The Price of Failure

[NDak 0]

t’Revhil Rentirr

Director of the Tal’Shiar

SD 0408.02

 

>Begin<

 

In the dark chiasmic halls of Tal’Shiar headquarters, tr’Anik slowly made his way to the office of the Director. He held a deep breath as he rang the doorbell to enter the almost sacred office of one of the most powerful Rihans in the galaxy.

 

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His transport had landed from Vulcan, only to be met by 10 Tal’Shiar officers, none of which were exactly happy to see him. They had swept him off the transport in broad day light. Not that it mattered, there were very few citizens who would dare question the Tal’Shiar, and those that did—usually didn’t live long.

 

With few words, tr’Anik was escorted to a unmarked hovercraft and whisked away to the Tal’Shiar headquarters. He knew all to well what was going on.

 

As the Hovercraft had touched down, he gulped and stepped onto the ground. The lead officer escorting him had said few words, till then.

 

“Sael’Riov tr’Anik,” the burly Tal’Shiar officer said as he led tr’Anik into the complex. “I have been ordered by the Director to bring au immediately to her following your return to ch’Rihan.”

 

Although he knew he better, tr’Anik almost with out thinking interrupted, “Her?”

 

He had been out of contact since delivering the package to the Vulcans and had yet to hear of the resignation of Director tr’Neer. The burley Tal’Shiar officer grinned mincingly. “Director tr’Neer has been forced into retirement,” he said. “Sub-Director t’Revhil Rentirr has been elevated to the Directorship, she wishes to debrief au personally.”

 

That made even the normally collected tr’Anik blink.

 

Finally he approached the office, he nervously fidgeted with his hands as small beads of sweat ran down his forehead. “Stay calm…” he told himself.

 

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The door to the office finally opened, the room was well lit, something unusual. tr’Anik slowly entered the room to see the chair of the director turned away from him so that all he could see were her hands.

 

“Come, sit, Sael’Riov tr’Anik, Son of tr’Dhevndhu,” her voice was cold.

 

He quickly sat down in one of the chairs facing the back of her chair. “Sael’Riov tr’Anik reporting as ordered.”

 

She turned to face him. Her sharp features glinted in the bright lights of the office. Her face was unreadable, which worried tr’Anik.

 

“Au know why au are here?”

 

“Ie.”

 

“Mehnka,” she said although her tone of voice was one more of forced courtesy than politeness. “I know au were a favorite of the former Director.”

 

He nodded as she continued. “However, I am not as…fond of au work.”

 

She slid a ISD across the large desk and motioned for him to pick it up. He read while she spoke. “Not only are the Lloann’na aware of our connection and involvement with the destruction of the t’Kel, but they have managed to defuse the situation between the Andorians and the Vulcans.”

 

Her tone of voice had shifted from one of forced courtesy to now one more akin to contempt for the officer before her, the officer she held responsible for this blunder. “The entire object of our mission, and aurs, was to weaken the alliances between the LLoann’na and their more advanced counterparts, as well as ruin the uneasy peace between the Vulcans and Andoria.”

 

She glared at him for a few seconds, then once again continued. “Au mission was to deliver the final match to the powder keg that would set in motion a war. Instead, au clumsiness has caused the exact opposite to happen!”

 

Fearing for his life, tr’Anik started to defend himself. He opened his mouth to speak. “But Rehhk…”

 

“SILENCE!” t’Revhil‘s voice had raised several octaves and her steely eyed glare transfixed upon tr’Anik. “Au will na talk au way out of this, Dha'rudh (Total Idiot)!!”

 

Her fist slammed upon the desk as she stood, infuriated at the veruul (fool) before her.

 

Now, really fearing for his life, tr’Anik acted instinctively falling to his knees in an ‘oh mighty elements’ position on the floor. “Please…please do na yy’a me, I have…I have…a…family…”

 

He began to mumble mixed with prayers to the Elements. This only infuriated t’Revhil more.

 

She marched around the desk, “Au sniveling Khlle (worm)! Au disgrace the Rihannsu people! A Rihan does na beg for his life!”

 

With that she kicked tr’Anik, who was on his kness, knocking him onto his back.

 

“Au do na deserve to live!” she was furious. “STAND H’NAH!”

 

tr’Anik gripped with fear slowly stood to face her. As he did, she spat at his feet and in one smooth, fluid motion buried her Kaleh deep into tr’Anik’s chest. She gave it a twist looking into the fading eyes of tr’Anik. “Au failed the Empire for the last time.”

 

With that she released her hold on the dagger, allowing the life to fade from tr’Anik as he fell with a thud onto the floor.

 

She looked over his dead body dismissively. “The price of failure.”

 

------

 

History would come to remember t’Revhil as one of the most cold-blooded Directors of the Tal’Shiar in its long history. During her reign of terror, all those who opposed her, or her brother Destorie, met a similar fate as tr’Anik.

 

So feared by even the Fvillah, she would later begin to challenge her own brother for power. So hated by the mass populace, when she was assassinated in attempted coup d'état by tr’Neer, that she was actually booed and taunted in Death.

 

No one ever knew what happened to tr’Anik’s body, but then again, no body dared ask.

 

>End<