology and other gear litters the grounds of a storage hangar somewhere on the airfield grounds. Straight from bad Nineties cartoons they are, all of them Liefeld Specials. And then...there is the ship. Sleek, low-slung, a work of art in glossy dark purple thermogloss and hyperchrome, its plan laid out like a strident, arrogant raptor. As they all are, the Shi'ar, arrogant bird-beings. If it isn't avian, it's insectoid. Nothing else appears to rate.

    But in the shadow of the sleek vessel, the purloined arms and their knockoffs are being piled into boxes; clear of prying eyes, the physical power of his race is on display as he easily gathers up hundreds of pounds' worth of machinery and equipment, neatly packed into racks, and puts them into crates that will further require forklifts to transport. Lest one forget his alien nature, there is a clear reminder. Whilst he does this, the Shi'ar sings to himself, and the baritone voice is sweet and rich as a songbird as it carries off the walls of the hangar, not a raptor's fearsome screeching. "Dans tes grands yeux noirs, je me suis perdu, j'attends un regard, le coeur suspendu..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff is currently reviewing some data that's been sent to her on another mission. She currently has a datapad in front of her scrolling through information at high speed in Russian. Occasionally as it would scroll she would pause it with a flick of her fingers. Upon seeing Michael out and working over, she would glance over at the arrayed weaponry and craft.
    "It does seem like the ground crews have been hitting one particular aesthetic rather hard." SHe would note, drolly over at everything that was spread out and over on display.
    "I didn't quite realize that everything was meant to be -that- theatrical. Should it have a giant bird of prey painted on the front of it?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
The spaceship. For those of the agents in the know, it has been a hot topic of conversation. From what she knows of Michael, she is certain it is not some derelict space bucket in need of repairs. Having the clearance and presumably being part of its future crew, Jess has wandered up from her office to kick its tires.

"Anyone home?" she calls from the door of the hangar and skirting some open crates walks up to the ship.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    Michael chuckles as he lowers a rack of gleaming blue-silver armor, styled like hypertech musculata, into a crate - Nat gets a shake of his head as he allows it to settle in. Growing his hair out, it looks like; the usual tight undercut flop is starting to really thicken, dancing about his ears in slight eddies as he goes to take up an exaggeratedly large rifle. "Ah, well," he says, "I cannot help if my forebears are of a sexier aesthetic than yours, Agent. Or should we start painting apes on anything human and ground-capable?" He's about to say more when Jessica's voice pipes up, and he turns to quirk a brow at the arriving spider-lady.

    "Ah, well," he says to Jessica, gesturing to the deep purple craft. "I promised to take you to space in style one day, did I not?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would shrug, "Oh, merely wondering why they've adhered to it despite not needing to have aerodynamics be a functionality. I presume something that's barely expected to go atmospheric doesn't necessitate anything." She would quip over and nod at Jessica.
    "So, have you decided what you're going to call it? I presume that 'Party Boat' is not going to be up on the list of posibilities? And I take it that salvage for some of the mroe advanced components isn't going to be as simple to acquire?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
The briefest shadow flickers through her green eyes, replaced by a brilliant smile and a lift of one shoulder. "You did, indeed."

The agent approaches closer, "Hello, Natasha. How are you?"

Gaze moving between them both, she laughs aloud at Natasha's quip, "Party Boat? Is there something I've missed?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well, here we are," he answers Jessica, turning to gesture to the vessel. "Three hundred years old and still more advanced than most anything the leisure yards of half the Empire could produce." Michael turns back to the women and chuckles. "It's a yacht, Jessica. A literal party boat for the ultrawealthy of my people." Then he smirks at Natasha before adding, "I was arguing that birds are a sexier animal to be descended from than apes. And while the ship is still missing some vital components, I've been able to take a lot from these HYDRA knock-offs to return to the ship. I'm not a mechanic, but the computer tells me what she needs and where it needs to go."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "Yes. And mostly stripped for parts internally of anything that would be useful. I have to give Hydra's engineers credit. By your report they were quite adept at taking out anything that planetary technology had no hopes of replicating for reverse engineering." She would nod over at Michael. "Useful to have. I'm sure if you could find a way to make it viable for the technicians here they'd do about anything for you. So, what are your thoughts on it's repurposing? I presume for something beyond normal R&R."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"There are a lot of primates that would beg to differ, Michael." Jess suggests biting back a grin. "What is sexy about cloacas?"

After clearing her throat, she turns her attention to the ship. "It's a pretty thing. Sleek. It looks its role as party yacht."

"Stripped, Natasha? Can we restore it to be space-worthy?" she asks MIchael.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I am not going to argue about anatomy, considering how narrow the distance is between human plumbing." He chuckles as he says it, all in good fun. Back to the ship, then, and he gives a wistful sigh - boys and their toys. He's a teenager with a hotrod for half a second. "It's a party boat. But it's extremely fast, well-shielded, and can support up to six sapients for extended periods - and it has a faster-than-light drive along with its sublight drives. I wanted a mining vessel or something we could kit out, but this might even let us get greater access to places than that would. It just depends on how it's handled."

    A look to Jessica. "They've been taking parts out of the ship for their reverse-engineering, wings they couldn't actually work out on their own. The ship's primary power units are gone, as is the shield generator. Without those she's just a very pretty apartment with wings."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "And I take it that we'd also have a great deal of issue with having parts of such a thing to gather? And that if SWORD has anything in storage that they're not going to want to try and repurpose it?" A ship is an incredibly useful thing. Much less one that can do long distranct travelw ith a modicum of comfort for the crew.
    "Presuming that's the case, do you think there's the potential for retrofitting it to use tech we have access to, even if it's not as efficient?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess looks at the ship dismayed then shifts her gaze back to Natasha and Michael. "I assume there is some plan? Can we steal back the tech from HYDRA?"

"SWORD? But...it would be a shame to retrofit it with lesser technology, I think. But if there is not other possibility of getting it launched..." she shrugs her acceptance, frowning.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Would you prefer to have the wrong organs put back in your body, Agent Romanoff?" Michael's query has an oddly protective edge as he turns to the Russian agent. "She's an extremely particular creature, never mind the fact that the technology of my people is milennia ahead of yours. I think --"

    From somewhere within - without? - the ship, a polite, feminine voice sounds, speaking a language that's trilling along the edges and sharp in others. Not the kind of Shi'ar dialect he's been heard to use in the past. Michael looks up at the ship and replies in kind, sounding just as madly posh as the ship is. Then, back to Nat. "In either case, HYDRA cannot be allowed to keep that technology. For many reasons."

    A jerk of the head to Jessica, and chuckles. "See? She gets it."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would smirk over at Jessica, "Without realizing the engineering limitatiosn or feasibility, the point is if the tradeoff is having a ship which can hit faster than light travel efficiently compared against not having one available. And yes, I agree that it is a priority to track down whatever Hydra has done with the remaining components. Particularly the power generators which are.. Far more advanced than anything I'm fluent with on planet. If they were to share some of them with AIM it would.." Be bad.
    "I'll defer to you on what's feasible or not with it and what's efficient."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Huh! Well, of course it can talk," exclaims, bemused.The agent knows a few words in Shi'ar but doesn't understand a single word in the oddly cadenced trill. "Were you expecting that, Michael?"

Eyebrows knit, she walks up to the hull to give it a tentative pat, "Will you translate for us. It doesn't sound at all like what I've heard you speak before."

She turns back to Nastasha, "If I have any say in this, which I likely don't, we must take back what was stripped from the ship. If only for the shields and the amount of time it would take to retrofit it."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Most higher technology among my people is at least /partially/ sentient," he explains once Jessica asks. "She just wanted to know if there was something I and my guests needed." Because of course the space limo talks. "She uses the high dialect, not the common dialect that I've used before. The difference between everyday English and RP, let's say." Yes. Very posh.

    Then, to Natasha: "We will find them, reclaim the stolen resources, and purge all traces of the technology - and personnel, if they will not return with us. No traces should be allowed to rest in enemy hands."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Michael, "Of course. I'ms ure that she has a fabulous personality." She would quip, "You might see if a member of GIRL could take a poke at her. I'm sure that between Valeria, Vivian, and Nadia they could find something fascinating while tinkeringw ith her." Giving a nod at Michael.
    "Can you scan for trace energy signatures once you've gotten them from the ship's systems?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess looks at Natasha with a fascinated horror as she suggests having the ship poked at even if the people mentioned are brilliant. Remaining silent, she simply shakes her head.

The bloodthirstiness of Michael's reply receives a wry lift of eyebrows from Jess. "If you are doing it with SHIELD resources, Michael, then I think you would have to have /that/ particular agenda cleared with the upper levels. Count me in on it, though I personally don't go with wiping the slate clean. It smacks of HYDRA's methods. We might have to carry a few people out with us if they don't come on their own. We would have to be very persuasive."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I only mean in the 'shoot if they shoot back' sort of manner," Michael says with a chuckle by way of assurance to Jessica's words. "I haven't gone back, I assure you. But if I have to pull them out by the ankles, they /will/ have to go. It'll be either us, or it will be the Empire. I'd much rather it be us. And speaking of..."

    He gestures to Natasha. "That would be something to do. Plasma generators used by my people are rather singular - I do wonder if the ship could sense her own power signatures with sufficient connection to SHIELD's satellite grid."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "Possible. The sooner we can backtrack on any eenrgy data, the quicker we can get authorization for a followup raid. And I'ms ure that some of the.. Specialsits could help you fabricate some things if you go outside of our normal personnel. GIRL has a functioning ship with FTL so Nadia might have some things she could offer to retrofit."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Tracing the tech that way is a brilliant idea, in fact." Jess grins, adding, "If she could give us a map of the facility where they are holding the tech, it would save a lot of trouble, too."

"And how is that Nadia has FTL and no one else does?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Doctor Richards has had faster-than-light technology for quite some time." Michael's brows lift, surprised this isn't common knowledge. "We spoke at length about technology when I visited him to petition for spacesuits for SCAR to use. Given the...rather strident nature of the diplomatic request from the Empire concerning the gear here, I imagine they could also be asked to assist in locating the missing objects. If most of this military gear wasn't Imperial property, I would even suggest a trade for the necessary parts - but. That would be...unwise, trading with property stolen from them in the first place."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would shrug, "Oh, she designed it herselfw tih some help. Brilliant girl." Natasha is very proud of Nadia. Very, very proud of the girl that she might call her protege. She would nod over at Michael, "I'll defer to your estimate as to the diplomatic state and how to best work within it."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Have they now? Complicated. How will the Empire not know that SCAR is flying with a "borrowed ship"?

"Agent Romanoff's suggestion would be good to fall back on, wouldn't they?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh, I am sure that she would do well to assist as well," Michael replies with a slow nod. "Perhaps they can assist in replicating the technology once we get it back - and as for the ship, well. It is salvage. It does not belong to the state; its ownership records have been wiped from the computer, and not by me. By interstellar agreements, it is salvage and belongs to...well, if not me, than to SHIELD."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "I'm aware. I'm asking how they will respond.. Unofficially as well. I'd rather not do something which would rather annoy the local nobility. I'll defer to your judgement over on how playing the best political situation."

Jessica Drew has posed:
The agent gives Michael a significant look, then addresses Natasha, "Michael knows his people. We have to trust him not to cause a diplomatic incident."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I'm not an agent of chaos," Michael replies with a grin. "And, believe it or not, I was born among the nobility. So..." He shrugs. "We will see. They hate me all the more for my betrayal for it, but we will see what can be done. In the meantime, I expect that I should get some sleep; I've been up at this for forty hours. Ladies, will you please excuse me? I have a captain's cabin with my name on it."

    Psssht, why go back to sleep in his uptown apartment? He's got access to a /space yacht/ now.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "Yes, why I'm defering to his judgement here on the matter. I'm sure that command will as well unless Director Brand has her own little side scheme for this." In which case none of them will remotely have the slightest comprehension as to what it is.