Riddick was Riddick, as Nicola often said. That he'd changed at all, mellowed even, in the seven years she'd known him, was not something she could debate with anyone. To know his clinical past, facts, as Kij would say, was not to know the man. The trust he showed her was not easily given. That he trusted anyone, let alone three someones, at any given time, was rare. That it was three women, even stranger. But his life was strange, even he knew that.

Nicola couldn't have known why he left, the night of his daughter's first day. Since admitting - even to himself - that she was bonded to him as mate, a deeper connection that rang true to the very Furyan essence inside, he'd been fighting a new part of his animal side. It was one thing to acknowledge the dark instinctive drive that had kept him alive much longer than any normal human, but that broken night on Crematoria, 15 years ago, when Shirah had uncaged the beast in one fell swoop, combining it with the darkest days of an already black existence... controlling that monster hadn't been easy.

He'd marked her that night she'd taken the lead, some new part of the mystery disenthralled from that violent black place the animal lived. Since then, he'd been attuned to her beyond what even he regarded as normal for his heightened senses. He spent so much time inside his own head, ignoring the ignorant chatter of fellow man, that it didn't occur to him to question it, acknowledge it on a conscious level, until Nicola freaked the night she found out she was pregnant. Then he'd named it, mate. And his predatory instincts clawed back to the surface. Possession and protection, fierce and violent reflexes to keep her safe, keep them safe, not to lose them like Kyra.

Which was one more thing he never dealt with. The one other time he'd allowed himself to care, let anyone in, adjusted his behavior for emotion. The animal didn't like the man. But this woman, his mate, had accepted the animal, much like Kyra, didn't run when she saw it. So the animal claimed her. And he'd let it run loose in her presence.

That it was restless when not by her side, among the others... he'd indulged its desire by returning to Furya, hoping to find some answer to the dreams that still haunted him. He'd found the necropolis that was Shirah's podium there. Felt a different call, beyond that valley. But the animal recognized its home terrain, was at peace in the silent red earth, the ghosts returning to their own beds. It wasn't done, he knew that, but the beast was couched for a while.

Then to return, find Nicola ill, distressed, to find the doctors responsible, to find himself responsible, because of what he was, his blood poisoning her... And then the doctor accusing him further, thinking he'd endanger her - he'd wanted to gut the man. Just X him. Human emotions at his mate's distress, animal instinct to protect and revenge - he shut down. Nicola's misreading the situation, still not aware of emotions he couldn't rightly express, just felt like betrayal. He could read her so well, how could she not see? Thinking he wanted sex. He did, her scent drove him crazy, but even the animal knew and accepted the limits of successful mating. And he was not the animal. He'd backed away.

And the birth. His child. Jack was so small, vulnerable, like her mother. Smelled like her mother, and him. Like the soft lazy bliss that hung in the air after their lovemaking. Like the earth on Furya, the night it rained. Like anticipation, those seconds when the animal stretched before battle, when he was calm and ceded control to the darkness. And dammit, like a baby - linen and powder and antiseptic. That she'd opened her eyes then, regarded him, acknowledged him, and dismissed him as 'not the one I need right now' - that he understood that even before she screamed. Fucking lot to take in.

Nicola was off, drugged, weak. She didn't respond, the other woman did. Took his daughter in the other room, when he knew - again, he shouldn't know - she wanted to be fed. Riddick's world went sideways, this was not his territory. He tried to talk, tried to understand his own reaction, the sudden helplessness and anger. The world was not right. What should be, wasn't. The animal was frustrated, the child was gone, his mate was here, if she wasn't going to do her duty, he wanted her. She smelled suitable again, four months of suppressed lust scratched at raw nerves. He felt sickened by that response, and the baby was still squalling. At least her needs were simple. He could fix that.

The animal quieted a second as child and mother reunited. But he wasn't right. He couldn't be here now. He needed something else. Time to think, and he couldn't have that here, with his senses drowning in their presence. He'd done what he always did when he felt trapped, cornered. He escaped.

It should have been two weeks. That's what he'd intended. Time to think, bushwhack a bit till the animal quieted. That he had free reign on Furya, should have been left alone there by his military clearance, was a given. He'd given the Helion military what they wanted, and they returned the favor, at least in a ship loan and supplies. That Nicola could track him, know he hadn't ghosted, should have been enough.

But on the way back, distracted by what the fire elemental had said to him, that he somehow trusted the man more than he ever had Aereon, he hadn't noticed what had woken him from cryo - he'd assumed it was the Proxima post where he had expected to refuel. The pirates sitting just outside of the Aquilian station's sensor range, they'd had the 2 second head start that dragged him back into the darkness and solitude that had marked most of his existence. Which, he found, hurt far worse now that he had something he valued, wanted in life. He buried that sharp wound, regressed back to the Big Evil.

Almost got out twice, but having been dragged to the dark empty of the Neibaum system, there wasn't anyplace to run to. Too violent for them to believe he'd play nice and convert, they'd sold him to a shady arms trader as payment for weapons and supplies, along with other undesirables and unfortunates they'd shanghaied. The lot of them were sold to Colsack mining camps as slave labor. He'd attempted escape several times, even got a few others out, before the powers that be dumped him in the dark pit, down too far for hope of escape alone.

But some of the people he got out talked. One was even a merc. And eventually stories and rumors of a big fat payday lying like buried treasure at the bottom of a mineshaft made a smash n grab financially feasible... if someone was a fearless, gambling, greedy idiot. An experienced, devious idiot, who could con half his desperate, idiot crew into posing as slave labor to be dumped among the sheep and get themselves positioned for a breakout. And "Idiot" was Toombs' middle name.

So Riddick was reacquainted with his old rival. The rivalry was pretty one sided, Riddick didn't care one way or the other about the merc he had a pretty good record of escaping, but it never seemed to register with Toombs. Since no one other than Riddick was around to point out the number of times he hadn't been paid for catching the notorious criminal (his crews always ending up dead), Toombs continued to repeat the mistake, and probably would, until Riddick finally got around to putting the dirty hound out of his misery.

But the son-of-a-bitch had brought him to Nicola. He didn't know that, and if Riddick had his way, he never would. That there was bait he'd respond to, this time or any other, was something no one this side of the Guild needed to know. That three days after his capture, said bait walked onto the deck of Toombs' ship, laid him open and took him home, was an irony sweeter than even he could dream.

This was home, New Mecca, as long as she was there. As long as they were here. Furya could wait. Everything could wait, as long as his mate and child were happy. And he was content for once. Finding balance with Nicola, and learning to deal with the volatile and entrancing progeny who resonated with him in ways even her mother did not.

It was still a battle, adjusting to life with others... Jack was a chattering, hyper monkey, a ferret, a squirrel. Earth animal names he learned from her endless yammering. But she was more like him than he would admit, for she could keep up this endless babbling, seemingly oblivious to his movements in the room, and then suddenly stop and question why he'd picked up this knife over that one. He used that one when he went to the gym normally, even if this one was his favorite when he went out in the city.

When he picked her up at dance class twice a week, she'd run screaming ,"Daddy!" and launch herself into his arms and immediately demand to know how he got whatever bruising or minor marking she could see or ferret out. Ziza would find this terribly funny, and often walked back to the capitol with them, just to watch the bizarre ritual interrogation. She had transferred into the military compound, her skills and rank qualifying her for better duties these days than Capitol Guard. She witnessed some of the sparring classes Riddick sat in on. That the big man tolerated, even appeared to enjoy, this 5 year old's obsessive interest in her father's combative experience was a special thing to behold. That Ziza was trusted enough to witness these exchanges was deeply moving.

She knew all there was to publicly know about Richard B. Riddick, and several stories from her father besides. That she now had mid-grade intelligence clearance in her new duties, could see what he was capable of, only made her wonder more at his indulgence. But she knew of the first Jack as well, from her father, and her own childhood memory.

Ghazawat al mutakārih, her father had called him, reluctant warrior of judgment. His akbar - his personal spiritual journey of self- is long and hard. Very dark road, for one who does not know the path. She'd spied on her father's discussions with Aereon, shortly before his death. Riddick was a study in contradictions. You accepted it and got out of the way.

Ziza and Kij, his acceptance of them was another instinctive leap. Both were warriors, self-efficient, both reminded him of people from his past. He didn't think on it more than that, everyone in his past was dead, and he preferred to let them rest. That the women acknowledged what he offered and didn't make undue demands solidified his choices. How far he could trust them, he would soon find out.


He'd been in the officers' gym, testing the new program upgrade to the VR simulation unit that Helion had bought from The Company. The scenarios and combat enemy types were good, but it still lacked that certain satisfaction of contact. The scanning units could keep up better now, record injuries and kills, and adjust to fight style more realistically. But it was still fighting ghosts. Fine for a workout, but not really the combat experience the Company promised. Besides, he'd beat their command ops level the first time through. He'd let the General know in the morning.

The note was sitting on the console next to the fight analysis data com. Hard to miss, but considering Riddick was alone in the facility, after hours, the way he preferred it, finding it was suspect. His clearance level was fairly high, had to be for overriding things like the set hours here, so not many others could get in here uninvited. But the defense minister was one of those people, and it was her handwriting on the note.

Meeting got out early, why don't we have a little fun? Meet me in the military storage compound, other side of the capitol. Something I want to show you. Weird. He adored his mate, but she still thought it pretty kinky to do it in shower, she'd freaked when he'd tried to initiate in Jack's room one time. He smelled the paper briefly, yes, it was her scent. But why leave a hard copy, even unsigned? His wrist com was in his bag in the locker room. Was she doing something illegal again, didn't want a trace on her messaging? He liked it when she was bad, it was an inclination that kept her honest, real. Brought her down to his level, where she really belonged anyway. Something was still off, but there was nothing she could dish out that he couldn't handle. He glanced at the section unit in the storage yard once more and headed out to collect his things.


The complex was dark, deserted, quiet. Security was light, once you got inside, and it still amused Riddick that they allowed him access to just about everything. He had no reason to abuse the trust the General had shown him, but that she knew that he knew how to use most of the destructive artillery and machinery in this complex and allowed him free reign was still a pretty funny private joke.

His own musings and good humor were short lived, as he approached the row of smaller storage hangers. Helion Prime wasn't stupid enough to sell off outdated military hardware, so this back corner of the complex served as a graveyard for decommissioned transports and smaller vehicles, until they were dismantled or recycled for parts. What Nicola was messing around with back here had his curiously peaked, though the quiet and the dark set his deeper instincts whispering. The door on hanger 16 CE was locked, and his gut reaction to draw his blades was just a second too late.

The dart hit him in the back of the neck and as he whirled, pulling the small projectile out, another shot hit him squarely above the heart. He pulled that one out immediately, it was still leaking fluid, and he stared at it too long... realizing that whatever was in it was already slowing his reaction. A figure, dressed in black, jumped down from the roof opposite his position. His vision darkened, and he couldn't make out the details of the slight form that had a gun trained on his chest. It, she, looked familiar, but he couldn't connect eye to memory. He tried to step forward, and went sideways, down on one knee.

"One of those things can down a charging cave bear with three times your mass, Mr. Riddick. I hit you twice. Please don't make me shoot you again, I'd really rather you didn't go into cardiac arrest. Just be a good boy and take a nap." She put a booted toe to his chest, rifle still trained, and pushed him gently. He went down, still wondering how he knew her voice.