Lakshmibai Raj - Lines In The Sand

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

Charles makes a difficult choice, and not everyone agrees as he arranges a meeting in his office of the various branches of allies.



“Thank you all for coming.” Professor Charles Xavier looked worried, a man wrestling with circumstances well beyond his control and facing a decision that he’d never wanted to make. The normal implacable nature of the Professor had fractured a little, and his concern leaked through. “I do not believe I need to go over the recent tragedy that has struck northern India and Pakistan for anyone here. The magnitude of the earthquake and the mountainous nature of the region have made relief efforts difficult, and at the request of the Red Cross, I have agreed to send Red-X, along with the New Mutants, to volunteer at one of the major refugee medical centres now being assembled. Both the Red Cross administrator of the new camp and the chief medical officer are friends of ours, and asked specifically for our help.”

It wasn’t news, and just walking through the mansion to Charles’ office was full of signs of staff and students packing in preparation for the trip. “Unfortunately, that is not the only development in the region. During the EISM conference, I had the opportunity to meet with General William Bastian and Lilandra Neramani. General Bastian is the former ambassador to the United Nations, and has been an ally of the X-Men on a number of occasions. Ms Neramani is the youngest sister of D. Kenneth Neramani, the current Prime Minister of India. Since that time, we have been communicating regularly, and I have come to trust both of them.”

Kurt was watching him quietly, with no sign of surprise yet. After all, he'd been at that meeting, and the rest stood to reason.

Emma paused her mental tally of available resources for a moment, sighing lightly. She'd been expecting the request for the assistance with the relief efforts for the last few days, but she had hoped the Neramanis would have learned their lessons from Srinagar and stopped playing political games when the lives of many were at stake. It seemed inevitable that Charles was just about to prove that hope had been a forlorn one.

Oh, good. Another inane lecture on the importance of building good will toward men and following a strict policy of imitating an ostrich. Amahl did his best conceal his boredom, keeping up the inent, serious mien he perfected throughout the hours upon hours of interminably verbose conference speakers. I wonder if Xavier ever wonders why every intel chief he ever had ends up by rapidly getting the fuck out and working for someone else....

“Part of my correspondence with Ms Neramani regarded her position in the Indian government, and her concerns with her brother’s administration. We know for a fact that India has launched a mutant response force, which Ororo’s team faced in Indonesia, Red-X reported in Sri Lanka, and Garrison Kane said were tied up with incidents in Madripoor and the kidnapping in Chharabra. I’m afraid it goes deeper than that. Ms Neramani believes that her brother may have been involved in some degree to the kidnapping of their sister, and the explosion in Srinagar which took a half million lives. Now, with the recent terrorist bombings in New Delhi which have been tied to Pakistani nationals, she believes he has orchestrated a casus belli to invade Pakistan and overrun the UN forces there.” Charles paused, looking from face to face. “Lilandra Neramani was arrested by her brother yesterday, and just before her arrest, sent a message to General Bastian outlining that the attack will launch in the next thirty-six hours.”

Marie-Ange's face only flashed emotion for a moment, looking directly at Remy. The question was clear. Should they share what they knew of the Indian forces with Charles? Had it just been her decision, had there been fewer people, she would have told Professor Xavier everything - but with Remy there, with more than just Ororo present at the meeting, she was unsure of how to proceed. And of which of the members of the X-Men knew exactly what X-Force had done already.

~I know, Marie-Ange. Nothing needs to be said.~ Charles' 'voice' was remote, distant, but underneath was the sense of deep regret barely held back.

Kurt had gone very still at this new revelation. Carefully, he said, "So there will be war. Perhaps nuclear, given the capabilities of both nations."

In the richest tones he could muster under the circumstances Hank began, "I know not with what weapons World War Three will be fought," he sighed, collecting himself before continuing on; taking off his glasses to wipe the grime from them as he went on. "But World War Four will be fought with sticks and stones. Albert Einstein. I think it's certainly time to move the doomsday clock forward a tick or two."

In the words of immortal philospher and parttime bartender, Harry - duh, you pretentious ass. Farouk thought, while nodding somberly to show his agreement with McCoy.

“The purpose of the X-Men was to further human-mutant interaction, and respond to the threat that mutants like Erik or Apocalypse represent. I know that some of you disagree, but it was never to be a mutant para-military force, or even a branch of law enforcement. And yet, we have found ourselves in situations working with other governments, agencies, even movements.” He sighed softly. “I know how easy it would be for the X-Men to become the active arm of a specific policy or agenda. To make this school a place of open and forceful activism instead of education and active support. It is a treacherously short slope between being what we are, and being what we’re often accused of being.”

Ororo was firmly within the camp that the school should be a school - and the X-Men were no military force. The tone of the conversation, and more to the point, Charles' demeanor, were leading her to a place where she could see these tenets and ideals questioned, bent, and twisted. She kept her thoughts to herself, as this was no time to question the Professor so openly, but her expression was clearly unhappy as he went on.

Hank recognized the look on Ororo's face as one that mirrored his own. He too remained silent, hoping against hope itself that Charles wasn't about to say what he knew was coming next.

“General Bastian asked me if it was in my power to help him somehow slow the invasion poised at Pakistan. He believes that if India is successful, it will back both the United States and China into a corner, and that there is a real possibility that we will edge towards the brink of a nuclear exchange. Regardless, at the forefront of this invasion will be India’s mutant soldiers, which will destroy the current agreement between nations and lead to other countries weaponizing mutants over national security concerns. The efforts of Elpis and Frost Enterprises over the years have uncovered a taste of the scope of those secret programs. If they were to be brought out into the open?”

“This conflict could very well shape the future of mutants and their place in the global community. I fear that it will not be as partners and fellow individuals as we’ve strived for here, but the mandate of war will see us as resources. Against a possible backdrop of millions, tens of millions of casualties if the conflict goes nuclear, it is a nightmare to contemplate.”
"And there it is," Hank said plainly. The big, blue doctor moved a step toward the window, looking out on the north lawn as he had many times before, but now the grounds seemed diminished and some of the luster had gone out of things.

Halelujah! We have a breaththrough! Farouk quickly covered his face with a hand, slowly stroking his beard as if in deep thought. And it only took you a couple of years, an invasion and a nuclear explosion to here, Charles, my boy. Truly, thou art a divine intellect given form. Now can we go kill that fucking sociopath, please or do we have to sit for another hour coming to terms with the Deeply Significant Metaphysics of it all?

“You are my colleagues, friends. I cannot give you orders about this, nor would I even if I could. I will live with this on my conscience for the rest of my life, but I fear that I risk an even greater burden of guilt if I do nothing. All I can do is ask for your help.”

"Oh, hell." Amahl felt something inside him wilt. Forget an hour. We'll be here all day.

"Professor Xavier", Kurt said, with barely a sign of hesitation, "I owe you much, as we both know, but do not take it as an obligation when I say I will go wherever you ask. Most especially for this."

"Frost Enterprises has resources in the area, which I'm happy to lend to the effort. And if you need a public face for the effort, then I'm quite willing to play compassionate darling of the corporate world and come along. It would guarantee the effort more publicity and a few cameras might be helpful in shutting down the worst public excesses." Emma's smile was winter-cold. "And doesn't hurt my public image either. I might as well say it before Monsieur LeBeau does."

With a dejected sigh Hank turned back toward the professor, "Charles, I fear this time you may ask too much of us- and the children too; to send them into an active war zone like this is criminally irresponsible." He looked around the room full of hawks and doves before finishing, "I go because I owe you that much, Professor, but I will not fight in any man's war. Someone will need to look after the children and make sure they stay out of harm's way. I will go to the refugee camp with them and do what I can for those poor souls caught in the cross fire of this conflict, but we would all do well to mark something else that Einstein said..." he paused for a moment, making sure he had the spotlight before continuing. "You can not simultaneously prevent and prepare for war."

"The camp is as safe as any other Red X deployment," Charles added. "But your assistance there will be needed."

I am hungry, dammit! thought Farouk.

"Fine sentiment, bete bleu. Change de world, but only when it is safe for us." Remy's voice was caustic, but then again, he wasn't an X-Man and he'd already split with the mansion over Xavier's own refusal to face the reality of the world his X-Men operated in. "Dis isn't 'bout a war coming. Neramani's been buying, stealing and enslaving mutant children; he's building de army of de future now, and his fucking Guard is just de tip of de spear. Beating his army is pointless. De rot is coming from de head, and dat's what needs to be dealt wit'."

"He will have to be replaced, and quickly." Marie-Ange said firmly. "If India does not have visible leadership, it will fracture once Neramani is no longer in power." Which explained the cracks in mirrors and windows she had been seeing all month. "A fractured India would bring on a worse situation that we find ourselves in now." Her hand twitched, and Marie-Ange blinked back a sharp pain in her left eye. "Countless small wars for the next fifty years, unless we replace D. Ken Neramani with someone who is not power-mad."

"I am not denying that we are at a cross-roads. But it is not our place to replace a head of state, no matter how best intentioned we are," Charles said, his voice quiet but carrying weight. "That is Magneto's way, not ours." He used the name deliberately. "We are saving lives, preventing a war - anything else is up to democratic processes to decide. Just as the decision to take part in what I am asking of you is up to every one of you."

Remy stood up. "Remy hope dat you all look after youselves, but getting in front of an invasion isn't how dis thing is going to end. Dere are rules to operating at dis level, and Neramani has broken dem. We going to make sure dat he understands de consequences of dat." His red-eyed gaze flickered around the room momentarily. "I'll see what intelligence dat we can send out before we go in." The Cajun nodded at Marie-Ange, and they left the room. Clearly, X-Force had a different plan in order to help, and it wouldn't be in the field with the X-Men.

Ororo shifted where she stood, letting out a short sigh before nodding in the direction of those who still remained in the room. "Very well. It seems things are decided, then." It was difficult to read her tone, though it was obvious she had let 'team leader' take over for the time being. "I will call together the X-Men shortly and inform them of what plans we know. Beyond that, we will go where we must - as always."

Charles nodded slowly, his face a study in conflicted emotions. It was clear none of this sat well with him either. "I know this is not an easy choice for any of you," he said quietly. "But by acting now, we will be preventing the deaths of millions. Hold onto that. And please." He looked at each of the remaining X-Men in turn. "Be careful."