6.

Tempt not the Tigress

"We're finally on Hiriv Prime and all you can do is watch? Why don't we go out and look around? You've been wanting to conquer this system for months now," Vaako said, watching Riddick carefully observing his army's work.

He grunted in response and started walking, Vaako following him.

"Why is this system so important to you?" Vaako asked, striding alongside Riddick.

"Something's here." Riddick said, sniffing the wind. Yes, something was definitely here that he wanted to find.

Jack hid behind another demolished wall, peeking over the side of it. No one was there, but it was a long stretch until another outcropping she could hide behind.

Suddenly a shadow covered her and she looked up and saw a solider. She lost no time in jumping over part of the wall and sprinting, her bag bouncing on her back. She skid around a corner and another one, keeping the armada main ship as her target. She could hear soldiers running after her, but she was smaller and faster.

Right! Kyra shouted in her mind and she sharply turned, continuing to run through the small winding alley. See that window sill? Climb, climb up the building. I know you can do it.

Convincing herself it wasn't much different than climbing a tree in her back yard, she scrambled up onto the sill and kept going up the small apartment levels. Jack gripped her fingers in the small spaces between the bricks, climbing farther up. She didn't pay attention to the soldiers below who couldn't find her as she grabbed the top ledge and pulled herself up.

Very good. Take a breather, you'll be safe up here.

She sat until she got her wind back, then stood up and walked to the other edge of the roof. She could see beneath her a square that was quickly filling up with lined troops. Beyond them was the armada. Going to the corner, she lay down on the roof and watched through a hole in the bricks that served as drainage. Finally they finished and not much later two men walked into the square and she felt Kyra growl.

That's him, the one with the goggles.

Jack nodded and watched what was happening. She didn't notice how the direction of the wind had suddenly changed, but when Kyra did, it was already too late.

Riddick's head snapped up and stared at the exact spot that Jack was hiding in. He moved forward, motioning for the other man to stay put with the troops. She gulped as she saw him take out the two knives she once thought were claws and using them, started to scale the building.

Back up slowly, don't run. I'll take care of this. Just, remember what we worked on.

Jack slowly moved back on her hands, still staying seated on the roof. Soon enough, the fearsome bulk that was Riddick crouched on the corner of the roof. He sniffed and growled deep at her.

"Scared?" He asked, not moving from his perch.

"No." Jack said weakly, wondering what Kyra was going to do.

"And why's that? Someone's gonna protect you, kid?" He asked and Jack was surprised at the flare of rage she felt inside herself, but she knew it was from Kyra.

"Yeah. And she's gonna whoop your butt." Jack said defiantly, glaring at him.

Suddenly he was looming over her and she saw his knife coming from behind. Panic took over as she realized he was holding her down with one of his feet and about to grab her neck with his other hand. As he did, she screamed and didn't notice how the name made Riddick startle.

"KYRA!" She screamed and she felt her leave her body and watched in amazement as an invisible force easily pushed Riddick off her and to the edge of the building. Before Riddick could land a blow of his own, Jack saw a wisp of a form jump in the air and with a roundhouse, kicked Riddick clean off his feet and off the roof.

She gasped as Kyra suddenly re-inhabited her.

You ok? He didn't hurt you did he?

Jack shook her head, still slightly breathless.

Now, how cool was that, Jack?

Vaako sprinted as Riddick fell from the building. He too had witnessed the strange force that had easily beaten Riddick and kicked him off the roof of the building. But flicking out a shiv, he caught it in the wall of the building and it stopped his fall. Riddick easily made his way down the rest of the building, jumping the last few feet to the ground.

"What was that?" Vaako asked, looking back up at the roof.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out, is the rest of Hiriv Prime done with?" He asked, glancing back up at the roof.

"Just about, we need to round up a few more, but other then that, it's finished." Vaako reported and Riddick nodded, still looking disturbed. "Did you catch her name?"

"What? No, didn't ask." Riddick replied, wondering why he asked.

"Because she might come along easier if you didn't pet name her and called her by her real name." Vaako explained and jumped slightly when he heard a voice by his waist.

"My name is Jack, thanks for asking and I'm not going anywhere." Jack said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's your name?" She asked Vaako, looking somewhat polite.

"Vaako. And this is-"

"Riddick, I know. She told me all about you," Jack said, nodding thoughtfully.

"She?" Riddick asked.

"Perhaps this is better done inside," Vaako noted, watching the troops attempt to listen to their conversation.

"Listen to the vampire, he knows what he's talking about." Jack said, making Vaako glare at her. "What? Vaako the Vampire, sounds good, doesn't it? And mommy says that being too pale is a bad thing, not enough…what's it called…" Jack trailed off, thinking.

Vitamin D, Jack.

"Right! Vitamin D!" She said proudly.

"Let's go." Riddick grunted and Jack held her ground. "Now, kid." He growled at her, but she still didn't move.

Go with him, you'll be safe.

"Fine." Jack started walking, not sure how she felt about having to walk in between Vaako and Riddick. They neared the armada and Jack hesitated. These were the ships that killed her parents and she would have to be in them. She roughly wiped at tears that began to fall from her eyes and kept walking. Vaako looked at Riddick over Jack's head and motioned down to her, some deeper dormant feeling telling him that this was wrong, that a child her age should not cry. Riddick shook his head and Vaako was left with his thoughts.

Interior decorator still must be alive…Kyra dryly noted as they walked through the ship and Jack giggled quietly, making Riddick glare at her. She quieted down and pulled the straps of her bag tighter against her.

Finally they stopped in front of two dark metal doors, twisted in a way that made them look purely evil and if anything, the gates of hell. Jack stopped dead, this was getting really scary for her, she had seen the inside of this ship before, the doors and a throne room. She felt Kyra contemplating these thoughts before urging her to keep going.

"Come in, nothing is going to happen to you," Vaako said above her and she looked up, smiling weakly at him. She could tell this startled him.

The room had high ceilings, a few scattered chairs, a lounging couch and four tables that looked like pools. Jack stopped at one of them and looked down at her reflection in the pool that looked like it was black mercury. She blew slightly on it, mesmerized by the ripples that went through the liquid.

Jack then realized that the two men were watching her intently and she blushed slightly with embarrassment, backing up a few steps. Vaako gestured towards the couch and Jack walked over to it, sitting on it and taking off her bag. She kept it right next to her and waited for them to start talking.

"So, Jack, perhaps you can tell us what that…force was that knocked Riddick off the building." Vaako started and Jack tensed, she wasn't sure if she allowed to say something.

Do you want me to speak for you? Kyra asked, knowing that Jack wasn't too keen on Kyra possessing her body fully, but in a situation like this, she just might go with it. Jack nodded, not realizing how strange it looked to Riddick and Vaako, who glanced at each other. Swallowing, she relaxed completely, slumping over as if asleep. Riddick moved forward immediately only to freeze when her head lifted and a very familiar pair of eyes fiercely burned at him.

"Long time no see, Big Evil."

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