Author's Note: Here's a random thought that really doesn't have a thing to do with this story: We never found out exactly what it was that caused the Hunter Gratzner to crash, right? Well, what if it was a rogue comet... a Necromonger comet? Just a thought.

Chapter Two

"Hey! Turn on your com this time," he recommended as she slid down the ramp. She flipped him off, but did as she was told.

"Skank's got an attitude," chuckled Spinner, which earned him Mitch's elbow in his gut.

Kyra hugged herself against a violent gust of wind that roared around her. Once it died down she again flipped on the heat scanners. Immediately, something caught her eye. It was big, moving from right to left across her field of vision. It was much too tall to be a man, and lumbered across the land. She tapped her ear piece. "This thing on?"

"You're coming in loud and clear," responded Toombs.

"Okay, Doc-T. I got something. It's not Riddick. I think we found a Urzo." She rubbed her lenses, wiping away the melting snow flakes.

"Keep your distance, those big apes don't like to play nice."

"Roger that." She kept her eyes moving. When she saw him she'd know it. She'd never mistaken his form before. Granted, it had been nearly five years, but you don't forget a shape like that.

She wandered a little ways away, out of the protective cover of the craft.

"Stay in range," he warned.

There was a shallow rift in the ice not far behind the ship. A chill ran up her spine and rested in her brain stem. She knew it wasn't caused by the relentless weather. With one last cursory glance around her perimeter, she hustled back onto the ship. "He's near. I can feel it."

"Did you feel it, or are you expecting it now that you know who it is?"

"Look, we've got a history. I know that. It's not gonna cloud my judgment or my senses. The target's close, you get me?"

"I gotcha. All right people, let's suit up," he reached for his coat and mask. Their gear was ultra-arctic. It was light, yet impregnable by the cold. Kyra wrapped and extra length of rope around her, pulling it through her legs and encompassing her waist to form a kind of harness. She tied a few sound knots before winding the excess up and tucking it into her bet. As soon as the team was dressed and armed they high stepped it to the surface. They checked their man to man comlinks and spread out.

Kyra pointed them in front of the ship, while she snaked around back, towards the rift. "Keep on your toes," she whispered hoarsely. She could be heard perfectly by her companions, but her mask kept the sound from traveling to any hidden ears. "I'm gonna try and draw him out. Watch me and be ready to spring." Spinner turned to stare at her. "No!" She rolled her eyes, "Turn around! Be aware of me, don't ogle."

As they went about their business, putting on a convincing search act, she casually laid her weapon against the landing gear and stretched. She strolled a bit, keeping to the lip of the crack. She paused, putting her back to it. She widened her stance a little and held her hands in close to her belly, running her gloved fingers over her thumbs. Come on. Come on. I know you're there. come and get me, she silently taunted.

Her intuition hadn't lied to her. He was there all right. He was right below her, standing on a ledge that jutted out of the wall six feet down. He had slipped down there when he heard the merc ship approaching. He silently cursed them. He had been hunting the urzo giganticus when they decided to flutter in. There went his meat.

His long, ice encrusted dread locks were tied back so as not to interfere with his vision. He wore layer after layer of urzo skin, which insulated him rather well against the harsh cold. His old rubber boots were tucked snugly into a pair of cleaned out urzo feet. This so called 'deviant footwear' came in handy while hunting; because of them he left only urzo tracks.

His goggles worked like magic against the encroaching sun. He looked up at the clearly feminine form above and licked his chapped lips. She was so close, it would be so easy...

Come on. Go for the sweet spot. You want to, I know it. Come on, she set her jaw.

He slipped a curved shiv silently from a carefully concealed sheath.

Come on big boy, she was becoming impatient, Damn it, let's go!

She's nervous, he though, stilling himself. She knows I'm here.

She began to second guess herself, Riddick...

He crouched lower, scraping the blade against the ice shelf. He'd wait, wait for her to shift just right, then he'd strike.

Suddenly she dove for the gat, and he knew it was now or never. He pushed off, springing high into the air, clearing her doubled over body completely. Now he was in front of her. She turned to stone. She had to be careful. The harsh light caught the metal dagger, and a glint hit her eye. Swiftly, she pulled the rope's end out of her belt, threw it around one of the ship's legs, then forced a slip knot. He came at her and she rotated, diving head first into the crevice.

After a moment she latched onto the rope, halting her fall. She yanked herself up right.

He leaned over the edge, watching her go down and down before jerking to a stop. His clawed foot put a strain on the ice, and a few pieces broke off to rain down on her. He kneeled, taking up her safety line and laying it across his lap. He pushed the serrated edge of his blade up firmly against it, ready to saw through. The fall wouldn't kill her, it wasn't that deep, but she wouldn't be able to make it out on her own. She'd be trapped. Unless her buddies decided to help her out...

Buddies. She wouldn't have come alone.

He spun around just in time. There was Mitch on her knees, aiming a high powered gat directly at him. He rolled out of the way and the net flew across the gap, skidding across the slick surface of the other side.

When Kyra saw it fly over head she knew it was time to climb up. It took her a minute to reach the top, but soon she was on her feet again, ready to join the fray. Positions had changed since she'd last been in the game. The three others were moving in, forming a fastly tightening half circle around their quarry. Riddick's back was to her, moving precisely along the rift. She could take advantage of this.

She mentally measured the distance between her and her abandoned gun, the gun and Riddick, and she and he. With experience-bread stealth, she slithered on her hands and knees towards the gatgun. Her eyes revolved at a sickening pace in their sockets, trying to keep tabs on everything at once. Soon she had to focus solely on the gun or she'd get no where. When she was close enough she reached for it, wrapping her fingers firmly around the grip.

She didn't hear him coming.

She felt a large, cold weight press down in the middle of her back. In an instant her head snapped back, tugged up by the massive digits wrapped in her hair. Then a knife was at her throat. The freezing metal stung her skin. "Don't move," he growled softly.

The team could see what was happening, clear as day, and lowered their weapons.

When they had been together, all those years ago when she was a kid, she'd never been afraid of him. He'd never purposefully tried to frighten her, either. He was cool and collected, and if that scared the crap out of some people, so be it. His somber attitude was a facade she'd aspired to reflect for some time, until that day she had been able to see right through the bullshit. She vowed never to play his games again after that, when she saw what being Big Evil was really all about.

No, Riddick, she refused, I won't take orders from you.

Plain for him to see, so he wouldn't pull the plug on her just yet, she moved her hand up to her mask with leisure. Gradually, she drew it down, away from her features. She then tilted her head to the side, so she could catch a glimpse of him, and he of her.

"Riddick?" she said, soft and small like a child, adding a slight tremor for effect.

She had caught him completely off guard. As soon as he realized who it was he had under him he hesitated. Toombs saw an opportunity and took it. In a flash his gun was up, poised to fire. He shot. The net opened wide on its way to Riddick, ready to embrace him like a horny octopus.

The impact of it forced him off of Kyra's back. She threw her feet under her and scrambled to his side, hauling her heavy gun along. He was laying on his face, and with a grunt tried to rise. "Nice to see you too, bastard," she carped, slamming the butt of her weapon into the base of his scull.

Author's Note: Like a horny octopus? I have no idea where that simile came from, but I though it was amusing. So... tell me what you think of this chapter, please.