Equality

“Come on, just kill me, I know you can.”

He shakes his head. “Surrender is not an admirable form of defeat.”

She huffs and leans forward. “Yeah, but drawing out my suffering has to violate some wartime convention somewhere.”

Thrawn rattles off the name of the convention under his breath and moves a tile forward.

He doesn’t end her suffering.

She’s about to swear—which would no doubt earn her an admonishment from her dad—when the lock of the door clicks. [] The door whirls open, revealing one Senior Captain Ivant, duffle slung over his shoulder.

Thunhe gasps and flies out of her chair. Her dad catches her easily, dropping his duffle to better hold her in one, fluid motion. []

“Have you been managing okay?” he asks as he loosens his hold.

“Yeah, Thrawn was just torturing me with a game of War.”

“You asked me to play,” Thrawn states dryly from behind them. [] Thrawn’s flat, dull eyes are glistening and his lips are twisted ever so slightly upward. She looks to her dad, he is almost grinning, his eyes equally as bright.

“Let’s see how bad the damage is,” Da says and moves towards the board. He tuts. “He’s got you in dire straits, but you can still win.”

“Wait, really?” []

“May I?” Da asks, motioning to her board.

She nods and watches as he places a black square on the board. []

“An interesting move.” He considers the board for a few moments and then looks up. “I trust the campaign was a success?”

Da nods. “Wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. You going to make a move or try and distract me with small talk?”

Thrawn smirks. “I doubt you could be so easily diverted.”

Thunhe’s gaze bounces between the two of them—how their eyes are locked on one another’s and how they both look hungry for victory.

“You could start the game over,” Thunhe suggests.

“This is part of the challenge,” Da says, slipping into the spot she had occupied and undoing his collar. “Besides, everyone loves an underdog.”

Thunhe wishes she could say watching them play was interesting, but it isn’t. []

When she leaves, she thinks she sees their feet brush under the table.

~

From "Home" by amukmuk.

[Please, read it all. It is PERFECT]

[Photo: custom pops by @cardinal.creates]