Karla Dawn

by Dark Aingel

What happens when Riddick escapes from a slam with a guest. Is the guest who she claims to be or is she hiding something. Can she help Riddick find Furia or will she lead him into the Lions den?

11. Choices

"Can you protect me from myself, Riddick?" she asked.

He couldn't answer, wouldn't answer, not until he knew, until they knew.

The computer behind them let out a high pitched beep signalling that the test had completed. Riddick heard Karla swallow hard; he almost felt the tightness of her throat as she tried to push the lump that had formed in it away.

He stepped back waiting for her to follow. She pinned herself against the bulkhead and shook her head. For someone who had displayed such courage throughout their journey, this sudden weakness concerned him. He glanced at the computer screen absorbing the details silently not letting his face tell the story; he remained stoic until he was ready.

"According to this you're one hundred per cent Furian."

Karla shook her head "Check it again." She asked.

"That won't alter the results."

"Check the damned computer again, Riddick, please" her last word came out as a desperate whisper. Riddick ran the test again and nodded.

"No change" he told her.

"That cannot be true." She began to ague. "Laren is my father; if I'm Furian then he must also be Furian. If he's Furian then why has he made it his life's work to destroy his home planet?"

Riddick shrugged "Soon as we find him I'll let you ask him before I rip his throat out"

The door to the med bay slid open and Jack breezed in wearing a huge grin.

"Tell me Riddick, just how brilliant I am?" she paused waiting expectantly.

"I'm waiting Riddick."

"What's up Jack?" he finally spoke.

"You're gonna love this, swear to God. I did a scan like you asked me to for the heat sig and just as I thought it had degraded almost nothing; almost. So I had the computer compensate and plot the most logical course. Given that there aren't many habitable planets around here it pretty much narrowed our chances. Anyway, the computer came up with this" she handed him a piece of paper with a computer read out.

"Why the hell is he going there?" Riddick wondered aloud.

"Where?" Karla asked.

"Lupus 5" Jack and Riddick replied in unison.

"Then we have to get there before him" Karla blurted.

"Why?" Jack asked

"Lupus five has a mining colony. They mine an ore called Kelsite; it's very rare and highly volatile. Laren needs it for the weapon. No Kelsite, no juice, no juice, no big bang."

"Jack, set a course."

"Aye Cap'n" she ran back down the corridor squealing with delight.

Riddick leaned over Karla who was still against the bulk head, he stretched out one arm to support himself. Casually he slipped his hand behind Karlas neck and gently grazed her jaw bone with his thumb. Karla sucked in a breath and felt her heart rate quicken.

"You're afraid" He stated

"Wouldn't you be" she shot back.

"Of Laren, no." Riddick replied

Karla smirked "So what does scare the big bag?"

"Loosing" he replied licking his lips.

"Loosing? What, you think all this is a game?"

Riddick shook his head "You"

It was such a soft low growl that Karla thought she had misheard.

His lips grazed over hers, his tongue licked her top lip and pulled it in between his lips where he nibbled at it.

Karla moved her hands to his waste avoiding his wound.

Riddick released her lip and nibbled his way to her right ear.

"I don't want to loose you, Karla"

She loved it when he said her name. His low throaty voice made her almost melt into him.

The ship jerked throwing them off balance.

"What the hell was that?" Karla asked.

"Felt like a solar canon." Riddick spoke glancing from one side of the room to the other.

"RIDDICK!" Jack yelled racing down the corridor. "We've been hit, the ship's been hit."

Riddick and Karla ran out of the med bay and followed Jack to the command deck.

"See that?" Jack asked pointing at the huge ship that had appeared in front of theirs "It came from nowhere Riddick, I swear I was watching, one minute all I could see was open space, the next, WHAM! We got side swiped off the port side and now we're venting atmosphere."
Karla quickly took the helm controls punching wildly at the computer touch screen.

"This is a Jandaran ship yes?" she asked quickly.

"Ahhh, ahh" Jack stalled trying to think.

"C'mon Jack talk to me damnit"

Jack nodded before her mouth caught up "Yeah, yeah, Jandaran I'm pretty sure."

"Okay. If there's one thing I know better than a slam it's a Jandaran ship. I got to work on a few, tech side of it anyways. The bulkheads are computerised and the cargo hold should have a shield emitter. The Jandarans were pirates, they would fill their hold with contraband, then when they were attacked, if their cargo hold got hit they would punch this little button here, configure the shield radius here and" Karla saw the computer screen flash as an image of the shield covering a quarter of the ship came up onto the screen. "Check the hull pressure, I'm guessing that we're coming up to somewhere near stable. I'm also guessing that this is not our fight. If those guys were for real we'd be space dust by now."

"Meaning?" Jack demanded

"They have no idea who we are; they think we're pulling contraband in our hold."

"We've stopped venting atmosphere." Jack told them.

"Do you think we should open a comm. Channel?"

Karla shook her head "That's a Malfrey Bird of Prey."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Jack asked

"They're scavengers, they target pirate ships, blow them wide open and pick their teeth with the remains." Karla answered still punching the computer touch screen.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"I'm trying to bounce the shield signal around the ship."
"Wicked" Jack grinned "Then we can unload a whole can of hurt on them right?"

"Wrong" Riddick rumbled.

"Can you do it?" Riddick asked

Karla shrugged "We'll find out in about eight seconds."
"Why?"
"Their cannon is charging again…Brace for impact!" she yelled.

The ship shook with the second impact.

Jack landed on the floor on her back, Riddick was thrown clear of the command deck and into the corridor. Karla clung on to the console. The force of the impact made her jolt forward catching her forehead on the computer screen. Blood trickled out of the fresh wound and splattered the screen. For a moment she saw double and tried to focus knowing only too well that if the shields did not hold they were dead with the next cannon. She re-routed helm control to her panel and began manoeuvring the ship.

"Don't suppose we have an asteroid field around here to play tag in?" Riddick rumbled.

Karla shook her head and took a swipe at her forehead.

"What now!" Riddick thundered frustrated.

Karla thought hard. She knew the answer, she just had to get her aching head around it first.

"Well!" he demanded.

"Do we have weapons?" she asked

"Yeah"

"Can you operate them?"

Riddick looked blank.

"If I point at a target can you hit it?" she asked

Riddick nodded.

"Are you kidding" Jack chimed in "Heightened senses include eyesight y'know" she rubbed her elbow which had caught a knock on the bulkhead.

"Malfreys have a weakness but it's only a metre or so wide. It's on their port side….we having to get on their port side….." she began to turn the ship to bring it along side the Malfreys port side.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Jack asked.

"See that flashing red light…just below that there is a black square. Fire a pulse blast down there, hit it and watch the fireworks."

At that point their ship was rocked again by another cannon blast. Jack held on to a nearby chair to keep her from being tossed about again.

"Promise?" she asked

Karla nodded.

"Hold the damn ship steady!" Riddick bellowed. "I can't hit shit."

"We've lost stabilisers Riddick what do you want me to do get out and hold her steady?"

Riddick shot Karla a hard stare but didn't answer.

"What does this mean?" Jack asked pointing to her computer screen.

"Shit!" Karla shouted "It means they've hit the shield generator. Riddick we're loosing the shields. One more hit and we're history."

Riddick didn't speak, his concentration was all on the Malfrey ship and that small black square.

"They're charging the cannon again!" Jack yelled.

"Riddick!" The panic was clear in her voice.

Riddick fired the shot. The three of them held their breaths.

The Malfrey ship exploded rocking the Jandaran one even more. Karla fought hard to control the movement but with the stabilisers off line it was not easy. The ship began to list towards the burning wreckage.

"I can't hold it" Karla gasped.

The energy from the blast was heating up the ship. Condensation began forming on the controls. Electrical sparks danced over consoles and control panels.

Riddick put his hand over Karlas and helped her pull the ship away from the Malfrey wreckage.

They slowly limped away from the burning wreck. The temperature returned to normal and the group relaxed a little.

"Well, that was fun" Jack said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I need to check on Imam" Karla told them again wiping the blood from her head.

She padded through the ship and knocked lightly on Imams door.

"Come in" a weak voice told her.

She opened to door. Quickly she ran to Imam. The force of the impact from the solar cannons has thrown him from his bed and into the bulkhead. A piece of metal had splintered and impaled him to the side. Blood pooled on the floor in a dark circle.

"Riddick!" Karla yelled.

"Oh God Imam, hold on."

Imams eyes were sunken and dark. His breathing came in gasps.

"Riddick!" she yelled again.

But Riddick didn't come.

Sowly she put her arms under Imams and lifted him from the metal spike. She could feel his blood filling her shirt and covering her arms. She almost buckled under his dead weight but slowly she managed to lay him on the bed.

She pulled at her shirt ripping chunks off it and pressing it to the gaping wound to try and stop the bleeding. In her heart she knew it was already too late. He had lost such an awful lot of blood, life fluid. The spike had punctured a lung and blood was filling his chest and trickling out of his mouth as he coughed.

"Imam" she whispered stroking his head. "Imam, hold on. You have to hold on."

Imam gestured with a weak hand to the floor where one of his necklaces had fallen. She picked it up and put it into his hand. Imam took her hand and pressed it into her palm and tried to speak.

"You" was al he managed.

Karla shook her head. Tears had begun to fall softly. She stroked his head and tried to stifle the sobs.

"Imam, don't leave me" she whispered "You can't leave me. What would I do without you."

Imam lifted a hand and shakily put it to her chest over her heart.

"In here"

Karla put her hand over his "Always" she told him "You'll always be in here."

She sat with him as his eyes closed. Gently she rocked on the bed, still holding his hand to her heart. His pained gasps turned into shallow uneven breaths and then a few moments later, ceased altogether.

Karla crumbled on the bed and sobbed. After everything they had been through together over the last few days, everything they had overcome, every nightmare they had shared.

Riddick heard the scream and followed the sound to the corridor. The pungent smell of the holy mans blood filled his nostrils. He ran to Imams room and stopped suddenly.

Karla didn't hear him arrive.

"He's dead, Karla. You can't help him" He spoke low.

"No, no, no, he can't be dead Riddick, he can't be dead."

Riddick pulled their hands apart; Karla didn't want to let Imam go. She was covered in his blood, thick and dark red. Her hands were almost slick with it.

"It's my fault" she whispered leaning down to Imams ear "I'll make it right, it's all my fault, I'll make it right."

"It's not your fault, Karla." Riddick spoke, the soft rumble coming from his throat.

"You did what you had to do."

"Is this where you spew me some bullshit about one life for millions Riddick because really save your breath I'm sick of it. I'm sick of this whole fucking scene."

Riddick didn't speak, he figured she'd had this brewing for a while now and so he did the only thing he could, he may have stayed silent, but he stayed.

"What had Imam done to deserve this huh?" she began, her voice rising in volume "He didn't deserve to die like this Riddick. I'm sick of having the people I care about being ripped away, it's like having a piece of my soul ripped out through my chest. All I wanted was to help you find your home that's all I wanted and even that is proving too difficult, too costly." She ran a bloodied hand through her hair "If I hadn't have broadsided that other ship Imam would still be alive…he would still be here. He would not be DEAD!"

With that she stood up suddenly and ran from the room.

Moments later Riddick heard pounding from a room nearby. He followed the loud noise into Karla's room. She was pounding her fist into the bulkhead, her knuckles had split and her blood was mixing with Imams on the hulking piece of steel that separated her room from the now dead Imam's.

Riddick made sure Jack was no where to be seen before hitting the manual door control on Imams room. He didn't want her stumbling across his body by accident.

Then he walked over to where Karla was pounding on the steel. She felt no pain as the bones in her hand made contact time after time. Again and again she hit the bulkhead muttering to herself. Riddick knew if she continued she would do permanent damage to her hand. He place one hand on her shoulder. She turned sharply, hand balled up in a tight bloodied fist and she swung for him making contact with his chin. He didn't flinch. She tried to wrangle free and balled her fist up again. This time Riddick anticipated her punch and caught her fist enveloping it in one of his hands. For a moment she stared at him then as if her legs suddenly failed her she collapsed to her knees. Riddick followed, kneeling down on one knee beside her. He watched her sobbing unsure of what to do. He didn't want to leave but equally if he was to stay he felt useless to her. Sometimes the beast was a prohibitive animal restricting his emotion. Sure he felt the loss of Imam, it was, as far as he was concerned, another casualty of war. He would miss the Holy Mans lectures of self control and discipline. He would miss the odd smelling incense that used to permeate through his ship on occasion but more than that Imam was a companion, a confidant – he would miss the freedom Imam allowed him, freedom to be himself and not to be judged. He had learned more about himself in the last few years since he met Imam that he ever had. His death was wrong, of course it was, but Riddick, being the machine that he was could make sense of it. Karla was a different animal. Compassion and kindness buried not too far beneath a tough outer skin. Inside her chest beat the heart or a warrior but she carried the soul of a peacemaker. Hate did not suite her and yet he was watching it devour her like a flesh eating insect. But it was not hate for her situation or her father it was hate for herself. If it wasn't for her, she concluded, then none of this would be happening. Simple.

"Riddick!" Jack called from the command deck.

Riddick had to leave; he didn't want Jack finding Imam. He didn't notice Karla slide his shiv from its sheath as he stood.

Karla waited for a count of thirty before she manually closed her room door and locked it. Ripping out the control panel to ensure she would not be disturbed she sat on the floor with her back to the bulkhead separating Imams room from her own. She hummed a tune idly.

"What is it Jack?" Riddick asked

"The Malfrey ship is spewing her cargo all over, should we pick some of it up."

"Stay on course, Jack." He sounded tired and agitated.

"Everything alright Big Bad?"

"Imams dead, Jack."

Jack sat down in a nearby chair "Dead?"

Riddick nodded.

"Okay. So we need to dump him out the airlock before we haul ass or what?"

Fury took hold of the Furian. He grabbed Jack by her arm and yanked her to Imams room. He punched the locking mechanism on the door and it swung open with a loud sigh.

"Ugh, Riddick!" Jack almost vomited when she saw the blood and the steel spike, then the gaping hole in the dead man.

She looked at Imam then turned to Riddick "I didn't know you cared so damned much about someone other than yourself."

Riddicks senses were on fire with the smell of fresh blood, different blood, Furian blood.

"Karla" he roared.

Punching the control panel on her door he wasn't the least bit surprised when it didn't open She had fried the locking mechanism. He took a step back and began kicking the door denting it but still it refused to open. Reaching for his shiv he knew if he stuck it into the door when it closed it would back up on itself and open. But his shiv was gone. He knew then what Karla had done and began kicking at the door again. Finally it opened. The lights were out and were unresponsive. No matter, he removed his goggles. Two silvery grey orbs gazed up at him from the floor several feet away.

Riddick was there in a second. Karlas wrists were a mess, she had taken his shiv to them. Quickly he ripped his shirt and bound them to stem the bleeding.

"Let me go" as she spoke she slurred her speech, her head lolled forwards lazily.

"I should let you bleed out. No point trying to save you unless you want to be saved."

"Simpler, so much simpler if I were not here." She slurred.

"You're a coward" Riddick spat "A good man died today, do not cheapen his passing."

"Everything dies Riddick, everything I love turns to dust, it's just a matter of time." She spluttered out a haunting laugh "I couldn't even keep my promise to you."

"It's your call Karla, live or die."

She didn't answer; Riddick stood and made for the battered door and a curious Jack. When he reached the door he spoke almost in a whisper without looking back.

"I don't talk to dead people."

He walked to his room without speaking to Jack and she knew better than to press him. She did the only thing she could do; she went back to the command deck and kept watch.

Riddick showered the blood away and changed into a clean pair of pants. He lay on his bunk with one arm under his head. The day had brought bad fortune his way and to some extent he knew Karla was right, she was a mother load of bad fucking news. Everything she touched turned to shit. Then he considered his own life and realised that they were not too dissimilar. Riddick had hardly been blessed with good fortune being bounced from one slam to another escaping just to be caught and tortured again. The scars may have healed on the outside but inside the beast raged with agony at the occasional memories disguised as flashbacks that haunted his every living day. God had damned him he felt sure of it and why? Because he was Furian, a Peacemaker, not a warmonger; to a universe that thrived on conflict.

He felt his eyes begin to close and allowed sleep to take him away from this painful place.

He wasn't sure how long had been sleeping for but when he heard knocking at his door he woke quickly.

"Riddick" Jacks voice came through the door. "Riddick open up."

He obliged slowly.

"What is it?"

He watched as Jack took in his half naked form, it made him smile how she admired him. He knew she wanted, craved for and dreamed about him since their time together on that sun scorched hell hole of a planet all those years ago.

"Imam, he needs tending to."

She was right. They couldn't leave him lying on a bed for days. The needed to prepare the body for the only funeral they could give him.

"Get some sheets." He told her.

Jack vanished on her quest for sheets. Riddick went to Imams room and hotwired the door. As it opened he froze. Imam's body had been neatly laid out on fresh bunk sheets. The bloodied ones had been discarded and his shirt had been changed. Karla sat on the edge of his bed humming softly, barely audible to herself. Every once in a while she would pause, wipe away a stray tear. Riddick saw the pieces of his shirt still tied around her wrists. They had allowed a little blood to seep through but it wasn't life threatening.

She placed a soft kiss on Imams forehead and folded his hand around one of his necklaces, she picked one with a silver ankh.

She became aware of someone else in the room and turned. She saw Riddick watching her and didn't speak. Her face was pale, tear stained and tired looking. Riddick turned and walked away.

She followed him quickly "Riddick" her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. Slowly he turned and looked at her.

"Live" she whispered. "I choose to live."

Slowly Riddick walked back to where she stood he could see her body trembling. He reached up with one hand and brushed away a tear with his thumb.

"You didn't have to…" Riddick gestured with his eyes to Imams room.

"Yes, I did" she replied softly.

"It wasn't your fault." He was testing the water, seeing how much she would listen to before the tears threatened again.

"I need to look at those" he touched her wrists.

He led her to his room and sat her on his bed.

"I need to get bandages I'll be back."

He walked to the med bay and fetched the bandages. When he arrived back he watched for a moment. Karla had drifted into a deep exhausted sleep. He changed her wrappings without waking her.

Jack came in with sheets she had taken from her bed.

"It's taken care of Jack" he told her. It was all he needed to say, she got the message. Secretly she was thankful she got to keep her sheets.

When Jack vanished to put the sheets back on her bunk Riddick sat in a nearby chair, put his feet up on the bunk and rested his head against the wall.

"Lights off"

The room was plunged into darkness. Riddick watched Karla sleep. She looked so fragile.

Karla woke confused at first and then she remembered where she was. Looking around she met two eyes, silver and bright staring back at her.

"Lights fifteen percent" Riddick's voice rumbled softly.

The light was just enough to offer a dim glow.

"You alright?" he asked wondering if a dream had been responsible for her pulse accelerating.

She nodded slowly. Her mouth was dry and felt awkward when she spoke. Her throat felt like she had swallowed razor blades.

"You were watching me?" she asked.

He didn't answer

Karla sat up "Right, "she nodded slowly "you don't talk to dead people." She swung her legs off the bunk; as soon as she put weight on them they felt funny, almost like they would give way at any moment.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her he just didn't know what to say. After all he had considered about her recently she still overwhelmed him and that was not something he admitted to lightly. Once his enemies got word that the Big Bad had an Achilles Heel they'd come knocking on his door. But here she was, confusing the hell out of him. One minute he's frustrated beyond all reason and the next he wants to be her protector. When he saw her with his shiv blade idly slicing away at her tender vulnerable flesh he wanted to shake her so damned hard she'd fall to pieces just so he could pick her up and put her together again. But then he remembered Fry, how he had broken her and built her back up again just so she could die saving his sorry ass. He wasn't on the ball that night and paid a hefty price. But if there is one thing Fry made him aware of is that a monster he may be but it does not define who he is merely what he is perceived as being. People come along and witness the aftermath of the Big Bad when really if they had jumped ahead of the game they'd see a whole hell of a lot more, they'd see the truth. Riddick was a man trying to survive a volatile universe with the only tools he was given, heightened senses and strength. Fry had brought about a different sense, a sense of feeling, he felt remorse when she died and to feel remorse one must have the ability to feel the opposite, happiness and joy.

What he wanted to say to Karla could not be put into words.

He had come close to kissing her yesterday it rocked him to his core. He had come so close to loosing it, to showing his hand exposing his weakness. Last night when she had hurt herself he ran not because he didn't want to deal but because he was scared. He couldn't watch another person he cared about die, not again. The feeling was too raw and it stung him.

By the time he pulled himself out of his reverie Karla was already gone.

Jack thundered down the corridor.

"Riddick!" she yelled "She's taken the goddamned shuttle."

Several thought filled his head all at once.

"What heading?" he roared "Follow her Jack, Do NOT let her out of your sight!"

He raced back with Jack to the command deck but it was too late. Shuttles were faster and more manoeuvrable than the big ship they were in; she had dropped several false heat signals and vanished off the radar.

Riddick pounded his fist into a nearby panel shattering it sending electric sparks into the air.

"Where would she go?" Jack asked pacing the floor. "You think she's headed for Lupus Five still?"

Riddick thought for a moment. He was lost unsure of where to go or where to look. There was one thing he did know however; if Laren was still alive he was still a threat to her.

"Lupus Five would be a good place to start." He almost sounded defeated.

"Riddick, are you just guessing."

"Lupus Five Jack and quit bitching about it; Laren is still out there and I'm going to end him."

Riddick remembered just days ago when he marked her and asked her never to turn her back on him again; this time it was different. This time she could leave, did leave. Imams death was the last straw and for some reason she needed to punish herself. Riddick considered that she was headed for Lupus Five to hunt Laren down and get herself ghosted. A legitimate end to a somewhat illegitimate life; he couldn't bare the thought of Laren getting his hands on her, not again, not after what he had done to her. If that was her plan, if he couldn't stop her he'd rather have let her slice herself up than to run, fleeing into the murderous territory of Larendaron. He would kill her, Riddick was sure of that, but he would make her suffer first.

"She must have taken off pretty damn fast Riddick." Jack interrupted his thoughts "And I do mean damn fast, she knows what she's doing littering heat sigs all over the fucking place."

"We're gonna find her, we have to."

"Maybe, Riddick, but maybe she doesn't want to be found" Jack said offering a little softness in her voice.

"I'm not asking what she wants, she doesn't get a choice Jack."

Jack let out a sigh "All I'm saying is that if a person wants to die so bad they will always find a way. Maybe she's finding her way."

Riddick looked like he'd been slapped "How would you know, Jack. Last time I saw you, you were so different, you gave a damn about someone other than yourself. Don't forget why we're in this up to our asses darlin' You got greedy, your tight ass twitchin' in those pants when the mercs started waving all those credits around. Lets not forget why we're having to find Laren, Jack."

"If you need someone to blame!" Jack retorted loudly

"Blame! You want to talk about Blame! You don't give a rats ass about assigning blame. You have yet to take responsibility for your actions. There's a man, a good man, lying dead in their swamped in his own blood do you think he's assigning blame right now Jack…DO YOU!"

Jack lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"Lupus Five. I don't want to ask you again." He stormed off the command deck and into his quarters. He paced back and forth clenching and unclenching his fists all the while replaying the last conversation he'd had with Karla. His face twitched as he remembered when she had said "You don't talk to dead people." There was so much he wanted to say to her. He was never sure which God Imam prayed but he remembered the discussion they had had about if there was a God why did God let Imams sons die. Riddick remembered Imams reply, that it was not their place to question how or why they leave this world but God is there to offer strength and guidance in their darkest hours. This was one of those times for Riddick. He was in a dark place.

"I know you think I'm all self absorbed" Jacks voice came from his open doorway. "But there is something I want you to see." She waited for a moment for him to invite her in, when he remained silent she took a huge breath and stepped inside his quarters. In her hand she held something small, she waited for him to stop pacing before she showed him what it was she held so tightly.

"My children" as she spoke, her voice broke a little. "The boy is Damon and the girl is Szara. They're almost two years old now."

Riddick stared at the photo for a long while and Jack continued talking in the back of his mind but he paid little attention. His focus was all on the two little children in the photograph.

"You're a mother" he spoke the words but they seemed alien to him. Jack, the confused young girl he knew from T2 was now a grown woman but more than that she was a mother. The nature of motherhood had always fascinated him having no memory of his own parents. People often spoke of a bond between a mother and her children but he was unfamiliar with it. For him, there was no bond.

"I'm trying to get home too, Riddick." She whispered. "I meant no harm to you or anyone else. I know what I did was stupid and I can't tell you why I did it but Riddick, you have to understand that I had my reasons."

Riddick paused for a moment, everything seemed to fit "Someone is threatening your family" it was a statement rather than a question but he had hit the nail on the head. Jack nodded.

"A girl with a colourful past certainly knows how to draw attention to herself. Yes, my family has been threatened. If I didn't end your hopes of finding Furia they would be…" she trailed off unable to finish the sentence. She didn't need to; Riddick knew exactly what she was talking about.

Karla hadn't set out to tail Laren not in a shuttle pod nevertheless that is where she found herself. She set a course for Lupus Five maximum speed.

Confusion reigned in her head. Imam was dead. He mind filled with images of him hanging on the spike bleeding out. She remembered how his voice had gurgled with blood as he spoke, remembered the dark red life fluid trickling out of his mouth. She remembered the realisation that there was nothing she could do, the certainty of his death, how her heart ached, how it still ached for him. He didn't deserve to die like that. She told herself over and over in between the jumbled myriad of other thoughts about how many different ways she was going to kill Laren. At the forefront of her mind was Riddick, the Big Bad and how they were cut from the same genetic cloth yet at this point in time she felt no connection towards him whatsoever. She could never be as heartless as she had seen him be not just towards her either. But then as her mind regressed she remembered the many times he had saved her life at the risk of his own. She punched the control panel.

"Damn him"

She pushed back in her chair and put her feet up on the consoles and rested her head back allowing the gentle hum of the small ship carry her away from the loneliness of space. She needed to rest, she told herself. If she as going to succeed in tracking down Laren and finishing what he had started all those years ago, then she needed rest. The ships course was locked, sensors were on maximum spread and the proximity alarm would sound if she hit trouble. Her head pounded and she remembered hitting it earlier that day when they were attacked by the pirate ship. She toyed with the dried blood on her forehead picking idly at it all the while gazing out at the stars wondering which one was Furia, her home.

The notion still seemed alien to her. For years she'd had the dreams, those haunting memories of a past life that had been cruelly snatched away. For years the face of her enemy had been hidden and now everything had been revealed, the truth had prevailed, all that mattered now was following her heart to the end even if it meant her death she could die happy knowing her father would be going to hell with her.

"We'll find her, Riddick" Jack placed a hand on Riddick's shoulder as he sat staring into space.

"She's a ghost." He said plainly.

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. She's going after Laren and he won't think twice."
"Neither will she."

"She will." Riddick said. "She needs answers. This guy has fucked with her mind for years, if she kills him, where's the closure. It would be a hollow victory."
"You sound like Imam" Jack spoke before she realised what she'd said. She offered a squeeze to his shoulder "Sorry." She sounded pathetic but Riddick knew she meant well.

"She'll never be free." Riddick looked down at his hands. "So she'll hunt him down like the animal he is, and she pause wanting daddy to fill in the gaps in her life and answer that bug fucking question, why? He knows it and she'll know it but too late. He'll fill her in alright, hill fill her body full of a laser discharge and dump her carcass out with the garbage."
"Don't talk like that Riddick, that's crazy talk."

Riddick shook his head "No it aint, Jack 'cause it's exactly what I'd do."

"Not true, you didn't do it to me."
"I aint your daddy."

"You're the closest thing I have to one, doesn't that count?"

They were silent for a moment until Jack decided to leave Riddick brooding alone with his thoughts. She'd run out of things to say and understood that a man like Riddick appreciated time alone, the beast needed no company. She approached the door when he spoke.

"Jack" he only spoke her name and his head turned slightly just enough for her to see the tiniest glimmer of his quicksilver eyes. He nodded to her and she understood. When you've been through all that they had together, words were not needed to convey thoughts and feelings.

"You're welcome" she whispered nodding back.

Lupus Five grew large on Karlas shuttle view screen. A stunning planet surrounded by swirls of red and orange gas clouds. Mining the Kelsite was a dangerous job, when the mining drills bit into the ore the heat generated produces noxious gasses which pass into the atmosphere. There was water on Lupus Five but it was undrinkable. You couldn't even take a bath because of the corrosive nature of the gasses. The towns were protected by huge filters, they suck up the air and filter out the toxins before pumping fresh air back into the towns. Karla scanned the surface for any large mining activity knowing that that would be her best place to begin looking for Laren. He needed Kelsite and a lot of it and rather go through the official channels she figured Laren would try any illegal means.

A few days in space on her own had given her plenty of time to consider how many ways she would kill the bastard that had made her life a living hell for twenty years. Her shoulder still ached if she didn't move around and stretch it out and her head was still scabbed over. She ignored the majority of her injuries keeping her mind focused, zeroed in on what she had to do. She circled the planet twice before choosing her landing site next to a large mine. It wasn't the biggest but Laren wasn't stupid at least not where this was concerned. He knew that the largest mine on Lupus Five would boast a battery of armed guards not to mention a hefty amount of special defences primed and ready to blast any ship, that threatened their resources, out of orbit.

She landed not far from a small village where the miners would make their homes and support themselves. As she walked her feet kicked up yellow and orange coloured sand that felt hot beneath her. The air was clean yet rancid tasting. The goggles she wore protected her eyes from the bright colours and blazing sunlight that burned through the clouds casting orange light over all the land. She saw no sign of Larens ship.

The mine had shut down production she assumed until the next day. She didn't know much about Kelsite but what she had picked up from her time in slam was that it was best mined at night to minimise the heat produced and thus reducing the pollution in the atmosphere. Security at the mine was minimal, she ducked under a barrier and shielded herself against a tall rock formation waiting for two armed guards to pass her by before she ducked into the mouth of the mine. She removed her goggles when light from topside subsided. Her new eyes could see in the dark and allowed her to navigate the intricate web of tunnels with ease and silent grace. Kelsite appeared to glow to her, it's natural colour was a deep orangey/red almost like fire and felt warm to the touch. The dry air made her mouth dry and sweat drenched her clothes but still no sign of Laren.

She was beginning to doubt her own judgement

Doubling back she made her way out of the mine quietly and rounded the huge rock formation she had hidden against on her arrival. A nearby building marked her entrance to the village. Placing the goggles back over her eyes she entered a tavern. She pushed her way through the crowd towards the bar slipping her hand through some guys pocket to life some credits on her way.

"Ale" she asked the guy serving the beverages and tossed some credits on the table.

"Something local" she told him in her preference.

"Haven't seen you in here before" The tender tried to make conversation.

"Haven't been here before" she replied.

"My name is Sayal." He held out his hand which is when she looked at him properly.

He wore his black hair in a pony tail and was not clean shaven. His black tank top set off his tan she thought admiringly. He reminded her of someone, someone she knew back in slam, someone she was close to, someone she had been attracted to but he left the slam space port before she could anything about it.

"You always been here?" she asked him

He nodded "And I know you haven't."

Okay, she thought, I can play this game "How do you know that?"

He lowered his eyes absorbing her frame, she felt warm as his eyes draped themselves over her bare arms and up towards her neck "Because I would have remembered a creature as beautiful as you" he whispered in her ear.

She had never had a man in desire before. She felt passion and desire, she was a woman after all but to have a man out of passion and desire was something she had never experienced. She wasn't sure if it was the ale or the warmth of the planet or the effect of the Kelsite on her but this guy she could definitely take outside. The beast in her had awoken, nut unlike Riddick her beast was born of passion.

She drank h ale thirstily and the tender, Sayal, poured her another.

"On me" he pushed her stolen credits back across the small bar.

She nodded her thanks and watched him serve other punters.

"You're staring." He smiled at her.

"You remind me of someone." She told him

"A good someone?" he pushed, teasing, tempting her.

"I never got to find out" she replied licking the rim of her glass.

"His loss" Sayal smiled.

At that point the doors to the tavern swung open and in walked three large men in uniform Karla recognised the uniform immediately as slam standard issue. The light through the door made it difficult to see the last person who entered but when the doors closed Karla could see all too clearly the large well built frame of her father.

Karla swallowed her ale and turned to face the bar. Sayal looked at her questioningly. He saw panic in her eyes. Slowly without attracting attention he pushed open a small door beneath the bar. He motioned for her to go through it.

She obliged thankful that she had not been seen, she chose her fights and her battlegrounds and a crowded tavern was not her choice, not today.

Sayal asked a colleague to stand it for him and he disappeared into a small back room. He opened a second door inside the room and grabbed Karla by the arm pulling her up from the storage cellar.

"I take it I haven't seen you." He said with a tinge of sadness.

"It's not what you think Sayal." She told him earnestly "The guys that just walked in are gonna steal some Kelsite to build a weapon to destroy my home world."
"Steal Kelsite?" Sayal half laughed "Impossible."

"I know this man Sayal. Spent a lot of years locked up in a slam run by him. He's a vicious sick individual who will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"You know his well I assume?"

"He's my father." Karla lowered her eyes ashamed of speaking those words about such an evil hurtful man.

"And he will sop at nothing." She lifted her top a little to show Sayal the scars he had bestowed upon her over the years.

"It will take far too long to explain Sayal, please trust me when I say, stay away from him, he will kill you if he finds out I'm here and you helped me."

Sayal took Karla by the arm and with one free hand he removed her goggles. She heard him gasp.

"I'm sorry" she said nervously

"Don't be." He told her "I never trust anyone without first looking into their eyes."

They stood for a moment silently.

They were disturbed by a frantic knocking on the door "Sayal" called his colleague "Some guy wants to talk to you."

"Go." He told her opening a window.

It was a painful choice to make, if she left she would be leaving Sayal to the dogs, if Laren sensed he was being lied to she didn't want to consider the consequences but her mind filled with images, images of torture she had carried with her for decades.

"Go." Sayal told her again.

"Sayal" she whispered before pushing her lips to his in a frantic passionate exchange she knew she would regret forever if she didn't do it now. They were abruptly broken by the pounding on the door.

Sayal tore himself away from her lips "Go" he whispered kissing her forehead "go".

She didn't look back. She crawled out of the window and was gone.

She ran until her chest felt like it was about to explode trying to outrun the fear that had welled up inside her body. It was useless and when she could not run any further she collapsed against a building exhausted, her heart was beating wildly, acid saliva filled her mouth. She bent over breathing hard resting her hands on her knees coughing in between breaths. Exhaustion was replaced by anger. She should not have left Sayal, she should have brought him with her, and they would have been safe. She was alone, very alone with no one watching her six. Mentally she kicked herself for running but deep down she knew she had no other choice. Laren could not know she was here if he did her chances of getting close to him were shot to shit.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon and she knew that soon the mines would be operating and Laren would make his move. Gathering her thoughts she made her way through the myriad of alley ways. In the distance she saw a ball of dust thrown up in the wake of a landing space ship.

"Riddick" she whispered "why couldn't you stay away." Her voice was filled with remorse. She had hope that her false trails had meant that Riddick and Jack had given up on finding her. Deep in her heart in the darkest corners she felt a pang of regret that he had found her. Putting them in harms way was something she knew had to be avoided. She had to get to Laren before they did; she had to fuck up his mining plans. Not only that but she took it one step further, she had to destroy the weapon and its creator. Yes, she thought, she would destroy the man who gave her life and then took it away. She would make him suffer, she would end him.

Slowly she stumbled into the mines mentally mapping every nook, every cavity, every vantage point.

"Okay Riddick, what's the plan?" Jack asked slinging a laser rifle over her shoulder.

Riddick pulled down his goggles. "Simple, we kick ass."

Jack offered an unsure nod "Okay then."

The ship had located Karlas shuttle and they had landed nearby but far enough away so that Karla would not see the ship.

"Are we even sure Laren is here?" Jack asked.

"The Kelsite is here, Jack." He replied.

They left the ship and made their way towards the village. The miners were on their way towards the mine to begin the nightly work.

"They work at night?" Jack whispered

Riddick nodded

"Damn, I hate the dark, Riddick."

He knew she hated the dark and he knew the reason for it. How could he ever forget his time on T2; how could he forget the lanky wannabe bad ass that hadn't reached puberty yet. He glanced down at Jack – she certainly had reached adulthood now, filled out in all the right places a girl should, even grown her hair out.

"Are you ogling me Riddick?" she asked coyly.

"Just wonderin' why you don't shave your head any more?" he replied. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw her smile.

"That's him" she said nodding towards the tavern.

Sure enough, Laren, flanked by several security personnel was standing in the doorway of the tavern.

"Wait" Riddick rumbled sensing that Jack was all too eager and trigger happy.

"What do you mean, man, he's right there, out in the open."

"I don't see Karla" He replied.

"Oh, come on Riddick. It's now or never."

"Where's Karla?" Riddick asked.

Jack and Riddick watched Laren and his guards leave the tavern and make their way towards the mines laughing. Laren was slapping one of his guards on the back laughing loudly with one of the miners.

"What's do you think they're saying?" Jack asked

"SHhhh." Riddick whispered silencing her with a hand signal.

"What's that in his hand?" Riddick muttered.

Jack looked closely paying attention to Larens hands.

"Oh Geez. Looks like one of those radion charge triggers she said half heartedly.

"Makes sense actually" she continued "Given the amount of Kelsite he'd need it would take the miners about thirty days to mine it…perhaps e's considering blowing one of the mines wide open."

There was a tense pause and the two watched Laren make his way towards a mine.

"I don't like the sound of what I just said."

Riddick was in silent agreement.

"C'mon Riddick, we have a chance to take him out. What the hell are we waiting for?"
"Karla" Riddick answered.

Jack rolled her eyes "I swear she's turned your mind soft with all that sex appeal" Jack joked.

"She's Furian, Jack" Riddick said slowly as though he had to explain himself.

It took a moment for it to sink in but when it did, Jack was gobsmacked.
"Oh, wow"" she exclaimed "So now you're not a loner.

"She's in the mine, she has to be."

What makes you so sure."
"That's were I would be" Riddick answered.

There was a momentary pause.

"We have to get her out of there." Riddick said rising off his haunches.

"You got it boss"

To Karla the mines were unbearably hot. The cool night air had lessened the intensity to still everything she touched felt almost like it was burning the skin from her body. Sweat poured from her skin. The scab on her forehead itched in the heat and it took every ounce of self control she had not to scratch it. The Kelsite was everywhere embedded in the toothed rock surface.

As she rounded a corner she felt a pair of strong arms grab her around the waist and push her against the rock.

"Yeah, she's the one." A guard spoke loudly to his comrade.

Karla struggled when she recognised the uniforms as being those of Larens personal guards. The guard pressed his arm against her neck depriving her of oxygen slowly until she stopped struggling. He spun her around and pressed her face into the hot rock. Her skin felt like it was on fire yet s refused to scream. She felt the guard fasten her wrists in handcuffs then he grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her towards the nearest exit.

"Shit, Riddick" Jack grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down to take cover behind a nearby rock. Jack pointed to the second entrance slightly further away from their position.

"I think we're too late" she spoke slowly absorbing what was going on watching as Karla was lead roughly out of the mine towards Laren. Jack strained to hear what was being said in what was obviously a heated discussion. Riddick, with his heightened senses could hear perfectly.

"Why is it that you keep turning up and trying to spoil my plans daughter dear?" Laren cooed sarcastically. He grabbed her chin yanked off her goggles and lifted her head into the spotlight from a guard tower. Karla gasped as the light burned her eyes but she would not give Larendaron the satisfaction of seeing her fall before him.

She balled up some sour tasting spittle and hurled it off her tongue towards his face. He instinctively back handed her with his gloved hand.

"You hit like a pussy bitch" Karla taunted him.

Laren threw back his head and laughed aloud.

"You Karla, I had grown so fond of you, so very fond. You remind me so much of your mother."
"Don't you ever speak about her" Karla seethed.

"I'll never forget the look of horror on her face as I lead you away. There were tears, you tried so hard to get back to her.."

Karla struggled to break free of her restraints "You have no idea what that did yto me you sonofabitch."

"On the contrary, child, I know exactly what it did to you. Your hatred for me has lead me exactly where I wanted to go. You must have realised by now that I no longer need you."

"So, you're casting me aside like garbage is that it daddy?" she spat out the last word as though it left a foul taste in her mouth.

"Casting you aside…"Laren grinned "I never leave loose ends to come back and haunt me. I cannot risk the chance that you will try and stop me destroying Furia so I must take the necessary steps."

"Wh…what?" for moment Karla looked shocked

"Take her back inside the mine, set the charges, and make sure she cannot escape." Laren looked to his guards. As they took her Laren used the butt of his pistol to hit her on the back of her head, she slumped forward.

The guards dragged her into the mine and left her in a darkened corner tied to a shard of rock. If she tried to hard to escape she would cut herself on the sharp edges and do herself more harm than good. The charges were set and in less than five minutes the mine would be reduced to over one hundred tonnes of rubble enabling Laren to collect what he wanted in half the time and then he would be on his way to Furia to end a legacy.

Riddick was already on the move with Jack prowling the perimeter searching for another way into the mine.

Squeezing through a hole they managed to enter the mine on the far side. Riddick sprinted ahead with Jack double timing behind him trying to keep up.
"Are you with me, Jack?"

"Don't worry about me Riddick, Go!"

They negotiated the narrow tunnels Riddick would stop ever so often and smell the air trying to break through the Kelsite to Karla, her warm scent permeated through to him, he knew he was on the right track.

Sweat poured from his body. He knew what heat did to him and kept his feelings in check concentrating on the task at hand, finding Karla. The beast in him was becoming rampant he didn't know how much longer he could keep it under control.

As they turned a sharp corner he spotted her regaining consciousness. The only thing between them and her was a deep crevice six feet wide and hundreds of feet deep which was spewing hot steam from its dark depths.

"Karla" he called.

Karla looked up dazed and disoriented. She focused on Riddick, her saviour. She offered a tired smile of relief and whispered his name. He had followed her, he had tracked her but more than that he had searched for and found her.

Then the walls were rocked by an explosion. A bright light flashed through the tunnels. Riddick shielded his eyes from the light which for a few moments took his sight and in its place offered a silvery blue ball of light. The walls of the mine crumbled and fell huge rocks bounced as they hit the floor, some would shatter and others would remain whole.

"Karla" Riddick yelled as the rocks began to form a wall between them. Then, silence.

The tunnel was blocked, Riddick and Jack could get out the way they came in but Karla, the rocks fell close to her blocking off the tunnel. Riddick wasn't even sure if she was still alive.

A primal growl erupted from his gut and echoed off the walls. He fell to his knees; his head raised upwards his throat burning with fury. Jack was silent for a while and watched as the man she knew to be the big bad crumbled before her. Then, she got it. It wasn't that he loved Karla; she was his match, his equal, in primal terms she was his mate. They were born of the same race. Riddick had spent his whole life searching for his own kind, believing that he was the last one based on legend and here say. Then, to find someone, actually touch someone who shared the same fire in their veins after all these years wandering alone. Then to have it cruelly ripped away. There was a word for what he was feeling right at this very moment. Jack searched her mind for it and dare not speak it aloud. Riddick was defeated.

He hung his head and closed his eyes. Kneeling on the hard surface his rested his hands on his thighs and breathed deeply through his nostrils.

"It's over Riddick." Jack said softly placing a hand on his huge shoulders.