Chapter 16: The Game is On

As Riddick walked away from the practice room knowing that something had changed between him and Kyra, something that he couldn't and wouldn't change. He wanted her. He had seen the way she had been watching him, he had always shrugged it off as a young girls crush; an extension of the hero worship that she had shown him on T2. But not anymore. He had been in that room, he had felt the electricity that had arced between them and he knew: This was no little girls crush.

He smiled slightly to himself and he returned to his bare room, he knew Kyra would be a challenge, even if she did want him as well. It was in her very nature to defy anyone and anything unless she was in control. He also knew her past, how she had been abused by people she had trusted; her family; the fucking mercs she signed on with when she had tried to find him.

"Nice and easy does the trick." He smiled to himself, "This is going to be fun."

Riddick was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Shirah standing in the doorway of her room. She was watching the play of emotions and thoughts on his face and she glanced back down the corridor retracing Riddick's steps in her mind. Her eyes fell upon Kyra who was just emerging from the practice room, a slight blush staining her cheeks as she mentally kicked herself for being so caught off guard by seeing Riddick watch her. Shirah nodded slightly and a smile twitched the corners of her mouth. "So it has started." She thought to herself as she quietly backed into her room and closed the door.

The next morning Shirah reemerged from her room; the lines around her eyes and mouth were more pronounced than ever, and there were dark shadows lurking under her eyes, but she was determined to continue with her life. The time for grieving was past; she would not let grief kill joy.

She met Kyra in the galley as she was making herself something to eat. "Hello, Kyra. How are you this morning?"

Kyra turned around and with a smile she answered, "Fine. You look like you are feeling better, I'm glad."

She turned back to heating some sort of mush that was supposed to be oatmeal; she didn't want to push Shirah too much. She tensed slightly; she had heard Riddick enter from the flight deck. "Shit," she thought; half impressed, half annoyed, "he always seems to be awake first."

He nodded to Shirah and walked over to reach up onto a shelf over Kyra's head, pulling down a cup. Kyra stiffened; he was standing a little closer than was absolutely necessary. She could feel his hard chest and stomach lightly touch her back. He pulled the cup down and stepped to her side, touching her softly on the small of her back with his hand; tracing a feather light path with his fingers.

A shiver tingled through Kyra, but she quickly stepped away; totally off balance by Riddick's completely abnormal actions. Being off balance always pissed Kyra off. She liked being in control of situations, "Shit Riddick, an 'excuse me' wouldn't be fuckin' uncalled for." She spat.

Riddick looked down at her with a poorly concealed smirk on his face. "Oh," he said softly, "excuse me." He filled up his cup and walked out the door leaving Kyra standing, staring after him with turmoil evident in her eyes. She eventually turned back around, grabbed her oatmeal and, leaning back against the counter, began eating her oatmeal in quick, angry spoonfuls.

Shirah silently went about the business of making herself breakfast, forcefully suppressing a chuckle.

A couple days past, and Riddick continued his slow assault on Kyra. She was fuming at him and he knew it: He knew what it meant as well; he made her uncomfortable, he was the one controlling the situation and evoking feelings which constantly put her at his mercy. She hated it…He was having the time of his life.

Shirah just sat back and enjoyed the show, she could see the struggle within Kyra as she rebelled at the vulnerability that Riddick made her feel, and she could see the quiet war Riddick was waging against Kyra's formidable defenses. Shirah had to admit that Riddick was good; he never did anything so blatant that Kyra could call him on it, he never gave her any ammunition against him, but he toyed with her just enough that she could feel it and it left Kyra staggering, uncertain; and therefore, livid.

Kyra knew that something had changed with Riddick, she knew that he had been tantalizing with her, if that was the word, but she also knew that there was no way she was going to make herself even more vulnerable to him by asking him about it. After all, he might be pulling one of her own tricks out of his hat, using sexuality for some sort of advantage; to catch someone off guard, to lure them close enough to jam her shiv into their heart. Riddick had left her before; he might do it again.

She had no reason to trust him and she was angry with herself when she found that she was beginning to. She had learned over and over that trust only meant pain, and she was not going down that road again. Standing, she left her room; heading once again to the practice room to beat the shit out of some inanimate object