Just a short little filler chapter I guess. Thanks to everyone who reads this. Thanks to any who have reviewed, added me as a favorite or alert, or my story! Thanks! Sure this story is soon to be finished and flirting with the idea of sequels.

Reviews:

ArtLightLove- Thanks! Haha, yes, Dead Johns!

Annie- Yeah, I had to kill Fry because I was tempted to keep her! These characters are growing on me so death scenes are pretty difficult to make myself write. Not Johns, he was an ass.

"No going back. That's clear." Zoe speaks in the voice River has heard countless times in Mal's dreams. She is the soldier now. She is in a war and she is fighting for what she believes. Freedom from the dark, survival of her unit.

Riddick nods slightly, "Clear. Anyone wants to go back they only have this piece of mercy to hold on to-you'll wind up huddled together with whatever you can find until those creatures get you and you can't even see what's eating you in the dark."

Shazza laughs darkly, "Don't think we need the scare tactic big fella, no one's going back."

Riddick glances at Imam and Suleiman. The kid shakes a bit, eyes wide, "Johns?"

No answer follows and Imam whispers, "We are all to die out here."

Jack wipes her eyes roughly and clears her throat, "Way I see it, ain't a real loss with Johns. Hun dan had it comin' and if jia zhu hadn't done it someone else woulda." Jack pauses and clenches her jaw, glancing at Riddick and then into the dark with searching eyes, "Did he die fast?"

Riddick strides over and crouches next to Jack, whispering, "Quick. If we have any choice it's how we all should go." Jack nods and sniffles, eyes misting at so many losses. "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare."

Jack flares a bit and raises her chin, "I ain't! An' only Riv can get to telling me what to dare do and not!"

Riddick smirks and stands, eyes on the cub still, "Riv wouldn't cry over him. Hell, I think she'd promote dancing on his grave if we managed the put the halves in one."

Jack smiles shakily, quick death torn in half. Fry had suffered but the others died quick. That was a mercy she thought everyone deserved.

Kaylee wipes her eyes with her head hung, trying to hide her weakness. She looks up with a dirt stained face and sets her chin in a cute stubborn way that only she could. "How we getting' through the canyon? Eight of us. I'm not much of a fighter but I know mechanics well enough to fit pieces together. Kids in the center, cells at back. Fighters in the front, we run like hell."

Zoe smiles, "Mechanics and hangin' around Browncoats-you're all right little Kaylee."

Riddick looks at the silent River and pushes in her mind, prodding her into action.

"Everyone up."

River stands as she speaks and the others follow. She strides forward and pulls the ropes off Imam and Shazza, Suleiman drops the rope from his hands.

"Drop the sled, haul the packs and cells. Riddick takes point up front. He'll haul the cells. If they're in back we risk lagging. Up front we know the pace to keep. Flanking behind Riddick will be Imam, Shazza and Zoe. Triangle formation. In the center of the triangle will be Kaylee and our lambs. Both are to stick to her side. Covering back we will watch over the others."

River ties the rope to the handles of the power cells, testing the strength of the rope with tugging.

"We move in five. Hunker down, get a bottle count. Flares go into the pack. Light up what we need."

Riddick smirks as he watches River eye the sled.

Riddick walks off from the others with his hand light firmly on his back. He follows the scent of his girl and finds her next to a raptor body. It twitches and he realizes it is a fresh kill.

River strokes the skin of the creature, looking at its body. She slices of a claw with her shiv and turns to find Riddick behind her.

"Needed research material."

Riddick nods and she smiles to him before walking off, intent on her mission. Riddick eyes the corpse, looking at the fresh dripping blood. He bends down and picks up a T-shaped body part, holding it to the death wound. It's an eye.

Looking it over he smiles slightly, "Blind spot." Dropping the eye he taps the blind spot before stepping back and listening to the creatures devouring the body behind him.

Imam holds his prayer beads tightly, walking to River. He watches her lift the door and flop it so the domed out side faces up.

"Would you like to pray?"

River smiles, "Prayer is…calculations are more reliable."

Imam smiles, "But prayer is for the soul. Calculations can not help a soul."

River shrugs, "We knew a Sheppard named Book. Faith does not need to make sense. You do not fix faith, it fixes you. Believe in something, no matter what it is just believe it. We believe that he spoke the truth but so far nothing is worth believing in."

Imam frowns slightly and River hears the familiarity in his thoughts as he thinks of Book. Derrial Orion Book. River blinks hearing that he had known the man. Imam clears his head of the fact, focusing back to the present, "Yourself. Many people believe in you River."

River shrugs and raises the severed claw above her head, swinging it down and connecting to the door. It barely dints and River smiles wider, "Many people believe in us. True. Our pack. Our family in the stars. They all believe in us. This group does. Believing in oneself…never our forte to be honest. We have faith that your prayer would be better spent on someone who needs it."

Imam smiles, "You will not pray with me. I hope you will not stop me praying for you?"

River shrugs, "Do what you must."

Imam chuckles, walking away and murmuring, "The point of faith is that you do not have to believe it, you simply do."

Riddick lifts the ropes to the power cells, testing the weight and how to pull the cells quickly.

Imam walks over to him with a smile, "Shall we pay together?" Riddick drops the ropes and spins to look at him. Imam walks closer, standing beside him, "I have already prayed with most of the others. It is painless."

"It is pointless." Riddick counters, kneeling down and shortening the ropes.

"Because you do not believe in God, does not mean God does not believe in you."

Riddick speaks, overlapping with him, "You think someone could spend half their life in a slam with a horse bit in his mouth and not believe? You think he can start out in some liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe? You got it all wrong holy man. I absolutely believe in God. And I absolutely hate the fuck."

Imam raises his chin, light in his eyes and hope in his words, "He is with us nonetheless."

"Two of your boys are already dead. How much faith do you have left Father?" Riddick glares slightly as he speaks, hoping to make the man as embittered toward God as he is.

Imam clenches his jaw and murmurs, "I am satisfied that you believe. Hold on to your belief, even in hate. Have faith and do not lose it. I doubt your hate will allow it leave."

Riddick blinks and looks at him quizzically, "Not gonna preach to me about needing God?"

Imam chuckles, "You do not need God Mister Riddick, you have a belief already. I prefer that to someone having no belief like Miss River. She is one people believe in, yet she herself holds to no belief or faith. Like her, will you allow me to pray for you in the absence of with?"

Riddick looks over in the direction of his girl, shaking his head slightly, "Man who hates God ain't 'xactly in God's favor. Make use of the prayer you were saving for me and use it on the girl."

Imam smiles and nods, "I shall pray with and for young Jacqueline."

Riddick tilts his head, "Jacqueline?"

"She is a she, Mister Riddick. Her name is to be that of a girl. Respect her body even though she tries to hide it."

Riddick stands and walks away slowly, pausing he murmurs, "Pray for your boy too. Lost lambs always need more guidance from the Sheppard."

Imam smiles and simply nods behind his back. As he leaves Imam stands and holds on to his torch bottle, "Maybe Miss River shall find belief in you, Mister Riddick? And in return you will show your trust in her…belief many have given. Trust is something new that she needs. For this to happen, I pray for you both."