The Furyan's Return: Chapter One

NOTE: This story is based on the director's extended version of The Chronicles of Riddick, not the theatrical release. I claim no rights to characters from COR.

In the eight months since Riddick had returned to Furya, the engineers had been successful in rebuilding a good part of the city. Running water and electricity had been restored, streets cleared of debris, critical structures had been rebuilt, and agriculture and commerce had returned on a level marginally better than subsistence. A small market had erupted in the city's center overflowing into down alleyways and roofless buildings. Those who had leftover produce, handicrafts and sometimes out-right junk sold their wares at ramshackle booths. Even the exterior palace structures had been rebuilt and artisans from a half-dozen worlds were working on restoring the interior. However, they knew there would be little to no money for their endeavors. The artists expected the rebuilt Furya to attract wealthy dignitaries from all over the galaxy, lots of plump, ripe patrons for the plucking.

Riddick sat in the dimly lit room that he had made into a study of sorts. Not that he would ever call it that. At a long table of simple wood planks and cinder blocks, he looked over a series of reports on paper-thin hand-held monitors. In the darkest corner was an irregular dark shape that grunted in its sleep now and then. He had kept one of the beasts as a pet and named him Thorn. The other he had sent with Ziza as she and her mother settled on a small farmstead in a smaller city beyond the capitol. Ziza had named hers Jack.

The True Believers were active again. Several blips showed Vaako's most recent attacks. Perhaps the rumors of a rebuilt Furya were making them nervous. Reports showed skirmishes with Believer's raider ships near three system planets, uncomfortably close to Furya. Most of the damage had been on the Believer's side, but the frequency of attack worried Riddick. That and these attacks were close to home, and he was strangely possessive of it.

Most disturbing were several reports that there were no dead left behind. No bodies of Breeders remained as the Believers swept through a territory. What would Vaako want with dead bodies?

Aereon floated into the arched doorway, her calm smile playing across her face as usual. She paused when she saw his scowl. "Bad news?"

"Vaako, again. I had hoped the guy would pick on someone his own size eventually." Riddick set aside the reports and focused on Aereon. Although she had remained on Furya as an advisor, she rarely came into his study on her own. He was curious about her sudden appearance.

She had shown no interest in leaving Riddick's side and he figured she had her reasons for staying. Maybe she was finally ready to leave. The thought made Riddick somewhat uncomfortable. She was the closest thing to a friend he had in this city. He never liked using that word – friend. It still brought about back bad memories.

Aereon shifted closer to the table, glancing over the reports Riddick had been reading. "Are you not worried, Riddick? What if Vaako should reach this planet?"

Riddick eyes glinted across her form. "How do you expect him to get past six Necro battle-cruisers and assorted ships?" He noted her reaction, or rather careful lack thereof. "Or do you know something?"

Aereon was an air Elemental, a race known for being seers. Some called them witches and spies. Riddick had never been that superstitious, but he never trusted Aereon's motives completely. Just because she proved helpful at times didn't mean he had to trust her.

"No... It's just… you have made no arrangements for the future. What if something should happen to you at this… juncture? Who would take over the rebuilding?"

"Awww… I didn't know you cared," Riddick drawled. "Don't worry. I don't have any intention of going anywhere."

"Well… I just thought it would be prudent to discuss succession," Aereon said.

"I'm not a king here, Aereon. I thought I made it very clear," there was an edge of irritation to his voice. Riddick's smiled melted off his face slowly, dangerously. This wasn't the kind discussion he had expected from her. "Why? What's on your mind?" Riddick watched Aereon flit back and forth. She seemed agitated. It was unusual to see her not in control of a situation.

"The Furyan nation was led before by royalty who had clear lines of succession. If you plan for your legacy to continue, it would be advisable for you have an heir," Aereon turned to face Riddick completely now.

Riddick grunted. Talk of dynasties and heirs. He had heard rumblings of this even from his Necro commanders. The previous Lord Marshals had always publicly declared a successor. He understood Aereon's concern. But it was something he had tried not to think about. It was too permanent, too far in the future for his comfort.

After the rebuilding, he thought he might settle down and... What? His professional resume included murder (always in self-defense, not that the courts listened), rape (it wasn't his fault the woman's husband made an inopportune appearance), jail break (of which he was damn good at), and commander of a stolen army (well, yeah…).

But being a regular schmuck with a regular job? That was laughable and he almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it. The fact of the matter was, he was a fighter, a killer… it was all he had ever been good at. A voice from his past again… Come on. I'm sure some part of you wants to rejoin the human race… Honestly, I'm not sure how anymore, he had said then.

Aereon was looking at him now, unmoving. He doubted Aereon was referring to Eve Logan whose company he sought less and less. With the return and rebuilding on Furya, they had seen little of each other and neither seemed to miss it.

"An heir? I've barely gotten a decent shower since we've been here. And, I've been a little to busy for thinking of heirs or succession. Besides, I figured once things were back to normal, I would take a break, let someone else run the show… I am the criminal type, not the ruler type."

Aereon walked a few steps away and began pacing again. "I think you would be wiser to reestablish the governmental structure that was in place before the Fall. Most Furyans remember the monarchy… they remember having a parliament. I'm sure you do not intend for Furya to have dictator forever."

Riddick cringed. "In order to have a monarchy, I would need to declare myself king. I didn't sign up for that. In fact, I didn't sign up for any of this." Riddick's scowled.

"Then why have you done all these things to rebuild?" Aereon's voice sounded like a challenge.

Riddick did not answer but remained brooding in his chair. The same thought had occurred to him before, and even then he was unable to answer it satisfactorily.

After a few minutes had ticked by with neither speaking, Aereon glided forward, closing the gap between them. "If you were to become king, Furya would be truly complete. Your people would be proud once more. And no world could deny the legitimacy."

He knew she was referring to recent diplomatic talks with worlds that questioned Riddick's authority, calling him no more than an illegitimate ruler and refusing connections to Furya.

Riddick remained still, but she could tell he had heard her, and that he was digesting the words through his stubborn Furyan brain.

"In fact, if you married a woman of Furyan royal blood, you could rightfully claim kingship," Aereon's voice was no more than a whisper.

"All members of the royal family were killed in the Fall. Everyone knows that…" Riddick stated, picking his head up to come face to face with Aereon.

"Not all…" It was no more than a whisper. A knowing smile lurked on her face.

Riddick's heart stopped, his breath lodged in his throat.

"What are you saying?" Riddick began to stand. Aereon retreated a few steps again. "What do you know, Aereon?" His heart seemed to beat faster as he tried to make sense of her words.

"One survived, a baby girl… a baby then, now she is… more than old enough to…," she didn't need to finish her sentence.

"How do you know this? Everyone who lived through that time said they were murdered by the Lord Marshall." Riddick's voice now held an edge of impatience and anger. He wanted to surge over the table and squeeze the information from the Elemental who seemed to enjoy her knowledge over him.

"Because…" Aereon hesitated, looking down a moment; then setting her shoulders resolutely and looking into Riddick's fathomless eyes. "Because I saved her." The statement seemed to resonate in the air between them.

Riddick shook with intensity. "What?" he growled. "What did you do, Aereon?"

He had never seen Aereon lose her composure, but it crumpled now, right in front of him, making the implications of what she said appear more terrible. Aereon reached a shaking hand out to a chair and guided herself down, solidifying almost completely.

"You know that over 30 years ago, the young Necromonger warrior sought the visions of a seer. He was impatient to know his Fate and he was none too happy to hear that a child would destroy him. So, he launched his strike on Furya, killing all the boy children and slaughtering anyone who stood in his way – men, women, children, royal and common alike."

"Tell me something I don't know…" Riddick's impatience rang through his gritted teeth. Thorn raised his head, chittering with agitation at his master's anger.

Aereon faced Riddick again and said, "That seer… was me."

Riddick's face was a mask of fury. "Do you realize what you are telling me?"

"I did not calculate his… reaction." Her eyes glistened and she swallowed. "I had no idea of his plans," she stated strongly, but her voice wavered. "When I found out what he was planning to do, I came to Furya. I don't know why; I was one Elemental and he was already a Necro captain with a legion to command. But I came anyway, if only too late. He had already begun his massacre." Tears ran freely now down her majestic cheeks. "I warned many. I helped them retreat off-world in my small ship. But… I was too late to help the royal family. He had killed them first, the entire household."

"You mentioned a baby…" Riddick was clenching and unclenching his fists in an exercise of self-control.

"Her nanny was an Elemental, an Earth Elemental. She protected her with her own body. The woman played dead, and concealed the baby who miraculously remained quiet. I found them last, covered in blood and the nanny near death. I took them both to the monastery at Kha Murak. The Reverend Mother is a good friend. She took them in." The sentences rolled quickly as if Aereon was eager now to make the whole story be known.

Riddick had begun pacing in short violent bursts. "Why didn't you tell me this before? Why didn't you tell me you were the reason my home, my life were torn inside out!" Riddick yelled now, his voice carrying throughout the stone room and down the hallways. He thought of all those years of running, of doing whatever he had to to survive, and the misery and emptiness he felt in its wake. "Do you have any idea of the destruction you've caused, Aereon?"

He turned on her now, and she cowered, sobbing softly. She had never felt threatened by Riddick before, but her guilt made her vulnerable. She could feel the fury exude from his pores and she knew he had every right to be angry. She also knew that her redemption would not come easily, nor had she expected it to. She had known the time would come when he would have to know the truth, and she couldn't justify putting it off any longer.

"I tried to set it right. That's why I sent for you, why the Lord Marshall feared you and –"

"You used me to make up for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people! You played me like a pawn, and you have the gall to do it again," Riddick recoiled from her, a look of disgust plainly on his face. "No more! I bow to no man or woman. You won't use me any more, Aereon. Do you hear me?"

Without waiting for her answer, Riddick turned on his heel and strode out of the room.