And neither the Angels in Heaven, nor the Demons in Hell.

Carolyn must have drifted to sleep as explosions and people screaming woke her. She sat up in bed keeping an eye on Rory and an ear on the noise outside. At one point she heard what sounded like hand to hand combat. Then there was total silence with the occasional weapon discharge being heard. She didn't dare turn on a light or look outside for fear of being discovered.

It seemed like hours had passed when she heard something at the door downstairs. She eased out of the bed and crept down the stairs. She could hear a scratching noise and what sounded like crying. As quietly as she could she unbolted the door but it still sounded like a gunshot going off in the silence. As she slowly opened the door, someone threw themselves at her legs. Carolyn lost her balance and fell, only to find a head of curly brown hair in her face.

"Ziza! Oh god, what's wrong baby?"

"My mama!" she cried wrapping her arms around Carolyn's neck. "That thing hurt my mama. Riddick told me come here."

"Ziza, where's your daddy?" Carolyn asked trying to soothe the child.

"I don't know!" Ziza sobbed burying her head in Carolyn's chest.

"Shhh, its ok baby. Aunt Carrie's here, ok? Let me close the door and we'll go up stairs with Rory."

As Carolyn closed and locked the door she thought she heard footsteps, lots of footsteps. A vague sense of danger nibbled at her belly. She scooped Ziza up and bolted for the stairs. Rory was waiting by the door.

"What's wrong, mama?"

"It was just Ziza, baby. See." Carolyn set the girl down next to her daughter and moved to the window. She could hear the marching getting louder.

"Come here girls; come over here to this corner. We're going to hide."

"Hide from what?" Rory asked her.

"I don't know baby," she told her scooting them further into the corner. They were basically trapped by wall on two sides, the dresser on another and Carolyn in front. It was the best she could do. She pulled the bottom drawer of the dresser completely out and flipped it over on the bed. There were two shivs taped to the bottom, Carolyn grabbed both crouching there in front of the girls, and started to pray. Instead of praying to Imams god though, she sent a prayer to her own god. Riddick. She had a feeling he would be their only chance for survival. The marching stopped directly outside. Carolyn breathed deeply trying not to panic and frighten the girls. She heard the doors give way without much resistance and people surging into the room beyond. She heard someone shout, "Take her alive!"

Oh this just keeps getting better She thought hanging her head for a second. There was no way anyone would know they were here unless they were told. Carolyn wondered if she would find out who had betrayed them. It didn't take long for the intruders to search the lower half of the house and start up the stairs. Carolyn shakily got to her feet. She considered the possibilities and none were good. Several heavily armored men poured into the room coming to a stop when they saw her. One of them started to move towards her and she pulled the shivs. "You WILL lose whatever body part you touch me with," she threatened. Carolyn was pretty sure she wasn't very intimidating with a little girl attached to each leg.

The soldier or at least Carolyn assumed it was a soldier, made a motion and the others separated forming two lines in order to shepherd them down the stairs and to whatever was waiting outside.

Carolyn glared at the man and tucked the knives into her pants. Grabbing a hold of each of the girl's hands she started walking. As soon as they exited the house she saw their betrayer. "You Bitch!" Carolyn screamed, her voice coming out in a pained screech as she lunged.

Her waist was seized in a vice grip. She struck out; fighting to escape but it was too late. The knives were ripped out of her hands and she was spun around, pushed towards the girls. "Control yourself breeder and attend to your children!" the soldier bellowed at her.

"Is this her?" He asked the Elemental.

"Yes, that is Riddick's woman." Aereon told him.

Carolyn growled in her direction and the older woman took a step back as the solider whipped his head back in her direction. He circled her, sniffing the air and took a long look at the bite mark on her neck. Though slender and attractive, the woman conveyed an inner hardness that was more sensed than seen.

"And the children?" He inquired his voice low and as intimidating as possible while standing directly behind her. Carolyn squeezed both of their hands willing them to stay silent. His voice cowed her for about two seconds but she had long ago gotten over people trying to intimidate her.

"Mine," she answered.

"Both?" he said in disbelief.

"Twins," she shot back. He ignored her open contempt.

"His?"

"No"

"Really?"

Carolyn finally broke. "Really. I haven't seen Riddick in over 5 years. These girls are only four."

"Funny how neither look like you."

"They take after their father"

"Really?"

"Really." Carolyn responded her blue eyes challenging him.

"But yet they look nothing alike."

"Cut the crap. What the fuck do you want, Necro?"

He took a deep breath resisting the urge to kill her for her insolence. "The Lord Marshal wants Riddick. According to the Elemental, Riddick wants you. Therefore, the Lord Marshal wants you."

"And?"

He evidently wasn't used to being questioned. However, she was used to dealing with Riddick. He stared at her, teetering between disbelief that she would talk to him in this fashion and grudging admiration

"You will be held along with the Elemental until Riddick is captured or killed"

"And my children?"

"Will remain safe as long as you cooperate."

She watched him as he made yet another circle around her. Carolyn then turned her gaze onto the Elemental her voice dropping but the words were hard, "If anything happens to Riddick or one hair is moved out of place on these girls I will kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly."

They were then herded to where a frigate was waiting. Soldiers ushered them to the front of the ship. Carolyn pulled the girls onto her lap holding them tight. Ziza laid her head on Carolyn's shoulder exhausted from the night's activities. Rory was watching everything going on around her. Carolyn sighed; she was truly her fathers' daughter. She seemed to know no fear.

The soldier from before came and stood next to them. "What's your name?" Carolyn asked. Looking at her, he decided that he was impressed with the breeder. She had yet to show any fear. "My name is Commander Vaako."

"Will there be a place for my children to eat and rest?"

"Something can be arranged."

Carolyn watched as he kept looking between the children and her bite mark. "Is there a problem?" She asked.

"No." he replied, a muscle twitching in his cheek.

"Then why are you staring?" she snapped at him.

"Necromongers are not able to have children. It's very rare that we even see them.

Carolyn held up her hand stopping him. "I don't want to know." He nodded his head towards her and walked to the back of the ship but was back as soon as they arrived at their destination.


Vaako lead the way with Carolyn and the children following. Aereon brought up the rear with her chains, soldiers flanking them on the sides and rear. Someone called the Purifier met them. His eyes flicked between Rory and herself giving her the uneasy feeling he knew the truth about Rory's parentage.

"This is Riddick's woman?" he asked.

"Yes," Vaako answered curtly.

"Follow me." He told the commander.

Carolyn tried to pay attention to their route. Everything seemed to be black or gray or yet another shade of black. She was exhausted and had been carrying a sleeping Ziza in her arms while trying to keep a hold of Rory's hand. "How much further?" She asked bringing their little caravan to a halt. Vaako looked at her and the child for a moment and then offered to take Ziza from her. "No, please let's just get there already" she told him. After she shifted the girls to opposite sides they resumed their trek in silence. At long last they were finally shown into what were clearly living quarters and from the frown on Vaako's face when he took his helmet off he was none to happy with the situation. Well too fucking bad! she thought because she wasn't happy with the situation either.

Laying Ziza down on a couch Carolyn turned towards the men. "Can I get food and drink for the children?"

"Of course," the Purifier answered. "I shall see to it myself." Vaako followed him out the door. Carolyn collapsed beside the girls until something that she thought was food was delivered. They were a quiet group. The girls could barely keep their eyes open and the two women were lost in their own thoughts. The children ate without complaint and Carolyn found a bath where she cleaned them up and then put them to bed.

Shutting the door behind her Carolyn was suddenly all business. She sat in a chair opposite the Elemental. "Start talking."

"This was you and the child's best chance of survival." The Elemental calmly replied.

"How do you figure?" Carolyn asked with a tight smile leaning back in her chair.

"If they destroy this planet and the odds are that they will, then at least you'll still be alive to be found." She told Carolyn.

Score one for the old woman, Carolyn thought testily. "And then what?" she asked, "They turn us into whatever they are so that when he does find us we won't care?"

"It won't come to that."

"How can you know that?"

"It's what I do."

"Well, I don't, so start explaining."

"There are Furyans on board this ship. One of which already knows about the girl and is even now doing what he can to help. Should he fail he has others to take his place."

"And that's it?"

"No. There is still Vaako to consider."

"What about Vaako?" Carolyn asked, suddenly feeling like throwing up.

"As he said, the Lord Marshal wants Riddick and Riddick wants you. That makes you valuable as long as there is any question he's still alive."

"And what does that have to do with Vaako?"

"It's interesting really. Dame Vaako would like to see her husband promoted. However, having met Riddick, she would like to see him in her bed."

Carolyn growled in the back of her throat, arching a brow.

"And since Riddick wants you, Vaako is now fascinated by you. The only reason he hasn't taken you yet is because you bear Riddick's mark and you reek of his scent. Why do you think he kept circling you and sniffing the air? Beastly creatures these men." The Elemental sat patiently waiting for Carolyn's reaction.

She didn't have to wait for long. "Are you serious?" Carolyn demanded trying to fight back the nausea.

"Deadly. If you want to survive this, if you want your child to survive this, it would be wise to keep your options open."

"Oh God!" Carolyn's mind and body revolted all at once as she immediately grasped the significance of what the older woman was telling her. She found herself in the bath her body wracked with dry heaves. She wondered what she would have to do to keep them all alive. Riddick's final words playing over and over in her mind. Carolyn finally stumbled to a bed and fell into a nightmare-strewn sleep filled with the cries of murdered babies, visions of Necros and of the woman Shirah giving her daughter the mark of the Furyans.