An End To War
Lenneth Essex brushed a thin strand of white hair out of her eyes as she climbed the stairs to the temple within the mountain. Reaching the plateau before the temple, she picked up several sticks of incense from beside the door and lit them. Then kneeling within the sanctuary, she crossed herself with the lines of smoke.
"God of Light, bless me as I kneel here before you," she began the classical prayer. "I seek the goodness of your guidance and a measure of your mercy."
A robed figure entered the sanctuary quietly and stood near the door watching the praying woman.
"Nathaniel," Lenneth's voice walked around the room on slippered feet. "I miss you. God can only tell you how much. This war makes me weary and wishful for the strength of your arms to hold me. We are losing, my love. The numbers of our dead are barely believable. What I wouldn't give to have you, Lensherr, Xavier, or even Frost here to help me. I feel like I'm sending babies out to protect what we have built. And it weighs heavy on my heart."
"Madame Essex," the watcher interrupted, his voice only slightly accented as he said the French word.
"Yes," she half turned to look at him, noting the slight twitch of his tail giving away his nervousness.
"The human ambassador has arrived. He's asking for you, according to Jean."
"He will have to wait," she replied wearily turning back to the large cross on the other side of the sanctuary. "Thank you very much though, Kurt."
"You are welcome. I will ask Jean if she minds entertaining him for a short while."
"Thank you, Kurt," she repeated with her back to him. He bowed once and left.
Slipping out of the sanctuary, Kurt teleported back down the mountainside to the primary base for the Mutant Nation. It would have been just as easy for Jean to mentally speak to their leader, but Madame Essex had made it clear that only news of the most urgent kind was to be transmitted to her in such fashion. Otherwise, it would have to be moved by word of mouth.
"How is she," asked Jean preparing a tea tray for their illustrious guest. "Do you think that she will agree to their demands?"
"I don't think so. These wars have cost her everything, including her husband and her children. Anything she agrees to will have to be worth the weight of those bodies and all the others that have been killed by the man-sents." Kurt lifted the tray off the table for Jean, following her toward the main conference room where the Ambassador and his entourage were awaiting Madame Essex's arrival. Their orders had been to make the Ambassador comfortable when he arrived and send word to the Madame immediately. This done; now they simply had to wait for her return.
Lenneth rose from her knees, bowing at the waist before piously crossing herself once again.
"Nathaniel, I will always love you. One day, I will be back by your side, but for now, I've got to make a deal with the devil for the lives of our people."
More than ten years had passed since the beginning of this war, one in a series that had seemed to be going on forever. Originally, it had been the Brotherhood against the X-men, until the human governments united and named all mutants outlaws. It was then that Master Lensherr and Master Xavier had come together and first begun the Mutant Nation. Following the first war came the creation of the man-sents, biomechanical nightmares that seemed able to neutralize mutant abilities from a distance and kill on contact.
What mutants could ran, finding refuge in the wilds of Australia. But nothing was ever allowed to prosper long. Now the human governments wished to negotiate peace, an end to the rounds of retaliation that had marred history for so many years.
The Mutant Nation had gone through many leaders: Lensherr, Xavier, two Summers, and a Frost, and then Master Essex. The last to fall, leaving behind only his Madame Essex and Madame Summers or Ms. Grey who had chosen not to step up as a leader because of her two young sons. Though many witnessed the death of Master Essex, no body was ever recovered, leaving behind some hope that perhaps he did manage, somehow, to survive. While awaiting his possible return, Madame Essex had become a true leader coordinating evacuations and military strikes with great precision. It was in her that many held their hope for the future.
Madame Essex refused to run down the stairs from the temple, despite the fact that she was late. It was better for her to arrive late and calm, then quickly and upset. Reaching the halls of the main complex, she nodded and acknowledged the few people walking the halls. They returned her acknowledgement by placing one hand over their heart. The conference room door was ajar when she stepped up to it.
"That creature," said someone from within hissing and spitting. "Must leave." Lenneth looked in through the crack and saw one older man brandishing a letter opener at Kurt. Jean was standing between the two, her hands held up as if to stop violence. Kurt was standing back, his posture defensive, though he would surely have sprung forward to attack if he were not so well in control of his temper. The tea tray sat in the middle of the table, untouched. Pushing open the door, Lenneth asked,
"Exactly what do you think you are doing?" Her words came out very clipped and precise in the tone of one who is used to being answered immediately. She stood in the doorway, her eyes moving from one face to another in the room as she awaited her answer.
"You send a demon to serve tea," snapped the man with the letter opener. After a few long moments of meeting her gaze, he turned to his ambassador, an older man who wore his white hair clipped military short. "Ambassador Bryant…"
"Sit down, Eric," was the Ambassador's command as he reached for a teacup. "A pleasure to see you again, Madame Essex," he said conversationally. "I must say that white hair becomes you." His aide sat down in his chair once again, though he kept the letter opener close at hand and refused his teacup when it was offered.
"Nicholas Bryant," Lenneth identified the Ambassador by his full name. "I suppose they sent you because of our history?"
"I suppose that could have something to do with it, but I doubt it. I'm still rather upset about you leaving without so much as a note." Jean poured his tea and he took a slow sip. "An absolutely lovely Earl Grey, how do you get this out here?"
"I won't tell, Bryant," replied Lenneth, still standing in the doorway looking at the assembled.
"Ah well. Then I suppose we should get down to business then."
A small body squeezed past the woman standing in the doorway with a cry of,
"Papa!" A little girl, her tan and blue striped fur, neatly groomed down to her bushy, rather squirrel-like, tail hopped up into Kurt's waiting arms. Leaning over, she kissed Jean on the cheek.
"Eliza," said Kurt. "You should be with Scott and Mark."
"I know, Papa," said the little girl with a grin. "But I wanted to see the funny people." She pointed at the two men in military uniforms standing at attention behind the Ambassador's seat.
"Well, now you've seen. Go play." Kurt put her down on the floor and with a swat from his tail sent her running from the room.
"Kurt," said Lenneth as she sat down at the table. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. You either Jean."
"I'll stay right here where my duty demands, Madame Essex," came his formal reply.
"I shall as well, Madame," seconded Jean.
"Fine, then be seated and let these gentlemen get their own tea."
Once the seven people had taken up their respective positions either at the table or near it, the Ambassador began with his long spiel about the war and the toll it was taking on both the human and the mutant population. After several minutes of him not getting to the point, Lenneth tapped the fingers of her right hand on the table, bringing him to a stop.
"As much as I love to hear legalese and justifications for this and that action, that isn't why we are here today. So why don't you get down to the real meat of this meal?"
Bryant cleared his throat meaningfully and started again.
"Well then, to begin, the human government that I represent is willing to suspend all anti-mutant activity both within and without our borders for two non-negotiable concessions." He stopped. The three faces of his intended audience didn't move; each stared at him without so much as eyelash twitch. He continued on. "The continent of Australia will become the first Mutant state. Those who are already here, do not leave and any mutant currently hiding in the human territories is going to be allowed to move here in order to be amongst their brethren." Still there was no reaction.
"Second," prompted Lenneth after he remained silent for several seconds. Ambassador Bryant appeared to be studying her face, either to remember her better or to see any change in what she was once. Again he cleared his throat, this time shuffling papers in front of him until one official looking document was on top. It carried the former seal of the Presidency of the United States of America, now the head of the Human government. He read verbatim from the paper before him then.
"The mutant leader known as Madame Essex must, upon the signing of this treaty, turn herself over to the authorities of the United Human government to face charges of war crimes against Humanity."
"War crimes against humanity," repeated Kurt, his yellow eyes wide with disbelief.
"Are your leaders going to pay for what has been done to us," questioned Jean, her face nearly turning the color of her hair.
Lenneth silenced them both with upraised hands; her own eyes dark, but otherwise showing no reaction at all to the presented information.
"Ambassador Bryant," her voice crept across the table between them. "You have given us much to consider. I hope you don't mind surviving on our meager hospitality overnight while we consider your government's demands." She then turned to Jean. "Please take them to some of the empty rooms, Ms. Grey."
"Yes, Madame Essex," replied Jean. "If you gentlemen would follow me." The red-haired mother walked out, the four men of the Ambassador's entourage following along behind her. Leaving only Kurt and Lenneth alone in the conference room.
"You are seriously considering this," exclaimed Kurt slamming his fists down on the table.
"Yes, Kurt, I am," Lenneth steepled her fingers in front of her, a pose that made her look rather like Master Xavier when he was contemplating his own plans of action. "I would love for Eliza's education to no longer include what kinds of planes carry what kind of munitions. If my life is the price, then pay it I shall."
"What guarantee do we have that they will uphold their treaty," countered Kurt.
"None, but just a chance at peace is worth everything. Too many of us have lost everyone that means anything. You are raising Eliza without Antoinette. Jean has lost her husband, Scott, and her son, Nathan. I've lost Nathaniel and all my children. And that is just us three, what of the hundreds of others under our care? Tell me that you wouldn't do anything to make it stop, Kurt?"
"But we need you, Madame Essex. Your leadership is the only thing some of us have left to believe in. The only thing that Jean and I have left to believe in."
"Kurt," Lenneth looked at the blue man letting her apprehension come into her eyes for the first time in the conversation. "I want you to tell everyone that when the Ambassador's team prepares to leave, I want this site evacuated."
"Why?"
"Because I wouldn't be surprised if they try to overrun this position as soon as they have me in custody." She stood up next to him and threw an arm over his shoulders. "Go play with your daughter, Kurt. She will want to be with you after such a dismissal. But be sure to pass the word along, won't you?"
Kurt snapped to attention for a moment, his three fingered hand saluting her in the old military fashion before he teleported out to the grass beyond the conference room windows. Lenneth turned around and walked out, careful not to betray her fear to those walking the hallways of the compound.
Jean was leaning up against the wall next to Lenneth's door when she reached her private quarters.
"Kurt and I just had this conversation, Ms. Grey. Don't you think you should be spending time with your remaining sons?"
"Actually, I didn't come to question your decision to surrender. That is your decision. I wanted to know your history with the Ambassador, the two of you seemed awfully friendly."
"We were, a long time ago." Madame Essex offered Jean a chair as they entered her apartment. It was nothing compared to the estate that she had once owned, but it was comfortable enough. "Ambassador Bryant was Nicholas Bryant Esquire of Hambesham, Bryant, and Nicoles in London. I was a much younger woman then, looking for someone to make me feel better since Nathaniel and I had just had a bit of a row. Rather like that short tryst you had with Master Lensherr before he died."
Jean colored under the reference.
"No need for embarrassment, Jean. A woman has a right to her body and to her affections. She may bestow them where she sees fit. Anyway, Mr. Bryant and I slept together over a few week period. Then I received the customary letter from my real love and abandoned Bryant rather like a puppy."
"So they sent your jilted former lover to negotiate a treaty?"
"There doesn't appear to be much negotiation involved." Lenneth fixed herself a drink. "They want two things: to confine us to this continent and to kill me."
"You are going to agree," Jean sounded somewhat downcast.
"I hesitate," said Lenneth with a sick voice. Her grip on her glass tightened until it cracked. "Nathan gave his life for freedom and I hesitate to give mine. I have buried five children for this cause, why not myself?"
"No one wants to die," offered Jean quietly.
"If I don't agree, the killing continues. If I do, there is a good possibility that it will still continue." A single tear rolled down the leader's face. "But one has to risk everything in a reach for hope. I've asked Kurt to make preparations for a complete evacuation of this site."
"I know. Word travels quickly. Are you sure?"
"Yes. I would rather err toward caution than away. If the usual minds are doing the planning, as soon as I'm in custody, they will raze this area to the ground. At least if we are prepared, more lives will be saved. Make sure that Wanda, Lorna, Alex, Ororo, and Remy are ready to cover the evacuation. You and Kurt will be in charge."
"You are serious about doing this, giving up your life?"
"One cannot waver. I will die on my feet with my head held high, proud of the name that I carry with me to my grave."
A long moment sauntered between them before Lenneth gulped down her drink.
"Don't you think you had better get back to your boys before dinner?"
"Yeah," Jean got up and started to walk out. "Nathaniel would be proud of you, you know."
"Perhaps. I suppose I shall get a chance to ask him all too soon." Jean left the lady leader of the Mutant nation sitting in the dark, alone with all too clear memories of the family she no longer had.
Raven, Nicholas, Joshua, Madonna, and Billie: all dead, right along with their father. She had pictures of the children scattered throughout her personal effects, but none of her husband. But her memories of him were hardly tarnished by time. The way he had held her to his heart when he thought that she was going to die from her injuries during that disastrous raid on a mutant internment camp in Africa. For a moment, it seemed as if he would even shed a tear over her body. After that, he had stopped staying in his lab for days at a time, instead coming back to lie down next to her, even if he didn't sleep. In a single breath, she cursed the god that had separated them and wished for his arms to hold her tight on what might be her last night alive. But as she had for years, she slept alone.
"You have come to a decision," asked Bryant as the group gathered in the conference room the next morning.
"We are not left with many options, Ambassador Bryant," said Kurt. "However, before we agree to anything, perhaps you can tell us what guarantee we have that the United Human government will their word and leave us in peace?"
"You doubt our words, you blue freak? It is you we should be asking that question," offered Eric. Kurt didn't flinch before the vehemence of the aide's words.
"My second brings up a good point. You offer us an unguaranteed peace at the price of imprisonment and a life. Excuse us for considering your offer rather dubious. After all, it was your government that assassinated Master Xavier."
"Charles Xavier," said Bryant in a huffy voice, "was a terrorist who had been warned against approaching any of the world leaders. He was killed for that violation. As regrettable as that was."
"An unarmed man, Bryant," asked Jean.
"When is a mutant unarmed," replied Bryant. Eric smirked as if that were some great point. "So do we have a deal or not," the Ambassador asked.
"You have a deal, Bryant, I am prepared to surrender immediately, so long as your government upholds its promise to leave us in peace," said Lenneth.
"It is nice to know good sense reigns amongst you. I couldn't even begin to think bout trying to broker a peace agreement with the famous Master Lensherr."
If Magnus were still alive, you wouldn't be here, broadcast Jean. Lenneth put one hand on her forearm and shook her head.
"I trust you all will give me some time to say my good-byes?"
"Of course," agreed Bryant.
Lenneth used the time she had to say her good-byes to make sure that the evacuation plans were fully in place. Hugs were given all around; a few tears were shed. The truth of her departure had spread with the preparation for the site abandonment, so the halls were nearly lined with those wanting to say goodbye. In the courtyard central to the compound, she began her final address.
"You all know that I am leaving. I will not hide the truth from you about why. I go to pay with my life for our peace. I pray that mine will be the last claimed by this conflict. Finally, the cause that so many have strived for and died for will be realized. We will be able to live in peace and safety. A cause worthy of the lives that it has claimed," she finished quietly though the words carried among the assembled on the shared breath.
The two military fellows flanking the Ambassador offered a set of manacles to Lenneth. She looked from them to Bryant and said,
"Do you really expect me to wear those things?"
"No," he chuckled. "I suppose I don't. If you really want to resist, those will hardly hold you." Bryant waved them away. "Come along then, Madame Essex," he offered her his arm. She took it as a lady would and allowed him to lead her to the transport that would take her back to Washington D.C. Once she was loaded and driven away, Kurt raised his voice to the assembled.
"You know your orders, get moving."
When the expected attack came, the compound and its outlying settlements were completely deserted. Bryant confronted Lenneth where she sat on a plane over the Pacific Ocean.
"You told them to evacuate?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Do you really think I would believe that my death would bring an end to war?"