A low chuckle escaped him, a private sound of amusement, as Rex finally stood before the heavy, ornate doors of the Planetary Champion's office.
He gave a single, decisive shake of his head, and the constant digital chatter in his ear, the voices of his two most unpredictable companions, vanished as he severed the comms link. Silence reclaimed him. With a solid push, the great doors swung inward, and he crossed the threshold.
The man behind the massive desk of polished obsidian was already rising, the dark stone gleaming like a still pool of night. A diplomatic smile, well-practiced and smooth, graced the Planetary Champion's face, but it did not reach his eyes. Those eyes held a weary tension, a weight that the pleasant expression could not disguise.
"Welcome, my friend," the Champion said, his tone genuinely warm, yet underscored by a current of strain.
