Ta Da!

*covers head with hands, ducking stuff thrown by angry reviewers *

Ok Ok I know, I even pinkie promised and everything.... an ur probably all really mad right now but... Im BACK! I got a new home, and best of all a nu puter! So u can all go ahead an yell at me all u want, I deserve it! But I'll add that im definitely finishing this fic so while your all busy throwing stuff at me please take a little time to read and review - they say it has a very soothing calming effect :O)

Pitch Black - Daylight

Chapter Five

The rest of what they knew as the afternoon was spent unloading and preparing the ship. The minute they had landed the flood lights attached to the exterior of the ship had been switched on to create a safe area expanding a couple of feet in diameter around the Nova and they had worked from there, readying everything on the ship and sorting the light equipment, ready for their first steps onto the planet.

Riddick had been taken out of his cryosleep chamber and placed in a small, secured cell in one of the few rooms on board, still chained and under constant guard. Throughout what they knew as the rest of the day Darcy would often stride past chatting to whichever guard was on duty.

Riddick smiled, watching one of the guards roll his eyes to the other behind Darcys back as he walked away after what was his uptenth visit in the last half an hour.

"Annoying little men bounty hunters are" He rumbled, chuckling at the shocked expression the guard gave him

"Keep your mouth shut" the other guard barked, sending an icy stare in convicts direction where he sat relaxed against the cell wall. Flicking his eyes to the small window on the other of the room Riddicks grinning expression sobered, his vision catching the red glints of the animals moving just outside the lights of the ship, their calls echoing through the air.

Both guards glanced warily about when another loud bump was heard, and several loud screams erupted outside the ship just above their heads. "I thought you said they didn't go near the light" the first guards murmured running his hands through his hair, his grip tightening on his gun.

" They might have changed their minds" Riddick shrugged, his gaze drawn back to the kaos he could see through the window, packs of the things fighting for supremacy, to be the closest ones to the light, waiting for one of the humans venture to close to the edge. 'Here we go again' he sighed, his fingers quietly assessing his chains.

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"Alright everyone, everything ready?" Martin raised her eyebrows in question to the group gathered infront of her, getting a few scattered nods as her tense reply. "Ok. I assume everyone has studied the information provided. When we go out there we will go in groups of three, you MUST stay close and you MUST stay in the light at all times. Is that clear?" She looked around, a torche brandished in her right hand emphasizing her point.

"If there are any signs of trouble, and we mean even the slightest inkling, we regroup and assess the situation. Understood?" Mark, her second in command, and husband of five years added. He was also leading one of the teams, which after seeing the action outside, worried Martin to no end. She herfelf was staying behind, their arguing lasting long into this morning, both knowing that one had to stay behind incase the was an emergency and both not wanting the other to go without them. Stopping in front of the loading door Martin drew in a deep breath, the silent group infront of her a mixture of pale faces and dertermined expressions. She reached her hand out, flicked a switch upwards and stepped back joining the group gravely watching the door open and listened as the walkway hummed into place.

A gust of cold air entered the ship and they could see scattered crates and compartment boxes haphazardly stacked around the area, Greenish slime coating everything. "They obviously have no qualms about killing their kind" someone remarked, noting the alien limbs and organs spread everywhere. Martin looked further, straining her eyes to see through the curtain of black that began where the glow of the light ended, occasionally seeing flashes of grey hides as the animals swooped just out of view. Stepping to the side she motioned to the first group to step forward.

"Everyone, move out"

Watching as Mark stepped out onto the walkway followed by one of the students and trailed closley by a guard, his gun drawn and at the ready. She was fairly happy with the system they had come up with, the two teams consisting of two researchers each and were to be protected by a guard. She was to stay at command post in the ship they had decided, intercepting and arranging the data the two teams collected and sent back to her. Three guards also remained on the ship, at least two always remaining posted outside Riddicks cell. Nodding as the second team moved out onto the walkway Martin quickly swept her eyes over each person, all had been supplied with torches, as well as lights that were permanently attached to the backpacks they carried. All were also supplied with earpiece comms, connecting them with each other and to central command on board the ship.

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"Ouch" Jack winced, sucking the offending thumb while she maneuvered herself behind a stack of boxes just outside the view of the crew standing around the open walkway. Frowning she watched the first team walk down onto the surface of the planet, shaking her head as she saw one of the researchers grin excitedly back up at the others still on boards before turning and kicking an alien arm that lay at his feet. Jack heard him add an amused "bags not collecting the DNA sample" before she saw him turn and move off with his group into the little city.

"Don't know how he can be so happy" she mumbled wincing as another bump echoed through the hull of the cruiser. She had woken up to the screams of the animals a few short hours ago, at first thinking that the sounds were just part of the cryosleep dreams that were still thick in her mind but upon hearing voices and movement outside her compartment Jack had woken up quickly, forcing herself to swallow the fear that threatened to engulf her and move to a safer location, figuring it was easier to remain hidden right now than come out only to be locked up for the duration of their stay, thus being no help to Riddick whatsoever. She sighed, watching the second group take their turn down the walkway, hearing Riddicks chuckle from a room somewhere behind her.
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Martin had almost turned to return to the command post after watching both teams assemble on the planet when, while reaching out to close the slide door, she paused hearing a human scream, followed by a muffled "duck" from the teams below. Moving back she stepped out onto the walkway confused for a moment, time standing still and she listened, then she heard it, a whooshing sound, almost like a bat flapping its wings coming closer, and she was knocked flying backwards landing with an "Oomf" against the opposite wall of the ship. Woozily she opened her eyes and gasped as she found herself staring up at the winged creature that had landed where she had stood only seconds before, its suicidal screams as the light corroded its skin the last thing she heard before passing out...