A/N: Pitch Black re-imagining. FanFiction Lover - just a little slashiness to tide you over till my next update. Things are about to get a little bumpy for our boys after this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction using characters from the Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick universe. I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of PB/TCoR. This work is solely for entertainment purposes and is not considered canon (not by a long shot).

Vaako stood near the solar moisture collector with Imam and Paris. He'd helped clear the panels and checked to make sure that all the working parts were cleared and oiled. It felt good to be doing something with his hands other than killing. It kept his mind busy which helped block out the buzzing from other minds. Except Riddick's, of course. He smiled when the water finally began to trickle out of the spigot.

Riddick was staying near the skiff, watching the repairs. And Johns. He knew the lawman was lying about his intent to release them - more likely he'd just try to kill them before the ship departed. Riddick wanted to keep an eye on the man for now ... to see how things would go before he made his final play in the Johns situation.

When Johns told Riddick to see if he could find something to patch the skiff wings, the larger man took the opportunity to explore. He brushed Vaako's mind lightly as he walked around the settlement, observing and calculating. Vaako joined him as he walked across the main courtyard to one of the larger buildings, falling into step beside him.

They shared a grin at the pair of shadows they'd picked up. Pausing in front of building with large, heavy double doors, Riddick crouched and found a discarded hand lantern. Vaako frowned and sifted out a pair of men's eyeglasses.

Odd, Vaako sent. These weren't discarded ... they were knocked loose when whatever was chasing him finally caught him.

Riddick stood and tried the doors. They were chained from the inside. He turned suddenly, hearing a noise but ignored it when Vaako had lifted back the cover over the building's solar generators. The sign painted over the doors read Coring Room.

A whistle came from behind them. Vaako bristled but Riddick's mind against his help him check his temper.

"You're missin' the party ... c'mon boys..." Johns patted his leg and snapped his fingers as if calling his favorite pets. "Let's go."

Riddick gave a slight grin and jerked the cover down completely revealing Jack hiding above. The boy gasped at his discovery. Vaako smiled and vaguely wondered where the other child he'd seen had gotten to before they turned to follow Johns. Jack cursed softly behind them and climbed down from his perch. The solar turbines began to turn.

In the main sample room, goblets which looked to be Waterford crystal were set out full of slightly cloudy water. No one seemed inclined to complain. Vaako and Riddick picked up a glass each as they entered. Jack came in behind them and the rest of the group were treated to the boy's new look.

Somewhere in the settlement, Jack had found a pair of shears and taken off his hair. He'd also rigged a pair of goggles eerily similar to Riddick's. Vaako was highly amused . He handed the boy a glass of water which Jack took gladly. It was the closest that Vaako had been to the child. He frowned as he moved away to stand near Riddick. The something 'off' he'd been contemplating had suddenly clarified itself.

Riddick ... is Jack ...?

Yep.

"Look ... it's the winner of the look-alike contest." Paris said.

The passengers mulled over the fate of the settlers while Vaako and Riddick listened. Finally, Riddick had had enough.

"These people didn't leave ... come on," Riddick said, cocking his head curiously. "Whatever got Zeke ... got them. They're all dead."

Shazza rolled her eyes and the others simply looked everywhere but at Riddick. Vaako snorted.

"None of you really believe these people left with clothes on the hooks ... with their photos on the shelves ... without even their reading glasses, do you?" Vaako asked. He'd seen denial of the obvious plenty of times before but it never ceased to amaze him.

"Maybe they had weight limits," Shazza ventured. "You don't know."

"I know," Riddick said, putting his goggles back in place whle Vaako set his own shades on his face. "I know that you don't prep your emergency ship unless there's a fuckin' emergency."

"He's fucking right," Came Jack's young voice.

"You watch your language," Johns said.

"So what happened to them? Where are they?" Carolyn asked.

Before Riddick could venture a guess, Imam burst in. "Has any one seen the little one? Ali?"

"Check the coring room," Vaako said.

The group gathered in the coring room while Imam held a funeral service for the youngest of his pilgrims. Vaako listened as Riddick explained the thought process for the settlers and why it had ultimately not been enough to save them. Carolyn dropped a flare down the main coring hole in the center of the room. It illuminated human bones scattered down into the pit.

"Other buildings weren't secure ... so they ran here ... heaviest doors ... thought they'd be safe inside. But they forgot to lock the cellar."

Vaako pursed his lips. It was no wonder Riddick had been uneasy about what had killed Zeke. In all his years, he'd never run across a predator quite like this one. The child's face had been practically sheared away. Riddick's mind took on a curious shade and Vaako looked up to see Shazza approach Riddick. Eyes narrowing, he looked for signs the woman was making some sort of advance on his lover. As with every emotion he associated with Riddick, jealousy was unfamiliar. Before he'd met Riddick no lover had ever laid claim to him or had ever been the object of his own claim. Riddick had a knack for turning his accepted notions of life on their ear. It was thrilling and annoying all at the same time.

Shazza offered him her breather unit.

Riddick looked at it and then at her before throwing it on the ground. "What ... it's broken?" Riddick was far too used to being given the least useful, the least desirable of anything - food, equipment, companions - Vaako was the only thing he considered as the best in his life. His defensive reaction sparked an annoyed shaking of Shazza's head.

"No ... it still has a few hits. Look, you asshole, I am trying to say I'm sorry." Shazza kicked the breather unit in his direction before stalking off with the others.

He picked up the breather and looked at Vaako, who gave him a shrug and then helped him settle it across his chest. Riddick offered his lover a hit after he'd taken his own. Vaako accepted gratefully as his lungs felt like they were about to shrivel completely.

Handing the breather tube back to Riddick, Vaako found his wrist captured and himself tugged toward Riddick. Grinning, he moved until they were pressed full against each other in a dim corner of the coring room. Everyone else had gone with Johns and Carolyn to one of the other buildings.

"Jealous?"Riddick asked, letting Vaako know he'd seen the man's reaction to Shazza.

"Maybe you aren't the only one who doesn't share, Riddick." Vaako replied.

Riddick smiled and darted in to nip Vaako's neck. Vaako turned and captured Riddick's mouth. He groaned in spite of himself when one of Riddick's hands slid between them and began to work at his belt. He wanted this ... wanted Riddick, but even he was having trouble separating the crisis they were in from the physical pleasure to be taken in this moment.

"Riddick ... the ... others ..." Vaako gasped.

"Didn't think you were shy, Vaako," Riddick said as his hand gained entry and closed around Vaako's very hard cock. Vaako's hips pressed forward into Riddick's hand.

"You never play fair ..." Vaako snarled, his breathing becoming uneven as Riddick's rough hand slid along his member.

Who do you belong to, beautiful? Riddick sent as his hand moved faster and his teeth found Vaako's neck again. His other hand had a firm hold on Vaako's braids, pulling his head back to keep his neck exposed.

Vaako moaned and tried to regain some semblance of control, but he was quickly losing the fight. His legs widened slightly to allow Riddick easier access to him. He didn't even realize he'd moved. All he could feel was Riddick's hand and the overwhelming desire to release himself into that pleasure.

Answer me, beautiful ... who do you belong to ...? Riddick's sending was shaky ... he was becoming aroused watching Vaako's struggles to regain control grow weaker and weaker. Riddick pulled off Vaako's shades so he could watch his lover's gaze gradually lose focus as the pleasure overwhelmed him. He growled low in his throat, enjoying the sudden press of Vaako's body against his as if he were straining for every possible inch contact between himself and his lover.

Vaako's world had narrowed to just Riddick ... his scent, his body, his very essence ... in that moment, Vaako abandoned all hope of ever being free from this man and it was with something akin to joy that he pulled Riddick to him and allowed the man to plunder his mouth as he gripped convulsively at the man's torso. He answered Riddick as the climax shattered his consciousness. His head lolled back as he fell into the spiral he knew so well by now.

You ... you ... you always you ... Riddick ... only you ...

Riddick kissed Vaako as the man came down with heaving gasps. Vaako wasn't speaking audibly, but his lips had mouthed Riddick's name even as his mind had relinquished itself to him. Riddick reached behind Vaako and took one of the forgotten glasses of water he'd kept nearby. He poured it over a cloth he'd nicked from one of the other buildings while no one was looking and gently cleaned Vaako and then rinsed his own hand. Vaako studied Riddick in the dim light curiously as he refastened his pants.

But you ...

I got what I wanted, beautiful. I got what I needed.

The two men shared a deep kiss before resettling their eye protection and heading out to see what the rest of the group had discovered. They arrived in the sample room just as Carolyn had moved the planet model forward into the 22nd year. Vaako's eyebrow went up as he saw the planets align to block the suns, enveloping the world they were on in total darkness.

"An eclipse," Carolyn said in a fearful whisper.

"You're not afraid of the dark are you?" Riddick asked smugly.