Chapter 13: Back through the Threshold

Riddick walked back through the ship, pounding on doors to wake everyone up. As he pounded on the last door, he heard Kyra groan sleepily than yell, "I'm up, I'm up! You sure haven't learned any new manners." She opened the door pushing her loose hair out of her eyes. Riddick stared at her a moment through his goggles. "Holy shit." He thought. The few hours of sleep had done her a world of good; she was no longer deathly pale but had good color in her face. Her blue eyes were now clear and alert, full of life. "Beautiful."

Ignoring his reaction to her, he said, "We're at the Threshold, I need you at the command center."

Nodding, Kyra walked past him towards the flight deck, pulling her hair up into a loose knot. For a second Riddick stood there watching her walk, enjoying the muscles play across her back as she worked with her hair. With a half smile he followed and took his seat. Lalia, Jack and Shirah made their way into the command center and once again strapped themselves in.

Riddick and Kyra worked quietly at the flight controls for a couple minutes preparing the ship for the jump through the Threshold. Finally they were ready. Riddick glanced over at Kyra, he didn't know if the transition would be any easier for her than it had been for him since she had the mark. She looked back at him, and he could see that she was a little unsure of what was to come. He reached over and grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Memories of when he had last done that came into both of their minds. She squeezed back and gave him a nervous smile. Still holding onto each other's hand they turned forward. "Hold on." Riddick said pressing the final sequence. The wailing began slowly like before, than BANG! The world exploded into color and light. Forcing his eyes open behind his goggles, Riddick turned to look at Kyra; her eyes were shut tightly and she was grasping his hand as though it was her lifeline. As the wailing grew more intense so did the pain, the very air was vibrating. Riddick could hear Shirah, Lalia and Jack adding to the wailing with their own screams. Finally, it all stopped.

Riddick slowly came to, still strapped into his chair. Instantly he looked over to Kyra; she was still out but he could feel a strong pulse in her hand that he was somehow still holding. Turning he checked on the other three. They appeared to be alright so he looked back at the command consol. The ship was flying smoothly through space with no damage reported from the jump through the Threshold. Riddick slowed them back down, now that they had made the jump, to normal shipping speed.

Kyra started to stir. Riddick watched her as she stretched, breaking their grasp on each other's hands and then opened her eyes. She looked over at him and asked, "Did everything go okay?"

"Yeah." Riddick answered and heard the others begin to stir.

Kyra and Riddick both glanced back and Kyra called out, "Are you all okay?"

After taking assessment of themselves and each other they nodded. Shirah stiffly unstrapped herself and walked down to them. "Hello. I don't think we've met properly. I'm Shirah, and you're Kyra?"

"Yeah. Riddick told me about you. Nice to meet you." Kyra replied slightly uncomfortably, remembering the manners her mother had drilled into her from the time she could talk until she had run away from home.

Shirah gestured back at Lalia and Jack who were slowly pulling themselves off their chairs, "This is Lalia and Jack. Lalia has been a friend of mine for years; since shortly after Jack was born."

Kyra nodded at them and Jack quickly marched down to Kyra and stuck out his hand. Kyra grinned and shook it. Jack then walked over to Riddick, watching every move he made as he continued to check the ship's systems and familiarize himself with his newly acquired ship. Kyra chuckled, Jack reminded her of herself when she had first met Riddick. A lot had changed since then.

Standing suddenly, Kyra left the command center heading back to her room to take a shower.

Standing underneath the hot spray Kyra let all the sweat and grit that had accumulated over what seemed like lifetimes wash away. Watching Jack had reminded her of the hell that had been her own life, both before and then again after Riddick had pulled her and Imam off T2 and left her. She scrubbed harder and harder as she remembered all the creeps who wouldn't leave her alone, even though she had only been a child! Then the slavers had gotten a hold of her. She started to scrub so hard that it left long, red welts all over her body. "But," she thought with a vicious pride, "at least I ghosted them all."

After being slaved out, she had discovered something in herself that she had never known before. It was like an animal. That is when she had changed her name to Kyra and was sent to the slam on Crematoria for single handedly slaughtering her twelve slavers with anything and everything she could get her hands on. She had survived there in Crematoria for roughly three and a half years, learning how to fight and protect herself. Dreaming that Riddick would come and get her out of that shit hole. Then she would force herself back to reality when she woke; realizing that she was the only one she could rely on: Right here, right now.

Then he miraculously showed up, exactly the same as when she had last seen him; reviving her hopes and dreams. It had also brought back the anger she had felt when he had left her in New Mecca with Imam. She had never belonged with Imam or in his lifestyle and Riddick knew it. She was like him even though both he and Imam tried not to let that happen. She belonged with him, even if he was always on the run from mercs. That was the lifestyle she had been made for, the fight; the challenge; the danger. It drew her and made her feel alive.

But he had left none the less, and then just showed up out of the blue like some sort of guardian angel. And he had saved her just like she had dreamed he would.

Kyra finished her shower and stepped out, drying off with a soft towel. She had gotten one of the commander's quarters so everything was first class. She brushed out her long, curly hair and pulled in back into a braid. Dressing quickly into her dark pants and tight black shirt she headed out of her room.