16418/Adventures in Babysitting: Space Edition

Adventures in Babysitting: Space Edition
Date of Scene:	26 November 2023
Location:	Headmistress' Office
Synopsis:	Izzy comes to Xaviers to learn about her galactic babysitting assignment, which apparently involves Shi'ar politics and SHIELD intrigue. Meanwhile, Xandra is bored of beating Hambone at Fortnite.
Cast of Characters:	Jean Grey, Isabel Kane
Tinyplot:	Pax Imperium: the Shi'ar

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Jean Grey has posed:
Being the first (or... maybe second) human in the Shi'ar Imperial Guard was an unusual position. The Empire had been at war with Earth, and then it wasn't. They'd sent spies and agents, even abducted humans, but now there was a treaty, and a general desire for increased cooperation and exchange. Could a human be trusted in the Imperial Guard? Could an Imperial Guard member be trusted in SHIELD? Complicated things, all around.

With that in the background, the current story started a couple months previously, when the official Shi'ar delegation to the U.N. arrived on Earth, led by Chancellor Araki. While security for the final treaty signing ceremony was at the forefront, another operation had been carried out covertly. A Shi'ar stasis pod, delivered to the Atlantic Starport, transfered to one of the Wakandan vessels that were part of the diplomatic entourage, and then subsequently transfered to a... strange van driven by a bunch of humans. Izzy might have been on duty somewhere at the U.N. with SHIELD, and even heard some of the security chatter on the radio. The van had been attacked, but whatever the situation, they'd managed to secure the package.

Weeks, months had passed. And then, rather abruptly, a holo-message with orders, directly from Praetor Kallark: arrange an appointment at the Xaviers School in Westchester to meet with its namesake founder, or one of his representatives. Details would be supplied when she arrived. When she'd contacted the school, she'd been told that the Professor wouldn't be available himself, but that she could meet with the school Headmistress.

Now: There's not a lot of obvious security or anything else, at the school. It's a school. It's a random student that meets Izzy when she arrives, and shows her to where the headmistress' office can be found, through the staff hall. "Come in," Jean had called, from inside, even before the girl leading Izzy had knocked. She's found, eventually, behind her desk, but gets up as her guest arrives. "Ms. Kane, yes? Can I get you anything? I've got coffee, tea..."

Isabel Kane has posed:
Isabel has been here and there over the last few years. On planet, off planet, missions for the Shi'ar, finishing her college degree (finally), more missions, and finally, joining SHIELD with approval from both sides. She'd been present for the treaty signing, someone who straddled the line and had a foot on either side, intensely relieved to have the hostilities at an end.

It's been quiet the last little bit, giving her time to establish herself more in the Triskelion and establish more of a presence in the city. Giving her time to finally settle the affairs after her grandfather's death, leaving her without living family, and the unexpected owner of a small farm in Iowa.

But when the holo comes in to go to Xavier's, to get an appointment to meet with Charles Xavier himself (or available representative) to get her next orders. It isn't unusual to be given few details of a mission, but this one has her curious. She knows of Xavier.. he was released back to Earth not long after she was brought to the Shi'ar the first time. But how this fits in with her Guardian status.. well, that's to be seen.

She arrives promptly at the at the school, though dressed down (since she isn't repping SHIELD, and is hopefully not going to need her Exospex even if they're always with her). Jeans, boots, a camisole under a gingham checked shirt under a shearling ranch coat. Isabel follows the student through the halls, giving a smile and thanks before stepping into the Headmistresses office.

Casting a glance around, she finally spots Jean and steps forward with one hand extended. "Hiya. That'd be me, yeah. And I'll always take a cup of coffee, thanks! I'm afraid the Praetor wasn't too forthcomin' with information, so I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm needed for."

Jean Grey has posed:
Stepping forward to take the offered hand, Jean is all friendly smiles, and despite any fancy title, a bit dressed down since the school is in the middle of the holiday break, wearing a fuzzy green sweater, jeans and... are those slippers? She gestures around after the handshake. "Sit wherever you like, maybe the fireplace would be more comfortable?" After this, she heads for a little sideboard where there's a relatively compact little coffee maker and electric kettle, and goes to pour a couple cups. "How do you take it?"

"And no, he's not exactly the chatty type, hmm? Although I think this time, well, there's a reason for it. I want to apologize, actually, if all of this feels a little, well... cloak and dagger, but given the circumstances, we're being very tight with security. The Shi'ar are in the middle of a civil war, after all, and the Imperial Guard clearly isn't immune to factionalism." Starting right off with the topic, it's immediately obvious that alien politics are not so alien to this woman, and she uses the relevant terminology like she's quite used to it.

Eventually, with the proper drinks in hand, she starts back over, sets them on the small table between the fireside seats, and then continues around to sit down. "In fact, on that note, I'm going to make a somewhat unusual request - that you consent to a telepathic scan, just for safety. It's not something I'd usually ask, but..." She gives a little helpless shrug, still smiling, despite the seriousness of it. "I'll be careful, I promise. I know what I'm doing and won't go prying anywhere I shouldn't be."

Well, definitely not just a school teacher. "Honestly, if you were having this meeting with the Professor... he probably wouldn't have bothered to ask."

Isabel Kane has posed:
Giving Jean's hand a quick, firm shake, Isabel herself radiates small-town charm and friendliness despite her various titles and positions. She gives a nod and heads towards the fireplace, "Sounds good to me!" Shrugging out of the coat, she lays it over the back of the chair that she selects, easing herself into it with a smile back towards Jean. "Black, please. I try not to cut my caffeine if I can help it."

Laughing lightly, she shakes her head, "No, but to be fair, none of the Shi'ar are very 'chatty'. They tend to be pretty much all business, duty. Don't get me wrong, I take my responsibilities seriously, but like most people, I enjoy kickin' back and relaxin' at the end of the day." Izzy nods to the mention of the civil war, very much aware of that. She's likely been in some of the skirmishes between the warring factions over the past few years. "Well, in my case, I think they were pretty secured in knowin' which side I fall on. Especially after the war with the Earth ended and the treaty was signed. Can't tell you what kinda Hell that was, for awhile."

Taking up the mug, she gets a bracing swallow of hot coffee, then turns her attention back to Jean. The request passes with nary a brow raise from her, and Isabel gives an easy nod and smile, "Hey, do what you gotta do. Can't blame you for being squirrelly. I appreciate the heads up, I'll try to keep the Ol' Bocephus down." Isabel flashes a grin briefly, taking another sip from the mug.

"That's.. kinda rude and invasive... now I'm glad to be meetin' with you," Izzy chuckles lightly.

Jean Grey has posed:
With the agreement given, Jean gives a little bob of her head, in acknowledgment or thanks, and then briefly lifts two fingers to touch her right temple. She closes her eyes a moment... and then opens them. Izzy doesn't feel a thing!

"See? Told you it wouldn't be so bad. And, no, you're right. He can be a bit like that. But then again, once I explain all this, I think you might understand his reasons. Anyway! I think that's enough to satisfy everyone. Let me get down to explaining the situation. I... imagine as a member of the guard, you're aware of Lilandra's connection to the Professor, yes?" Under Shi'ar custom he is, in fact, Shivarn'n Halanau - the Imperial Consort.

"What has not been so widely circulated is that the two conceived a child. I admit I'm not entirely privy to, erm, the timeline of events or the details," and Jean makes a face that indicates the mild discomfort and awkwarness one might expect of someone discussing the sex life of a man who is essentially a father figure to her, "but given all the fancy cloning and genetic manipulation technology the Shi'ar are fond of, she has been developed to adolescence quickly, to guarantee the Majestrix's succession, should anything happen to her. And because her daughter would be a target for kidnapping or assassination, it was decided it would be safer for her to come and stay with her father."

She takes a moment to sip her own drink, giving her guest a moment to take everything in. "And yes, since you're human, we're all fairly confident you won't be joining Deathbird's side. So we all agreed it would be good to bring you in on the situation. You've been involved already, actually, with some of the recent SHIELD security work. But it's better that you have the full picture."

Isabel Kane has posed:
"I'm not knockin' his reasons, just.. statin' the obvious. But I imagine he feels he's justified in whatever path he forges. Most folk are. They ain't even necessarily wrong. It's just..." she rolls her wrist, hand moving in a circular motion as she reaches for the right word, "waltersobchakeit. Made up word. Sounds German, it ain't. But it's become a word through usage and popularity.. means 'you ain't wrong, you're just an asshole'." Isabel flashes a brief grin and shrugs, "Everyone's got something they get waltersobchakeit about."

Giving a nod as they move back to business, Izzy takes another mouthful of the coffee and offers, "I was actually brought to the Shi'ar not too long before he was released back to Earth. So I got to.. hear things. Not all of them flatterin', but I take gossip with a grain of salt." She smiles briefly, then adds, "But yes, I'm aware of his status and importance to the Majestrix."

Mention of a child conceived has her clearing her throat and giving a quick nod, they can definitely skip the details of the HOW and WHY on that one! Mention of the tech they employ so often, Izzy offers a wry grin, "Oh, I'm well familiar with that part. Just glad they never turned it on me. They left my genetics alone." News that the girl was sent to live with Xavier also isn't surprising, given the amount of attacks being levied against Lilandra and those loyal to her. "Good idea."

She flashe s aquick grin and bobs a nod, "Got that one right. I don't fancy servin' ruthless warlords and psychos. She gives another nod, "I appreciate that. I ain't gonna ask to be read in fully, I know trust take time to build. But knowin' the basics will keep me from steppin' outta bounds without bein' aware of it."

Jean Grey has posed:
"I'll keep that one in mind, the next time I have to get him to dial back on the jerkass routine." Made up or not, Jean'll take it!

"Anyway, for us, she's family, so all the Imperial chain of command, the Earth and galactic politics, that's really secondary. I don't know quite how much of the SHIELD files on this place you have access to, or the Shi'ar ones for that matter. But we consider ourselves up to the task of keeping her safe." Both organizations do have material on the X-Men. And the Imperial Guard? It once had orders to capture Jean herself, although that was under D'Ken's reign. Somehow, they've made friends and moved past all that!

"But I expect you'll have your own orders, from the Majestrix or the Praetor. I won't ask or demand you do anything in conflict with them, because I think our good relations with the Shi'ar are valuable, and this cross-agency program of yours is a good step." In this, she speaks in a mannered, obviously diplomatic fashion, gesturing slightly with one hand while the other still holds the coffee. "But I figured it would be good for us to be in communication, at the very least. So we can coordinate as needed, share intelligence."

"In that spirit, you should know..." And here, her expression darkens just a touch. "When Xandra was brought here, there -was- a leak, and an incident. Some people tried to stop the vehicle we had her in. They were, strangely, using some SHIELD-style tech. No one's been able to tell me what to make of that, including the SHIELD personnel we had with us on the op. But it's something for you to be aware of.

Isabel Kane has posed:
"Glad I could be of assistance," Isabel laughs softly and lifts her mug towards Jean and takes a swallow.

Isabel sets her mug down on the table and lifts both hands up, smiling, "Hey, I'm not lookin' to take anythin' or anyone from ya. Praetor just said to meet with you to get the details of the situation. He didn't even really give me orders aside from that. I ain't gonna interfere with what y'all got goin', but if I can help at all... whether it's SHIELD or Shi'ar or just because that's who I am.. all ya gotta do is call. I can be here in a blink an' ready to throw down 'gainst whatever or whoever needs a whuppin'." Reaching one hand out, she plucks the mug back up to get another mouthful.

Shifting slightly in her seat to better face Jean, Izzy rests both hands on one knee, one atop the other as she nods her agreement, "I was glad to be assigned long-term to Earth. I think they realized it hurt that my grandpa died while I was off-world, so they posted me here to help out where I could.. with the occasional intergalactic jaunt as needed. I think they felt they needed a Shi'ar presence here that wore a familiar face. So they set me here, I got hired on with SHIELD, and that gave more ties.. and now they got someone who can speak for the Shi'ar that sees both sides of it."

Giving a nod, Izzy takes in the information with a frown, "I ain't been told anythin' bout that, but I can ask around. Wouldn't be the first time proprietary tech wound up in the wrong hands cause someone got greedy. But if I can find anythin', I'll pass it along. Might be a joint operation would be called for.. both to plug a leak an' rebuild some of that trust, on both sides."

Jean Grey has posed:
"Great! Glad to hear it." And Jean sounds as though she means it, quite emphatic in that exclamation. "I can't begin to speculate on what kind of assignments the Shi'ar might have for you, but as for kicking around and helping out here... well, a little extra backup never hurts. And as long as you've been gone, well, Earth has definitely gotten interesting in the meanwhile. I really hope you'll have time to just appreciate being back, on top of handling everything that's getting piled on you. It's a lot of responsibility. And we can't all be heroes ALL the time."

As for the lingering bit of business, Jean still has more to share it seems. "You might want to speak with Agent Romanova, she was in charge of the SHIELD support during the operation. But I don't think this was just a matter of stolen tech. We've encountered that, including Deathbird's people supplying criminals on Earth with Shi'ar weapons during the whole Brood fiasco. But this... well, the way the operation was carried out, it wasn't just the gear. The tactics looked SHIELD-like too. They had good intel, despite all the effort we made to keep it quiet. They knew all the frequencies to jam the Agents we had with us, cut our group off for a while and made them fight their way out tooth and nail."

As she goes back through those details, Jean's voice grows more intense, though she seems to catch herself by the end and reels herself back. "I don't want to get into any kind of wild speculation. But... there are people on Earth who aren't terribly happy about the treaty. My people get their share of hate, but actual aliens?" She shakes her head. "Be careful with who you talk to. I trust Nat- Agent Romanova. Agent Erickson I'm sure you know about as well. There's others, good people. But... well, I don't need to tell you that Earth politics are just as nasty and complex as alien ones."

This all may cast a bit of a shadow over things, so abruptly, she tries to lighten the mood. "Hey. Do you want to meet her?" Standing up, she reaches to touch her forehead again, although this time she lets Izzy 'hear' the echo of what she's thinking as well. << Xandra? There's someone here who I'd like you to meet. Someone your mother sent to help keep you safe. >>

What may be a surprise is that the answer comes back just as clearly, loudly in their thoughts. << I would be happy for the reprieve. The one who calls himself 'Hambone' is demonstrating a tactical simulation called 'Fortnite'. It is... simplistic, if colorful. >>

Jean turns aside to Izzy at this, and grins. "Right. Shoulda mentioned. Lilandra is a latent, too, so... she's an -extremely- powerful telepath. And not quite so good on the privacy and control, just yet. But she's a sweet girl. C'mon."