I should have brought her with me, Kyra thought as she dodged through the corridors. She can open all these damn doors.

Riding in Jack's head had a lot of advantages. She knew this place as well as Jack did. Kyra wondered for an instant if Jack had studied the schematics on her own, or if she really had managed to plant the idea in the girl's head.

Kyra arrived at the Lord Marshal's chambers. Slipped in the service entrance. Piece of cake. God, Lord Marshals would have been easy to kill.

Yeah, but if you'd kill him quietly, so what? Only take his place if it's public. So you pick an heir who's squishy. Like Vaako.

Helped kill the last guy.

Only when Riddick forced his hand.

She slid through the rooms, found the right door. It opened easily. With the light, it was trivially easy to find her way. Riddick really liked keeping Jack in the dark. She snorted.

Well, he was a little insecure about relationships.

You're already thinking of them in the past tense.

They'll be dead soon. We all will.

Crawling through the tunnel with a light was hard. She finally gave up, turned it off, groped through the darkness. Far faster than Jack remembered it, she was at the drop. She turned the light back on, leapt down.

"Just fall. I'll catch you." She could hear Riddick's voice, some stray memory of Jack's. She grimaced. He really did do a number on that kid's head.

More than you did? You followed her for years. You made her think you were family. You put her in danger. You took her identity. All to get Riddick's attention.

All to save the universe.

Right. She was running now, feet pounding, through the surreal forest of columns. Jack was right. These do look like dead trees.

Poor kid.


All of the Necroverse was in a flutter, and most people were very carefully not seeing Jack stumbling through the trembling halls.

Pentheselia was in a cell crammed full of Illium soldiers, and the guards were nowhere to be seen. Jack dumped the bag of weapons on a console, got close to the bars. "Hey, princess."

The princess smiled at her, through cracked and swollen lips. "Hey, pet. To what do I owe the honor?"

"What happened when they took you to the Quasi-Deads?"

"I don't know what that means."

Jack blinked at her. Why had she asked that? Brain not working. Right. If they really thought she'd killed Riddick, they would have done that, wouldn't they? But she could be lying. She decided to try the direct approach. "Did you kill Riddick?"

"No. I swear. I didn't."

Jack swallowed. "You need to leave. It's all coming down. Or something. Soon." She trailed off, unable to sort her thoughts. Blood loss and stimulants? Jack shook her head. Walked backwards to the guard station, Pentheselia and her silent soldiers watching her carefully. Placed her hand on the panel, felt it surge to life. Opened all of the cells.

The soldiers were no fools. They were out of the cells instantly, and hands were gently but firmly taking weapons from her. Pentheselia was issuing orders. Jack sagged into a chair.

"What's the situation?"

"Riddick's back. Not dead. He and Toal are fighting in the throne room. This place is going to rip itself apart."

"He sent you?"

"No . . . I ran. It's been . . . hard . . . since he left. I could barely walk, let alone fight. I'd just be a weakness. A hostage."

She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. But Pentheselia just gave her a look, distributed weapons. "You opened the cell doors. Can you open more doors? Get us more weapons? Get us to the throne room? "

"Yeah. You'll . . . " her voice trailed off. "You'll help him?"

"Toal wins this, it's total war. Riddick wins, we have a chance to deal. I swore to protect you, and I will, but you have to come with me." Her eyes fell on the shackles still around her wrists. Suddenly, Pentheselia was pulling at her clothes, staring hard. "Good holy mother, what happened to you?"

Jack blinked back sudden tears. "There are people who didn't like Riddick much. Thought they'd take it out on me."

"Give me a name."

"Dame Vaako . . ."

"She is a dead woman. You have my word. Robert!" A large man came forward. "She's under my protection, and I place her under yours. Everyone who has a weapon, take position around the rest. Let's find us a weapons locker, boys and girls."

Kyra stalked the ancient stone. Someone was there. Her shiving hand was itching. She managed to hold back until she knew more.

Aereon. The Elemental bitch. Emissary. Whatever. She's trying to break the stone, Kyra realized. The older woman had hit it with something hard, repeatedly, managed to scratch the surface. But she was breathing hard, and Kyra was pretty sure that was her heartbeat she could hear echoing through the strange chamber.

She approached carefully. "Hey," she hailed.

Aereon whirled. "Kyra!"

"You know me?"

"Of course, child. The dead woman who was pretending to be Jack."

Kyra hesitated. "I got better." Her fingers twitched over the timer.

"I expected you would. You were sending young Jack dreams, weren't you?"

Kyra glared at her. This woman knows too god damn much. "Are you trying to break the stone?"

"Yes. Can you help?"

"You bet." Kyra collapsed by the stone, started setting the charges. "Crow bars not getting it done, you know. Why didn't you just use explosives?"

"The Necromongers did not leave me any thing I could use as weapon. But I see you came back from the underworld . . . well armed."

Kyra's lips quirked. "Yeah. So to speak." She twisted the timer for five minutes. "When this goes, it's gonna go big. You got a way out of here?"

Aereon's eyes were hard on the timer. "Yes. I have a ship. Do you need a ride?"

Kyra froze. Shit. She'd planned on standing guard over the charge, watching as it went, dying . . .

Dying again. Shit shit shit. "Look – do you know how to use a blaster?"

Aereon nodded, solemnly. Kyra tossed her one. Made a decision. Reset the timer for 90 minutes.

"Wait as long as you can. Stand guard. Anyone comes, kill them, or just set the bomb. I'm going to try to--" She stopped, swallowed hard. "I'm gonna try to make up for a few things.

Aereon nodded, understanding in her eyes. It pissed Kyra off. "And if you fuck up, I've already come back from the dead once," Kyra growled.

The older woman just smiled. "Godspeed, my child."

Kyra flung herself back up the tunnels, meaning to take advantage of this gift from the gods to gather up Jack, maybe Riddick, and get the hell off this station before it blew.

Trouble was, Jack was gone. Gritting her teeth, Kyra went to find the next best thing.

Toal and Riddick were still circling. A few of Toal's minions lurked at the edges. Several minion corpses were at the edges of the circle. Kyra leapt in, easily, spear in one hand, sword in the other. She gave Riddick a quick peck on the cheek.

"Miss me, honey?"

Without looking at her, he hissed, "Where the fucking hell did you come from?"

"From fucking hell. Your Underverse. Jack brought me back with her. May be hope for our girl yet." She speared one of Toal's men, easily. Caught Vaako with an eye. "Hey, old guy. When shall we three meet again anyway?"

Vaako gave her a heart broken look, kept fighting.

Riddick spared her a glance. "Where is she?"

"She wandered off. Amazing she could walk at all, after what they did to her."

He groaned back in his throat. He and Toal met with a flurry of blows. Kyra neatly speared a flunky.

When they were close again, he hissed to her, "when this is over, you and me gonna have a talk, little girl."

"Whatever."

The Illium started to move in good formation. Jack stumbled, and found herself being carried along. Before she knew what was happening, someone was pressing her hand on a lock panel. People were arming themselves around her. She slid to the floor.

She managed to catch Pentheselia's attention. "Look, I really think this place is going to go . . . I think it's all coming down. You have to leave. We all have to leave."

"When?"

"I don't know . . . soon. I brought someone back from the Underverse. Oh god, I have to tell Riddick."

"You're the only one who can open these doors?"

"Yeah." The ground shook. An alarm sounded.

Pentheselia gave her a measuring look. "Robert. Take the west dock, where our ships are. Then use her access to contact the rest of our people, the ones who converted. Tell them . . . tell them what ever gets them into the ships, gets them out of here. We'll be there soon." The big man saluted, swung her up in his arms. Half the men followed them.

Crap, thought Jack. This just keeps on happening. I never got drugged and carried around before I came here. Why does this keep happening? She started to laugh, hysterically, burying her face into this stranger's shoulder.

Kyra was a dream to have at his side. They fought like they were one person. Spinning whirling death, together. The throne room was beginning to tremble in earnest.

Something was going on at the edges of the room. Pentheselia. Her soldiers. Could he trust them? They were fighting Toal's men. Trust for now.

He'd gutted Toal fast enough, had made careful note the man's weaknesses long ago, but the room was stacked full of people who hated him. They just kept coming.

Then it was all over. Pentheselia marched over the dead bodies, saluted, ironically. "Jack sent me. Says it's time to pack."

"What?" Kyra shoved in front of him, facing Pentheselia. "Who are you? I told Jack to stay put. Where is she?"

Pentheselia gave her a polite look. Switched her attention back to Riddick. "Jack's with my people. We are taking the West Dock. She said this place was going to rip itself apart."

Kyra turned around, almost pressed up against him. He was uncomfortably aware of how much she was like Jack, down to the smell. She was absolutely furious. Furious with Jack? Something wasn't right. "Look – you go ahead. We'll find another way off." Kyra was quivering, talking fast. Riddick stared down at her. Something isn't fucking right . . .

"Riddick, what do you want to do?" Pentheselia's voice was calm. He took a step away from both of them.

"I want Jack." His voice was flat. "Then I'll decide. Vaako --" He looked around.

Vaako and his wife were talking, their low, urgent voices so quiet, they had been lost. "Vaako!" he said, louder. Both looked up. Both came over. Vaako protectively in front of his wife.

Riddick was keenly aware that both Pentheselia and Kyra were staring at Dame Vaako. She tortured Jack. She probably plotted against me. She's the love of Vaako's life. What the fuck am I going to do about this?

Later. "You're with me, Vaako. Come on."

Vaako hesitated, then nodded, reluctantly. Kept a hand on his wife. Riddick gave Kyra and Pentheselia a warning look. They swept out of the throne room, towards the space dock. Where Jack should be waiting. Wanted to talk to her before deciding what should happen to Belinda Vaako.

Abruptly, he realized there were things to do. "I want communications back, Belinda."

Dame Vaako gave him a strange look; he'd never used her first name before. "Of course you do, sire. But I had nothing to do with that."

More and more people were following them now, oddly enough. There were the sounds of a confrontation ahead. Where Jack was. He picked up the pace. "Whatever. Just fix it. And have a doctor sent to the West Dock. Melissa. Tell her to find Jack."

Dame Vaako nodded, seemingly polite and ever glad to be of use, and spoke into her wrist unit.

They passed a few bodies, almost silently. Pentheselia's troops were well disciplined, and no one questioned the Lord Marshal. A small group of Necromonger soldiers were manning the doors to the West Dock, standing off against a much larger force of Illium soldiers. An impasse. He couldn't see Jack anywhere, though the smell of her was there. Or maybe that was Kyra. Fuck. The rumbling had stopped, but there was a fine dust in the air, a smell of ozone.

"Stand down." Riddick's voice was loud enough to cut through metal. The Necromonger soldiers at the door gave him a strangled look, obeyed. They pushed into the dock, the Illium soldiers already swarming up into their ships, the Necromongers following uneasily.

Then he finally saw Jack, half carried by a large Illium soldier towards one of the ships. He shoved through.

For a moment he thought the man didn't recognize him, was going to fight him. What the hell has Jack been doing?

Maybe what she thought she had to do, to stay alive? The thought made him feel extraordinarily uncomfortable. He shoved it aside. Jack gave him a strange, hopeful, sad smile. The man put her down.

"I think I broke your Necropolis."

"Guess I was done with it anyway."

She laughed, and wrapped her arms around him for a surprisingly fierce hug. After a moment, he hugged her back.

Then someone was tugging on his sleeve. He turned, meaning to tell who ever it was to fuck off, but it was Melissa, the doctor, her eyes large. "Apologies, Lord Marshal." She turned from him, focused completely on Jack.

"You have to take off the battle-suit."

"Why?"

"Jack, it's designed to keep you alive for a battle, not long term. You need rest. You needed rest before--" The doctor gave Riddick a strangled look, took a deep breath, kept going. "You needed rest before you put it on. It could kill you."

Jack closed her eyes. Slowly, she removed the suit, let it drop to the ground. Looked like she was going to drop after it. "Okay. Oh boy. Dizzy." She leaned against Riddick in a heartbreakingly childish way. He closed his eyes, wishing, not for the first time, he could roll back the last six years, start over . . .

The moment of stillness passed with the arrival of Lord Vaako; a pinched look on his face, his wife close behind. "Sire, our access has not been restored. Can your . . . lady here unlock the ships?"

Riddick stared at him for a moment, not comprehending. But Jack was pulling away. "Lead on, Gunga Din," she hailed, gamely. Vaako took her arm with a curiously formal gesture, began leading her toward one of the larger ships. Dame Vaako trailing behind. They sure seem to get along, he thought, somewhat grimly. We'll be playing happy family in no time at this rate. Stared after them, feeling like he was forgetting something. Someone was tugging at his shoulder, trying to get his attention. Someone always wanted his attention. Since he got here. He was going to be so fucking glad to be away from here.

Kyra. I'm forgetting Kyra. He looked around. Kyra was easing towards Dame Vaako, amidst the tumult. Dame Vaako. Happy families with her around? She was a problem. She was a real problem. A problem Kyra might be solving. He glanced at Vaako, who seemed oblivious in his solicitude for Jack.

Belinda Vaako's voice cut through all the noise. "I saw you die."

"Yeah," Kyra replied. Stabbed her in the belly, ripped up. "And now I've seen you die."

Dame Vaako's lifeless body crumpled to the floor. Riddick was there, paralysis gone now that the deed was done. He found himself across the room, yanking Kyra away. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"She tortured Jack," Kyra hissed, circling him. "She had her raped. I was in her head the whole time. You really think I was going to let that woman live?" She was backing away from Riddick, who was following her slowly, away from Vaako, poor Vaako, cradling his wife's body, crying silent tears.

When Vaako had let go, Jack had almost fallen. Dame Vaako was dead. The woman I wouldn't eat. Jack shivered. As if in response, the building quaked. It's all coming down. Oh god, we have to get out of here. Everyone has to get out of here. Kyra and Riddick were circling each other.

Whatever. They'll work it out. She put her hand on Vaako's shoulder. He stared up at her with tear stained eyes. "I'm sorry, Vaako."

He grabbed her hand.

"Look, we have to go . . . and anyone who stays dies."

He looked at her blankly. It was heartbreaking.

"You need to give the evacuation order, Vaako," Jack said quietly.

"What?"

"Evacuation. This place is coming down."

He nodded, slowly. "Most won't leave."

"I know. But we can give them an option." She led him to a communication panel. It hummed to life under her hand.

Vaako smiled at her. Touched her face gently, and gave the order. He lifted his wife's body in his arms, started to walk back toward the Necropolis. To die, Jack thought, dimly, wishing she had enough strength left to stop this.

Then Kyra broke away from Riddick, flung herself at Vaako's back, furious, a knife upraised.

But Jack stepped in between them. Kyra's knife slid into her side, and Jack fell hard.