Rating: PG: some use of the F and similar words. Some R chapters.
Category: Het; Adventure; Action; Angst; skippable PWP later.
Summary: TCOR AU: Riddick finds someone the Purifier left behind. It's her story.
Disclaimer: This is written for enjoyment rather than profit, I do not own the borrowed characters or storyline. My OFC is my property and not to be reused without my permission.
There's a poem by William Blake called The Tiger that I quote bits of.
Feedback: Please DO give me any feedback you feel is appropriate, including shredding. This is first draft stuff.
Notes: I have called this a Mary Sue Adventure but I think she actually qualifies as an OFC. You'll have to be the judge. Meanwhile, it is written from her perspective, so if you live and breathe for constant Riddick smart-ass comments and his personal emotional conflicts you'll miss that here. I do feel that I lose his voice in a few small places, but on the other hand we don't see him 'relaxed' very often and it's therefore possibly forgivable. I do blame the voice I hear on my husband, it's his smart-ass comments I'm stealing. Gotta love him! Thank you GoSpeedGrrrl/GreenEyedMonster for smacking me with manic need and inspiration, as well as beta'ing the later chapters. Kyra stays dead. Sorry. Some artistic license (i.e. Oops! I forgot some details from the movie) involving her. That's why it's AU. -grin- The PWP chapters are, as I've said, entirely skippable but so soft that I let my daughter beta. She patted me on the head and said, "I'm proud of you for stepping outside of your box, Mom." LOL That's good, right?

In The Air

MinFerrin hid in the vast hallway, watching the crowds rush by. Something was amiss and she could feel it from everyone who passed her. "In the air, in the air, in the air…" she repeated quietly to herself as she made her way towards the throne room. She could hear Dame Vaako making horrendous noises nearby and Min hid herself in the shadows, but Dame Vaako spotted her anyway. An evil smile tightened across her mouth as she rushed towards Min.

"Dame Va…" Min began, bowing her head but Dame Vaako slapped her hard for the pure release of it. The violence seemed to spill out of her as she slapped Min again and again in a rage. Lord Vaako, sending the last of the people out of the throne room spotted the clash and rushed to calm his wife.

"Stop it, stop it! Leave the poor girl alone." He threw his arms around his wife and spoke directly into her face. Min didn't stay to listen; she bolted for the throne room to see what had happened.

The room was being quickly cleared. Min found a dark hiding spot, hoping they would ignore her, as usual. There was a Witch near the throne, a dead girl on the floor, and a strange man pacing angrily between them. Several of the Lord's top men were standing around his dead body! Before she could creep closer Dame Vaako was on her again, dragging her out by the arm and hissing at her husband about fixing it herself. Min went limp, let her face relax and simply started chanting "In the air, in the air, in the air…" again under her breath.

"Come with me, Min," Dame Vaako began in her sugary sweet voice that set Min's teeth on edge. "You can't be presented to your new Lord looking like that…" And off they went to the Vaako's quarters.

At least Dame Vaako was being informative. She was whispering cruelly about the death of the Purifier by the hands of a Furyan. Min would have smiled at the ridiculousness of such a thing if she hadn't had years of practice playing an imbecile. Lady Vaako went on to say that the strange man, Riddick, was her new Master and Lord Marshal of them all. Riddick had apparently killed Min's Master on some hell planet, then returned here to kill the Lord Marshal. Now they would all be stuck with him if Min didn't help the Lady fix it.

Min agreed in her usual vacant way, which of course pleased Dame Vaako to no end. Lady Vaako hated her, and treated her badly when she could, but Min felt sure the Lady would rather have the whole universe act just like her: vacant and pliable.

In the Vaako's quarters, Dame Vaako sat Min down in front of a mirror and attacked her hair roughly. Min made the appropriate mewing noises and tried to pull away. What on earth did this annoying, manipulative woman think she would accomplish with a make over? Min waited impatiently for the other shoe to drop.

When Vaako finally finished her hair it was pulled out of her usual braid so it fell over her shoulders, but away from her face in the manner of the dead girl on the floor. Min had seen the girl alive earlier in the day, before she was cleansed. Vaako spun her around and began attacking her face with makeup. Min never wore the stuff and wiggled as much as she dared without getting her eye poked out. Then Vaako put heavy gloss on her lips. Min tried to wipe it away with the back of her hand, but Dame Vaako slapped it and told her, "Poise, Min." Min sat up straight and smiled benignly at the command.

"That's better. You don't want to wipe this off, my dear girl. You want to help me, don't you?" Dame Vaako looked straight into Min's face.

"Yes, Dame Vaako," Min replied obediently.

Vaako pulled a small vial out of a drawer and looked Min in the eye again. "Don't lick this off, Min, or you will fail me. You don't want to fail me."

Min nodded earnestly and eyed the bottle. Failing was the least of her concerns. The Lady was reputed to be a capable poisoner.

"This is important, Min. You must welcome your new Master with a kiss." Vaako daubed some of the clear liquid on Min's lips and blew on them to make it dry. "Be a good girl, now, and make him like you. Then kiss him. You'll make everything all better."

Min nodded and returned Dame Vaako's malignant smile with one of little girl eagerness.