44) Before Anybody's Knowing Our Name

He'd had a bad feeling creep up his spine, lingering around his stomach and setting his teeth on edge when River's gun belt went missing again. Then her sword and axe. Rick found all the items in question and River gave the huge man a grateful smile as she put everything in place around her body.

And then things became uncomfortable because River looked straight at Mal and started talking like Book, "Live with a man forty years. Share his house, his meals, speak on every subject. Then tie him up and hold him over the volcano's edge, and on that day, you will finally meet the man."

"River," Simon seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. "Why are you quoting Shan Yu?" Rick, Carolyn, Zoë—actually the entire crew besides Simon, Mal and River looked confused, and Simon added the clarification (that likely wasn't much of a clarification for those in the dark), "A psychotic dictator who fancied himself quite the warrior poet."

River shook her head and looked at Mal, "They'll come at you sideways. It's how they think: sideways. It's how they move. Sidle up and smile, hit you where you're weak."

Now everyone else looked confused and Mal's bad feeling was getting worse. "Ō, zhè zhēn shì ge kuàilè de jìnzhǎn," He never had mentioned to anyone of the crew just what Book had told him when they'd hidden on Haven for a spell. "So you're tellin' me you think the job's gonna go bad," He rubbed the back of his neck.

River simply looked at him, "This quadrant, we play nice. We got enemies enough as it is."

Now Zoë and Kaylee looked worried and everyone else still looked confused. Mal cursed, "Yǔ sheng chù hùn zá de bēi wéi nú lì."

"Sir, we can't just not do the job," Zoë wasn't saying anything he didn't already know.

Rick seemed to be the only calm one of the group, well, besides River. "I take it all that means something to the rest of you that it doesn't to us," He inquired dryly.

"Something Shepherd Book said," Simon murmured, obviously remembering his talk with Book after Ariel. "Right before we…" He looked at Mal, obviously getting the point River was making.

"Yeah," Mal nodded and rubbed the back of his neck trying to ease that itch creeping up his spine. "But Zoë's right. This job, we gotta do or we've got real problems."

"I vote we do this job really fast," River glanced at Zoë apologetically as she parroted Wash's words back on Canton.

"She's not wrong sir," Zoë nodded. "We'll have to keep everything locked down tight."

"Cannot set down anywhere we can be landlocked," River murmured.

Mal considered the particulars of the job and frowned. If they didn't land at the docks, they'd have to take the mule twice the distance to get to and from the job. If they did set down at the docks, there was, as River said, the possibility of a landlock. "Kaylee, how close are you to getting that false ship ident to work?"

"River an' me, we could maybe get it done in a couple days," Kaylee glanced at the diminutive genius. "You think we land at the docks and use the false ident?"

"If we use it, then slip it off, the landlock should slide off with it, right," He thought that was how they said it would work but when Kaylee and River got going about tech and the cortex and programming, they got slightly incomprehensible to normal folk. Their level of conversation was most definitely not Captain Dummy talk. Funny how Rick seemed to understand them just fine. That said something about the huge man that Mal wasn't going to examine too closely at the moment.

"That's what it's s'posed to do yeah," His genius mechanic agreed.

"We got three days before we land on Boros," Mal took a deep breath. "You two get that done." He glanced at Rick, the huge man still fairly inscrutable, "Rick that means you're on engine maintenance. Me and Carolyn'll take care of the piloting. We'll need to lean on the autopilot though so if there's any chance of a problem with the gorram tetchy thing, now's the time to say."

River shook her head, "In good working order." She informed him quietly.

Well, that was one bit of good news. He looked at Zoë and Jack, "You two, get on the cortex, find out everything you can about this job, the layout of the building. I want anything you can give me. Including what the hell's in the crates we're supposed to be stealing. Simon, you make sure the infirmary's prepped and then you help them."


You'd have thought, Riddick said to himself a bit whimsically, that with several geniuses working on a plan, that they'd have been prepared for things to go sideways. So, they could adjust accordingly.

But no. All the stuff they'd done to be ready for problems hadn't done squat. The entire tā mā de job had been a trap. "Getting really annoyed with this maze," He remarked to his combat partner.

"Only way to defeat it is to reach the center, or burn it down," River retorted.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," He rolled his eyes. Sometimes her sense of humor could be just as twisted as his. She chuckled and Riddick sighed. Fuck sometimes, most of the time her sense of humor was just as twisted as his was.

"Mal and the others are imprisoned at the end of the hall," Dark hair, dark eyes, gleaming up at him. "There is another way to defeat the maze," She glanced up at the crates that created the walls around them. "Go over it."

Now that was an idea he could get behind. "Go up, I'll watch your back. Then I'll climb while you keep a lookout."

The last word wasn't even out of his mouth before she was scaling the crates as if she was some sort of spider. When she'd gotten to the top of the stack she looked out over the warehouse and nodded, motioning with her hand for him to come up.

It wasn't quite as easy for him as it had been for her, but it wasn't exactly difficult either. Then it was just a matter of clearing the warehouse of the goons that thought they were lying in wait. He did enjoy how nobody ever looked up. If the goons were too stupid to think three dimensionally, he wasn't going to remind them.

He dropped down at the entrance to the attached offices and saw the shock of recognition in the eyes of the goon in front of him, "Rid—" A shiv to his throat cut the man's voice off before he could complete Riddick's name. Hopefully the tiny genius guarding his back hadn't caught that. But being recognized meant that the local goons were reinforced by mercs. That was worse news on top of bad.


Mal shifted his position and wondered why cuffs always had to be so gorram uncomfortable. Zoë had been cuffed as well, no consideration given to her physical condition, and she had to be even worse off than he was. The only bright spot was that Simon had gotten on the comms to the engine room and told Jack and Kaylee to hide. Hopefully they continued to be hidden.

There was only one problem. Okay there was more than one problem, but this was a biggie. Carolyn wasn't with them. And he doubted she was with Rick and River. He could only hope that she was hiding on the ship. If she wasn't…he didn't want to think about that. It was too soon for Serenity to lose someone else.

"Zoë, are you able to lie down at all?" Simon's concerned voice out of Mal's view.

"Could probably manage to fall on my side, but I don't think that would be any more comfortable Doc," Zoë could do deadpan sarcasm better than anyone Mal knew, with the possible exception of Simon. Though River was developing (or had developed a while back and was only just now showing it, which, come to think of it, was a lot more likely) a fairly snarky sense of humor as well.

"It might be, marginally, if you propped your feet up on the wall," Simon replied. "But I was hoping I could borrow one or two of your pins."

"My hair pins," Zoë's curiosity was piqued, Mal could hear it in her voice even if no one else might have noticed. Well, Wash would have, and River (reading minds did give her something of an edge in that regard), but no one else knew Zoë well enough.

"Yes," Simon nodded. "I'm afraid when they took my belt, they also took the lockpicks I had hidden behind the buckle."

"Doc, you've been holdin' out on us," Sound like Zoë would've chuckled if she could. "Okay…" Mal ooffed as her feet hit him in the side, "Sorry sir. Simon…can you reach?"

The muffled groan suggested Simon had fallen over in his attempt but with some odd sounds that suggested a type of awkward belly crawl the Doc finally proclaimed, "Yes. Got two of them."

"Get to work Doc," Zoë ordered in her driest voice. "I'm gonna take your advice and try to put my feet up."

Mal would never have suspected but Simon was actually good at picking locks (better than Mal, not that he'd admit that aloud; he had some dignity). He got his cuffs off in quick order, did the same for Zoë and Mal and began work on the door of the room they'd been locked in.


So far no less than four mercs had recognized him. One had even gotten his entire name out before he'd died, though there was a possibility River hadn't heard the merc over the sound of gunfire. But it wasn't like his luck was that good, so he doubted it.

The 'maze' of the warehouse had taken them a while to work their way through, though it could have been worse. River had pulled her sword and axe out when they got closer to the doors, and he nodded his understanding. Why let the enemy know they were coming.

Then he heard it, and his blood ran cold, "We already got the rest of the crew. Just call for him. We know you're with him. Just call his name and we'll stop." River's hand on his bicep, her eyes hot with rage, flicking upwards.

He looked, and saw what she had, the offices attached to the warehouse weren't actually a separate building. They were prefab cubes of drywall, like a row of houses in a cave. Above them weren't more offices with support beams for flooring. Instead, someone had run long shelves, for storage of yet more crates. He doubted they'd done much for the ceilings beyond some foam tiles, a thin metal framework to hold them and the lights.

River took a breath and tugged at his arm, standing up on her tiptoes and murmuring into his ear, "Boost her up, she can balance on the wall, go down through the ceiling while he goes in through the door. A five count after she is at the top of the wall."

"They won't know what hit them," Riddick smiled coldly. He crouched and cupped his hands. Damn, the girl was light as air, practically flew as he tossed her upwards. Landed on the balls of her feet on the wall, the faintest whisper of sound as she pulled her sword from its sheath on her back. Careful steps and she balanced on the walls at a corner of the room opposite of the door.

He could barely see her, and that was only because of his size, otherwise she'd have been completely out of sight. Five seconds after she'd landed on the edge of the wall, he slammed his shoulder into the door with all the force he could muster. Which, if he did say so himself, was quite a bit. The door burst inward just as River came through the ceiling.

The room, a little larger than he'd figured, held five mercs, a furious sword and axe wielding River and Carolyn, tied to a chair, bleeding and bruised.


Mal normally liked to time things a little better. Like escaping soon enough that he could be helpful with his own rescue or so quickly that he effectively rescued himself. And all that aside he'd have been a lot happier if he'd been able to rescue (or at least help rescue) his pretty blonde pilot.

He, Simon and Zoë were limping down the hallway, when River, Rick and Carolyn emerged from a room at the far end. Mal cursed under his breath as they got closer. Carolyn didn't seem to have an inch of skin that wasn't bruised or bleeding. "Hóu zi qiáng jiān wángbā dàn."

"Needs your help," River told him as she passed them. "She goes to steal. Ten minutes."

"Well considering the whole job was a setup," Rick muttered. "I'd say stealin' ain't a waste of time." He looked at Zoë and then at Carolyn and Mal nodded his agreement as he figured out what the man was thinking. It would be easier for Zoë to move if Rick helped her. That freed up Simon run ahead and get doors open for them.

"Give her to me," Mal made sure Simon was supporting Zoë as much as the Doc could before he moved forward to put his arm around Carolyn's waist and would have put her arm over his shoulders but for her pained, and not completely repressed (though she gave it a gorram good try), moan. "Simon, think she's got some broken ribs."

"No matter what moving is going to be painful," The Doctor nodded. "Carolyn if you can stand it, you're better off with Mal carrying you."

"I gotcha," Mal took a breath and scooped her into his arms. "Let's get you to the infirmary."

"Well, I wouldn't say no to a mountain of painkillers," She winced but didn't react with more than a faint groan.

"Rick," He didn't dare turn around to see how the huge man was handling Zoë. No more movement than necessary until he set Carolyn down. Cracked ribs could get broken easy and broken could puncture a lung. To be avoided if at all possible. He knew that much.

"I got Zoë. Let's head back to the ship," Rick's voice came from behind them.


Riddick set Zoë down when they reached Serenity but kept his arm around her waist, "We'd better get you lying down, put your feet up and get you something to eat."

River had rejoined them, slightly under the ten-minute mark she'd given them, and slipped past he and Zoë to code something into the door keypad. A few minutes later the hatch opened, and they were looking down the barrel of a long gun.

He knew he'd be too slow, that someone would get shot, supporting Zoë he'd never get to the gun in time. River seemed to flow forward, like her namesake, her hand pushing the barrel of the gun up as her leg swept around and under the legs of the person holding the weapon.

Thankfully the bullets discharged didn't hit anyone. The hatch would have some new dents and the bullets were smashed into slugs, but nobody got hurt.

Riddick sighed as he looked at Jack, sprawled on the ground, "Mal, I'm leaving this to you." He was pretty sure Mal had told Jack no guns until she could fight hand to hand. He wasn't going to intervene with the Captain. Jack had got herself into trouble with Mal, she could get herself out.

River shook her head and moved ahead of them, "Will make sure Kaylee is all right and get the ship moving."


"Sooner or later, we'll have to deal with him Mal," Zoë wasn't saying anything Mal didn't know. "He's not gonna stop comin' after us."

"Yeah, I know," Mal sighed. Simon had put Zoë on bedrest for at least a week. Jack was grounded, or the ship equivalent thereof, for touching guns. Rick seemed edgier than usual, and Carolyn was in the infirmary with Simon doing his best (which weren't inconsiderable) to mend her. Kaylee and River were going over Serenity with a fine-tooth comb and making sure nothing had been done to the ship before they even tried to fly her out of there. "But we've got to get gone as soon as we can. Can't stop to think about Niska when we need to find work."

A knock on the door to the shuttle was his only warning as the door slid open and River stood there. "Must think about the xiào miàn hǔ," She informed him. "He sends more men, to take the ship. Take revenge upon the crew that took their man back."

"Can you get us off the ground," Mal did not want to deal with an invasion. They'd gotten lucky that the men who'd come aboard to take him, Simon, Zoë and Carolyn hadn't looked any further and found Kaylee and Jack.

"Rick lifts us off now," River nodded, and he felt the ship shake with the truth of that statement. "But it is only putting today's trouble upon tomorrow."

"You got an idea little Albatross?" Zoë tilted her head.

"Niska hires mercenaries," The Reader nodded. "Take Rick and go pretend to be mercs for hire. Cut the head off the snake."

"When'd you think you'd want to do that," Mal wasn't sure it was a great idea, but he sure didn't have a better one.

"Now," River shrugged. "Before word comes that the trap has failed."

"You mean to fly the ship to his station and dock, like his mercenaries captured it," Zoë always had been good at figuring out a plan from few words. "And present it like a trophy."

"No offense River but you don't look like the merc type," The Captain reminded her.

"Can use paint to mimic a tattoo, brief clothing and weapons, Rick to look like muscle perhaps," River shrugged. "Cannot put this off."

"I don't like it," Mal said quietly.

"Needs must when the devil drives," River shrugged.

"All right 'Tross, just tell us how to play our parts," He capitulated.


He'd thought she'd lost her mind. But when she went over the plan, her idea of laying the crew out like the dead in the cargo bay, Zoë and Simon tied to the stairs, for Niska to look over like they were presenting him with hunting trophies it seemed more plausible. Especially when she began to draw dragon wings over her face, scales and claws down her neck and arms.

His part was to look menacing enough that Niska's guards would hesitate to act for just a moment.

Nobody really liked the plan, in fact argued against it even as they were being 'laid out' for viewing with 'bloody' sheets over the bodies. And then they were docked and there was no turning back.


It hadn't gone perfectly. But it had gone very well. Riddick shook his head as he programmed in the course. He'd never seen anyone shoot like River. He was good, deadly even, but she hadn't even looked to aim at the men she'd shot. Niska and five of his guards had dropped in less than thirty seconds. Riddick had taken out the rest, all four of them, in the next thirty seconds.

River had grinned as she closed up the bay doors, "No power in the 'verse can stop us."

He had the thought that she wasn't wrong. There was only one problem.

River was way too smart. The mercs had said his name a few too many times for her to have not heard it at least once. And she'd had plenty of time on the cortex to look him up if she chose. Once all the fuss died down and everyone had settled…he'd have to find out if it was going to be a problem.

He really wasn't looking forward to that conversation. Liked this woman, more than he'd figured to really like anyone. Hell, he liked Serenity, liked the crew. Liked that Mal was more than willing to be a father figure to Jack. That he and Carolyn were friends. Hell, he liked being there, even when it was his turn for the more disgusting smelly chores, he'd rather be on Serenity with these people than elsewhere.

Liked flirting with River and sparring with her and fantasizing about kissing her. But if who he was became a problem…

He was so tā mā de wándàn.


Author's Note: So…Niska. Yeah, I figure he would have become a problem sooner or later since they hadn't killed him when the crew rescued Mal. The show was obviously setting up for later seasons and thus left a lot of loose ends dangling. So this is a fine opportunity to clean them up and/or snip them off. I also thought there would likely be some overlap between Niska's hires and the mercs who would recognize Riddick. So now the poor man has a whole new problem.

Chinese Translations:

Ō, zhè zhēn shì ge kuàilè de jìnzhǎn (Oh, this is a happy development)

Yǔ sheng chù hùn zá de bēi wéi nú lì (Filthy fornicators of livestock)

tā mā de (damn it! / fucking) (taboo curse)

Hóu zi qiáng jiān (monkey raping)

wángbā dàn (Dirty bastard sons-of / bastard (insult) / son of a bitch)

xiào miàn hǔ (man with a big smile and evil intentions)

tā mā de (damn it! / fucking) (taboo curse)

wándàn (finished / Done for or imminent doom, screwed)