A/N: Only posting two chapters tonight, they are pretty decent in length and loaded with action.

I do not own Pitch Black, Dark Fury, Chronicles of Riddick, or Riddick, nor do I own their characters or the story lines. I own only Rehtaeh and any new characters that I may add, and any plot changes that may happen within.

I really hope you enjoy the story! :D

Chapter 12

*Riddick*

They were sitting in a smaller room, filled with cargo, they had blocked all the obvious entry points with whatever materials they could find. Carolyn was pacing the room trying to come up with some sort of plan. He was sitting beside Mac and Shazza, Rehtaeh was against the back wall, as far away from all of them as she could get. As far away from him as she could get without making it obvious that she was avoiding him. When she had joked with him earlier, he had been surprised by her odd sense of humor, but when she had smiled at him. It damn near blew him away. She was a very pretty woman, but when she smiled, hell, she became drop dead stunning. Even with the blood of the creature all over her, she was gorgeous. Right now she just seemed to be her normal sullen self, watching the others and listening, like she usually did.

"So we got one cutting torch, we got two hand lights, there's gotta be something we can rip out of the crashed ship." Carolyn started an inventory of the supplies that could get them to the safety of the skiff. Ever since they found out that the beasts were burned by the light, they had grabbed on to the idea that the lights could keep them safe, and everyone would make it back. Maybe in a perfect world, but in his experience there was no fairness in this world and several of these people were going to die. The only one he cared about surviving was himself, everyone else was secondary, and he would only help those who could help themselves. He was no hero. He wasn't interested in making the sacrifice play.

"Spirits, anything over forty five proof burns rather well." Paris told them offering up his alcohol to the pool of material. That was a surprise; the man had been hording the stuff all day fervently trying to protect it from everyone.

"How many bottles you got?" Carolyn asked him trying to gauge how much light it would provide, if it was worth the risk. The whole topic was boring as hell for him. The only thing holding him here was Johns and his shotgun. He would have been out of here hours ago if it had not been for the merc holding him back.

"I don't know, maybe ten." Paris told her.

"Kay, Johns you got some flares." Carolyn continued. Riddick could see her mind working behind her eyes, trying to come up with a viable plan. "So, maybe we have enough light."

"Enough light for fuckin' what?" Johns asks, he sounded somewhat hostile. His last dose must be wearing off, he seemed very on edge. He looked at the others, they were watching and listening intently to the two arguing. Rehtaeh was looking from one to the other, her eyes following the conversation. She seemed amused and annoyed by their bickering, at one point rolling her eyes in irritation. Riddick just smirked; this little family was starting to pull apart, just like he knew it would.

"We stick to the plan. We get the four cells back to the skiff. We're off this rock." Carolyn told him, she really wanted outta here. She was willing to just about anything, Riddick whole heartedly agreed.

"Look I hate to ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact, but that sand cat is solar." Paris said walking to the other side of the group. "It won't run at night."

"So we carry the cells. We drag them, whatever it takes." Carolyn told them.

"Shazza," Rehtaeh whispered, she had moved so swiftly, so silently he had not noticed her movement until she was crouched right behind Shazza, pulling her aside. The dark haired woman had stayed silent throughout the exchange; she turned towards the younger girl and looked at her questioningly. "The sand cat, is it solar as in needs ultra-violet light? Or solar as in just needs a light source?"

"Needs a light source." Shazza whispered back. "Why, what are you thinking?"

Rehtaeh sat down with her back to Shazza put up her index finger indicating to give her just a moment and sat back thinking. Riddick could see her mind working. She was as Mac said; too damn smart for her own good. He turned back to listen to the continued flow of the conversation, and waited for Rehtaeh to come back with her idea. Shazza turned away from the group completely to watch as Rehtaeh started to draw something out in the dust on the floor with her finger. It was making a soft scraping noise as her nail scraped against the metal underneath. She whispered suggestions over Rehtaeh's shoulder, and the younger woman would make the fix.

"You mean tonight?" Jack's voice nearly squeaked in fear as she asked the question, rocking herself back and forth. "With those things still out there?"

"Hold on now, how long can this last? A few hours? A day tops?" Johns asks, he was obviously loath to go back out there into the darkness. Riddick wondered just how long it would take before he turned on everyone. Johns turned to Rehtaeh and Shazza and yelled at them. "Hey Can you two shut it? We are trying to come up with a plan here, if you can't help, stay silent."

Shazza looked up over her shoulder and glared at him before she looked at Rehtaeh who ignored the man completely and continued what she was doing. Her finger still scraping on the floor, she had her legs spread in a wide V and she was covering the majority of her work with her body as she worked on it. He couldn't see a thing. Shazza went back to helping Rehtaeh as they discussed positioning and schematics.

"I had the impression from the model," Imam said rolling his prayer beads in his hands, his boys were sitting on each side of him, looking at him expectantly. "The two planets were moving as one, and there would be a lasting darkness."

"Hmm these suns gotta come up sometime." Johns continued as though Imam had not said a word, as though the light would last that long, and they wouldn't starve to death in the mean time. "And if these creatures are phobic about light then we just sit tight. And we let the sun come up."

"I am sure someone else said that," Carolyn glared at him, not wanting to give up on that skiff. Her fear had spiked considerably, and she obviously didn't like feeling like a sitting duck inside the tin can cargo bay. "Locked inside that coring room."

"Would it be possible to rig something up around the light collector? Like those light tubes from the ship?" Rehtaeh whispered to Shazza, she obviously didn't want to speak to the group until she had formulated a complete plan. "If we coil them around the dome, would that be enough light?"

"It might very well work. Depending on if any of the light generators are still working." Shazza nodded as she started to see Rehtaeh's plan coming together. "The cat might be slower, but it would go."

"We need to think about everybody now, especially the kid." Johns said looking from Carolyn to Jack. "How scared is this boy gonna be out there in the dark."

"Don't use him like that." Carolyn defended Jack, it was bad enough that the kid was scared, but bringing attention to it was just going to make the situation worse. Yup, their psycho-fuck family was preparing for a tear down. Shazza and Rehtaeh were discussing power sources and viability as well as stability.

"Like what?" Johns asked innocently. It was like he was trying to get people onto his side.

"A smoke screen." Carolyn was becoming out right feisty, she really wanted to get the hell out of there. "You deal with your own fear."

"Why don't you shut your fucking mouth for two seconds and let me come up with a plan that doesn't include mass suicide." Johns snapped back at her, sitting back to try and think.

"Hey, Carolyn do those blue running lights on the ship have their own power source?" Rehtaeh stretched back craning her head to look between him and Shazza. She continued to ignore him as she waited for Carolyn to answer her. Riddick looked down, she had drawn a detailed blueprint of the sand cat, and he wondered what she was thinking of.

"Yeah, they can be pulled out as a unit. Why?" Carolyn asked her. "You got a plan to get us out of here?"

"Workin' on it." Rehtaeh told her, as she held up her hand in a stop motion and turned back to her drawing. She and Shazza voices dropped into a whispered discussion on what would work best.

"I'm waiting." Carolyn turned back and taunted Johns, who sat there in silence looking up at Carolyn, his face grim.

"How much you weigh Johns?" Carolyn was starting to get in his face. Riddick watched as the exchange suddenly turned downright hostile.

"What's it matter, Carolyn?" Johns asked cockily.

"How much?" Carolyn growled at him.

"Around seventy nine kilos to be exact." Johns smirked up at her.

"Cause you're seventy nine kilos of gutless white meat, that's why you can't come up with a better plan." The snapping comeback was a blow that Johns had not been expecting from Carolyn.

"Is that Right?" Johns stood up pulling his gun up, ready to threaten Carolyn with the large weapon. He, who had not even said a word through the entire exchange, stood in defense of Carolyn, blocking Johns. The gun moved to just under Riddick's chin. He heard Rehtaeh's heart miss a beat or two as she watched her eyes shining wide in the darkness. "Where do you think you're going?"

"This solves nothing!" Imam said to no one in particular, he was right though. There were too many roosters in this hen house. Riddick started tapping the shiv he had already grabbed and watched as every eye in the room moved swiftly to the source. Riddick's shiv was at the ready, with one quick twitch of his wrist he could take out the other man's femoral artery. Johns choked down his response and went back to his seat.

"Why don't you people shut it, Rehtaeh may have come up with a better plan." Mac told them, glaring directly at Johns. Rehtaeh looked at Mac her eye brow quirked. "You might as well tell them your idea now, before they tear each other apart."

Riddick watched as all eyes turned to her, waiting expectantly, he watched her carefully. She shrugged and took a deep breath and looked at Johns and Carolyn who were the leaders of the group meeting their eyes. "Okeedoke. The plan is relatively simple. We use the sand cat." Paris and Carolyn made to argue with her and she held up her hand. "Hear me out. Shazza says that the sand cat just needs a source of constant light to work. If we can use the tube lights from the crash ship and coil them around the dome, it will provide enough power to make the cat go. It may not be as fast as it would be in full daylight, but it would work."

"Any extra lights we can find we can coil around the hoist and around the bed of the cat. That will create a safe zone for us to stay in." She spoke slowly and clearly, yet not allowing any time for them to argue with her. "There are no headlights, and nothing powerful enough that would work. So Riddick or I would have to be your eyes. I am going to suggest Riddick if he is willing, because he sees better in the dark than I do, and I admit to being a crappy navigator."

She met his eyes for one small moment, she was lying, but Johns was not going to let him take a weapon of any kind, so he might as well be the eyes of the group. He didn't like being put in this position, but at least she had asked if he was willing. Her comment about navigation was a complete lie too, her heart rate spiked and she fidgeted just enough to give her away. She wanted him up front, why? He nodded to her, imperceptibly, but she noticed and continued with her plan.

"I will take security detail, in the back of the cat; I can sense these creatures if they come too close and I have great aim. Mac, that means I am going to need all the ammo you got in your supply. If everyone does their part and stays in the light we will make it through." She finished, looking at each and every one of their little group. "We take all the light sources already discussed. If something goes wrong, I do not want to be sitting out there with nothing between me and them."

"You are already planning for if something goes wrong?" Johns sneered at her from his spot on the other side of the room.

"Only stupid people walk into danger without a plan 'B'. I am a practical woman Johns, smart enough to know that shit may happen whenever it wants to happen." Rehtaeh glared back at him, she was calling him stupid right to his face. He couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face before he forced it away. She was right, for every plan there should be a contingency plan to back it up. "So? You all in, or what? We can't sit here all night; we will starve to death before the sun comes up, unless those raptors get to us first."

They gathered what they needed from the cargo hold and made their way carefully back toward the main doors. Mac handed Rehtaeh his duty belt which holstered his other gun and all of his ammunition. He watched her as she double wrapped the heavy gear around her narrow waist. She now had ten full clips at her disposal not including what was remaining in the guns. He stayed by Carolyn as they opened the heavy doors and using the cutting torch to light the way outside. He moved out front skirting the darkness, Rehtaeh followed him both guns raised and ready. She had been a quick shot when in the belly of the cargo bay, she had killed all three of the beasts that had surrounded them in quick succession, so he knew her aim with the one hand was good. He wondered about her other one.

He stayed just ahead of the group as they made their way. From where he was, there was too much light. He walked further ahead trying to keep ahead of the light so he could look around in the darkness. The beasts were everywhere and on everything. They were just staying out of the light. Rehtaeh slipped past him her guns raised and ready; she was risking her pretty neck by being this far into the shadows and yet she seemed at ease in the darkness. He moved past her trying get past the radius of light so he could see better. They moved quickly toward the wreck, Rehtaeh stayed close on his tail, covering his back. As they approached it the realization hit him that it was a hulking mass of shadows just sitting there, dark and menacing, full of holes and hiding spaces for the bio-raptors. There was too much debris in the way to get a clear view inside.

"If there are any in there, they are too far away, I can't feel them." Rehtaeh whispered to him. She was looking into the wreckage; her eyes wide, her guns ready, and she was on high alert. He had worked beside fully trained soldiers less skilled than her. He was impressed by her animalistic grace, and her silent footfalls, it was as though she was prowling the night for her prey. She moved forward slowly, crouching lower and lower, as though ready to pounce and he realized she was on a hunt.

Riddick moved up and took off his goggles, peering into the darkness, he couldn't see much beyond the array of tubes, wires, debris and wreckage blocking the entry way. "Looks clear" he called back.

"Wait!" Rehtaeh called harshly as Johns moved forward with his shot gun, he ignored her trying once again to be the hot shot cop. He moved right up close when suddenly a beast flew out of the wreck right at him. It screeched loudly, angry that it had missed its dinner. He ducked just in time, Rehtaeh growled in frustration. The beast had moved so quickly and she had been the one to give a warning.

"You said 'Clear'!" Johns yelled at him, angry that he had been so spooked.

"I said it 'Looks clear'." Riddick reminded him. Hell he was not infallible.

"Well what's it look like now?" Johns asked, his heart was racing, having damn near pissed himself earlier. Riddick shook his head, the man was going to be trouble, and it was just a matter of when.

"Looks clear." Riddick said after taking another look over the rubble, he was rewarded with a glare from Johns and a Cheshire grin from Rehtaeh. When she caught his glance the smile drifted away, and she bit her lip and looked away.

"I told you to wait, dumb ass." She said under her breath as she passed Johns. The merc looked up and glared after her. Riddick watched her as she moved ahead, sweeping for raptors as she entered the ship. He took one half, she took the other. There were no more Bio-Raptors in the wreckage and he started turning on light panels as he went so the others could join them. When they met back in the main area she nodded to him indicating that they were good and he signaled to Johns. Everyone moved in. Imam, Paris and the boys were working on making lanterns out of the liquor bottles. Shazza and Jack started tearing apart the tube lights after finding that the light generators were still working, and then hauled them to the sand cat. Shazza was setting up the coils around the dome, Jack assisting her. Carolyn was gathering more supplies and giving orders, the moment Rehtaeh had offered her idea the young docking pilot had jumped on board taking over the command of the operation.

"Since I will be out front on that beast, I want the light on my back not in my eyes. You keep everyone in the cat." Riddick told Carolyn and Shazza, "If anyone makes themselves a target, I won't be jumping in to help. The cat moves forward unless I say stop." He passed Jack and added loudly just for her. "And check your cuts, they know our blood now."

Rehtaeh was inside pulling out more cables for the back of the cat. She was alone; her section of the ship was in near perfect darkness. Her glasses were up in her hair, having no need for them in the darkness. Her guns had been holstered and she was stretching both arms over her head to access the heavy cords they would use to secure the lights. Riddick moved quickly, silently and still she spun at him her hands raised in a defensive move. She backed away warily, and snarled, "Back off Riddick, I don't know what game you're playing but I don't need the distraction."

He advanced on her and she backed away, she was trying her damnedest to keep her distance from him, for every step he took towards her, she took one back. Her hands stayed up, ready to hit him at any time. He was toying with her, stalking her until her left foot ran into the wall behind her. Like an animal backed into a corner, she went on the attack, she kicked at him with her left foot and he blocked her easily, she struck out at him with her right hand but he caught her wrist and pulled it up. Her left fist grazed his chin before he caught it and pinned both wrists together above her head. She lashed out with her feet and knees as she struggled against him; she was the complete opposite of the willing victim he had found in the settlement.

"Let me go, you jerk!" She spat at him. Growling, snarling, and hissing at him, like a caged animal she was trying her damnedest to fight him off. He moved both her wrists to one hand and lifting her inches off the ground before he moved in and pinned her legs with his thighs. He pulled her guns out of their holsters setting them on a rail behind him, out of her reach, and then he grabbed the blade out of her boot. It was a well-made knife, beautifully balanced. He brought it up to her throat, and she stilled. He had completely disarmed her.

"What do you want, Riddick?" She hissed angrily, her eyes were narrowed. Somehow she had decided that she was not going to let their compatibility dictate her feelings for him, so she had started distancing herself from him. Ever since her walk in the desert and her forced ride on his lap in the sand cat she had been even more erratic around him than before, from keeping a personal distance from him to hauling him close to her after he had carried her into the cargo hold. She had covered him and the kid in the cargo bay, but he was certain that she had only done that for the kid. Then she had gone from flirting heavily to basically ignoring him when they had come up with a plan, she worked hand in hand with him just moments before and now she was trying to brush him off again. It was like she was trying to convince herself to stay away from him, her uncertainty was obvious.

"I am compatible with you." It was a statement, he wasn't asking he already knew that as a fact, he wanted to know how he was different from the few that she had been compatible with. She still did not smell like fear, even though he had her at knife point, he wondered what it would take to make her fear him. He pulled the blade lower and lower, over her collar bone and along it to the dip at the base of her throat, then down her sternum to the top of her thin t-shirt. Then he let the razor edge of the knife rend the fabric, exposing more and more of her silky white flesh. He stopped just above her breasts, he held the knife there for a long moment, admiring the silver sheen against her pale creamy flesh.

She shook her head in denial, her eyes were wide, shining brightly in the darkness and her struggle renewed. She ignored the knife on her chest and tried to kick at him. He used the tip of the knife and placed it just under the tip of her chin, forcing her head back so he could look her in her eyes. He growled at her, warning her to tell him the truth. She looked up at him meeting his bared eyes. In the darkness he saw that the shiny silver pupils had come to life within their rings of purple. In them he saw the instant that she surrendered. She calmed almost instantly, her muscles relaxed. What the hell? Her voice when she spoke was soft, "It's different than the others. Better."

"What does it feel like when I touch you, Rehtaeh?" He asked her, he put the knife in the waist band of his pants and returned his hand to the newly made rip in the fabric, letting his fingers brush over the soft flesh awaiting him there. She gasped at his intimate touch and shook her head. Her silver blonde hair had been matted back away from her face, the blue blood staining her skin. She whimpered, so quietly, there was a new scent, to go along with the normal one of confusion and bewilderment. Frustration? No it was indecision. He picked her up by her ass and pressed her against him, her eyes widened in response. He heard her breath hitch in her throat. He released her wrists and pulled her legs around him, as he let her shoulders lean on the wall behind her. "Answer me Rehtaeh." His voice was low and gravelly, a warning.

"Hot, like fire." She gasped, as he ground himself against her. He could almost taste her confusion, disorientation, frustration, anger, but he still didn't smell arousal or fear from her, so what would it take? He heard her insecurity as she answered him, "When you are close, I feel warm. But touch is hot."

He took her mouth then; it was not a soft fleeting thing. No, he took her mouth and claimed it as his. Crushing his lips against hers, his tongue stroking her bottom lip, when she didn't offer entry, he nipped her bottom lip and she gasped. Her arms circled his neck, her hands clinging to him and he knew he had her. His tongue explored her mouth, testing her sharp teeth, memorizing every niche, and stroking against her tongue. Hers met his in a small battle. He tutored her with his mouth. What he wanted from her, how he wanted her to kiss him back, he taught her what he wanted her to know. Their tongues battled for dominance. Finally he pulled away, biting her lip. She moaned against him, and she arched in surprise. There it was; passion, desire, lust. Her arousal was a sharp, sweet, full bodied smell. Awakened with a kiss.

"And now? What does my touch feel like now?" Riddick teased her, trailing his nose and chin down her neck.

"Riddick." She growled at him, she was panting, shaking, shivering. Her legs tightened instinctually around him, holding him to her. She was intoxicating. He could bury himself in that, but now was not the time. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Answer my question, Rehtaeh." He growled back, he put a warning into his voice. He would get what he wanted. He kneaded her ass with one had as he rubbed his erection against her. She moaned and arched against him. He kissed her again, catching her moans in his mouth. As much as he wanted her, he wasn't interested in catching the attention of the others as he played with her.

"Searing. Burning all over, it's good, amazing." She choked out grudgingly when he released her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment before looking back up at him, almost as though she were admitting some small defeat. "I want more."

"Hmmm, we don't have time for that, sweetheart." He chucked darkly, releasing her, she stumbled back, sagging against the wall behind her. "Maybe some other time."

He walked away, laughing as she groaned in distress at his sudden abandonment. "Fuck you, Riddick." She whispered into the darkness.