Chapter Two: Marpost Prime

Please read on and review.


Three weeks earlier on the planet of Marpost Prime:

Meera whirled around after someone shouted. "Where's Jackson?" she mumbled to herself. Then she saw him. Her ten-year-old brother was in the middle of the lane.

The night before they had gotten into a fight. So to make it up to him she promised to take him to the market. Which was where they were now. "Hey Jax come here," she called to him, but he wasn't paying any attention. He was staring off in the distance, towards the direction of the scream.

Meera followed his gaze and saw what everyone else saw. A man, tall, very built, was running from a short man, and the big guy was running towards Jax. She knew his kind: they would use anything to get away; anything or anyone. And it appeared to her that that anyone was going to be Jackson.

"Jackson move!" she yelled, trying to move through the crowd. Jax looked at her then turned back around. He stared off at the running man. "Jackson, come on!" Meera was getting nervous. Her brother wasn't moving and the big guy wasn't steering off his path. "Fuck!" she said, moving as rapidly as possible through the crowd. If anything happened to him her parents would eat her still-beating heart for dinner. Literally.

Finally she found the opening she needed. The crowd was starting to part to avoid the man. Still there was no way she would reach her brother before the big man did. Unless...

There was a large stone up ahead and she took her chances. She ran at the rock, planted one then two feet on it momentarily then sprang into the air, using every ounce of energy she could to surge forward. Her arms hooked around Jax and she tucked her chin against her chest and twisted in midair hoping to land on her back instead of Jax's. Which they did, that was good, but her foot caught the big man's foot, which was bad.

He was up instantly, but the guy after him was getting to close for him to go anything. Instead, as he ran away he pointed at her.

She cringed slightly and started as Jax stood up and started to drag her off the ground. "Come on, Meer! We have to go!" She knew he was right, she couldn't deal with being questioned by any type of authority. "So tell me about you fight last night." Jax ordered. Not in an authoritative way, but in an I-live-through-you way. She smiled down at him. Her brother loved the idea of his big sister being in a secret underground fight club. He knew the rules. Kill to win, keep the secret, get paid.

"What do you wanna know?" she asked, as they walked around a corner.

"How'd you kill that bastard?"

"I snapped his neck. And watch your mouth," she told him.

The sun was shining brightly that day, so there were no dark alleys. Normally, they would take the long way home, but to avoid questions she decided to take a detour and just as they started into the closest alley the big guy showed up. He was tall, looming over them in a most intimidating manner. Meera, who was seventeen, stood at five foot eleven and a half inches and the big guy towered over her. She could see herself in his mirrored goggles. He was trying to scare her, but the only thing she feared was for Jackson's safety.

As quickly, yet non-threateningly, as possible she pushed Jax behind her. She sized up the man and let out a soft laugh. They had the same taste in clothes: light baggy pants, tank top, and combat boots. Military style. Except she was the only one wearing military clothes: jungle camouflage pants and tan tank plus she had a black loose fitting vest over her tank and dog tags.

He started taking steps toward her. She turned her head slightly, keeping her eyes locked on the big guy. "Jax, get outta here," she said, looking over her shoulder.

"No way, Meer," he argued. "I'm not leavin you by yourself."

"Just get...the fuck...outta here!" That was all he needed. Jax left the alley and ran the other way, never looking.

Big guy stopped a few paces in front of her, and just stood there staring at her. Again trying to scare her, but it didn't work. She hadn't feared anything in a long time. "You tripped me," he said finally. His voice was deep and gravely.

"If I remember correctly, you were about to use my brother as an escape," she shot back.

-----

Riddick laughed to himself. The girl had spunk. She kept her distance, a smart move, he mused. He stared at her through his goggles taking in her long shock white hair with pink streaks that once was black due to her roots, and her entirely emerald eyes that contained neither black nor white areas. She was a Peacekeeper female and he laughed at the thought.

Peacekeepers were humans that left Earth two thousand years ago, after the planet had gone into another World War and technology was taking over. They were so attuned with the Source of All Things, a power far greater than any living thing could possibly even begin to fathom, and they had dedicated their lives to keeping the peace and unity throughout. Millions of people left the planet and scattered throughout the Universe. Most of them started a colony on Marpost Prime, where angry desert clans had slaughtered most of them. Only four hundred families survived and spread out across the planet. Now they numbered less than a hundred clans.

Still, most families were peaceful after all that their people were put through. But, the most recent generation of Peacekeepers had decided they weren't going to lie down and take the hurt any longer. Riddick smiled. He was a Peacekeeper.

Finally after a few seconds he smiled broadly. "I can use you."

"Excuse me?" she asked him.

"How old are you? Seventeen? Eighteen? I could use you to get off this Rock."

"Seventeen. And you're not fuckin' usin' me for shit."

Riddick felt his face come as close to looking surprised as he let anyone see: only his eyebrows raised. Then he threw his head back and laughed; just as he brought his head forward a hand snaked out from a darkened doorway and grabbed the goggles off his head. That was the problem with the goggles, could only see on way. Straight-ahead.

As soon as the light touched his eyes he fell to the ground in pain. He heard what sounded like a baton open and he knew the Bounty Hunter, Wallace, had found him. The first blow came, then the second, followed by a rain of baton hits and kicks to the stomach, ribs, or head. He gave up and stopped fighting back. Not because he couldn't fight, but because he couldn't see without his goggles, not in the light. So instead, he just laid still while Wallace continued to beat him mercilessly.

"Hey, stop! Fight fair! Christ!" The girl's voice broke through the pain and the blows stopped. He silently blessed her, but at the same time was berating her in his head. She obviously wasn't aware of what mercs did: no matter how old the person was, get in their way and get X'ed out.

"What are you doing, kid?" Riddick croaked, climbing to his knees.

"What!" Wallace snapped, in the next second.

-----

Meera ignored the big guys' question, because truthfully, she did not know what she was doing. But the guy was beating him senseless and Big was at a disadvantage. She glanced back and forth at each face, unsure of what to do. Her mind was made up as the guy took a step towards her. He was dressed in regular clothes and had a pin on the breast pocket of his shirt.

"Ah, shit," she muttered louder than she expected herself to. He was wearing a badge. But was also wearing civvies, or civilian clothing. Which meant he was one thing: a merc. A smile spread across her face. "Hey, I don't want any trouble," she told him innocently.

The merc took another step towards her. "Then you should have never opened your trap."

"I'm realizing this too late," she muttered.

"What are you doin' kid?" the big guy asked again, continuing to climb on all fours.

The merc turned to him and kicked his stomach. "Shut it, Riddick!" He ordered as the guy fell back to the ground. "Now, I'm gonna teach you to mind your own business girl."

"My lesson's learned," she told him. Knowing that the statement would not steer the merc away she looked at Riddick. Again the merc took a step toward her. Her gaze dropped to his baton, then rested on his eyes, they were a cold gray color. She kept her eyes locked on him, anticipating his next move. The merc lashed out with his baton she sidestepped around it. He lashed out again, which she grabbed and yanked the baton from his grasp. The merc punched her in the face. "Son of a-"

"Leave her alone, Wallace. You got me." Riddick interrupted her. She wiped a single drop of blood from her nose and stiffened, listening to the conversation.

"Thought I told you to shut it, Riddick," Wallace said. Catching her off guard, he put his left arm around her neck and held his forearm with his right hand. Then he swung them around so they were facing Riddick. "You always did have a soft spot for kids, didn't ya? Heard you were lookin' for one in particula'. Well, you can watch this one die slowly."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I may be a girl, but I ain't fuckin' helpless." Meera elbowed him in the solar plexus and stomped on the instep of his right foot. She threw her elbow into his nose, hearing it crack and followed by elbowing him in his groin. As he doubled over she jumped out of his reach.

That's when she saw them: Riddick's goggles were hooked onto Wallace's belt. Maybe if she got his goggles to him, he'd take care of the merc and she could leave. Wallace tackled her when she reached for the goggles. As he proceeded to strangle her she took a deep breath.

"Guess what, asshole," she said.

"What?" he asked, not loosening his grip. Instead, she felt a wave of nausea hit her as he tightened his hands around her neck.

Meera grinned cockily. "I don't need to breathe," she forced out. The merc blinked in confusion and his grip faltered just a fraction and that was all she needed. She reached up and snapped his neck. He let go of her neck and fell forward on top of her. She began to cough as the air rushed back into her lungs. Of course she needed to breathe, what living creature didn't? She felt around and found Riddick's goggles. After unclipping them, she threw them at him.

-----

"I believe these belong to you." The girl said as he caught his goggles. Riddick watched her push Wallace's body away, stood up, and dusted herself off. The girl could handle herself. She stuck out her hand. " Meera McKenzie. And you are?"

"Richard B. Riddick," he told her shaking her hand. She was definitely a fighter, he knew as soon as he felt her firm grasp.

"Ok." Meera started to walk around him. As she passed he saw Johns standing at the mouth of the alley. He turned and looked at her retreating figure, trying to figure out what to do.

Usually he wouldn't do this to a kid, but he didn't need another murder charge, and he wanted to test her. "Nice job," he called out to her. "On Wallace, I mean. Clean break." The pun was intended.

She didn't look at him and instead she just shrugged her shoulders. "It was either him or me, and it wasn't going to be me."

"Meera McKenzie, you are under arrest for murder," Johns's voice boomed. Obviously he heard their introduction.

Meera, a few paces ahead, turned around her eyes wide, so Riddick did the same his face a mask of faux shock. "You can't arrest me, you aint a cop!" she yelled down to Johns. The girl had spunk.

"Call it citizens arrest," John retorted.

"Fuck you." Nope not spunk, she had a shit load of balls.

"Oh really?" Johns asked, pulling out a long-range pulse blaster.

"Ah, shit!" She said and groaned. As Johns cocked his blaster, the pair broke out into a run. She threw herself into a wooden door that caved from the pressure and Riddick followed her inside. He didn't know where he was going, but she seemed to so he stuck close to her. They made their way to the roof. "How good are you at jumping?" she asked, indicating the building across the alley.

"Pretty good," he said with a shrug.

"Good." She jogged over to the opposite end of the roof. Riddick watched her as she took off, gaining speed with each step, then jumped. Meera landed on the next building and Riddick followed shortly. Jumping ran in the family, not that he could ask his parents, considering he killed them.

-----

"How many mercs are following you?" she asked Big. He said his name was Richard, she told herself.

He followed her out of the building and into an alley two blocks over from the one they were originally started in. Richard shrugged his shoulders and said: "They were the only two that I know of. They were working as a team."

"That's unusual." Meera frowned, she had never experienced anything like two mercs trying to kill her. "Never heard of mercs working together."

"I'm a special case."

She rolled her eyes and answered sarcastically, "You must be very proud of yourself. Air docks are that way," she said, meaning the launching pads for space ships. She pointed to her left and started to the right. "Enjoy your life."

Richard walked up to her and continued in the same direction. "I said I would use you to get off this rock."

"You said "could." And if I remember correctly, I said "you're not fuckin' usin' me for shit"." She rolled her eyes and continued walking, tryin to ignore the man.

-----

Riddick was starting to like this kid. Not in a sexual way, but just in a she-could-be-good-company way. He decided to change the subject. "So where'd you learn to kill?"

"Fight club," she said quietly, after a few seconds.

"Ah, so you've done it before?"

"Yeah. Why are you following me?"

"I told you, I-"

"Don't want to hear it," she silenced him. Riddick looked ahead of them for a second and when he turned back, she was gone.

"Ah, shit!"

-----

Meera jumped out of the speeder and looked cautiously around her. The fact that she had taken the speeder, and used it to get away, gave her a good head start on Riddick, ensuring that he would have one hell of a hard time trying to find her. She knew that name; she had heard it on the news. He was a murderer, one of her own kind: a Peacekeeper. The irony of their name:

Peacekeepers. Once synonymous with peace, now their most recent offspring were the most feared people on Marpost Prime.

Once upon a time, her parents had told her, long before their murder. There was a race of peaceful people. They were called Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers traveled around their planet and solar system, keeping the peace between the worlds. They used the Source to aid them in their trials - hard times that their people were forced to suffer. For centuries since the Peacekeepers began - in the sixteenth century, A.D. - they kept the balance between the races that humans did not believe existed.

They lived in a galaxy not far from here. Their planet was flourishing - thriving - more beautiful than words could begin to describe. Earth. But then technology came to man. He created computers, and robots, and other amazing things that the mind could only dream of, but they became lazy. They relied on machines to do their biddings.

She ran a hand through her hair and walked over to the side of the building, which contained her foster family's apartment, and started climbing. Walking through the front door would be an open invitation for ridicule from her parents. Instead, she started up the wall, using holes that not many people could see.

The machines began to think for themselves, for man had given them a mind of their own, and they used that gift against man. A great World War broke out around the twenty second century, A.D. And the Peacekeepers were in an outrage. They kept their promise - to uphold peace - and tried to negotiate for each country, but with time their cause seemed to fail.

Giving up, the people decided to leave Earth and find a better planet to live on. Those Peacekeepers that did not live on Earth, stayed on their planets and hoped that their people could form new alliances with different galaxies - galaxies that the Earth Peacekeepers traveled to. Millions of Peacekeepers left Earth and scattered throughout the Universe.

Many settled on Marpost Prime and began to build their new colony. But the natives would not allow that, they slaughtered most of the Peacekeepers that tried to make a new life, and enslaved the rest. They were treated as less then human, but they remained a peaceful people.

Up above her, her bedroom window was closed, and she sensed that it was locked. Stopping where she was on the wall, she closed her eyes and focused. Meera immersed herself into the Source and sought out the lock. Finding it's energy, she opened the lock and the window. Looking up the window was now open and ready for her to climb into.

"Our people," her mother - in her head - continued the story, "spent the last two centuries studying their heritage, learning where they came from." Her mother moved her hand and a candlestick floated in the air. "Twenty years ago, our people were set free, we have re-established contact with the others on different planets. We relearned how to use the Source, understand how it works, and appreciate everything that is connected to it." Her mother's mouth formed a wicked smile. "We will exact our revenge on those who enslaved our people."

Four-year-old Meera memorized the face of her mother's former master. She came to hate that face, loath it. She would live to see that man dead. "He will not hurt you again, mommy," she told the woman next to her.

"I know, my darling. They will never hurt us again."

Meera climbed in her bedroom window and ran to her closest, tearing off her vest throwing it to the floor. Then she opened the closet door and pulled out a heavy metal box. It contained a shoulder holster - the ones that cops wear so they can conceal their weapons under their jackets - a belt and two holsters - to go around her waist - two thigh holsters and two ankle holsters. She put each of them on.

Then she reached back in and pulled out the ten blasters that occupied each holster. They were not exactly in their best condition, but would serve their purpose well enough. Riddick would be looking for her, and - she had a gut feeling - he would be there soon. The Source was strong around him. She placed each blaster in a holster and saved the last two for the back of her waistline. Then she slipped her vest back on.

Riddick was going to go looking for her. This time she'd be prepared.

-----

Riddick watched the girl as she started packing her blasters. She had balls, the girl was practically a desperado. As she walked to her bedroom door, he snuck in and sat on her bed. Meera opened her door and he cleared his throat. She jumped slightly and turned to face him with a blaster in each hand.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I told you that already," he said, walking towards her.

For each step he took toward her she took one back and down the hall. "Christ! Just leave me the fuck alone." She said as they walked towards the living room.

He smiled at her, knowing it was not fear that made her back away from him, it was the shock that he had found her. The smile fell from his face when he realized that something was not right, there was something in the air that gave him that feeling. He had spent so much time in the dark and on the run, he knew to trust his instincts, they had saved his life a number of times.

Without thinking about it, he surged forward to stop Meera before she entered the living room, but she quickly skirted out of reach. She was only moving to protect herself, but she would only be hurting herself if she did not come with him. With a growl of frustration, Riddick started to say something, but stopped, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Just the two people I wanted to see," Johns said. Before Riddick could do anything his goggles were off and he was on the ground.

-----

Meera started at the sound of the voice, she whirled around, keeping one blaster locked on Riddick, pointing the other one at the merc's chest. To her surprise, she saw Jackson standing in front of the man, trying to get out of his grasp. When she realized that Riddick was on the ground again, she turned completely around, leveling both blasters at the bounty hunter, ignoring the man that had taken Riddick down.

"Uh-uh-uh," the merc said. He was holding Jackson at an arms distance in front of him. "Why don't you be a good girl and put those there blasters in this here box?" She did as she was told and smiled softly at the kid she had come to think of as her brother. "Ho-ly shit, girl. What is your deal?" he asked, handcuffing her after she had emptied all the blasters into the box.


Please review. Chapter 3 will be up shortly.

Thanx.

~ Litl A ~