Redemption

Zemma woke with all the expected aches and pains. At least she wasn't hanging upside down by a (probably broken) foot. She wasn't free, though. Her head was wrapped in something… someone's shirt? She could feel a rope, or something similar, around her neck, her wrists, her ankles. When she tried to wiggle she nearly strangled herself.

More fun.

At least it's an improvement over upside down.

"Awake, are we?"

Zemma didn't bother to answer. She was trying to listen. She couldn't hear the engines, so they weren't in the maintenance areas anymore. She heard a tapping sound.

"I'm going to put you back to sleep, until Vaako decides to finally make an appearance."

The voice was agitated. Zemma thought that might mean good news. If this man contacted Lord Vaako but wasn't getting the response he expected, perhaps the talk she and Riddick had with Vaako had some impact.

Vaako hadn't liked hearing that he was Furyan; hadn't believed it. Zemma didn't think she could make his lenses pop up with the pressure points since he had never used them; had never even known they existed.

Zemma felt a sharp stab in her arm. She controlled her breathing and initial panic. Either she would wake up or… She didn't finish the thought. She would wake up. She was useless to him dead. Probably just as useless catatonic like Dame Vaako. Besides, he wouldn't have tied her up if he planned to use that poison. She would wake up.

Her mind wandered back to Vaako.

He had been standing still as a statue, fuming, when Riddick called Zemma from the bedroom.

"Show him," was all Riddick had said, and he had pointed at his own eyes.

Zemma had felt uncomfortable and unsure of this tactic, but she knew he had done it for her benefit. If she wanted every Furyan to go home, then she would have to make THIS one see things differently.

"Lord Vaako, I'm going to touch your face. Your blue lenses should pop up. Try to relax. Let it happen."

He hadn't moved…

He didn't pull away, but neither was he relaxed. Zemma didn't hold out much hope. He would probably react badly either way. If Riddick weren't standing behind her she might have stroked Vaako's face and talked softly to him; tried to help him settle down and adjust.

Zemma waited in front of him until his gaze moved from Riddick to her. She tried to smile but balked at his expression.

"Get on with it," he growled. "Try to prove your lie."

Zemma had reached up and pressed the points on his face that might alter Vaako's perception in more than one way.

Zemma's memories faded with her consciousness.

When she woke up, it was to a kick. She gasped, tried to move, and nearly strangled. Her predicament unfolded in her mind again: Bound, blind, and broken.

"The ships are going down. They aren't landing, they're crashing!" The voice was more than agitated. He hadn't expected this, perhaps only expected them to make a run from the battle, leaving the 'Mongers to their fate in the sacrificial war. Zemma suddenly realized how malicious their chosen tactic must seem to a true 'Monger. The soldiers dying trapped in their huge battleships had no way of fighting back. They were being thrown to the ground like an angry child's toy. Soldiers already on the ground could not escape the fiery death from above as the cruisers impacted like nuclear bombs.

Zemma was kicked again and couldn't catch her breath.

"Did Vaako know about this? Is that why my calls are being ignored? Furyan bitch!"

Zemma couldn't answer even if she wanted to.

Vaako, do you know about THIS? Is this your revenge?

She could hear the Chemist making another frantic, threatening call to the Vaakos.

Are you even there, Trygg? Or did you choose to follow your faith after all?

When Vaako's blue lenses had popped up Zemma had been relieved. At least he could face the future knowing the truth. He could choose his destiny. Zemma had stepped back, faded back as quietly as she had as Min, trying to become a part of the background…

Vaako looked around slowly without speaking.

"You aren't the first soldier to be lied to," Riddick spoke calmly. "You wont be the last. Your masters are gone, now. You're a free agent."

"What do you know about soldiering?" Vaako hissed. He still hadn't moved, was staring at Riddick with his new eyes.

"I was a soldier once," Riddick said simply.

Zemma's mind kicked into high gear. She hadn't seen anything that indicated Riddick was ever a soldier!

"I did what I was told, and I killed who I was supposed to." Riddick's voice seemed almost sad to Zemma. "Duty. Victory. Honor? I lived for that. Until I realized my masters didn't have any concept of the last one." Riddick crossed his arms and started pacing; his bearing was that of tightly controlled anger.

"If you wanna live doing what you're told until you die in some war you don't give a shit about, then get on a transport and head down to the planet and be a good little soldier. I'm not your Lord Marshal anymore, you can go find whatever peace you think you have coming to you down there.

"But if you want honor you're going to have to decide for yourself who you kill and why."

Riddick stopped in front of Lord Vaako. They stood eye to eye. Zemma couldn't read either of them, they stood so still, staring each other down, deciding for themselves who might die right now.

"Can you live with that?" Riddick's voice was commanding, daunting.

Zemma heard a tapping again. The Chemist was still muttering and cursing. The poke in her arm was expected. She didn't have time to wonder what would happen next; blackness ensued.

Zemma woke this time to a familiar voice, one that sent shivers of fear down her spine. She had convinced herself that the Chemist needed her alive and that he would eventually make a mistake. Now she was truly afraid.

"Wakey, wakey," the soft, cracked, voice of Dame Vaako.

Zemma didn't move, tried to keep her breathing deep and slow as a sleeping person's. She was lying on her side on something soft and reeking of piss. So she was in the Vaakos' bed. Zemma's stomach tightened into a knot and she had to control her initial reaction to retch.

Whatever was around her head was pulled roughly away. Zemma debated and decided to keep her eyes closed and feign unconsciousness a little longer.

"She's still asleep. Give her another dose." The Lady's voice was as imperious as ever but sounded weak and breathless.

"She's awake," the Chemist's voice was farther away. He probably smelled the bed too.

Zemma was startled by a sharp slap to the face. Her initial reaction was to fight back but the lack of feeling in her hands told her she was still bound. Zemma opened her eyes instead and was faced with a countenance she did not expect.

Lady Vaako's face was ravaged as if by time. Her skin was grayish, her hair was thin, her eyes… Well, it was obvious she was quite mad.

Yeah for me, the fun never stops.

Dame Vaako smiled and her teeth showed the woman's continued devotion to not taking care of herself anymore. Zemma smelled something even worse than urine. Decay. The woman was a walking, talking corpse that didn't have the good sense to fall down.

"What did you do to my husband?" The harridan menaced.

Huh?

The Lady produced a knife. "Where is my husband, bitch?"

Well, that was interesting. Vaako left the Lord Marshal's suite and didn't go home?

How long has it been?

Dame Vaako ran the point of the knife along Zemma's face, lightly.

"I'm right here, Rachana." The voice was cold, and followed by a thump; a body falling to the floor?

Zemma couldn't turn to see. Dame Vaako's face changed though. It was horrible, feral.

Death mask.

Then all Zemma could see was the point of the knife wavering at her eye as Dame Vaako stood shakily.

"Vaako," she purred. But her voice was as ruined as the rest of her.

"Step away from there, Rachana."

"Vaako, this is our chance. We can take back the Basilica! We can make our run for the Underverse ourselves. We can…"

"No, Rachana. This isn't the way to honor." Long-suffering voice, trying to be patient.

"Fuck honor! We have a chance at glory!" Shrieking.

Oh, Lady, that was probably the wrong thing to say.

"Glory?" Lord Vaako wasn't shouting but sounded closer. "I've been following you on the path to glory. What has it gotten us? Look what it's gotten you. Isolated, hated, feared."

"The price of power!" Lady Vaako was still shrieking.

"Power to do what?" Still calm, but Zemma could hear something else in his voice. Something raw… Something dangerous.

"Anything we desire." Lady Vaako's voice dropped to a conspirator's whisper, greedy and thick.

"Anything?" Lord Vaako stepped into Zemma's view. She saw his hand reach for his wife's hand, the one holding the dagger at Zemma's eye.

"I want my honor back."