AN: Thanks so much for reading and offering reviews it is appreciated. This chapter is a little shorter but I'm almost done with the next chapter which will be longer.

Chapter five

The command deck was ghostly quiet. Imam had long since retired to rest his weary, aging, injured body and Karla, Riddick assumed, was resting.

Moving his hands over the navigational computer Riddick tracked back over the last several sets of coordinates trying to fathom just how in the hell Larendaron had been so close having roughly estimated that Laren should have been at least three days away. Something just didn't sit right in the Furians stomach. His immediate thought was Karla but then looking at what they had done to her, what possible advantage had she gained? Shadows and vague memories plagued him, a darkness was about to befall them, the stench of betrayal was intoxicating.

The ships engines rumbled beneath his feet, he could hear the bearings rattle against the coolant tanks at awkward intervals. Sitting back he cradled the back of his shaved head in his hands and allowed the rumbling melody lull him to sleep.

Then it struck him with the force of a Grackan hurricane on the isolated snow plains of Grac-kar.

It was the ship.

Sitting forward he looked towards the command panel. The temperature of the engines were spiking periodically, not enough to trigger the alarm systems but enough to send out the occasional blip on long rage censors of any ship who knew what to look for; a Nebarra class ship with a fried coolant injection system. The fuckers had sabotaged his ship. He figured they had rigged the injection system so that the engine would overheat and they would either have to purge the engine or destroy the ship and with it themselves. Either way Laren counted on them being screwed. The one thing he perhaps hadn't counted on was Karla patching the injection system. Though her actions may have saved the ship their lives were still very much in the firing line. The way the temperature kept spiking they were glowing in fucking space like a bright orange marker with a bull's eye on their asses.

He stood and stretched feeling each bone in his back crack and realign itself. He left the command deck and headed towards Karlas door. Without knocking he opened the door and entered her room.

"Lights 10 per cent" he rumbled slowly noting that although she was sleeping the lights in her room were still on. Of course, he thought, she wouldn't know that.

She lay on top of the blanket curled up on her side, her back to the door. She had found a clean shirt and managed to put it on inside out. He could hear her soft breaths coming from under a mass of hair and watched her body as it rose and fell in tandem with her breathing.

He watched her for a moment longer before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Karla" he said in an attempt to wake her.

She didn't move, her breathing didn't falter, and she remained sound asleep.

"Karla!" He said a little louder; still she didn't stir.

He prodded her in the back.

She jumped and screamed turning around raising her hand to whomever or whatever had just prodded her in the back.

Riddick caught her wrist "It's me" he said "Riddick."

"Shit Riddick, don't you know not to sneak up on people?" she sounded pissed off and let out a heavy breath of relief.

He looked puzzled at her annoyance.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"The temperature of this ship keeps spiking. Laren has been tracking our heat signature all that way from slam. That's how he caught us so fast on Mara"

"And?"

"Is there anything we can do that will stop that happening?"

"Yeah" she stretched "if you happen to have a new mechanism for the coolant injector." She scratched the back of her head where some blood had dried making her hair stick to her scalp.

"Watch your attitude kitten." He balked. "Laren is still out there, he's gonna keep coming. Do you think that when he catches up with us he's gonna let you live? He doesn't need you anymore."

"He won't kill me" Karla said slowly.

"Care to wager your bounty on that?"

"No, I'd put my life on it Riddick."

"You seem pretty fuckin' sure."

Karla nodded slowly. "When he took the information, the data string with the coordinates to Furia, he had every opportunity to kill me then, but he didn't." she paused "You on the other hand…" she trailed off drawing her thoughts back into her head.

Riddick didn't like the way this conversation was going. He knew what she was thinking.

"Are you threatening me? Do you want him to catch us?" he asked.

She remained silent staring into space.

"Karla, do you want him to…"

"Ask me?" she cut him off "Ask me to help you?"

"I don't ask, I take" his reply was cold and he spoke slowly ensuring she felt every word against her skin; he was sure he saw a smile cross her lips.

"Tell me Riddick." She tilted her head a little to the side. "When you boarded Larens ship; if it were you in the room and not Imam, if you knew that the information had been retrieved, would you have helped me, would you have been my eyes, could you have risked everything to save me?"

"Don't fuck with me Karla" Riddick voice growled from deep within his stomach.

"It's a simple question. What's the mater? Are you scared I'll see you for what you really are?"

"I've kept nothing from you. You know I'm a monster, you know that if I get into your head I'll never let you sleep."

"Then answer the question?"

There was an uncomfortable pause as he considered his options; truth or dare.

"No" he answered before rising from the bed and walking towards the door. His shoulders slumped forward. She wasn't going to help, not now that he had been honest with her, letting her know what he was prepared to do. Laren would follow them for eternity and that meant Riddick could never return to Furia for risk of betraying the coordinates. He paused turning back just once and considered, if he really was a heartless bastard, why did it hurt so fucking much? The cavity in his chest where his beating heart should be weighed heavy in its boned cage It's only a planet, he dismissed, a planet he had never seen, never smelled, never found except in his dreams, but in his dreams Furia was amazing.

"Mask it" Karla whispered.

Riddick put his hand on the door frame and turned to look at her. She had edged towards the end of the bed and her feet dangled off the end.

"What?" He asked unsure of whether he had heard her correctly.

"You can mask the signature" she repeated.

"How?"

"Stay in the light Riddick" she began. "With light comes heat and with eat comes radiation. Stay close to the sun, the radiation from the solar flares and the heat from the gasses Laren will loose our sig. And, as long as we can hold orbit long enough for me to come up with a plan b." She swept her hair back into a loose ponytail. "You'll have to be my eyes Riddick"

"What do I need to do?" he asked walking back towards her and taking the hand which she held out.

"I'll talk you through it. First we need to find a stable orbit and we need Imam to keep us away from the solar flares. If we catch one of those down our tail pipe, you can kiss your ass goodbye."

Riddick led her to the command deck calling Imam loudly as they walked.

Imam hurried from his room wearing his undergarments.

"What is the urgency Riddick?"

"That!" Riddick pointed at the scanner. Imam looked across at the LED and saw a ship blipping near the bottom of the screen.

"Is that…?"

"You bet your boots Pilgrim" Karla answered.

There was a pause as mayhem ensued. Riddick sat Karla down in a chair next to the command chair and watched as Imam took his post at the helm.

"Imam, can you see the sun on your scanner?" Karla asked

Imam checked his scanner and altered a few coordinates. "Yes, I have it on screen now."

"Good. Now, see how the colour changes from red to yellow to white…?"

There was a pause as Imam watched waiting to see the colour change.

"Imam?" Karla looked in his general direction.

"Y…yes chi..Karla yes I see it"

"Okay, I want you to fly into the sun's orbit but, and this is the important part, stay away from the white parts. If we're within eighty kilometres of a white burst we're fried and served on toast."
"Interesting" Imam said raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, now what we have to do is…..arghhh!" Karla stopped mid sentence and grabbed her head.

"What?" Imam asked.

"Shit, my fucking head is killing me." She shook her head and blinked a few times.

"Okay, Imam, find a stable orbit and manoeuvre out of the way of any white spots. Okay?"

"Got it" Imam replied.

"Riddick, " There was no answer "Riddick?"

"Y…y…what?" he asked, his voice unnaturally weak.

"Whats up?" Karla asked.

"It's getting hot in here is all; I'll be fine". He replied. "What do we need to do?"

"I need you to take me to the engine room, I need to think of a way to get more coolant into the engine".

Imam watched them leave and suddenly felt really alone. One slight slip or bad judgement call from him and it was "adios amigos" he thought. His eyes grew wide as the ship pulled along side the sun. He lowered the screen shield to shield his eyes from the burning heat.

Riddick stumbled along with Karla to the engine room.

"Are you okay?" Karla asked pulling to a halt.

"I'm fine; it's just the damned heat I already told ya." He opened the engine room door "We're here." He stated plainly.

"Okay. Now I need to think for a moment…" she trailed off.

Riddicks body began to perspire heavily. He tilted his head upwards and felt the bones crack one by one back into position.

He watched as she leaned over searching for something. The pants she had on pulled tight across her ass and the muscles in her arms flexed as she stretched. He licked his parched salt tainted lips as he watched the sweat fall in tiny droplets down her arms and eventually fall from her elbows.

"You know what heat does to Furians?" he asked.

Without turning round she replied "No, should I be worried?" she had meant it in jest.

"I would be" he murmured before pushing her off balance into the control panel.

"Apparently it fucks with our metabolism and thousands of years of evolution, dragging our primitive asses out of oblivion – gone, forgotten, like it never was."

She smashed her hips into the panel and sprawled out over the top of it. His hands grasped her hips pulling them into his.

"Riddick, stop fucking around." She shouted.

He ignored her and leaned over her body pressing his body against her.

"We turn to our primitive animal side for survival instincts."

She could feel the heat and smell the sweat pouring from the Furians pores. His arms reached out stroking the back of her arms pressing down when he reached her hands. Nudging her legs apart he worked his thigh in-between her.

"Riddick let me go you fucker" she shouted trying to get through to him.

Riddick licked her right shoulder blade, a long sweeping motion to her shoulder and over the bite marks on the side of her neck. She heard him groan and suddenly she was scared.

She had never seen this side before; this was the beast, the raging monster he fought so hard to control. He'd lost the battle miserably and now the beast was in complete control.
"Imam!" she yelled.

Riddick put a hand over her mouth and clamped it shut. Angrily she bit down hard and even though he only let go for a moment, she managed another scream.

"Imammmm!"

She tried to free herself, wriggling beneath him but his hold on her was tight, he had her trapped. The force of his body pressing her body into the control panel, stealing her breath away forbidding her to scream for help: She was at the mercy of the beast.

She felt his hand claw through her hair and yank back her head almost to the point of snapping it.

"Time to play, Karla" he said over pronouncing her name. His lips crushed into hers. In response, she closed her mouth denying him entry; he pulled on her hair harder making her gasp uncontrollably. As soon as her mouth opened he captured her gasp in his mouth and explored her sweetness with his tongue.

She writhed and fought underneath him not welcoming his invasion. Eventually she bit his tongue as a last resort. His blood spilled into her mouth before he pulled away clutching his jaw. Karla spat onto the floor and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You fucking bitch, you're gonna pay for that little love bite" He snarled at her.

She waited for the assault but it never came. She heard a dull thud.

"Karla, child, are you hurt?" The soothing voice of Imam was like music to her ears.

"Oh God Imam" she stumbled forward tripping on the unconscious body of Riddick.

Imam held her for a moment.

"Theres blood, Karla. Is it yours?"

"No, I bit him, his tongue." She replied. "What is he Imam?"

"A machine Karla, driven by hate."

"Do you believe that people can change?"

Imam thought for a moment, but before he could answer the ship was rocked by a solar flare. They both fell to the floor and were pushed and pulled as the ship fought to remain in orbit being buffeted by the flare.

"Damn, that felt too close for comfort" Karla commented. "You'd better get back."

"I think you're right. But first I'll get Riddick out of here and into his room. I'll have to restrain him until he clear the suns radiation."

That sound like a plan Karla thought. She offered what help she could and her and Imam worked quickly before another flare hit.

"You know were fucked" Karla said point blank. "I can't see how in the hell are we gonna get the coolant injection fixed. With the amount of radiation that sun in pouring out we'll be safe for two days max. After that we're glowing in the dark."

"Then we have two days" Imam said trying not to sound phased by their problem.

Imam took Karla to the galley where they drank water replenishing the fluids they had already lost. It was going to be tough on them mentally and physically. Their bodies were not designed or equipped to deal with the amount of heat they were already experiencing. Karla's clothes were soaked, her hair dripped down her face leaving a salty trail. Imam had stripped one layer of robes already and wandered around the ship in little more than long underwear.

Karla poured some water over her head and shook her hair out, the cool refreshing liquid temporarily invigorated her and she was ready to get back to work though not yet sure what it was she could do.

Imam took her elbow and guided her back to the command deck.

"Imam" she said as they walked.

"Yes Karla"

"Do you think I'll ever be able to see again?"

Imam paused choosing his words carefully "I believe that anything is possible my dear" he replied softly.

"I wonder if I'll ever get back home…" she began to mumble to herself reminiscing with her memories though they were faded and made up mainly of hope.

She sat in a chair on the command deck. "Tell me about your home Imam? Is it beautiful?"

She could tell Imam was smiling.

"New Mecca? Oh yes, New Mecca is very beautiful. The colours change throughout the day. In the morning they are soft and amber like, as the sun rises everything turns to a magnificent gold and at dusk, as the sun begins to set, the ground looks like a carpet of fire, alive and vibrant."

"And hot" Karla chipped in beginning to get frustrated by the heat.

Imam chuckled "Yes" he agreed "and hot."

Another flare caught the ship. Karla clung to the arm rests and Imam wrapped his hands around the control panel.

"Damn Imam and I thought I was blind" she cursed as the ship stabilized.

"I'm sorry Karla that one was the lesser of two evils, we were caught and I had to make a choice".

"Yeah! Well next time zig instead of zag!".

She reached down and felt with her hands where a laser rifle had landed by her feet after being thrown from a nearby shelf.

"That's it!" she yelled feeling the rifle in her hands "The laser rifles we snagged from the mercs – they had a booster pack, you know what a booster pack means Imam?" she grinned putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"No, what?"

"More power, more power equals more energy, more energy in a laser rifle means that unless you want it to blow up in your face you need to have a more efficient coolant injector."

"You can use something from a laser rifle for a ship, forgive me Karla but isn't a laser rifle smaller therefore generating less power?"

"A laser rifle generates more power than my belt buckle Imam. Now, how many of those fuckers were armed?"

Imam checked the laser rifles in the weapons locker. There were four that looked different from the others. He handed them to Karla.

"Okay Imam, let's get this party started" she motioned for him to help her up. He guided her to the engine room.

"Are you sure you'll be alright Karla?"

"I'll be fine Imam, I know my way around an engine room blindfolded. I used to work on merc ships in slam, I learned fast" she spoke with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, her plan would work, she was sure of it.

Hours passed and still no success. Imam kept his com link open and they conversed from time to time usually when they were about to bounce too close to a flare.

"Karla I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything?" Imam briefly popped his head into the engine room. He saw Karlas legs stuck out from the injection panel.

"Nope, thanks, I'm good" she answered.

"But Karla, it's been several hours.."
"I said I'm good Imam" she cut him off her tone was stern.

As he left he heard her curse loudly as a shower of sparks tumbled over her.

"Oh give me a god damned fucking break you piece of shit!" she yelled.

The first two attempts using parts from a laser rifle failed and ended with the parts splintering. There were only two more left, one of them had to be good, one of them had to work.

The heat was nauseating. Karlas chest heaved trying to suck in enough air, it felt thick and sweaty around her, her body was lying in a pool of warm saline. Her hands shook, her arms began to tremble and her head thumped.

"Karla" a soft voice called from the other side of the room. Karla paused in mid assembly, and waited.

"Karla" the voice came again, soft like a gentle breeze, familiar and yet distant.

Karla pulled herself out from underneath the injection panel.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Karla honey, where are you?"

"Who's there?" she asked again. "Imam quit fucking with me…"

"Karla, come to me honey"

Karla sat up and squinted. Her eyes saw shapes, blurred shapes and a few lights.

"No way" she whispered "This is not happening" she rubbed her eyes but still the blurred imaged remained.

"Karla, sweetie, come to me Saleka"

Karla sucked in a sharp breath. Only one person called her Seleka. Only one person with a voice that lulled her to sleep all these years called her by that name, her Aldarhan name which meant "Gentle Spirit".

"Mom" Karla spoke the word as though it were alien to her.

"Yes, Seleka, come to me".

The shaped remained blurred; she couldn't see a face to put with the voice.

Calmness swept over Karla Dawns body.

Riddick awoke already fighting the ties that bound him to his bed. Imam didn't know shit when it came to confining someone to quarters. Within half an hour Riddick had the ties in tatters and he was free.

For a moment he remembered why he was tied down, why they had to confine him. He ran to the galley and drank water, pints of ice cold water. He programmed the machine to spew ice, lots of ice thinking if he could regulate his body temperature he might be able to keep the beast under lock and key long enough to help get their sorry assess out of them mess then were in.

He ran to the command deck to find Imam slumped over a chair, his arms dangling down one side grazing the floor as he breathed. With a quick check on the scanner he ran to the engine room. Karla was backed up against a wall, head tilted to one side, eyes closed. One leg was tucked under the other. She looked peaceful, almost too peaceful there as she slept succumbing to heat exhaustion.

He had to rouse her though, she had to get them away from the sun or they would suffer.

He remembered what he did to her and kicked himself mentally for being such a prick. What had she ever done to him except showed him honesty and compassion. When they were locked in the warehouse on Mara she could have run, saved herself, but no she helped him even if they did end up getting caught by Larendaron her intention was to save them both. And how did he repay her?

Slowly he plucked an ice cube out of the tumbler he carried and held it to her lips brushing from side to side. He moved slowly down her chin and neck across her collar bones then first down her right arm then down her left. He watched her face for any sign of her consciousness returning before beginning again. He painted her flushed face with the ice and watched as it melted and dripped from her chin onto her soaked tank top.

Slowly her head moved and a soft groan escaped. Then, with the realisation that something cold was running over her body she jolted upright.

His smell filled her nostrils and she pressed harder against the wall.

"Riddick" she gasped.

"It's alright Karla. I'm alright. It's just me, Riddick"

"Just you…just you, do you have any idea what you did to me you asshole!" she yelled and threw a pathetic punch in his general direction which he easily avoided.

"It wasn't me Karla, it wasn't me" he said grabbing her flailing arms holding them firmly to stop her hurting herself.

"It wasn't me" he repeated waiting for her to stop struggling. "Karla, stop fighting me, you have heat exhaustion and we still need to get out of Dodge."

Her arms went limp and she fell back against the bulkhead in defeat.

"Thirsty" she whispered through parched lips.

Riddick fished out another ice cube and reached for her hand. "Here" he whispered.

Karla stuffed the cube into her mouth and marvelled at how it felt.

"What is this?" she asked trying not to let it fall out of her mouth.

"Ice" he answered "Frozen water".

He watched as her eyes closed and a small groan vibrated in the base of her throat.

"Divine" she whispered. He passed her a second cube and as she put it into her mouth he pulled her to her feet.

"We have to get moving Karla."

She nodded "Understood."

"I need to check on Imam, you be alright here?" he asked

Karla nodded "Go ahead".

She slid under the injection panel once more and felt her way along the top.

"Power…secondary power…ah, injection system" she let out a heavy sigh "okay this time" she took a deep breath and prayed. The plan was to reinforce the belt buckle with the part from the rifle and run the two in tandem. The problem was because of their precarious position by the sun they couldn't power down the coolant system or the engine main frame.

The ship jolted and rocked buffeted by two solar flares forward and aft of the ship. Support beams clattered to the floor pulling wires and cables down with them.

On the command deck Riddick was caught with a support beam. It sliced a gash on his back. The beam landed across Imam, fortunately it rested on the chair arm rests and didn't crush him.

"C'mon Riddick, blind girl here, how about you cut me some slack?" she yelled at the com.

"Yeah well blind girl if you'd quit yacking and get to work maybe, just maybe we could bust the fuck outta here while we're still in one piece."

"Watch the attitude Riddick, don't forget who's in control here."
"I haven't, I'm in control here" he growled.

He heard her mumble under her breath. The gash in his back was bleeding profusely, the problem was, and he couldn't reach it to staunch the flow.

Karla felt the belt clip with one hand and held her breath somehow thinking it would steady the ship and her hands which were shaking. She lifted the additional part to where it was to be placed.

"Shit, shit, fuck!" she yelled as it slipped from her sweaty fingers. She felt over her body sure she had felt it land on her chest. It wasn't there. She squeezed her hands down either side of her body checking the floor where she could reach.

Nothing.

"Oh fuck" she groaned putting a hand to her head.

"Problem?" Riddicks voice came over the com.

"Just pay attention to the flares Riddick" she answered.

Riddick raised an eyebrow "Problem" he whispered in answer to his original question.

Slowly he tossed the support beam off Imams chair and winced as the pain in his back intensified. Glancing at the scanner he saw another flare erupting port side, he banked hard to starboard

Karla felt the ship tilt, the part she was looking for slipped from its hiding place into her hand. A smile spread over her face.

"Thanks Riddick" she whispered.

She placed the part alongside the clip. Sparks showered over her body and once again her fingers were singed. She felt it click into place and waited…

"Yeaah!" she yelled. "Alright king Bad ass, get us the fuck outta here."

The ship stuttered beneath her before the engines powered up and she felt the sudden rush of energy as they pulled free of the suns orbit.

She slid out from under the panel pleased with herself.

Feeling her way along the corridors she made her way to the command deck. Riddick was lifting Imam out of the chair. He groaned loudly as the old mans limp body nestled in his aching arms.

"Riddick?" Karla asked.

"Imam's unconscious I have to get him to med bay" Riddick pushed past her.

"Yeah, sure, whatever" she slumped into the chair Imam had been on.

"Good work Karla, well done Karla," she whispered relaxing back into the chair and heaving a hug sigh of relief.

Her hand rested in something stickly, holding it to her face she inhaled through her nose.

"Blood?". A million thoughts rushed through her head leaving her dizzy and nauseated. "Imam" she concluded.

She ran tripping and stumbling over the scattered debris feeling her way quickly along the wall until she fell into the med bay. With her arms outstretched she felt for anything to guide her.

"Riddick, Imam? Shit where they hell are they" she walked forward stumbling over more debris. "Riddick, Imam are you here" she sounded frantic.

"We're here" Riddicks low voice answered. He sounded weak, out of breath and in pain.

"Imam, he's bleeding" Karla said trying to follow the voice.

"He's alright, just neat exhaustion" Riddic replied.

Karla shook her head "No, no I felt blood on the chair"

"Imams fine" Riddick repeated.

"Well then if it's not Imam" she trailed off working through her thought process.

"You" she spoke.

"Yeah" he replied.

She felt his hand grab hers and pull her to him.

"How bad is it?"

"Bad enough" he replied. "I can't reach it, can't stop the blood."

"Where are you hurt?" she asked

"My back"

"Turn around"

She could sense his hesitation and felt his quizzical look.

"Turn around Riddick" she repeated.

She heard him shuffle on the med bay bed.

Slowly she touched her hands to his back feeling across his broad shoulders.

"Where?" she asked.

"Middle and down"

She followed his instruction and realised she'd found his wound when he sucked in a sharp breath and pulled away a little.

"Pass me the alcohol and swabs" she reached over his shoulder and held out her hand. Grabbing the bottle and swabs she pulled the stopper out of the bottle and poured a generous amount of liquid on several swabs.

Gingerly she touched his wound with her fingers first following the gash to its conclusion. With her eyes closed she could almost visualise the wound.

Slowly she cleaned the wound. Riddick's breathing became ragged and uneven, quick gasps were interrupted by long shaky breaths. A couple of times she felt his body sway.

"Oh no, you are not going to pass out on me, I can't fly this ship by myself."

He grunted and swayed.

"Get your pussy ass up"

Riddick growled. Good, she thought, as long as he's mad at her he aint going nowhere.

"That's right, Richard Bad ass Riddick faints at the sight of blood" she forced a giggle. She leaned over him straightening his body "You're a pussy cat really" she whispered.

She felt his whole body tense, man, he was furious with her. One thing you never ever did was insult a man three times larger than yourself, especially when this man was a killing machine.

"Take off your shirt" she ordered.

She felt him shift and try but it was a painful struggle.

"Need help?" she asked

"No" he replied.

"Yeah you do"

"No I don't"

"Whatever"

She waited hearing him struggle with the shirt before finally succumbing to defeat.

"Alright, I do" he said in a pissed off manner.

She pulled off his shirt and reached her arms around his waist. Her cheek brushed against his shoulder as she began to wrap a bandage around him.

"I don't think I should stitch it; this should be fine so long as you keep it clean".

She felt his fingers touch her cheek.

"Riddick" she warned, her body readied itself for danger.

"You have some blood on you" he said.

She reached up with her hand and brushed his away before wiping furiously at the spot where his fingers had lingered.

He wasn't surprised by her actions, pulling away, being hesitant when he touched her, he had, after all, been an animal not that long ago.

"How you doin' Karla?" he asked out of the blue.

"I'm okay, I guess." She replied keeping her distance not sure where he was headed.

"I mean, I guess shit has happened to us and we're dealing right?"

He nodded watching her body for small gestures.

"But you, you've been though a lot and I wonder…"

"What, if I'm gonna turn psycho and ghost your ass?" she tried to make light of it but he didn't waver.

"You must feel vulnerable" he commented.

Karla laughed aloud "No, actually I've never felt better I mean c'mon lets take a look at what the hell has happened."

Riddick braced himself; her body had already given her anger away.

"I've been beaten, attacked, had mercs groping me, been kidnapped by a psycho motherfucker, almost been killed by another psycho motherfucker, had my eyesight taken, been burned, sliced, dragged out of the ships hull by spatial vacuum, tied up, locked up and patched up" she fell silent.

There was an awkward silence. Why the hell did he care anyway, what the hell was this all about?

"You forgot raped" he whispered.

She flew at him in a rage catching his face with her hand offering a hard slap.

"Bastard" she spat at him. "What? You get off on that huh?" she tried to slap him again but missed.

"Oh, I get it" she said "You're getting me back for me calling you a pussycat is that it? You sick fuck!" she yelled balling up her fist she had aimed where she thought his face to be, instead she caught his shoulder.

"That's not it Karla" he said calmly.

Hearing his voice she focussed and threw another punch. He caught her hand in his.

"Let me GO!" she yelled pulling her hand. It was stuck in his; she twisted and pulled so hard she thought eventually it would simply come off in his hand.

"Stop fighting me" he said.

She held still, exhausted.

"I just wanted to know, after everything that's happened to you and I do mean everything, Karla, why is it that I'm the monster not you?"

She hadn't realised that he had released her.

Had she heard him right? Could she have heard him right? It sounded like there was a tinge of compassion in his voice.

"What makes you think I'm not a monster?" her reply had an icy edge to it.

Riddick paused for a moment before offering his answer.

"I treated you like shit, almost killed you and still here you are patching me up."
Karla shrugged "No big thing"

"I disagree" He replied quickly.

"Meaning?" she pressed him.

"I find it…" he paused, searching for the right word, "difficult, trusting people. I learned the hard way that there aint no one to trust except yourself."

"Go on" Karla spoke softly swallowing lightly.

"I have seen death; felt it cross my path more than once and I get so sick and tired of having to deal…I mean every time it's just me, every damned time and with you it's like you're confusing to me, I can't unravel the enigma that's you, I can't figure it and…" he stopped as her finger pressed to his lips shushing him.

"Then stop trying so damned hard." She whispered.

She felt him rest his head against her chest and let out a heavy breath. She clasped her hands around his back offering comfort to his tortured soul.

"You're tired, Furian" she whispered. "rest awhile."

Reluctantly he moved away from her and she felt him lay down on the bed.

"Sleep" she ordered "I got your six".

The blanket of sleep was overwhelming and he drifted still trying to figure this thing, this enigma he knew only as Karla Dawn.

If Karla were honest, knowing that Imam was unconscious and Riddick was sleeping it was slightly unnerving. The ship never felt as huge as she wandered through trying to get her bearings. She knew that if Laren were to catch up with them the proximity alarm would sound and so as long as there were no asteroid fields or unexpected worm holes, black holes or any other kind of hole, she would be okay. Her fingertips danced along the bulkhead to the galley and she traced her way to the food replicator.

"Water, cold" she followed the noise of the water being replicated and reached with both hands.

"Mmmmmm" a throaty groan of anticipation escaped "Cheers" she saluted herself and drank greedily the whole glass.

"Apple, green" once again she followed the sound of the replicator and reached for the apple. The sensation of the apple in her mouth made it water, the sweet tangy freshness with every bite was addictive immediately making her feel a little better.

"Saleka" it was the voice again. Karla was sure it had been a delusion due to heat exhaustion. "Come to me Seleka."

"Hello!" Karla called out standing in the corridor on her way back to her room.

"Is anyone there?" she asked not sure if she was hoping for a yes or no answer.

"Come back to us Seleka" the voice whispered.

"Back?" she questioned "back where."

"Come home to us" the voice continued.

"Where are you?" Karla asked but the voice did not reply.

"Hello?" Karla called "Mom?"

A vision invaded her mind a planet covered by a forest of trees, small settlements and then a woman, a beautiful woman with long auburn hair and green eyes; she was smiling and had her arms held out towards Karla who appeared as a small child. The child giggled and ran towards the woman who engulfed her. Suddenly Karla felt warmth sweeping through her body knocking her backwards off balance a little. This was a feeling she had not experienced before, there was no hate, no violence or torment only peace, quiet unwavering everlasting peace. Before she understood what had happened tears spilled from her eyes and she slid down the wall clutching her chest feeling her heart pounding with angst and still she didn't know why.

There was so much familiarity in that one moment, the feelings were overwhelming to her after years of neglect she had now found where she needed to be, where she needed to go. She needed to go home and she needed to go home now.

Karla had no idea how long she had been sitting on the floor. She hauled herself up and steadily made her way to the command deck. She had no idea how to pilot a ship blind, she didn't even know in which direction to head there was just a feeling that as soon as she got to the navigational panel she'd know what to do.

She was right, sitting in front of the console her eyes closed and she could see the charts in front of her. Her fingers moved deftly over the controls and the coordinates were entered. They were close; she knew they had to be close, after years away from her home not once had she been contacted, not once had she heard voices speaking her Aldarhan name.

All she needed to do was wait.

She guessed hours had passed before the ship altered its speed signalling they had reached their destination. She slept fitfully in the command chair usually occupied by Riddick.

Riddick woke and immediately sensed they had changed course. Something didn't sit right and he rose slowly checking on Imam on his way out.

On entering the command deck he saw Karla curled up in his chair sleeping. A firm hand on her shoulder brought her awake

"Just when we're you gonna tell me about this?" he asked.

"Oh God Riddick" she gasped.

"Answer the question, Karla."

She rubbed her forehead wondering where to start.

"Okay" she sighed "When we were orbiting the sun I heard this voice, this amazingly beautiful voice. She referred to me as Seleka, only one person has ever called me that, only one person knew me by that name…my mother." She paused hoping for some encouragement. "I thought that I had imagined it, past memories maybe but then when I left you sleeping it happened again only this time I saw her in my head and this feeling, oh God this feeling filled me with such…joy…Anyway, I came here and she guided me"

"Who guided you?"

"My mother"

"I don't think so Karla."

Karla looked towards him with a quizzical look on her face. "You think I'm crazy" she lowered her eyes.

"No, Karla I think someone's messing with your head, there's nothing out there except space."

Karla looked suddenly crushed, her hopes dashed, the feeling she had felt was suddenly false. It made no sense.

"Nothing?" she asked

Riddick checked the screen again "Nothing except…sonofabitch Laren's here on an intercept course. You fucking bitch you led us into a trap!"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the chair leaving her sprawled on the floor in disbelief.

Larens ship was almost within docking range. Almost on cue the familiar voice of Larendaron came over the com.

"Stand down Riddick, there's nowhere for you to go"

"That's what you think" Riddick spat back.

"Take a look Furian" Laren laughed "You have the Orion nebulas to navigate,"

Riddicks fist slammed into the control panel.

The Orion nebulas were a series of nebulas flanked by worm holes. Beyond that, no mans land.

"Damn, he's got a fuckin' weapons lock on us" He looked down at Karla "You are more trouble than you're worth."

Karla pulled herself up shaking her head "It can't be true, I saw her…I felt her.."

"Hello Seleka" Larens voice came over the comm. again.

Karlas legs began to shake.

"H..H…how do you know that name? Only one person knows me by that name what did you do…WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Karla screamed.

"You're wrong Karla, two people know you by that name, your mother and…your father"

"You bastard. What did you do to them!"

"You took away a planet, so did I"

"NO!" she screamed "You killed them….you killed my parents, my home…?"
"I took your home world and crushed it Karla, your mother is dead. Everything you fought so hard to return to is destroyed. How does it feel?"

Karla bowed her head, her shoulders slumped forward "My father?"

"Oh he's alive"

"Where is he, what have you done with him?"

"You're speaking to him Seleka, I'm your father"

Riddick severed the com link "Okay asshole, lets see you follow my lead"

He piloted the ship manually through the Orion nebulas compensating for the varying gravitational pull from the worm holes. Laren didn't follow.

When they had cleared the nebulas Riddick let out a heavy breath.

Karla turned towards his scent "Riddick I.." she began, reaching out with her hand looking for help.

He knocked her hand away and walked past, stopping beside her he lowered his head "Don't fucking talk to me, you don't come near me, don't touch me, don't even look in my direction. You do and I'll ghost you before you can say Daddy."

He stormed through the ship looking for something to punch, something to take out his aggression. Karla didn't know how close she had come to being it. After their discussion in med bay he had thought he was beginning to trust her but now, not fucking lightly. He slammed his fist into the bulkhead between his room and Imams room leaving a bloodied knuckle mark in his wake.

She had led them into a trap. If he hadn't woken up they would be guests of Larendaron by now being slowly dissected. And now to find out that the bitch was his flesh and blood, he cursed himself for not ghosting her there and then. Why the fuck hadn't he done it, just got it out of the way and moved on with the rest of his life. He had the information, he was going to find Furia, she had outlived her usefulness, she was added baggage that he just didn't fucking need right now. So why hadn't he done it?

Karla allowed her body to fail and crumpled into a ball on the cold floor of the command deck sobbing freely, uncontrollably. Everything she had fought for, everything that had kept her alive had been destroyed. She had nothing, no one.

Never had she felt so alone and scared. Suddenly there was no reason for her to carry on, her fight was a lost one and she longed to feel the physical pain to match that which was going on inside her head. Her strength had gone and her body was limp, she didn't want to have to move and prayed for death to come and take her from her misery. Riddick would make her life a living hell. Knowing that Larendaron was her father, seeing the cloth from which she had been cut was more than she could bear.

There was no other option left open to her. Slowly she pulled herself to her feet and she staggered along the corridor feeling her way to the med bay. On her way she could hear Riddick pounding against something hard over and over. She wanted to find him, to explain, to tell him how sorry she was. Instead she would show him.

She stumbled into the med bay and followed the wall to the storage locker plucking a pulse pistol from its holster. She flipped the safety off and turned accidentally knocking a glass vial off the counter top. It smashed.

"Karla" Imams soft voice tumbled over her making her want to cry all over again. Ignoring him she pressed the barrel of the pistol to her right temple and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Karla, what are you doing?" she felt his hand close over hers holding the pistol.

"My God child, are you insane?"

"Maybe" she replied.

"I cannot let you do this Karla. What could have been so bad" suddenly his face changed "What did he do, what did Riddick do to you?"

"Nothing Imam, he didn't do anything, it's me, I'm the problem."

Imam cupped her face in his hands "God sends many trials our way, but this, this is unacceptable"

"Unacceptable" she repeated slowly. "No Imam, necessary"

"Seleka" The voice in her head whispered.

Karla shook her head "No" she grasped handfuls of hair and began to pull hard "get out of my head".

The pistol dropped to the floor, Imam quickly picked it up.

"Karla, what is it"

Karlas face contorted as she struggled to fight the voice inside her head.

"You're not real, you're dead!" she screamed through gritted teeth trying to drown out the voice.

Throwing herself back into the wall she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently.

"You're dead! You're not real! You're not real!"

A vision invaded her sending her reeling. She banged against tables, beds and bulkheads trying to escape it. The vision was of her home world being obliterated. An explosion of epic proportion bled fire brighter than she had ever seen. She covered her ears to quieten the screaming.

Riddick bust into the med bay to see Imam standing shocked watching Karla spin around the room in a rage.

"What the fuck?" he looked towards Imam.

"She keeps referring to voices" Imam offered "then it's like she has been possessed by something evil Riddick"

Karla backed herself up against the bulkhead and held her arms out as though she were examining them. In her vision her arms were on fire, it began at her fingertips and was slowly working its way upwards. She screamed as the flames licked and blistered her skin, it felt so real. The smell of burning flesh assaulted her nostrils. She wiped at her arms with her hands in an effort to kill the flames, instead the flames spread.

"Riddick we have to do something, she'll do herself great harm" Imam suggested.

"Help her? Not a chance old man, bitch tried to set us up."

Imams expression changed "For someone with your skills Riddick you really are an idiot" Imam didn't know whether Riddick was going to punch him or the wall. In the end it was neither.

"Do you know why she was here?" Imam asked.

Riddick didn't answer

"She was going to kill herself with a pulse pistol shot to the head"

That caught his attention. Imam grabbed Riddicks arm.

"I have never asked you for anything Furian, but I am asking you now, help her?" he pleaded. Riddick saw the look in Imams eyes it was one of fear.

Riddick shook his grasp, closed the gap between him and Karla who was being eaten by fire. He took a deep breath before backhanding her across her face.

The shock and force of the slap shook her out of the trance she had been in. She looked at her arms before sliding down the wall panting, nausea rising up from her stomach. She landed forwards, palms slapping the cold steel floor. With one hand she wiped the trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

"He really did a number on you didn't he?" Riddick lifted her chin with his finger and looked at her face. It was twisted with pain. Rivers had been drawn down her cheeks where the tears had fallen; her forehead was red where she had caught it on a bulkhead, her arms rubbed raw where she had tried to douse the fire that had all been in her mind.

Riddick recognised something in her face, something he was all too familiar with.

Karla let out a primal scream lunging forward knocking Riddick onto his back and then straddling him pinning him down at his shoulders. Riddick countered not forgetting the agony in his back, her bucked his hips sending her off balance before switching their positions. He planted his knees on her upper inner thighs immobilising her legs and his hands clamped down on her shoulders. She thrashed from side to side yelping, screaming.

"Karla!" Riddick yelled. "Karla!" he tried again to get through to her before shaking her by her shoulders "I am not your enemy…I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY!" he yelled before pulling back with one hand and slapping her with the palm.

She stopped writhing and Riddick sat back releasing his grip on her shoulders. She turned her head and lifted a hand to hide her face as she sobbed.

"Oh god" she cried "they're all gone"

Imam looked across at Riddick unsure of what had happened, what was she talking about, who had gone?

"Laren destroyed her home Imam" Riddick said slowly.

Imams mouth dropped open "So, that is why she wanted this" he gestured at the pulse pistol in his hand.

Riddick shook his head "That was only a part of it." He let out a heavy sigh and stood up leaving Karla sobbing o the floor. "That mother fucker Laren is her father."

"My God" Imam whispered "What kind of father would do this to his child?"

It was unfathomable. In Imams eyes there was not greater gift in this life than children, they were the future and needed nurturing. Karla had been gifted into a life of torture and violence deprived of a mothers love and behold to a fathers menace.

Riddick glanced over at Karla who was still hugging the floor, her body was shaking.

Imam knelt down beside her and placed a soothing hand on her back.

"Don't touch me" she flinched away.

"But Karla, I only mean to help" Imam offered calmly.

"I don't need your help." She sat herself. "I need my eyesight back, then I'm gonna rip that mother fucker apart piece by agonising piece"

"Karla, no, this is not the way" Imam protested.

"There must be something in that holy book of yours about a life for a life Imam, well, the way I see it Laren gets off lucky, a million lives wasted and he will be the sole benefactor of my hate." She paused. "Riddick thought I wanted this, that I set his ass up…I just wanted to get home Imam, I wanted to have the information purged from me to help him. Damn him and his race, they're the reason I'm here. They're the reason I ended up in slam. I have done everything I can do to help. Everyone needs somewhere to go…and now, I have nowhere."

Riddick heard the conversation and knew she was right. His anger had got the better of him on more than one occasion. It was easy for him to blame her for all of their troubles and yet every time they had come up against it, she had been instrumental in their escape. Her loss was huge; he couldn't entertain the thought of knowing Furia was no longer in existence. It was his time to be honest, his brutality had almost caused her suicide and he couldn't bare the thought of being responsible for her death. He silenced the beast and willed it to be still for a moment while he gathered his thoughts. Karla Dawn had landed in their lives by accident, not design. She had risked everything for a handful of slaves who, when push came to shove, turned tail and ran rather than showing the same courage for her as she did for them.

He remembered carrying her in his arms, watching over her while she slept, her kind words and selfless acts of courage, they were all for them, people who she hardly knew. She had shown him more kindness in a few days than he had experienced in a life time and still he pushed her away at every opportunity. He pushed her away because he was afraid, afraid of caring about someone else, afraid that when he admitted his feelings she too would be taken like the others before her. He kept people at arms length not through desire, but by necessity. His life dictated that he remain alone for eternity wandering aimlessly through the star studded universe searching to find his place in life, searching to find his home and to finally lay to rest the beast that raged within. Now it was within his reach but at what cost he wondered, at what cost would his world be held to ransom?