Empty Quarter: Back Into Africa

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Val Cooper arrives at the mansion with a request for the X-Men, complete with a message from the President. When she tells them what's going on, Ororo, Kurt, Lorna, Nathan and Jim all find themselves very disposed to be helpful.


Val Cooper was looking entirely too interested in the Situation Room, Nathan thought with a flicker of well-hidden amusement as he lowered himself into one of the chairs around the table, watching the others as they came in. This had to be just about a first, a briefing down here with someone from outside.

He had to wonder what was going on. Ororo looked... composed, but energetic, and Kurt had a very thoughtful look on. Jim and Lorna, at least, looked to be in the same boat as him. I suppose we're about to find out... it's got to be good, whatever it is, if she's passing it along in person.

Val dropped a set of folders on the table, sliding one at a time to each of the assembled X-Men. "The U.S. Government has been working through seized assets of the Eris Corporation since the... disappearance," she took a quick moment to glance at Nathan, "of its founder and CEO, Gideon Faraday. By Executive Order, President McKenna has authorized my task force to track any information pertaining to Vulcan, a side project of Faraday's that involved human trafficking, specifically young mutants, for training as non-volunteer soldiers."

"These folders," she pointed at the information she'd disseminated, "contain target information on a training camp in Mauritania. While a good number of these camps have already been raided and seized, I've been given authority to task this particular one out to you folks. While the actual operation is classified above my level," Val looked incredibly irritated at that particular confession, "the President simply said to tell you that two former Mistra staff members are running this camp."

She finally sat down, steepling her fingers and waiting for a reaction.

Though she had already heard the barest details of this, Ororo still opened her folder and scanned the information inside as Val spoke. Glancing up at the pause in conversation, she looked around at the rest of the faces of the team around her. "This is of interest to us for several reasons, of course. We would like to see the shutting down of these camps continue as much as the President would, and the addition of any former Mistra staff's involvement would warrant our input, at least."

"More than our input." Lorna added mildly, watching Nate and hoping that he wasn't going to charge out of here without the rest of them. He looked like he was behaving himself so far but who knew what kind of thoughts were going through his head.

Jim was having similar doubts, but not about Nathan. Kids, he thought, remembering what he knew of Nathan's past and how Kyle had come to the school. They'll probably be kids. I told Ororo that around kids I might . . . But he was in this briefing for a reason. There was a definite possibility any captives they found might have the same kind of psychic programming that Gideon had made use of with Nathan at Ushuaia. Jean wasn't an option, and Nathan's talents lay in other areas. He was the most qualified telepath on the roster. Damage is damage, but when we're needed we're needed. Talk to Charles and Ororo beforehand, minimize the risk. You'll figure something out. Later.

"How many -- subjects?" Jim asked, giving Val a questioning look. "Do we know?"

"The camp is of similar size to others that have been raided, so we expect between ten and fifteen children," Cooper explained, opening a folder and selecting a photograph to show the group. "We have very limited intelligence at this time on the specifics of the camp's defenses or how many mutants are assigned for 'training' and 'security' purposes there. All we have are dossiers on the two former Mistra targets. Ex-conditioning staff. You'll find everything you need there."

She fixed Nathan with an icy glare, obviously irked that he was in on a secret that she wasn't privy to. "That's not going to be a complication for you, is it, Mr. Dayspring?"

"Not at all, Agent Cooper," Nathan said, a small, odd little smile playing on his lips. She wasn't the only one in the room wondering that, and it was pissing him off, just a little. "In fact, I'd welcome the opportunity to help mop up a couple more loose ends." #And if anyone starts making comments about shock collars at me,# he projected to his teammates, almost sweetly, #I'm going to be peevish.#

Kurt looked innocent, and sent back, #I will say nothing if you do nothing that might merit a shock collar.#

Ignoring the banter that threatened to make her smile, Ororo closed the folder and placed it on the table. "This seems as if it could be accomplished easily enough by a small team with some reconnaissance beforehand. Obviously there are two concerns - that of the children, and of the scientists. Agent Cooper, if you are willing to continue working with us, I see no reason why we would not be able to accomplish the evacuation of this camp. Of course," she added, looking around at Nate, Lorna, Haller and Kurt, "if you have any objections or ideas, please speak up."

"I -- think it might be better if I stay in the Blackbird for this one," Jim said hesitantly. "I don't need to be in the field to switchboard if we need it, and it looks like most of my work will be after the evacuation anyway. I don't want to get in the way."

Nathan eyed Jim for a moment before he spoke. "Frees me up for being in the thick of things. Lorna," he said, his eyes moving to his training partner, "how much have you been practicing that empathic defense I showed you? One of the two targets is an empath. Conditioning staff." Nothing ‛ex' about it, according to the dossier. His mouth twisted briefly for a moment.

Lorna's jaw tensed but her shrug was casual, "I'm probably as good as you can hope for from a headblind person. Enough to buy you enough time to keep him from mucking about with me." She didn't add 'I hope'. It wasn't like the people in the room didn't already know why Nate had asked that question of her in particular. She lifted her chin and looked at Ororo, "It makes the most sense to have Nate and I go after them."

"Yes, I agree," Ororo said, nodding. "Though I would like to see the camp before committing to any one course of action just yet. Depending on its defenses, we may need to be flexible on how we partner up. But as long as you are all comfortable with the parameters of this mission, I suggest we begin preparations to leave as soon as possible. Kurt, how soon do you predict we will be able to depart?"

Kurt had been lost in thought, but blinked himself out of it when he heard his name and registered the question. "Two hours?" he hazarded. "Although I do not know how long it will take to ready the jet."

Jim raised his eyebrows. Two hours? That seemed like short notice for what basically amounted to facilitating a forcible extradition from another country -- but then, he supposed the team was used to moving on short notice. They certainly hadn't had much warning before the incident at the FoH building, either. "I can be ready. I just need to leave a note at my office in case any students decide to drop by."

"I can stay here and get the topographical maps yanked out of the database and uploaded so that we can review them on the plane," Nathan said, looking to Ororo. "It is after all going to take the 'Bird several hours to make it to Mauritania. I can find us a safe LZ, too." Something occurred to him and he turned to Val. "I don't suppose you've got satellite coverage of the area?"

Val smiled, tapping the folder. "Accurate as of twenty-four hours ago. Another pass is scheduled for eight hours from now, although our surveillance teams warn us there may be high-altitude cloud cover. This is the best you're going to get."

"Thank you, Agent Cooper. We could not do this without you," Ororo said with an acknowledging nod. "I need everyone to prepare for departure - we will say three hours from now. We will further review the situation and the information available on the jet and finalize our course of action. I will be available to speak with anyone who wishes to as soon as we are done here.

"Kurt, please prep the Blackbird and let me know if there is anything that will keep us from departing this evening. Nathan, thank you for volunteering to pull the maps. Let us meet in the hangar in three hours if you do not hear otherwise... and be ready to work fast."



(OOC: Thanks to Nute for socking Val Cooper!)