Thijac's Residence

[Natt'hija'cspala]

Natt'hija'cspala could not find comfort in waiting for his agent to return. As always when he was nervous, his legs began to itch, and pacing around the spacious office did not seem to do enough for him. He turned back to his luxrious chair, ready to settle into it, when he heard the door, which he did not believe to be open, slam. He span on his fleet, nerves heightening his senses, to find nothing.

When he turned again, Xaph was in his seat.

[Xaph]

"I trust everything went well?"

Small talk. Damn.

"The job was done." Xaph rose to his feet.

"Did he recognize you?"

"Would you?"

Xaph's mask was extremely life-like, both moving and still. Without carefuly examination, he appeared to be a human male in his 20s. With careful examination, he appeared to be a near-Human of the same age.

"Excellent. The speaker's loyalty will come to be useful as I consolidate my newfound power. And you, of course, will get your job."

He said the last part more to himself than to Xaph, and his lack of duplicity became obvious as he clearly did not intend to give Xaph the job.

"Has their been news of Kel?"

"None that I have heard, mi'lord." Better to play the servile role for now.

"He cannot run forever."
_________________
Can you refrain from playing with your immortality? - Lazer

[Xaph]

A low rumble.

The door shook.

"What was that?"

"A battering ram, I'm sure."

"A what?"

The door's wood began to splinter.

"A battering ram. It's used in most cultures to knock down barricades, and allow passage through--"

"You fool! Protect me!"

Xaph slowly walked away from Thijac, and towards the window.

"I'd rather not."

The click of a blaster's safety, behind Xaph. Thijac's blaster, pulled from a fake book in the shelf on the wall.

"That's a shame."

"I know."

The blaster fired, and Xaph rolled to the side, a knife flying from his hand towards Thijac's. It caught Thijac's wrist and he screamed in pain as he dropped the blaster.

"You...you planned this all..."

"To the very last. The speaker is leading that mob, and he'll be the one to remove you."

"And what then? You would damn the very Chiss race?"

"You truly believe they will not function without you? They will return to their former lives. They will leave the galaxy behind them. They will cut all the ties your predecessor stived to make."

Thijac's dreams, the continued dreams of Kel, fell. The Imperium, shattered.

Xaph left, to the balcony. With a leap, he was gone.
_________________
Can you refrain from playing with your immortality? - Lazer