Chapter 11: Dead Planet

Riddick remained in the darkened med lab as the hours ticked by. He knew that time was short. The Necromongers would be tracking them down and launching an attack. It was just a matter of time, and it was running out. But Riddick couldn't make himself leave Kyra yet. He felt he had to stay until she woke up; he felt like it was his fault that all this shit had happened to her in the first place. Riddick wasn't used to guilt, but now it felt like it was eating him alive.

Finally he noticed a slight twitching in her eyelids, and then her eyes slowly started to open. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, blinking. Suddenly she began to struggle violently against the restraints; fear and anger were on her face. "Damn it!" she yelled, frustrated and scared by her inability to get free.

Riddick stood quickly and leaned forward, pressing his hands firmly but gently on her shoulders holding her down. "Kyra," he said, she froze at the sound of his voice.

"Riddick?" She asked softly. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me." He answered.

"No wonder it is so fucking dark, you asshole!" She said, her breathing heavy from the struggle with her restraints. "Lights!"

Riddick quickly lowered his goggles as the room lit up and then turned back to Kyra. "Don't move." He ordered as undid her restraints.

Immediately Kyra tried to sit up, propping herself on her elbows. "Shit, slow down." Riddick said, placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her from rising any further. "I don't need you to pass out. I need you to help me fly."

Kyra glanced up at him, pain stabbing through her head. She nodded as she inched up a little higher. "What in hell are you doing here, Riddick?" She asked. "How is it even possible that you are here?"

With little emotion, Riddick filled her in on the important points. As he did so, Kyra finally sat all the way up. Pressing her hand to her forehead as her head began to seriously throb, she looked up at Riddick as he came to the end of his story. "So, you thought you'd borrow a warship to get the hell out of there?" She smirked. "Good idea, it even looks like you borrowed the one I was going for."

Riddick let out a short laugh, "Well, you learned from the best."

Suddenly the lights turned red and began to flash; a high, wailing siren filled the air.

"Fuck it!" Kyra yelled as the siren doubled the pounding in her head.

"Can you walk?" Riddick demanded.

Kyra nodded and quickly swung her legs over the edge of the table, grimacing at the pains in her abdomen. "Shit, they really worked me over didn't they?" she said.

Sliding off the table she stood, instantly she swayed and almost fell. Riddick grabbed her around her waist and supported her as they made their way to the command center. On their way they met Shirah, Lalia and Jack as they came out of their rooms to see what was happening. Kyra looked up at Riddick questioningly, "Later." He said.

"I guess you have more to tell me." She muttered as they continued on their way with the other three now in tow.

As they entered the command center, Riddick led Kyra to the co-pilot's seat where she immediately turned off the sirens. Riddick sat in the pilot's seat assessing the threat that had set off the alarm. Shirah, Lalia, and Jack quickly took seats in the back of the room.

Riddick instantly took command. He saw that the Necromongers had finally tracked them down and they had less than two minutes before they would be attacked by the four oncoming warships.

Checking their condition, Riddick gave Kyra directions to take them into a lower orbit and slow them down. Kyra glanced at him disbelievingly, but kept her mouth shut and did as he said. As they dropped altitude, Riddick was looking quickly over the planet's strategic information. "Hah!" Just as he thought. Scattered at even intervals over the planet's surface were the giant basilicas. Just like on all the planets that the Necromongers wiped out.

Riddick knew enough about the Necromongers to know that there was a switch on every Necromonger warship and transport that initiated their Final Protocol. The final weapon the Necromongers used after they had taken all the converts from a planet that they could.

Glancing at the speed and altitude Riddick began to work on a small key pad located to the left of the flight controls, trying to decipher the code. After working on it quickly for a couple of minutes he finally heard the beep indicating the code was correct. Standing he moved to the center of the room. Pressing a button on the pedestal next to the ship commander's chair, a figure began to rise from the pedestal. It was the figure of a writhing man, who was to be grasping a bar that went completely through his head with a look of indescribable pain and terror etched on his face.

Finally everything was ready and he returned to his seat and took control back from Kyra. She sat monitoring the pursuing ships. Turning to Riddick she said, "Riddick, they are right on our ass. Aren't we going to turn and fight?"

Keeping his attention focused on controlling the ship he asked, "Distance?"

"Forty point two kilometers, they'll be within firing rang in fifteen seconds." She replied.

Riddick began counting in his head. At less than a second to go, he threw the controls forward, causing them to rocket downwards toward the planets surface. Warning systems began to go off as Riddick held on, muscles straining to keep the vibrating ship under his control.

"They are continuing pursuit." Kyra announced.

Through gritted teeth Riddick said, "Kyra, get your ass to that pedestal. I'll fly the ship. When I tell you, you shove that fuckin' lever down. Move!"

Kyra quickly unstrapped herself and headed up towards the commander's chair. She was still dizzy but she made it before the dizziness overcame her. Kneeling, she grabbed onto the bar that ran through the figure's head. "I'm ready Riddick."

The computer began squawking, "Low altitude. Descent not good. Impact imminent if course is not altered."

Riddick waited a split second longer, than suddenly he pushed enter on the keypad confirming the code, and pulled back on the flight controls; the muscles in his arms and chest bulging, sweat dampening the back of his shirt. "NOW!"

Kyra pushed down on the lever with all her strength.

All across the planet the basilicas opened. A large, blue energy ball floated out of the top. Necromongers across the planet stopped what they were doing and watched; not believing what they were seeing. Suddenly the ball dropped, sending out a shock wave that wiped out everything in its path.

In the pursuing warships, the commanders were just about to issue the order to break off because it appeared that the unidentified rebels were on a suicide course, when the ship they were chasing pulled up at an impossible angle! As it shot into the sky everyone in the command center instantly saw the shock wave flying towards them. "UP! UP!" the commanders yelled. The wave hit! All four war ships tumbled end over end as they were incinerated.

Riddick, Kyra, Shirah, Lalia and Jack all watched as the planet erupted into flames. "Fuck you." Riddick spat at the ruined civilization and destroyed war ships as they continued to pull away from the now dead planet. Glancing over his shoulder at Kyra he said, "That was for you."