54) Will You Stay Down On Your Knees

Riddick smirked in amusement, despite his general feeling of unease, as Wash tried to carry the heavy plastic box of drugs. The pilot was breathing heavily, clearly exerting himself. Mal was leading them while Riddick kept an eye on their backtrail. Ahead of them he could see three guys approaching them from the opposite direction. The breeze blew towards him, giving fair warning that the men ahead were none too clean.

"So now I'm learning about carrying," Wash puffed as they drew a bit closer.

Riddick chuckled, "Not the kinda carryin' we meant." He teased the pilot as they reached the spot, the man he hoped was Bolles strolling forward to greet Mal. Wash set the box down with a sigh of relief and flipped back the lid. Riddick had to admit the pile of drugs was impressive.

"Nice to know you're still trustworthy," Bolles gave Mal a very grimy smile.

The Captain wasn't smiling just yet, "I'm not so trustworthy I don't want to see the money you promised me."

Riddick kept half an eye on the strangers as Bolles took a bag of coin from his guy and tossed it to Mal with a clink. He took a deep breath and searched the hills around them cursing the too bright light under his breath. He could barely see anything and the smell of the outlaws they were doing business with was strong enough that he couldn't be sure of any other scent. But there was something, an odor that reminding him of fueling stations. Nothing strong enough for certainty, just hints that made him feel far from easy about this meet.

Bolles must have been feeling chatty, he hooked his thumbs into his belt as he commented to Mal, "Man, can't believe you guys knocked over an Alliance hospital. The pair you have."

Riddick saw Wash grin and moved forward to put a hand on the pilot's shoulder to steady him. It wouldn't do to have Wash move any farther away from he and Mal. His skin felt almost constrictive, the animal on alert, something wasn't right. "Mal, we gotta get out. Now." He didn't know what it was but he trusted the feeling in his gut that said staying would be death. Since he and River had bonded that feeling had ridden him like a man on a horse whenever there was imminent violence of the mortal kind.

Mal was still all business, pretending amiability as he spoke with his client, "Yeah, the stuff legends are made of..." Thankfully he glanced at Riddick and gave him a nod before he looked back at Bolles and for once he and Riddick were in sync as they saw the same thing. A bright red dot appeared on Bolles' forehead, the painless mark of a laser sight. "Shǐ niào!"

The shot that sounded hit Bolles square in the eyes while Riddick hauled Wash down to the dirt. Mal, not being stupid, did the same while Bolles' guys got taken out by sniper fire. Riddick snarled and fired in the direction of the shots and heard a muffled groan that let him know he'd hit at least one. "Gǒu niáng yǎng de," He cursed as five more rose from the cover they'd taken and surrounded them.

"Too many," Mal muttered to him. "Less you can shoot 'em all now."

"Ghostin' 'em wouldn't be hard. Keepin' you an' Wash alive while I did it, that'd be the problem." Riddick muttered back. "That ain't the optimal result."

"No," The Captain shook his head. "Much as it pains me to say it, let's lay down arms."

Riddick should have known that Wash would have a contribution. The pilot always had something to say, "Now I'm learning about scary."


River sat on the bay steps and methodically sharpened her knives. She'd occupied herself for an entire fifteen minutes with making tea and a pretty tray with an origami flower for Inara and her client and left it in the airlock after knocking on the door. She'd caught the client's exclamation of pleasure at the sight of the tray and Inara's affectionate laugh. It was easy to hear Inara's words, overlaid with thoughts of worry and pleasure, as the Companion explained to the councilor that a crewman's wife was from the Core and knew that Inara's particular clients appreciated well made tea.

Book had come out and was making use of the free weights since the barbell would be dangerous without anyone to spot him . Simon was in the infirmary, tallying supplies and verifying all his instruments were in working order. She'd put on her working clothes, the slender pants and teeshirt that weren't loose enough catch on anything and the light boots that made no sound when she walked. Her sword and guns were in their places about her body. But those was all the preparation she could make.

Now she was counting the minutes, listening for Riddick's warm bright mind and hearing nothing. The day was warm and the sun was very bright but she could only feel cold as she waited. Zoe came up beside the Reader, her mare's leg over her shoulder and River stood. Knives were replaced in their sheaths and the whetstone put in her pocket as Zoe spoke. "I reckon it's time we went and checked this out." The First Mate's voice was carefully stoic but beneath it her emotions were boiling with anxiety.

River nodded and looked up as Inara and her client emerged from the shuttle, Inara walking the blonde woman out down the catwalk stairs. Both women were all smiles, true pleasure taken in each other's company. Zoe looked at River and they both nodded, waiting until the client had been seen off and the cargo doors closed before speaking. "Inara," Zoe called as the Companion mounted the steps again. "Might wanna…stay in your shuttle for a spell. Mal and the others are overdue."

Ciara and Jayne came down from the armory as Inara reached the airlock. "Zoe, we're good for weapons and ammo. No problems I can see. We get that down time the Cap'n talked about, maybe go over everythin' real good an' test 'em all."

"Good," Zoe nodded. "Now go grab your weapon." Her voice and face were stoic as a stone's but Jayne had been around her for more than a year and knew when she was preparing for bad news.

"Why? What's goin' on?" Jayne looked from Zoe to River, "Bad feelin's?" His bright blue eyes darkened suddenly and River could feel his absolute determination that nothing should happen to Riddick.

Zoe nodded, "Maybe nothing. Maybe trouble."

"The drop?" Jayne shook his head as he said it. He knew as well as Zoe did that the contact wasn't the twitchy or treacherous sort. Well, mostly. He was mild compared to some. He looked at River who shook her head imperceptibly and his mouth twisted into a dark frown to match his eyes. "Bolles ever give you problems before?"

Zoe shook her head even as she lifted one shoulder, her unease palpable, "They're late. They should've been back more'n an hour ago."

River moved over to Ciara as Jayne headed back up the stairs to his bunk, "Need you to stay with Kaylee in the engine room." She told the taller girl solemnly. "If we're boarded she'll need someone who can use a gun. She knows how to lock you both in. Simon will stay in the infirmary."

Ciara took a deep breath and nodded, "I'll grab a rifle and a sidearm from the armory." She looked at Zoe, "Should we lock up the bridge?"

Zoe considered for a moment and then nodded, "River, go up and start the encryption locks on the controls. And make sure Inara's tucked in safe."

Simon came out of the infirmary with his guns strapped to his waist, "I take it we're going with worst case scenario here? Not that I blame anyone, with the luck we have." River gave him an appreciative look, her brother had learned his lessons well. He was thinking it was better that he wore the guns all the time. It was easier to remove them if they were not needed rather than need them and have them in his bunk where they could do no good.

Ciara and River both shrugged as they mounted the stairs. Zoe was checking her mare's leg as she answered Simon, "Maybe it'll all be for nothing and we'll find 'em all drunk in a bar. But I'd rather be prepared than caught off guard."

River left Ciara at the armory and quickly ran to the bridge. A few minutes work and the programing Mal had paid her for was put into action. She heard Ciara running up the armory stairs and down the hall towards the engine room as the Reader locked up the bridge.

"Jayne," She called over her shoulder as she heard him climb out of his bunk. "Need you to lock down the ship. Close everything off as you go down. I'll do the same thing for the front half of Serenity if you'll start on the stairs near the engine room."

"Meet you in the bay," Jayne called and she heard his heavy footfalls as he followed Ciara's path to the rear of the boat.

It took a few extra minutes but the entire ship was locked down. Simon was doing the same in the passenger dorms, climbing the ladders to the upper dorms and continuing on to the access hatches to secure them.

"Rear of the ship is secure," Jayne reported as he exited the lounge.

"All locked down on this side," River added as she hurried down the stairs. "Inara knows to stay in her shuttle."

Zoe nodded, "Well if we're boarded we've made it as hard as we can for them." She looked at River, "We go by ground. We'll take the mule."

Book stood from the weight bench, "I'll go with you."

Zoe shook her head, "No offense, Shepherd, but I sure as hell hope they don't need a preacher.

The older man didn't quite smile but he pressed his point. "Four sets of eyes are better than three. Might see something you don't."

The first mate's expression was thoughtful but finally she nodded. "Let's move."


River knew before they reached the shuttle what had happened. The dead screamed up from the ground, shrieking at her and ranted about their murders. If Riddick were here she'd know, she'd know instantly. She walked next to Jayne and began to scavenge for weapons and money as if she was really as calm as she looked. Deep breaths, slow and careful, forced her heart rate to stay even. In this case, the body would rule the mind, her heart and breath helped maintain control of her thoughts. The animal inside wanted to howl and shriek defiance to the sky at the man who'd taken her mate. The woman knew hysterics and rage would serve no one even as her heart seemed to twist in her chest.

Impressions on the ground, Riddick's foot prints, blood and wrath rose from the ground, filling her mind with the events that had occurred. It only reinforced the ranting of the dead, this had been an ambush, set by a third party to catch everyone unawares.

"None of 'em's ours," Jayne called to Zoe. The first mate was scanning the horizon and her mind was filled with where the shots would have come from.

"This is precision work: sharpshooters." Book observed after he'd studied the wounds. "From the look of these wounds, I'd say a 54-R sniper rifle, laser sights."

River chuckled humorlessly as Jayne gave the Sheppard a verbal poke, "You do a lot of shooting at the abbey
there, Shepherd?"

"Rabbits," The older man replied dryly.

"For stew, sure." Jayne nodded as he found another gun. His frown was thoughtful as he looked at the bodies, his mind only half on the conversation as he considered the situation. He was thinking over how it could have gone down, seeing the lack of knife-work or hand to hand combat Rick was known for. None of the dead had been killed by Serenity's crew and there were no other dead besides Bolles and his men.

River walked to where the bodies were and looked down, "Mal stood here, Wash and Riddick on either side and just behind." She indicated the positions. "Bolles and his men there," She pointed and then mentally calculated the trajectories. "Shots came from there and there, and there." She pointed at the little hills. "Three snipers, other men as well."

Zoe's face was harder than usual, "Whoever did this, they weren't after the goods." She had the container that the drugs had been packed in. It had been left carelessly on the ground.

River shook her head and Jayne frowned as he walked towards the hills, "We ain't gonna find 'em here. They're
off planet already." He indicated a black streak in the sandy dirt. "Only one type of transport I know makes
a mark like this."

"Fast burn—" River began.

"Rocket shuttle," Zoe finished grimly.

The Reader forced herself to take deep breaths and Jayne's hand on her shoulder was cold comfort, well intentioned though it was. Book looked at Zoe, "Craft like that not commonly part of a ship. More likely we're looking at—"

"Space station," The First Mate's expression was forbidding.

"Yes," Book nodded.

River turned and began to walk back to the mule as Zoe reached the inevitable conclusion and spoke it aloud, "I know who's got 'em."

Jayne kept Book from following the Reader, steered the man towards the shuttle with the guns and money and recovered drugs. "She'll take the mule back. Nothin' you can say would be a comfort to her now Shepherd."

It was, the Reader thought painfully, only the truth.


The place stunk of pain, blood, urine and death. It was all he could do to not sneeze at the stench of it. The blindfold was only partially effective. The room was rife with shadows friendlier to his eyes than light and he was able to make out things best not spoken of yet. He could smell the nerves of Mal and Wash, the pilot was near panicked while Mal was at least outwardly calmer.

Riddick stood quietly while Mal began to edge his way around the room. From the sound of it the Captain was using his feet to determine what was in the dank room with them. "You okay," Mal's voice was pretty calm considering.

Wash on the other hand was pretty panicky, "I think I've been kidnapped."

"Yeah," Mal's agreement was a bit absentminded. Riddick could hear him still moving around, his boot coming into contact with something metallic in the center of the room.

"You see where we are," the pilot wanted to know. The convict frowned. Wash would be the one had the most trouble with what was to come. He wasn't prepared at all for their situation.

"No," Reynolds replied tersely. He was still moving around while Wash could only stay where he was and ask questions. The pilot was unflappable under most circumstances. Reavers chases, bank robberies, asteroid fields and flying over trains didn't phase him one bit. But he wasn't in his chair on the bridge, he wasn't guiding a ship through hell. It was just him.

"Mal, what the hell is going on?" Wash demanded to know. His voice was growing mores strident the longer he talked.

"Ain't rightly sure," the Captain was lying. Riddick could smell it even over the scent of blood and piss and death that inevitably accompanied those two smells. Even Wash knew that wasn't strictly the truth.

"But you've got some theories," the shorter man accused.

"Still working it through," Mal replied evasively.

Riddick heard Wash's heart rate spike as panic struck him, "Rick, where's Rick? They didn't kill him did they Mal? I didn't see him get shot but he-"

Before Wash could work himself up too much Riddick decided to speak up, "'M fine Wash. Right here. Just listening, gettin' my bearings."

"Right," the pilot sounded as if he was nodding. "Good thought." He continued to speak and Riddick could hear his nerves ratcheting tighter with each word. "I don't want you to spare me, Mal. If you think you know what's happening, then you tell me. You wouldn't spare Zoe if she were in this situation with you, would you? You would be planning, and plotting and... possibly scheming." He took a breath, not that it seemed to calm him any, and rattled on, "So whatever Zoe would do in this instance is what I wanna do. Do you know why? No matter how ugly it gets, you two always come back with the stories. So... I'm Zoe. Now, what do I do?"

Mal sounded a little irked but not so much as he could have been, "Probably not talk quite so much."

Wash seemed to take that in. "Right. Less talking." Riddick continued to look around the room as Wash continued to talk, panic overriding good sense for the moment. "She's terse. I can be terse." The convict would be willing to bet that his short friend had never been any such thing in his life. "Once in flight school, I was laconic."

Riddick wondered if it was Wash's singular gift that he could tickle Riddick's funny bone even as they were kidnapped and stuck in a room obviously designed for torture. He would bet platinum to donuts that the pilot couldn't keep silent for more than five seconds.

He won his bet with himself as Wash waited about three seconds before bursting out, "If I'm not gonna talk then you have to. What else?"

"Pay attention," Riddick offered quietly. There was no point in yelling or getting worked up. It would just waste energy. "Try to stay calm."

"We just gotta keep our heads," Mal added.

Wash, unfortunately, did not really understand the advice. "Right. 'Keep our heads.' That way we'll be able to... you know... keep our heads." He seemed to think of something, "You and Zoe have been in plenty of
situations like this before, right?"

Mal was lying again, "Many a time." He answered the pilot.

"Many a time, you and Zoe..." Wash seemed to think about that for a moment.

Mal didn't quite realize that his pilot was now highly disturbed. "Once we know who it was took us-"

"Zoe and you together in a tricky..." Wash mused and then outrage hit him. "Mal, she's my wife!"

"Huh?" Mal seemed confused. More so than usual. Riddick felt that bubble of amusement in his chest again, laughter tickling his throat.

"What gives you the right to put her in a dangerous situation like this!" Wash demanded angrily.

"I didn't," the Captain argued.

"You did!" Wash snapped back.

"She ain't here, Wash." Mal was clearly attempting reason and logic. Since those weren't his strong points it was easy for Riddick to see how Wash could ignore Mal's attempts.

"No, but she would have been," the pilot argued.

Reynolds seemed to realize that reason would not help him at this point. Capitulation, however, just might. "Okay."

Wash was still rambling, "I mean, I'm the one she swore to love, honor and obey." The Furyan blinked behind his blindfold and considered the likelihood of that occurrence.

"Listen," Mal stopped mid thought. Clearly he had the same thought as Riddick, "She swore to obey?"

The convict nearly chuckled and it showed in his voice, "The hell she did. That woman?" He'd bet River's life and his on that. Zoe would never swear to obey her husband.

"Well, no, not..." Wash admitted and then snapped at the Captain, "But that's just my point! You she obeys! She obeys you! There's obeying going on right under my nose!"

Riddick groaned as Mal tried to excuse that. This conversation was going nowhere. "Look, Zoe and I have a history. She trusts me," the tall man tried to explain.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wash was in no mood to be placated.

"Don't mean a thing, but you're making out like she blindly follows my every word. That ain't true!" Captain's voice was sliding towards irritated now.

"Sure it is!" The pilot snarled back.

"Not so. There's plenty orders of mine that she didn't obey." Riddick listened as Mal and Wash nearly forgot where they were as they argued. The only thing to beat these two for crazy was when he and Shea'd had a running argument during a mission that had lasted three days. He couldn't remember what it had been about and he doubted Cobh could either but it had been insane at the time. Something to do with grenades versus mines. It probably hadn't helped that they'd both been tired and hungry and stuck behind enemy lines waiting for the Independents to retake the territory.

"Name one!"

"She married you!" Mal shouted at his pilot.

Riddick winced as the door screeched open and made his sensitive ears ache. Three men entered the room, one of them smaller and lighter than the other two. The convict straightened from his relaxed posture against the wall and moved towards Mal, bracketing Wash between himself and the captain.

The three stopped before Mal and waited for something. The sound of sliding cloth whispered through the air and Riddick guessed Mal'd gotten a look at who had taken them. The captain's voice sounded surprised and not in a pleasant way. "Tā mā dehún dàn."

Riddick braced himself as the blindfold was yanked off his eyes and was pleased that apart from the glare of one bare bulb overhead the room wasn't too hard on his vision. Niska was looking up into his face and appeared displeased that Rick wasn't at all surprised to see him. "Figured as much," the convict shrugged. He wasn't going to act shocked as shit just to ingratiate himself to the old criminal overlord. He'd known this was coming since the first laser sight appeared on Bolles' head.

"What?" Wash was still in the dark. Literally. Without his blindfold removed he had no idea who Riddick and Mal were speaking with. His confusion and fear were evident to everyone in the room. Riddick glanced at Mal and saw the Captain had come to the same realization as him. They were going to have to keep Wash alive however they could.

It was a day of firsts, he and Mal were in agreement at least twice. Too bad the circumstances weren't better.


River used her code to get onto Serenity and drove the mule into its proper place. The others had arrived before her, which was all to the good. She'd needed the time to think, to plan and determine exactly how she was going to take back her man. Zoe would be thinking of the same thing. She knew that much without needing to Read the First Mate.

Zoe would want her husband and her Captain back. But she'd try to retrieve them the honest way. It might work. River considered Zoe's thoughts. The dark woman was stoic, still as stone and resolved in her mind. River sighed and followed the woman's thoughts up to the galley.

The crew was handing Zoe all the money they'd made off the hospital job. Everything they had on them. River watched as Kaylee gave Zoe a pouch, "Here's all I got left."

Zoe nodded, "Thanks." She put it in her bag. "Jayne!" She shouted down the hall.

The Shepherd was watching. He didn't seem to disapprove but he was cautious. "How do you know he won't just grab you as well?"

Zoe shook her head. "Don't think that's like to happen. I walk in there, unarmed, make the offer. This guy has his own code, twisted as it may be. Very excited about reputation. He'll see reason." She noticed River and nodded to her as the Reader entered the galley proper from the hall. Jayne came up behind her as Inara objected to Zoe's reasoning.

"Reason? He's a gangster. The money he paid you for that other job- it was already returned to him."

Jayne's gruff voice was flat, "Could be he's harboring some resentment at us for putting his man through our engine."

Zoe didn't seem to care about Niska's resentment, "Wait a reasonable amount of time, but if you don't hear back, I want you to take Serenity and get out of this quadrant. This don't play out right, there's no guarantee he won't come looking for the rest of you."

She was ready to walk out of the galley when River finally spoke, "It is a plan. But it is not a plan that will see all three of our men returned to us." She looked at Jayne and then at Zoe. "You know as well as I do that Niska wants to hurt them. Wants to make them pay for their defiance."

"You're saying he won't take the cash for them?" Zoe stopped and at least appeared to be listening.

"He won't give you all three," River said flatly. "His reputation demands that we pay in blood."

Book nodded reluctantly, "I hate to agree with such a distasteful notion but she's right. Niska isn't known for mercy or fair play. He always comes out on top."

"Then what do we do?' Inara asked worriedly. "This is the only idea we've got."

"No," River shook her head. "You have me."

"We ain't tradin' you for them," Jayne objected his rim accent more pronounced than ever. Ciara nodded her agreement with her man and River's lips curved into a wry smile.

"Wasn't going to suggest it," She shook her head.

"Then what is your plan," Zoe wanted to know.

River looked at Simon and found her brother with a quiet smile on his face. "Simon could get me plans of the station, with Kaylee's help. Need to find air ducts, passageways, too small for a man."

"I'm on it," Simon took off for the bridge, Kaylee hot on his heels.

"You're planning an assault?" Zoe asked incredulously. "That'll just get all of us killed."

"No," River shook her head. "Not an assault. Sneak attack." She indicated Zoe, "You take a shuttle, go and make the offer. I go with, slip onto the station. I bring my weapons, Riddick's knives, and I find the men. You get as many as Niska will let you take out. Get them medical attention and then bring Serenity back."

Jayne grinned wickedly, "Have fun stormin' the castle?" He asked with an appreciative gleam in his bright blue eyes. Ciara actually blinked and then giggled.

"A diversion?" She asked in her Kerry tinted core voice.

"Aye," River grinned back at her. "Serenity lays siege and draws attention. Lots of noise, confusion. I get in, to whoever's left, get them out, meet all of you halfway. Hopefully we'll kill Niska along the way."

"It's a decent plan," Jayne nodded and looked at Zoe. "Think of it as insurance. If River waits until she sees who you've got with her to get on the station..."

The First Mate nodded slowly, "If I get all three, no need for her to sneak on. If I come back with two or less we still need to retrieve the third. So she slips on and we go with her plan."

River looked at Ciara and Book, "We will need all hands. Everyone who can hold a gun."

Book nodded his understanding while Inara looked at River a bit helplessly, "What can I do?"

"Ask the counselor if we can have access to medical equipment," The Reader suggested. "Don't know how beat up they'll be but it won't be good. Simon might need things we don't have here."

Inara seemed relieved to have something she could occupy herself with. "I'll get started on that while you and Zoe are gone."

River looked at Zoe, "I'm not crew. You're in charge of the ship while Mal is gone. But Niska took my husband. I won't let chance rule whether or not I get him back."

Zoe nodded, "Can't say I expected you to." She looked River over thoughtfully, "Might want to dip into our stash of grenades. Jayne, get her set up while she's getting Rick's knives and guns."

Jayne nodded soberly and looked at Ciara, "The rest of us will get set up while you two are gone." He looked a bit regretfully at the bag of cash to which he'd contributed quite a bit, "Well it was nice bein' rich while it lasted."

River patted his arm, "Don't worry. She has enough money to pay all of the crew back and then some. Most of it stolen from the very man we're going to pay." She murmured the last softly enough that Zoe couldn't hear her and was rewarded with an appreciative grin from Jayne.

"That has a nice ironical ring to it," He commented as he moved down to the armory. River shrugged as she dropped into her bunk and began to strap on a few extra guns and a set of knives for her husband. Riddick had better be unharmed or she'd make Niska wish he'd died at birth. She and Riddick hadn't survived the Academy torture chambers only to surrender to a crime lord with delusions of grandeur to rival the Marquis de Sade.


He'd known that this was not going to be a pleasant experience. And thus far he'd been correct. If Niska's scent got any more smug or delighted with the situation Riddick just might lose his temper and bust out of his chains. That wasn't to say he was having a grand old time. But as torture went it wasn't the worst he'd been through. It might have had something to do with the fact that it wasn't River in here with him being tortured. He'd always found it easier to deal with pain himself than see her in agony and be unable to do anything about it.

But his relief due to River's, relative, safety was fairly well mitigated by the fact that Wash was being tortured along with him and Mal. Mal wasn't doing bad but Wash wasn't built for this sort of crap. Still, Mal had done a pretty good job of distracting the pilot so far. Arguing seemed to keep Wash going well enough. So Riddick occupied his mind with tracking the conversation, such as it was, and figuring out what he could do to help Wash when the Captain's quarrel started to lose its efficacy.

Mal was catching his breath after a bout of truly uncomfortable electric shock. The voltage wasn't high enough to damage them permanently, not yet anyway. But it was painful, and not the sort of pain that the captain could shrug off. Riddick could hear Mal's lungs heaving to catch his breath as he continued to argue with his pilot. "I'm not... gonna say it... again. Shipboard romances complicate things."

Predictably Wash was answering back. Being tortured had done nothing to diminish the pilot's sarcastic nature though it had reduced his usual subtleties to nearly nothing. "For who? For you?"

"For everyone," Mal retorted.

"Well, what about lov—" Wash's question was cut off by another bone rattling surge of electricity. Riddick clenched his jaws together, conscious of Wash and Mal doing the same, in the hopes of having a full set of teeth if they survived this mess.

After the electricity ceased Mal barely paused for breath before he spoke. "I ain't against it as a rule... but in situations such as ours, it tends to cause problems. It splits loyalties."

"Know what I think?" Wash was slurring his words a bit, the bite of the electrical shocks removing the crisp edge of his words.

"What?" Mal was trying to look at him despite the fact that they were all bound onto the torture frame in the center of the room.

Riddick ground his teeth as the electrodes shot pain through them again with the sizzling sensation of every nerve jolting and quivering in agony. It was all he could do not to groan. The other two were weaker than he was and damned if he'd be the first to cave into torture. If Niska wanted him to shout in pain he'd have to do a lot more than shock him. But he could feel Wash sagging, his strength faltering as the electricity shut off.

Mal was prompting him, pushing for a response, trying to keep Wash conscious. "What, Wash? What do you think? Because I'm interested."

When it came, the pilot's voice was weak and Riddick knew it wouldn't be long before he slipped into unconsciousness. "This "policy" you got against shipboard relationships - that's just you projecting your own intimacy issues on everyone else."

Riddick decided this would be a good time to join the conversation, "Cap'n don't got intimacy issues. He's just a dumbass. Thinks he can tell people what to feel."

There was a whining buzz as he caught Niska signaling for the electrodes again and the Furyan bit off a curse as lightening pulsed sickly through him and fried his liver. It lasted longer, rattling his bones and plucking his nerves like Shea's guitar strings until all he could do was grind his teeth and endure.

It finally ceased and Mal jumped right back into the conversation, "'Course, could be a lot simpler than that. Could be I just don't think you're good enough for Zoe."

Somewhat blurrily Wash snarled, "And I don't give a good gorram what you think."

Mal was prodding Wash again as the pilot sagged back against the metal framework. "Oh, don't you? Zoe and I, we got a history, and I figure you gotta be asking yourself some fundamental questions as to the nature of that history."

"You never slept with my wife," Wash denied. He seemed pretty sure. Riddick would have grinned because the pilot was right. Even through all the effluvia of the torture chamber Furyan senses could tell Mal was bluffing.

The Captain jeered back at him, "Oh? That a fact? You know that for sure, do you? You ever ask her?"

Riddick actually growled a curse this time as the electrodes whined again. "Tā mā de dì yù," he nearly bit his tongue as the electricity jolted through him again. When they finally shut off he could see Wash slumping, his head hanging forward. With as much force as he could muster he kicked Wash in the foot. It got a mutter and a slight shake of Wash's head in reaction.

Mal renewed his efforts to keep the pilot's attention, "Hey. We been together for a long time before you came along, Wash. And she's a damn fine-looking woman." He nearly laughed and Riddick almost smirked in amusement. His captain was definitely crazy but it was the sort of nuts the convict could live with.

Riddick nodded, "He's right Wash. Iffen I wasn't taken I'd be givin' Zoe a second look or three."

Wash, his posture still nearly boneless, still had the presence of mind to argue. "Never happened. Know how I know?"

"How? Tell me," Mal prompted with what sounded like a sneer in his voice.

Despite being tortured, Wash was still able to sound as if he was stating the incredibly obvious. It was admirable really, not that Riddick was thrilled at the situation. "This whole Captain thing isn't Zoe's trouble. It's the-guy-she-never-slept-with thing. Hell, Mal, I wish you had slept with her. Then at least she'd be over it."

Mal was mocking Wash now, almost laughing, "Oh, you want me to sleep with her? Would that make you feel better?" It was a valiant attempt to keep Wash going and despite the tension between Riddick and the captain, the convict loved Mal for it. Wash was fading, and the argument was all that was keeping the pilot from lapsing into unconsciousness. From there it wasn't far until he was gone.

"It might!" Wash's reply was bleary but with a tenor of irritation that boded well for his continued existence.

Mal was scoffing now, "Oh, I'd imagine it would do wonders for her, too."

"Screw you!" It was unimaginative, unlike Wash's usual repertoire, but it was too the point and forceful. Another good sign.

"Get in line," Mal snarled.

Riddick was prevented from enjoying further byplay when Niska decided to interrupt with the electricity. "Gǒu niáng yǎng de," He cursed when the electrodes cut off again. Wash was slumping, nearly unconscious and Mal was trying desperately to get the pilot's attention again.

"Okay, Wash, I'm gonna do it." The Captain's voice grew more alarmed, "Wash!"

Riddick took a deep breath and turned his head, shouted the pilot's name as loud as he could directly towards the pilot's ear, "Hoban Washburne! 'Tenshun!" To his relief that got the man straightening up some, groaning but gamely trying to obey an order.

Mal started talking again, "Wash, listen. First thing we do when we get back..." His voice rose in panic as it seemed Wash was drifting again. "Listen to me!" He gulped in a breath, "First thing when we get back, I'm gonna... I'm gonna take your wife into my bed."

It didn't seem like Wash was really buying it but he actually answered albeit weakly, "Yeah?"

Mal was sounding relieved Wash was awake and desperate to keep him that way. "I'm gonna get me a piece of -"

This time after the electricity ceased running through them Riddick heard the bone chilling cessation of at least one heartbeat.


Author's Notes: Wow... guys I'm so sorry, this has taken me a year to post. Good news is that my health is on the mend. Bad news is (or maybe its good news) I had to get a different job that will be (hopefully) less stressful. Less stress, less medication, less side effects...hopefully that all equals more writing time.

I hope you find this worth the wait. Thanks for sticking around. I appreciate it.

Oh...about our little cliffhanger there... any bets as to who's flatlined? Sorry but I couldn't resist. And hopefully the mob with torches and pitchforks will spur me onto writing the next chapter.

Chinese Translations:

Shǐ niào - Shit and piss

Gǒu niáng yǎng de - son of a bitch

Tā mā de hún dàn - fucking bastard

Tā mā de dì yù - Fucking hell

Quote Sources:

Have fun storming the castle - The Princess Bride