Hey All. It's kind of been a while, sorry about that but i've been crazy busy the last couple days. the weekend is coming soon and so is Spring Break (whoop!) so i'll be updating more often soon. Sweet stuff, huh?

Thanks for all the reviews and keep it up, please. I apprecaiate them alot and it's great motivation to keep writing.

TheMoosey > yea, Jack was being accusing because she figured out that Riddick had thought she went off with Shane and blah blah blah, she wan't happy.


:FYI – Nathaniel Shavers is the 'mystery guy' from chap 10. Just thought I'd say that now so there's no confusion...at least HOPEFULLY there's no confusion.

INSIDE THE OFFICE AND MEMORY OF COLONEL NATHANIEL SHAVERS

The Colonel could remember that year like it was just last week. It was almost 10 years ago now, but it was engraved in his mind as a reminder. A reminder of what he'd seen in a boy, something others had either missed or simply ignored.

He remembered getting the 'assignment', if that's what you want to call it...

"Nate, I need you to do this for me. I don't know who else would be up for it and, frankly, I don't know if I trust anyone else to do it. You and me, we've been through a lot, so I know you can do this. I'd do it myself if I were a bit younger..."

His friend, and General, had buttered him up thinking he wouldn't want to do what he was being asked. For it wasn't an order, it was a request. The higher ranks had decided not to shove it upon someone forcefully, but merely find someone who was able and willing.

The Colonel, he'd been a Lieutenant Colonel at the time, had just gotten off of active duty and accepted it willingly, despite the fact that he owed General Chase a few favors.

The General had smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder before handing him a file. He'd stuck around to explain a few things and then left, telling him to call if he needed further information.

Nathaniel took a seat and flipped through the folder and was very surprised to find what it was all about.

The first thing he saw when he opened it was a picture. It was of a young man, 17 years old, of a good height and build. His hair was shaved almost to the scalp and he had dark, piercing eyes. He was frowning in the picture and it didn't take long to find out why. Boot camp.

The boy had been in and out of foster homes his whole life and half of the time it was of his own doing. He got into fights for reasons that were never investigated and had even pulled a knife on a few different people. He'd been sent to boot camp for six moths and apparently his performance had been outstanding. He out ran, out worked, out fought, and out witted all the other kids there and evenquite a fewof the grown men who worked there. Needless to say, the army had immediately taken notice and interest. They wanted him. Natural skill at that age could only mean that all of his skills and instincts would improve with time and training, which was proverbial gold to the Special Ops recruiters.This young man, barely 17, was already lined up for a successful looking career in the military.

The only problem was that he wasn't a legal adult, so they couldn't touch him. Legally, they couldn't even tell him they wanted him and continue his training until he was of legal age. Therefore, naturally, they had to keep him where they could know what he did and how he did it, how he changed and how he grew. That's where Nathaniel Shavers came in.

"Just be careful, Nate. He doesn't know we want him and he just thinks you're another foster father who happens to be in the army. Make sure he keeps thinking that." The General reminded him the day before the boy was to arrive.

Nathaniel's wife was excited but nervous to have the boy coming. They didn't have kids because she wasn't able to conceive and decided against adoption because he had been gone a lot of the time, so she was excited to have a kid around. The only thing wasthathe wasn't exactly a kid. He was a 17 year old who was bigger than some grown men, and he had a mean streak.

"Don't worry," Nathaniel had assured her. "It sounds like the boy's better since boot camp. Trust me, that place can change you even if you don't want it to. It makes you more respectful and can turn your attitude right around. You'll see."

The next day rolled around and a black car pulled slowly up their driveway and they moved out to the porch to meet their new arrival. The back door of the car opened and a young man stepped out and closed the door behind him. Nate walked down the steps and out to the car to meet him, shaking his hand firmly. The boy had a few inches on him, but Nate stood proudly, meeting the boy's eyes.

The driver of the car went around to the back and got the boy's bag from the trunk and handed it to him. Nate took it instead and thanked the man before heading up to the house.

"We're glad to have you here, Richard"

"Yea, call me Riddick. Most people do..."

:KNOCK:KNOCK:

The Colonel was torn from his reminiscing buy sharp knocks on the door.

"Come in," He said loudly, straightening up in his chair.

Lieutenant Patterson stepped in and closed the door. "Sir"

"Lieutenant, news?"

"Yes, sir"

"Well, out with it then," he retorted somewhat impatiently. He hated the waiting and if it was over now then he couldn't be more happy about it.

"The ship we believe to be his docked at Cercus Station..."

"Yes, yes, I know. The sleeper there was alerted, correct?" He didn't really have the time or patience for beating around the bush and he wanted new information, not things he already knew.

"Yes, sir, he was. Shane Anderson is at Cercus. As you know it seems he didn't change his ships name, at least not yet, and he didn't change who the ship was registered to and who was on board."

"Alright"

"Well, Anderson called in yesterday with an extremely interesting story and, erm, revelation."

"Meaning?" the Colonel prompted, leaning forward to urge the Lieutenant to hurry.

"Meaning he thinks, well, he pretty much knows he saw Riddick and Riddick spoke to him..."

"You've gotta be shitting me..."

"No, sir"

"Well I want to hear all about this. Go ahead and take a seat, out with it"

The Lieutenant sat down in a chair on the other side of the large oak desk and took a deep breath.

"It sounds like he was getting up front his chair at a café and the next thing he knew he had a knife on him and someone behind him..."

"Whoa, wait. There's no way Riddick could know he was military"

"I know, sir. That's where it gets even more interesting. We've always known he had the ship registered with two passangers, but always assumed he was doing it becasue it was a large ship so it'd be more normal if at last two people were said to be aboard. Well, sir, we now have reason to believe he's traveling with someone."

"Come again?"

"Traveling with someone, sir. When Anderson was eating an attractive woman apparently caught his eye and he was watching her. When he got up he was intending to go talk to her in a shop...that's when the man put a knife to his neck and threatened him. Anderson said the man told him to not even think about talking to the girl and not to even look at her like he was. Then the knife was gone and all Anderson saw when he turned was a large man in dark clothes walking down the sidewalk..."

"Well I'll be...and when did this happen?"

"Yesterday sir. Anderson called it in right away but the captain who received the message wanted some proof..."

"Damn O'Connor"

"It's all right, sir. Anderson sent back some pictures an hour ago of the girl in question. He saw her in town again and snapped some shots."

Patterson stood and set a manila envelope on the desk. "We don't have a name for her but we're working on it, sir. Anderson said she went to the docks and in the direction of The Eclipse, but he didn't dare go close to make sure, lest he was spotted."

"Yes, that was probably for the best. Is this all?" The Colonel asked, fingering the edge of the envelope anxiously.

'Yes, sir"

"Alright, dismissed then. And tell O'Connor that the message comes straight to me next time, ok?"

"Yes sir"

He saluted quickly before leaving the Colonel alone with the envelop.

Deft fingers opened the envelope and pulled out a few enlarged photographs. There was only four and they were all of a young woman walking out of a store. Colonel Shavers put her at about 20 and it was clear to see why she had caught his sleeper's eye. She was a beauty and he was sure Anderson wasn't the only man who'd looked twice at her.

He tacked the pictures to the bottom of the bulletin board on the wall and sat back to stare at them, trying to figure out how this girl fit into the puzzle of everything. He didn't doubt the information about the girl, but that made the whole thing more puzzling. He hoped they'd leave the station soon so he could follow after them figure it out. He didn't want to bust in on Riddick guns a' blazin and couldn't easily do that in the tightness of that space station even if he did want to.

The girl didn't look harmed, though, that was evident. He didn't think she was a hostage. In fact, he felt fairly certain that she was with him of her own free will, which pleased him immensely. It was just more proof to what he'd been saying for years. It showed what he'd seen in the first few days he's spent with the younger man years and years ago... something he'd seen in the boy's eyes...

"I knew you were in there Rick…I've been saying all along…" he said to himself, a smile tugging at his lips as he ponderedthis new discovery and at the memories...


well there it is. I'm starting to tie everything together so let me know if it's confusing. I hope it isn't but tell me if it is because i'll change it so it isn't...ummmm, yea...review to let me know what you think.

FYI: Yes, a lot of the chap was flash backs.

R and R