4 – The Enemy
A half hour into the game and Xen was nowhere near procuring the shuttle keys. Wahls had downed six glasses of liquor and was somehow still winning the game. She didn't know how he was doing it. The man kept urging her to drink as she was sipping as conservatively as possible to avoid getting drunk, and refilled her glass every time she sat it down. She despised this and despite her efforts she could feel the small amount of alcohol working its way through her system, making her lightheaded and dizzy. Spirits affected reapers differently than humans – it didn't take much for her to feel its influence. To her oversensitive skin the atmosphere inside the cabin was becoming overheated and the flickering candlelight seemed to be playing tricks on her mind.
Wahls had lit a pipe after winning his second hand and the fragrant smoke was swirling lazily around the pair. Through the haze Xen kept thinking about Riddick somewhere down below, waiting for her. She didn't know how long he would hang around before marching up to the captain's quarters to obtain the keys himself, whether or not it meant spilling blood. He wasn't exactly a man of patience. The keys needed to be taken fast but she still had no idea how she was going to get them; apparently they were somewhere on Wahls' person but she didn't want to rely solely on his previous information and asking politely if the keys happened to be attached to his belt didn't seem like the best idea. At this point she was waiting for an opportunity to present itself.
Wahls threw back his seventh glass and slapped a card down on the table.
"One more round and I'll have you beat, Xen," he said, his voice a little thick. "I thought reapers were supposed to have the upper hand in games of strategy."
Usually that was true; reapers were particularly good at games such as this as the flow of energy made their opponents easy to read, but her depleted condition was making her skills clumsy and thinking a step ahead was difficult. I need to pull it together, she thought desperately. Everyone's escape is riding on this.
The drink was making the captain bold and he was eyeing Xen as though she were a choice cut speared above a flame. She didn't like the way his eyes felt, probing and intense, even if he was a decently attractive man. He still hadn't bothered to don a shirt for their visit and his naked tattooed chest was distracting at best; Xen's hunger was getting the better of her. She kept picturing herself straddling his waist and grasping his neck to siphon his energies to replenish her well of strength. Essentially energy vampires, reapers pulled the life essence from their victims, usually from around the neck as the jugular was one of the main lifelines of the body. Feeding felt very good and she could feel her skin tighten over her bones as she thought about it.
Her species generally looked human in form unless starved. Functioning in both the physical and energetic realm, the energy of others maintained that precious equilibrium. Like the Elemental race, balance was everything to a reaper. When denied for long periods however, they morphed into a last-ditch-effort form designed to feed immediately; the eyes enlarged and brightened, muscles bunched under tensed flesh, and senses soared to uncanny levels. Fingertips curled into inch-long claws, all the better to secure their victim. They became a being bent on nothing else.
Xen was beginning to feel the effects of it herself as she hadn't fed for over a week. A hot throbbing was developing behind her eyes and she could tell they were beginning to burn a more intense yellow. The ugly sensation of cotton-mouth travelled down her throat and she ran her tongue over dry lips, wincing at the pang of hunger that came not from her stomach but every cell in her body. The delicate fluctuations of energy that were normally stabilized within her were grossly skewed and her survival instincts were kicking in. She broke into a cold sweat and moved restlessly in her chair, hardly able to focus on the cards in her hand.
Wahls, ever watchful, raised an eyebrow.
"I know it's a strong drink, but you've barely finished a glass."
Xen managed a weak smile.
"I, ah, guess I'm a little out of my element this evening. Skipped breakfast."
Wahls' tilted his head as he appraised her while smoke trickled out of his nostrils. With her auburn hair, pastel skin, and golden eyes, she looked unearthly and he had a particular penchant for unique finds while on his travels. Examples lined the walls; his cabin was full of various goods from around the galaxy, all of them one of a kind and it had crossed his mind more than once that a reaper would make an excellent addition to his collection. It really was too bad that he had made other arrangements for her.
"Skipped breakfast to meet with Riddick again?" he replied, his voice soft and dangerous. Without meeting her eyes he casually shuffled the deck of cards, his long fingers making it look easy. The air had suddenly shifted from a playful nature into a tense one and Wahls knew he had the upper hand.
An unsettling dropping sensation in the pit of her stomach made Xen shift uneasily in her seat. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips together into a hard line. Shit, how did he know that?
"Riddick? No, I haven't seen him for weeks. We're on totally opposite work schedules," she lied quickly. Her heart had begun a quickened pace within her and it was making her flush. Damn that telling organ, she thought miserably. Wahls was thinking something similar for what he said next made her wish she had just kicked him in the groin and stolen the keys off his twitching body when he first opened the cabin door.
"You're not much of a liar, Xen. However Toombs, despite the dog that he is, needs little incentive to tell the truth. I know for a fact that you've been meeting with Riddick regularly and it doesn't take much to guess what you're discussing so secretly."
Xen tried to remain composed but couldn't think of a response. Of course it was true; every chance the pair had they were hiding away under staircases or behind boilers to try and come up with some kind of escape plan. They had always tried to be inconspicuous and never go to the same place twice but it looked as if their efforts were for naught. She ground her teeth together at the thought of Toombs; the nasty rat. If she ever got out of this alive she was going to make him wish he had never opened his dirty mouth to the captain.
Deciding that playing stupid wasn't going to work she set her cards down on the table and crossed her arms, facing Wahls with eyes like a trapped tiger while her deceiving heart drummed against her ribs. She didn't know how she was going to get out of this situation but she'd be damned if she let Wahls win. Coming clean would be the best play at the moment and maybe she could even work out some kind of deal that would at least save their skins.
"Okay. You're right. It looks like you have Toombs wrapped around your little finger. So what happens now?" She tried to sound seem as unimpressed and indifferent as possible. This was proving to be a difficult task as her body was screaming at her to feed and Wahls' aura was pulsing around him like a neon sign that read 'Easy Meal.' She struggled not to focus on the firm muscles in his neck.
"Unfortunately I can't have my workers ah, fraternizing. You understand," he replied, giving her a reproachful smile. He looked down at his cards as if they were still playing the game and shrugged, fanning out his hand on the table to reveal a game winning set. "I was going to allow Riddick to remain on this ship as he's perfect to work the docks but I understand he's managed to escape several high-security slams and I'm not willing to risk it him with what I'm transporting. I imagine he's only behaving himself because you're around, so removing you from the equation would only make him difficult. That little stunt he pulled in the cargo bay sealed his fate."
He paused to smirk at Xen's apprehensive expression. If Wahls' words weren't bad enough she was beginning to sense a vibration coming from below and it wasn't the usual flow of energy within the ship. Her senses strained and the cold steel of trepidation heightened.
"Luckily we've crossed paths with some…sympathetic buyers. When they knew that the criminal Riddick and an energy reaper were aboard they offered a generous amount. It was quite substantial; I couldn't refuse." He almost looked sorry.
The vibration grew in strength until it was rattling in Xen's bones. The energy causing it was nothing she had ever felt before; it was bitter and unfeeling, a power that sunk into her skin like a poison. She felt it coming from the ground level below, potent like the stampede of elephants. The amber liquid rippled in their glasses as the hosts of such an energy charged up the wooden staircase to the captain's cabin.
Xen gripped the arms of her chair, eyes now wide and on the edge of fear. What was happening? Wahls had abandoned his cards and was looking at her with a strange expression on his face, like a mix of satisfaction and regret at once. She swallowed down the panic that was rising in her throat and met his gaze.
"Toombs said you had something to give me," she said, sounding almost desperate. She knew the time to negotiate was gone. Wahls had planned this from the beginning and had no intention of bargaining. He raised a shoulder casually, tipping more booze into his glass.
"I'm giving you what you want, Xen," he said lightly. "I'm getting you off this ship."
The cabin door burst open with a bang. Xen jumped in her seat as half a dozen well-armored soldiers rushed into the room with heavy plasma guns raised as if they were planning on executing her where she sat. They marched loudly through the cabin and halted when they surrounded the table, their cold energy swirling around her like pacing predators. Each wore a plated visor that covered their faces, revealing only their blank eyes that felt no pity or compassion. In one fluid motion they aimed their weapons at her head, evicting a snarl from the reaper as she balked and slowly put her hands in the air. She recognized the armor and weaponry; these were world-enders, a race that travelled from system to system converting all they came across to their dark faith. Necromongers. She was more than familiar with their savage ways and being in the same room with a bloody party of them was disconcerting at best.
Well this is perfect, she thought, her eyes flickering from one guardsman to the other. Her flimsy plan had fallen apart like a castle made of cards and she was at a loss as to what to do. Being surrounded by enemies on all sides with no defenses wasn't exactly what she was hoping for, and being on the verge of passing out from hunger wasn't helping either.
"I truly am sorry Xen," Wahls said, swallowing his drink in one go. For all the ruckus he was calm and composed as ever, despite being drunk. "You're quite lovely but the price they paid was well, exquisite. I imagine they have your friend Riddick by now as well."
Xen's blood ran cold. She didn't have time to focus on Riddick's fate though, for the stomping of boots sounded near the cabin door and a tall figure entered the room.
He was an imposing man, armored like his soldiers but void of a helmet. Raven black hair was shaved on the sides and long at the top, slicked down the back of his neck. It contrasted with pallid skin that held an edge of greyness that couldn't have been human, or may have been human once. Black eyes like polished onyx stared at her unblinkingly, sizing her up. Making eye contact felt like she was sinking into a dark void where nothingness dwelt. Twin markings below his ears, scars of the Necromonger faith, confirmed Xen's fears. This man was one of their leaders, Commander Vaako, and she recognized him immediately.
He stopped in front of her and looked down with a curled lip.
"So this is the reaper," he said in a voice devoid of emotion. "Disappointing. Did I overpay you, Captain?"
Vaako's voice was quiet but held a commanding tone that was heard easily throughout the silent room. It demanded obedience. For the first time that night Wahls looked uncomfortable. Despite being quite intoxicated he managed to straighten in his seat and eye Vaako cautiously.
"I didn't say she was a healthy reaper, I just said she was one," he replied gruffly. "I don't think she's fed in a while - "
He was interrupted by Vaako swiftly stepping forward. The Commander of the Necromongers grabbed Xen's face with one hand, ignoring her yelp of surprise, and turned her head from side to side. His heavily-gloved fingers bit into her cheeks painfully and she cursed the tears that welled in her eyes.
"You're one of the last of your kind, reaper," he breathed, bringing his face unpleasantly close to hers. She could smell the death on him like a disease. "Take solace in the knowledge that you will be serving a higher order."
Her yellow eyes burned into his black ones with disdain and she felt rage bloom inside her like a vengeful flower. She remembered what his kind did to hers, the extermination on her home planet. She had been but a child but she remembered the screams, the explosions, the terror, and his face. If she was ever to join a people that did that to others she would die first.
"I'll never serve you," she hissed through clenched teeth. Vaako released her and stepped back with a cruel smile. He made a small hand gesture and in a moment two of his soldiers grabbed Xen by the arms and yanked her up out of the chair. Her weak body protested but she wasn't strong enough to fight them off. She panted in their hold, trying not to wince at their tight grip. Her stare at Vaako was made of daggers and she bared her teeth at him like an animal.
"I'm afraid you have no choice," he replied darkly. "We haven't encountered a reaper in many cycles. After we convert you, and we will convert you," he emphasized with the confidence of saying this to many a race, "you'll serve us in any way we see fit. In fact, reapers are quite beneficial to us. Take her to the ship," he commanded with a knowing leer, and his next words made her pale with fear. "She'll make a perfect addition to the Quasi Deads."