2014.05.29 - Productive Meeting... For Once

It was looking like a normal day in the Peak and it was just dawning in the East Coast. Normality ended and alarms got fired when a Kree light cruiser, 15,000 tons of deadly starship, de-cloaked just over the city of Chicago and began bombing some... unimportant suburbia. Definitely not a normal space invasion or even a normal pirate raid. Not even a normal Kree cruiser, the Kree rarely use cloaking technology.
Before the USAF fighters arrived (in what would have been a brave suicide attack, really) unknown superhumans engaged the cruiser and what looked to be one large Kree Sentry that burst from the ground. A couple minutes later, the cruiser picked up the downed Sentry and moved away, and towards the Peak. Halfway they opened a communication channel announcing their intention to dock with the station and assuring they would not attack.
And thus the Peak was also on red alert. It was nice of them to ask for permission to dock and for them promising not to attack but there were procedures to follow on any unknown (and unfriendly considering the recent action) ship that approached the Peak, especially ships of make and models that are used by known hostile alien races like the Kree.
Commander Abigail Brand <real name REDACTED> pinched the bridge of her nose as she got up from her desk and put the other security procedures into place. She put a plasma pistol in her hostler and headed to the docking bay.
The ship would be allowed to dock, of course. However after it docked ten SWORD operatives were ready with energy rifles on a high end stun setting. Prisoners would be taken if this got ugly. Though Brand did secretly hope it wouldn't, she hated the amount of paperwork that came with taking extraterrestrial nationals as prisoners, at least when it's unexpected.
She arrived in the docking bay moments after her men, standing next to her was a Drenxian, orange skin, long snout and webbed ears. She wore the standard green and black uniform that nearly every SWORD agent wore on the Peak. Her green hair was up into a ponytail just in case trouble did start. And even with the green sunglasses hiding the sight of her eyes she didn't look happy in the least bit.
Bringing a communication device to her mouth she spoke in Kree Standard <Unidentified Kree vessel. You are in a sovereign Terran space station known as Peak VII. We ask that you power down your ship and exit it in a non threatening manner. Failure to do so will cause us to open fire.>
There is a minute pause after that communication. The Kree ship keeps approaching, although decreasing speed quickly. It is difficult to know if their weapon systems are powered or not. Then their answer comes in English, "Peak station, this is Adam Warlock speaking. I have commandeered this vessel to prevent further bloodshed. I advise you not to fire upon the cruiser, it is unnecessary and very likely fatal for your crew. I will be accompanying Captain Ael-Tor when we dock, but I don't believe the rest of the crew will abandon their ship willingly, nor will I try to force them to do so."
Brand looked for a moment and just sighed, nothing was every simple these days was it. She looked over to her Drenxian companion and just said, "Well?"
The Drenxian concentrated for a moment and said, "It isss asss Adam Warlock sssays."
"Great! I'm so glad I keep a -psychic- around to tell me things -before- they happen and he never gives me anything until -after- I already know it.," Brand said to the Drenxian exasperatedly. She looked at the com and said, "Alright your good for primary docking bay. I'm transferring you back to the CIC who will give detailed instructions. Welcome to the Peak, Adam Warlock."
The ten SWORD agents were still all holding their weapons at the read, "Oh will you morons stop that and just stand down already. I don't need your damned stun rifles aimed at a Kree ship."
The men stood down but didn't leave the docking bay.
Docking Bay doors opened but an air impermeable force field went up to keep the atmosphere stable when the Kree ship entered.
The alien ship is almost too large for docking bay, but fortunately the navigation computers are able to dock it without incidents. Adam comes out with a stern-looking blue-skinned man that would looks in his sixties if he was human. "Thank you for agreeing to this," he says, walking towards Abigail's group and apparently able to identify her as the ranking officer. "I had little time for negotiations, the Kree were threatening to self-destroy their starship over Chicago when we boarded them."
He means there is someone in the ship making sure they are firing from the inside of the Peak. "Captain Ael-Tor agreed to take the blame for the attack so his ship can return Kree space." Judging for the expression of the Kree warrior, it wasn't his idea.
Brand looked at Adam Warlock and scowled as she crossed her arms, "I get that time was an issue, Adam Warlock. But I think we have to discuss some things."
She gestures to her men who move to take Captain Ael-Tor into custody. If he cooperates they'll take him to the holding cells that have just recently been finished, latest in Stark Tech she's told. The Peak was still a bit of a work in progress, though she wouldn't admit it to an outsider.
"The Kree ship will stay here until you and I can figure out the finer points of these issues... in private," Agent Brand added, it was obvious from her tone that there was no saying no to this.
"I have a few minutes," replies Adam evenly, letting Brand take him into her office, or wherever. "I rather not be here when the Sentry finishes self-repairing." He comments along the way. "And now I think about it... if I was in your place I wouldn't want that ship in the Peak when the Sentry finishes self repairing."
Brand lead Warlock to (for lack of a better term) a turbo lift and said, "The View" and the lift started to move, "I'd appreciate if you didn't tell me what I would or would not want. The whole docking bay is rigged to blow if I need it to. We've got planned contingencies for these sort of things. Despite what the rest of the galaxy might think, the human race aren't just a bunch of children."
The turbolift doors opened to "the View" also known as the office of Commander Brand. It's called the view for the most obvious of reasons. The transparent aluminum windows took up the entirety of the back wall, allowing Abigail Brand quite the view of the Earth from just behind her desk, "This is my office, and I requested it to be built this way. So I could always just turn around and see what exactly I'm looking out for when I work here. And I made it so my desk didn't face it so I'd remember that the threat is away from the Earth, not on it."
She sits behind her desk and puts her plasma pistol on it, "So what I need to discuss Adam Warlock, is who exactly do you think you are?"
Adam considers that question. There is much he could say, of course. And most of it Brand would ignore or sneer at. So instead, "I am merely a meddlesome rogue that will no doubt give you extraordinarily amounts of bureaucratic work, and still refuse to play by the rules." Pause, "I am afraid there is very little you can do to avoid that. I will, however, do my best to keep your planet from being destroyed during the next few years. Contrarily to what most sentients outside Earth believe, this world is important for the well-being of the rest of the universe."
Brand considered everything Warlock said inhaled sharply for a second and then sighed, "You know I have a real love/hate with superheroes. I've been trained, since I was still just a teenager to do a lot of the things you people decided to start doing over a weekend brunch with your girlfriend. It aggravates me, as does the whole part where I have to report to other people to comment on things you people do."
She stands and puts her hands on the desk and says, "But what really bugs me is something that you all seem so happy to do. Speak for the Planet Earth. You gave me a Kree Captain, that's great. Kree Captain's are near impossible to break, I'm never going to know why he was here, why he was attacking a Chicago suburb or if he was acting with prior knowledge of the Kree government."
She takes her sunglasses off and her bright green eyes are filled with anger, "If I didn't have to let his entire crew go, I could break one of them. Find out what they knew of what was going on. If I didn't have to let their ship leave, I got get the information from the computers. Or I could have my best techs tearing it down for information, technology and spare parts."
She put her hands together and forced a very forced smile and said, "And what pray tell is the reason I'm letting them go? And yes, I'm going to let them go. The reason is because their Captain negotiated, in good faith, with a so-called 'meddlesome rogue' who now gets to leave here himself and pat himself on the back for a job well done. While the -real job- is left to me."
She shrugs, "I mean I could take that 'meddlesome rogue' into custody myself. But SHIELD would have a field day with that. Then I also have to assume that said 'meddlesome rogue' has other similar friends, probably on that very ship in my docking bay, who would take offense of me taking the 'meddlesome rogue' into custody and tear my base apart to get him back."
"Not an issue. I will tell you was doing here," replies Adam calmly. "At 2:35 am east coast time a dimensional rift opened at the coordinates 41.87 north, 87.51 west. I closed it three minutes later. Only seven humans saw it and I doubt anyone understood what happened. Unfortunately a Kree storage container was in the area. The Kree, you see, have used Earth to hide and stockpile weapons for hundreds of thousands of years. It is a good place, the solar stargate is a perfect launching point for invasions in this quadrant. I am sure you knew this." A pause, so he walks close to the window and looks outside.
"I noticed a Kree signal beacon that flared briefly, and went to investigate. There was an underground chamber, a large Sentry and a null-entropy cage. I was still studying how to deal with this Kree equivalent of a nuclear device when Captain Ael-Tor arrived and decided to expedite the recovery of the device by using the cruiser cannons to dig to the underground chamber. That there were inhabited buildings in the way didn't even register in his conscience, because humans are less than vermin to him. He killed several hundred civilians, and activated the Sentry when he found some serious opposition."
He turns back to Brand. "We teleported to the bridge. He realized he couldn't hurt us with hand-held weapons, so threatened with the self-destruction of the cruiser, which would have completely destroyed the city. I talked and convinced him to come here and save his ship. Actually, I don't care what happens to him. I just wanted him and his crew distracted while my friends throws the cage to the Sun. They will be furious when they review the Sentry memory and discover that I lied to them when I told them the device had been stolen long ago. Which is why I sincerely believe it would be safe if they are a few light years away when they find out."
Abigail Brand smirked and put her glasses on, "Damn, that was possibly the best after-action report I've ever been given. Alright well that just saved me a lot of work, hell if you were my type I'd probably be asking out for a drink right about now."
How quickly the Queen of All Bitches thaws in the presence of good field work, "What sort of backlash can we expect from the Kree when they do find out what you did?"
"I suspect I am already in all their blacklists," admits Adam, "it is not the first time I meddle in their business. The Supreme Intelligence rarely appreciates my advice, either." Because he is a meddlesome rogue, obviously. "They have not sent a Pursuer to kill me, so far; maybe this time they will. Probably not, if they get their ship back intact. The captain... they might let him rot in your brig for a time if he has no House connections. Eventually, I suspect, they will very imperiously inquire about him while maybe offer some token reparation for the attack."
Brand listens carefully to all that is said, "Well, normally I'd be pissed off beyond all belief. But it sounds like you handled this situation better than half the people I would have put on the job would have done."
"You're free to go and I'll contact CIC to let the Kree ship go as well. You're right, we don't want them here when they figure out what you've actually up to," Brand smirked a bit to herself as this could actually help her out on some things she was working on herself.
"Oh and Adam Warlock, if you ever want to go legit, I think we can fit you into SWORD somewhere."
"No, I have never been able to work well within the restrictions..." surprisingly, Adam pauses, and then changes his mind. "Actually, I spoke to hastily. Perhaps some arrangements could be made. I am in alliance with other individuals that might be quite willing to collaborate with an organization such as S.W.O.R.D. We are often off-world, by our task brings us to Earth quite often."
"Well doesn't that just sound peachy," Brand said the smirk not having left her face, "I'd be more than happy to try to work on a collaboration of efforts. Off-Worlders on Earth is my specific mandate and if I can have a few of them more comfortable with coming to me when there's not an immediate situation that'll make my job easier."
She pressed a few buttons on her desk's interface and the door to the turbolift opened, it's preprogrammed to take Adam Warlock right back to the docking bay, "You know how to get in touch with us, obviously. And you know we exist, obviously. So we might as well work together on these things. It'll make less headaches all around I bet. Probably less visits to the big office too."
Adam nods to Brand, "I agree. And it looks as this was a more constructive visit I anticipated. It was good to meet you, Agent Brand. Farewell." He heads for the turbolift, but he never arrives to the docking bay, instead he teleports back to Chicago to talk with a certain clueless teenage Kryptonian good-doer.
Category:Log