Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

~Invictus by William Ernest Henley~

The men sat around the dinner table engaged in various discussions, over the number of surviving Furyans to the best way of making it off the ship alive, surround by the remains of their dinner. The girls were going from lap to lap moving or staying depending on the amount of attention being given to them by said lap's owner. Carolyn and Aereon were sitting on the settee, having coffee or what passed for it here, nearest the men when there was a knock at the door. No one seemed to hear it other than the two women so Carolyn set her cup down on the table in front of her and went to answer the door. The closer she got to the door the harder and faster the knocking became alarming Aereon who stood to follow, finally getting the men's attention. Just as Carolyn turned the knob to open the door Riddick called out for her to wait but it was too late. Dame Vaako had her on the ground and a knife in her before anyone could do anything.

Time seemed to move in slow motion for Riddick as he watched the scene in front of him. Carolyn was on her back trying to keep Dame Vaako from stabbing her again, the girls were screaming for their mother and being restrained by Aereon while Chode and Kestrel, who were closest, hurdled a couch pulling the bitch off of Carolyn before he could get to her. He had just dropped to his knees beside Carolyn when Vaako came skidding to a halt in the doorway. He turned whiter than Riddick thought possible when he saw Carolyn lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He turned to his wife who was screaming obscenities at Carolyn while still being restrained by Carolyn's guards. He walked up and backhanded her causing her knees to buckle.

"Take her to my quarters and have guards posted. No one is to go in or out." Chode and Kestrel nodded and drug the woman out of the room. While Riddick was attending to Carolyn, Vaako started churning out orders. He had Aereon and Butcher take the girls to their room and ordered Prowse to fetch Dr. Ogilvie and bring him back to the Lord Marshals quarters. He put Kilo and Sulaco on guard duty with orders to let no one but the doctor and Carolyn's personal guards in or out. He then dropped down on Carolyn's other side.

"What can I do to help?" he asked looking at Riddick.

"Find me something to wrap around her shoulder so I can move her to the bed." She had passed out a few moments ago after assuring Riddick that she was going to be fine.

Vaako reappeared with towels from the bath. After wrapping her shoulder with one Riddick picked her up carrying her to their bed. Vaako put down several towels that Riddick laid her upon. He took his shive and cut her dress till he was able to rip the sleeve and shoulder off. The bleeding had slowed down and it didn't appear as though anything vital had been hit. Not like the last time they had gone through something like this.

Vaako appeared at his side with a bowl of water and clean cloth, which he took and started gently wiping the blood off of her. He was almost finished when the doctor was practically pushed through the bedroom door by Prowse. Riddick stood up and let the doctor take his place. After looking at the wound he came to the same conclusion that Riddick had that the wound was not life threating and began to shoo them out the door so that he could stitch her up. However, Riddick was immovable.

"She's pregnant," he told the doctor.

In his element the Doctor held his own. "I think that she and the baby will both be fine Mr. Riddick. I'll give her a thorough check up once I've got this stab wound taken care of. I'll let you know when I've finished." Riddick looked between the doctor and Carolyn and finally nodding his head and leaving the room.

He walked out into the living area and discovered that the pool of blood was already gone so headed into the next room to locate his daughters. Rory threw herself at him the moment he walked through the door. He picked her up and crossed over to where Aereon was holding Ziza on a couch and set down next to her gathering both the girls in his arms. Aereon left him to go check on Carolyn while he stayed with the girls.

"Is Mama Carrie going to be ok?" Ziza asked.

He squeezed the little girl closer to him. "Yes. She's going to be fine, I promise."

"Can I see her?" Rory finally asked pulling her head out of the crook of his neck.

"The doctor is taking care of her right now. After that she's gong to need to rest." Do you think you can wait till the morning to see her?

Rory sniffled but nodded her head. "That's my big girl," he told her kissing her forehead. "Now give me a goodnight kiss and get ready for bed." The girls hugged him and gave him a kiss then went to their room to put on their nightclothes. He found Aereon straightening up the living area and sent her back to the girls.

The doctor still hadn't emerged from their room and Vaako stood nearby his eyes glued on the bedroom door. There was a knock on the door and Riddick turned to see Chode and Kestrel entering having returned from their task. Dame Vaako had evidently put up quite a struggle if the scratch marks on Chodes face were any indication. He stalked over to where Vaako was standing and while the conversation was muted Riddick was able to pick up enough to know that if he or Vaako didn't kill the woman, Chode would. He then approached Riddick.

"Has there been any word on Dame Riddick, Lord Marshal."

Riddick shook his head. "No, not yet." He then stepped up to the soldier and extended his hand, "Thank you."

"It has been my honor Lord Marshal.' Chode replied taking his hand and shaking it. Then giving him a brief nod he took up a position next to Prowse near the doors.

Finally, the doctor appeared in the doorway of the bedroom and was rolling his sleeves down when he looked up and realized that he had the attention of every man in the room. He watched as Chode opened the door and Kilo and Sulaco slipped in the door to hear his diagnosis. His tiredness quickly gave way to nervousness as Riddick and Vaako suddenly appeared in front of him.

"She, sheeee's going to be fine," he finally managed to stutter out under the taller men's glare.

"And the baby?" Riddick asked softly.

"It appears from the exam that I did that the baby is fine. I would recommend that your wife stay off her feet for the next few days to be on the safe side."

"Can we see her?" asked Vaako, earning him a surprised look from Riddick.

"She still hasn't woken up yet, but yes you can go in."

Vaako turned to Riddick. "May I?" Riddick nodded his head and extended his arm towards Carolyn.

Vaako nodded his thanks in return and entered the room where Carolyn lay. He sat in the chair next to her bed and picked her hand up holding it in his. After sitting silently for a few minutes he finally made a decision. He laid Carolyn's hand back on the bed and bent over, brushing his lips against her temple. Standing he turned to see Riddick in the doorway watching. He stopped in front of him on his way out.

"I have an urgent matter to attend to in my quarters but afterwards we should speak."

"Have someone come get me when you return," he told the man before dimming the lights and taking his place in the chair next to the bed.

Vaako watched as Riddick slid one hand over Carolyn's stomach and then hung his head the other hand running over his neck and smooth head before yanking off his goggles and throwing them on the bed before picking up her hand and bringing it to his mouth. Vaako quietly left the room to enter the living area where all six of the guards were along with the doctor.

He pointed to Prowse. "Find whoever is in the rooms next door and get them out. They are to belong to the doctor. I want him nearby at all times. And appoint a guard to him, he is to go nowhere unescorted." Prowse left to carry out his orders immediately.

"Butcher, please let the Elemental know what is going on and stay with her and the children. They are not to be left alone while we are on this ship not even in their own quarters." Butcher got a troubled look on his face but turned to do the commanders bidding.

"I need someone to come with me to act as a witness." He said turning to the remaining four.

Chode stepped forward meeting the Commanders eyes, "I will."

"Come with me then."

Vaako strode from the room and stopped outside the doors. " I need the names of the guards involved," he asked not needing to elaborate on what he was talking about. Upon reaching his quarters he sent one of the guards off to collect the men that Chode had named with orders to meet them in the throne room and another to gather his personal soldiers. Once they had gathered outside of his quarters he immediately sent half to the throne room to secure the men that would be gathering there. Several others were given orders to return to the surface to gather all of Dame Riddick's belongings and those of the holy man and to have them stored on his personal frigate as well as a long list of other supplies. Looks were passed between the men but no one said anything. Finally he turned to the business at hand.

"Today, Dame Vaako attempted to murder Dame Riddick. As her husband and second in command I am ordering her and her accomplices put to death. She is in my quarters, escort her to the throne room."

Arriving in the throne room Chode confirmed that all the guards associated with Dame Riddick's beatings were present. They were currently on their knees with their hands behind their heads in the center of the throne room floor. Not a sound was heard as Vaako stepped up beside the throne. Chode stepped forward and announced, "You are to be summarily executed for crimes against the Lord Marshal. Let the executions begin." A solider stepped up behind each man. Moving as if one, each man raised a knife and plunged it into the necks of the condemned men slicing and then twisting, severing their spinal cords. As the knives were retracted the dead men hit the tiled floor with a thud their blood pooling around them. This was the scene that Dame Vaako arrived to.

Seeing the dead soldier's bodies she tore herself away from her guards and threw herself at Vaako's feet begging for his forgiveness. He calmly untangled himself from her and forced her to stand backing her up to the middle of the floor, blood soaking into the hem of her dress.

She grabbed a hold of the front of his armor looking into his eyes, "Why Vaako! Why? It was all for you, everything I ever did was for you!"

He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her to him. "Then you can die for me!" he snarled in her face as he shoved a knife into her chest aiming for her heart.

Riddick watched from the second floor balcony as Vaako touched his forehead to his wife's and then let her body fall to the ground. He made a motion with his hand and the bodies started to be removed and the throne room set back to rights. Vaako took one last look at his dead wife and turned on his heel walking out into the Basilica. Chode turned meeting Riddick's eye and headed for the stairs. Riddick stood waiting for him lost in thought.