HARD PROMISES

• Writer - John Francis Moore
• Penciler - Liam Sharp
• Inker - Kevin Conrad
• Inker - Steve Moncuse
• Inker - Robbin Riggs
• Inker - Matt Ryan
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Colorist - Marie Javins
• Editor - Kelly Corvese
• Editor - Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

Summary

  Lilandra sends an envoy, who arrives late at night and nabs assortedX-Men and rushes off to Hala, to witness the formal union of the Kree and Shi¹arempires.

  Xavier hasn¹t seen Lilandra for a long time, and he is bothered that she has built a beautiful capitol building, while leaving Hala in ruins after the negabomb explosion (which the Kree Supreme Intelligence had manipulated the Shi¹ar into making, planning for a more evolved Kree bred from the survivors) and making Deathbird the new governor.

  Jubilee sneaks off during the ceremony and tries to talk to a Kree girl, Shym¹r; her brother Trigor rushes her away. When Lilandra addresses the crowd,Trigor tries to shoot her, and when guards stop him, he suicides by grenade. Ororo and Forge use their powers to keep Lilandra¹s balcony from collapsing, and Xavier telepathically calms the crowd. He finally gets to hmmŠ talk with Lilandra; she is sympathetic to the Kree, but Deathbird is not.

  Ororo and Forge are also having too much distance in their relationship.

  Jubilee sneaks off and finds Shym¹r again; the Kree resistance is planning to collapse the Stargate. She sides with them, seeing their misery, and asks Xavier to talk to them. They go, with Lilandra, and she talks to the leader, Malakii, but they are interrupted by Deathbird¹s guards and must flee.

  Two Kree have gone off to blow up the Stargate; the X-Men give chase. Xavier mind-links Forge and Malakii so they can rewire the bomb; it explodes but doesn¹tdestroy the gate. Lilandra lets Deathbird arrest Malakii, since he is still a terrorist, and she is still the Majestrix. Jubilee is not pleased. Xavier returnshome.