Riddick had never wanted a co-pilot, nor had he ever needed one. If he was going to make the disguise of Rick Richards, one-time miner turned trader, work he would need one. Scanning all the files, he came up with one: Rae Blackstar. Started piloting on his father's ship when he was eight, flew it solo when he was twelve. Piloted his own ship when he was twenty.

Rae seemed to be the best canidate for the job. However, he just couldn't shake the odd feeling that he got when he reminded himself that there was no picture on the file. On the run maybe? He put in a message to the com code listed. His objective should be here within a hour.

An hour later, he was waiting outside the ship for his co-pilot prospect, when he saw a young woman walk up with a black backpack slung over one shoulder.

'Well fuck me. I think I know why there was no vid-pic,' he thought smirking to himself.

She walked over and extended her hand, "Rick Richards, I'm Rae Blackstar. I was told that you needed a co-pilot."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Nope. Not you. Not a woman."

"So you must have looked at my files, did you want me 'cos I'm a good pilot, or 'cos you thought I was a good male pilot?" She got no responce. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

She could feel fire rushing into her face as she turned on her heels and walked away.

"Wait," he paused looking at the woman's back, feeling Beast starting to stir within him.

'Don't even start thinking with my dick this time Beast.'

'Grrrr. Fuck you Riddick.'

"I called 'cos I do need a good pilot. I was just expecting a man."

She turned her head, "Rae is short for Raven, Dark Raven. Nobody wants a woman pilot in this sector, no matter how good they are."

He knew he was going to regret this, "Come show me what you got while you're here."

She turned and walked back over to where he stood. Suddenly, he grabed her and shoved her face first into the side of the ship.

"Drop the pack," he growled into her ear as he pressed a shiv into her spine.

Carefully she slid the pack down her arm, and let it fall from her fingertips. Hearing only a soft thud as it landed, Riddick smiled as he kicked her feet apart.

"One wrong move bitch and I will kill you. Understand?" His voice was as calm as it was deadly.

"Perfectly," her voice was calm, as if this was nothing new to her.

Qucikly he patted her down; pausing where he knew that it was likely for a woman to hide a blade; wrists, ankles, waist, groin and her breast. He admired how tight her muscles were. He smelled her.

'Interesting, no fear or arousal. Humm.' "What else did you lie about," the growl was whispered against her cheek.

"Nothing, just the name." Her voice was still calm.

"We'll see...We'll see."

Stepping back, Riddick released her.

"Dump the pack," he ordered.

Squatting down, she dumped it's contients, and spread them out. A few changes of clothes and nothing else. Rae turned the pack inside out and handed it, at arms legnth to him. Snatching it away from her, he looked at her face, studing it hard as he searched the pack.

Wide cat-like eyes, straight slightly flat nose, and a wide mouth with medium sized lips. 'Definately NOT the face of a woman I'd fuck,' he thought as he tossed her back the pack. Once she had repacked it, he jerked his head towards the ramp.

She entered the ship and looked around as he closed the ramp, "Balayho Class. Roomy without being big enough to have a full crew. Simple to modify, make repairs."

As she contiuned her rundown of the small vessel, Riddick was amazed at her knowledge. Seeing his look of surprise, Rae informed him that such a ship was all her father would use. The ship, appropriately named 'Star Watcher', was sixty years old.

Noticing how well maintained, and clean he kept the ship, she could tell that it was his baby.

Once they had lifted off and entered space, she caught him totally off guard.

"Shinned eyes, right?"

"Yes."

"Look like you'd be more comfortable without the goggles."

"You need to see what you're doing. Don't want you fuckin' up my ship."

"Ha! I'm used to flying in the dark."

"Hummm. Let's find out. Lights out!"

He didn't know what to expect from her, but it wasn't what he got.

"Ohhh, much better," she said.

He raised his goggles and saw a glint of silver in her eyes, her hands moving expertly over the controls.

Hand on his shiv, he asked her one question. "What the hell are you girl? And it better be good."

"Get your hand off the shiv. I'm no threat to you. I was gonna tell you anyway. There's one thing about me that can make me invauleable to a pilot. I'm a shape-shifter. Can go fourty-eight to sixty hours without sleep or losing anything on reflexes." She turned to look him in the eye, "I also have very, very good night vision. Don't need to have lights, saves on the ship's power sources. I can also shift and get into areas for repairs that would be hard to reach without taking something apart.

Tapping his shiv on his leg, letting all this soak in, he made his decision. "Well I guess I have a co-pilot."

"One thing you need to know, I have a payday on my head. There's also a few mercs pissed at me; seems they don't like their own gettin' gutted."

"What makes you think I'm not gonna turn you in?"

He watched as her body shimmered, and change into something half-human and half-cat. Rae unfastened her harness and leaned towards him, just a little. She sniffed, shifted back and smiled.

"Cos you're not who you say you are. You have a payday too. Smell it on ya. Turn me in, risk getting caught yourself. Still want me?"

"Yes. You have everything you need?" Rae nodded. "Good, let's go. My name's Riddick."