Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek", "Pitch Black" and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special note: This story takes place after "Sailor Moon ST: An Enterprising Experience".
As the day wore on, Riddick and I skulked about the perimeter of the group, mainly wondering if and when the THINGS below us would emerge to feed. It was only after one of the Iman's students, after reaching an abandoned settlement, was killed that I had decided that WE should make our presence known, especially after Carolyn Fry discovered a flying skiff…
Fry walked out of the science lab in shocked belief, just as Merc Johns confronts Usagi and Riddick, both of whom were nonchalant about Johns pointing a weapon at them.
"Tell me why I shouldn't blow you bastards away!" said the brown-haired man.
"Easy, Johns," Riddick smirks. "We're all friends here."
"Besides," Usagi began. "You'll need US more that WE need you."
"I would like to take a bet on that-"
"She's right, you know," Fry says.
"What's going on?" asked the miner Shazza.
Fry told the gathering group that every 22 years, there is a prolonged period of darkness, when the planets are aligned.
"Then we have to do something about it!" said the aristocratic Paris P. Ogilvie, as he puts on his glasses. "We can't die here!"
"And we won't have to," Usagi says. "If you agree to my conditions."
"What conditions are they, my child?" asked the Iman Abu Al-Walid.
"Riddick is allowed safe-passage out of here."
"You GOT to be kidding me!" Johns yells at Usagi, as he pressed in military-issued shotgun in her face. "I ought to blow you face in-"
Suddenly, Usagi snatched the gun from Johns' hands, used her other hand to grab Johns' neck, dropped the snatched weapon, and slammed Johns against the bulkhead of the makeshift building. The fact that Johns' feet were dangling did not go unnoticed.
"Wow," exclaimed young Jack, who wanted to emulate Usagi and Riddick's "rawness".
"Let's get something straight, JOHNS. You are no longer in charge here. You never were."
Usagi reached into Johns pockets and took out his meds. She then tossed them over to a smirking Riddick.
"Now, listen up. Riddick has your meds, and I am sure you are too far gone in your addiction to shake it off easily. You will do what I say. And when we are off this planet, Riddick will get a head start, and you can pursue him for all your hearts content. Is that clear?"
Johns remained silent.
"Is THAT clear?" Usagi said, as she squeezed harder. Her alien physiology gave her great strength.
Johns, who was turning bright red, nods his head furiously.
"Now," Usagi began, as she unceremoniously drops Johns. "We got to retrieve some power-cells-"
"How is THAT going to help us?" asked Zeke, a fellow miner of Shazza.
"I see now," Fry says. "We use my ship's power cells to power the skiff."
"We better hurry then," Riddick says, as he points to the setting suns. Or, to be exact, one of this alien systems planets was rising to eclipse the two suns.
Everyone looks up.
"Oh, no," said the Iman.
"Well," Usagi says, as she went over to solar-powered roadster. "Let's get started…"
Since they needed to get back to the skiff quickly, Usagi directed that Zeke and two of the Iman's students remain behind, so that whatever supplies were left could be loaded unto the skiff…as well as limit whatever casualties could occur. Jack and Paris insisted that they come along to help, so Usagi shrugged her shoulders and relented. As soon as the group made back to the crash site, that's when all hell broke loose.
"Beautiful…" Riddick says, as he saw a developing swarm.
"Over here!" yelled Paris. He wanted to retrieve his things, particularly his collection of vintage wines.
Usagi turns her head, to see the coming onslaught. She ran back to help Shazza, who was attempting to get back up.
"Usagi-!"
Usagi ran to Shazza, and held her in her arms, with her back to the swarm…
Slice, slice, slice, slice-!
Riddick looked up and noticed something. According to his senses, Usagi was virtually invisible. Her alien physiology allowed her to blend into her surroundings.
When the swarm left, Shazza looked up. Usagi was nearly sliced to ribbons. But thanks to her alien physiology, her regeneration rate was off the chart. Bone, muscle tissue and skin were knitting themselves.
"Are you alright?" Shazza asks Usagi.
"I will be in a minute."
Riddick goes up to Usagi.
"You know, they tasted your blood."
"Really?" Usagi says, as she points her finger towards the swarm that was flying ahead.
Riddick noticed that the creatures were flying erratically before dropping like flies.
"Let's just say that my blood is something anyone should partake in, it being so acidic and all."
Riddick merely nods.
Throughout the long night, Usagi directs the group to stay close. Unfortunately, Johns had other ideas…
"If you help me get rid of the crazy 'witch', you and I can part company," Johns says, as he talks privately with Riddick.
Riddick merely smirks.
"Do you honestly expect me to TRUST you?"
"You mean you trusts HER?"
"Let's just say that she has taught me a thing or two about survival here."
Riddick turns to leave, only to be attacked by Johns.
"Ah, the addict rears his ugly head!"
"Let's end this right here and NOW!"
The fight was decidedly short.
Riddick grabbed the offending arm, and flipped Johns over his back. He then grabbed his knife, and slashed Johns in the back.
"Augh!"
"You know, Johns, you're an interesting person. Even when given an opportunity to do the right thing, all you care is about money and your pride."
The light that Johns had dropped was slowly going out…
"Where are you?" Johns demanded, as he widely turned to the source of the Riddick's voice.
"Doesn't matter where I am, Johns," said Riddick's disembodied voice. "Where YOU are going should be paramount…"
Suddenly-
CHOK!
"Augh!" Johns screamed, as he felt himself being impaled. He looked up to see one of the many creatures that plagued his group…
CHOMP!
"What a shame," Usagi said out loud in the darkness, as she observed Johns death with a dispassionate emotion. She then turns to Riddick. "Congratulations. You're a free man."
"Humph. Tell me, little girl, why are YOU the way you are? You're too pure and sweet to be nonchalant about all this."
"For a long time, I lived a good life, and fought people like you. However, something happened to me that turned me into a monster."
Usagi's eyes began to glow slightly.
"By you giving Johns a chance to be a man of his word, you showed me that I do not have to behave as a monster. You given me much to think about, Mr. Riddick."
"Humph. And what if I decide to become a killer again?"
"Then you become a killer again, but it would still be your decision to be one."
And with that, the two return to their party.
The group manages to make it back to the skiff, and leave the dark planet behind. There were many more adventures out there to be had, much of it involving Richard B. Riddick (including how the survivors were "collected" by a band of mercenaries to be made into art work, and how Riddickbecame leader of an army of marauders known as the "Necromongers").
But those are stories best told at another time.
Fin.
Author's note: Since I haven't been getting any reviews, I decided to end this story at this point. Later!