Ghost

Tomoe - *Grins* Thanks, mate.

11. Vaako.

The vast blackness of space was spread before me, a pathway to be traveled and conquered. I have known my true place in life since being shown the path to righteousness; I am a Necromonger Commander, and I shall lead all life to the threshold, and show them a better way. If they do not follow? I shall cleanse them with death. I will obey and give my loyalty to one man - The Lord Marshal, in his many forms.

Zhylaw had been the old Lord Marshal. He came to rule after killing Kryll, a man who raised our technological weaponry and our ability to seek the truth of man. Kryll’s way of ruling was as different from Zhylaw’s than night is from day. He believed in choice and life - for those unwilling to convert, he left them alone with an icon to remind them of their choices.

Zhylaw adopted the Necromongers darkest philosophy, for those races unwilling to convert; their choices led to infanticide. With a sweep of Zhylaw’s hand, those fifteen and under would die, along with those unwilling to join our faith. He killed entire planets, and was planning on leading all life across the threshold.

And I followed his lead without question for the entirety of his reign. I didn’t partake in any of his darker joys - but I killed and converted without question. My wife tried to convince me to kill him - and I’m almost relieved that I faltered in that moment and that it was Riddick who did end his reign. I can’t help but wonder what Riddick’s reign shall be like.

We all begin as something else - something weaker and without purpose. The conversion between one life and another is painful; you let go of your sins and misgivings, and look toward a better life. But the pain of conversion lessens as the guilt and greed fall away, and you can finally see what those before you have seen - paradise.

I was sixteen when I converted, and I moved swiftly through the ranks of the necromonger army. I kill with mercy and don’t linger over the dying. I don’t possess the unwilling, and have silently abhorred the games that some of the men partake in. I can’t help but hope if Riddick will abolish that particular past time now that he is in power.

He is a strange one, this Riddick. He does not believe - I know that deep inside of myself. He killed Zhylaw for killing that other girl - that Kyra. I had never seen rage so concentrated before that moment - when he watched her walk away from him, with Zhylaw’s words echoing around the throne room. And when she was struck down - his pain and anger was palpable, as was the roar of triumph that spilt from his lips when he revenged her death.

But watching him go to her - to see him cross that room at a run and drop to his knees beside her, showed his one weakness in the ‘verse. But when that weakness was shown as a lie? The rage was back, just as hot as before. And while the necromongers reeled in the aftermath of Zhylaw’s death, Riddick was pacing; his agitation showed me that the first person who looked at him wrong, would follow his predecessor violently and quickly.

Instead of being shown the way of our religion, he was hell bent on crossing the ‘verse to save the girl he thought he had lost in the throne room. I hadn’t understood at first - she was one girl. We had hundreds of young women who could grace his bed. But when I first saw the girl he was so determined to save, I began to realize that this girl wasn’t a trophy to him.

Observing Kyra’s memories through the quasi dead had been the first inkling that she was his one true weakness. Riddick pushed himself to the point where if he had seen another memory, he may have had a brain aneurism; yet he had been so starved for information about her, that he hadn‘t seemed to care about the pain he felt. And between each memory, he muttered her name over and over again. Muttered that she wasn't for him. Muttered that he had to save her from the dark.

I had seen his grace and the death he could deliver before we made our way into the prison. No one there was worth converting, and I ignored them as I followed him into the deeper depths. It was there that I saw his possessiveness towards the girl - this Jack. She belonged to him - but in what way was still not clear to me.

What was clear though, was the young man that stood up and swayed on his feet. Kain. While Riddick was there to save her, Kain wasn’t going to let him get close to Jack. Riddick saw that, and the anger and distrust between them had been as clear as day as they stared at one another. When Kain had walked away with Jack in his arms, I had seen the blood on him, both human and non human alike. I had seen the scars he carried on his body - scars that showed he was the one who had protected Jack.

I can’t help but wonder if Riddick had factored another man into the equation. If he had factored in that maybe Jack didn’t need saving. That she had been saved in his absence, and that she didn’t need him. I have been trained to see what others don’t, and I can see clearly that Kain and Jack have a bond that Riddick cannot break.

Kain is watching the doorway to the room Jack is in at the moment. Riddick is in there with her; watching over her like an Angel of Death. And while Riddick watched over Jack, Kain watches over them both. The lack of trust he has for Riddick is crystal clear - a predator whose position as head of the pack has been threatened, and it’s almost like he is spoiling for a fight.

I think both he and Riddick would be insulted if I pointed out that they are almost the same; I can still feel Riddick’s fingers around my throat from where I stumbled earlier and made the mistake of thinking that he would convert Jack. But I’ve made him think all the same though, about Jack’s safety on the necropolis. Now I just have to convince Kain of it.

I know that he knows I am watching him. I can see it in the way he is standing. To the casual observer, he is focused solely on the door separating him from Jack. Arms crossed, eyes narrowed, head tilted to the right slightly. It’s the head tilt that gives it away to me though - he can see me, yet he is confident in his skill of self defense. I don’t pose a threat to him - yet.

"You gonna stare at me all day or are ya gonna grow a pair and tell me what the hell it is you want?"

I tilted my head at his casual question, and gestured with my hand for him to follow me. He rolled away from the wall slowly, his posture one of lazy indifference as he strolled towards me. Such grace - he would make an excellent solider - maybe, I can convince him to convert and join our ranks. But as he closed in on me, I knew he never would - it was in his eyes - wander lust. He wants freedom.

Kain sat down on one of the small couches in my office, and stared at me with a raised eyebrow as I sat down behind my desk. One arm slung along the top of the couch, and his spread legs projected an air of calm, but I could see the tension in his eyes - could see it in the slight set of his jaw. And when I leaned forward to speak, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you know of the Necromongers?" I asked, and Kain raised an eyebrow.

"That they kill who they can’t convince to join their religion. Baby killers. Rapists. They’re killin’ the ‘verse, one planet at a time. They show no mercy, and they should be put down like the dogs they are."

Kain’s voice was cold and I stared at him in barely concealed surprise. He leaned forward and stared back, before he spoke quietly.

"How many of my people did you kill?"

I frowned at that, and he raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Lotharia - water based planet. On the outer rims, towards quadrant four."

I nodded slowly as my hands moved over the cortex. I pulled up all files on the planet, and then shook my head.

"We hadn’t been able to land. Their cloaking skills were too great, and even when we broke atmo, we were unable to find a place to land. The entire planet is made of water - any land mass was too well hidden beneath the waves," I said quietly, and Kain snickered.

"Good. Now - where are you setting us down? I want off this ship, and I want away from your people."

I raised an eyebrow at that, and spoke calmly.

"My people?"

Kain just returned my glare and nodded.

"You don’t savor life - you kill it. You kill hope and light and love - death bringers. You bring the cold - I’ve had enough coldness to last me a lifetime and so has Jack. The sooner I can get her to planet with a decent heat source, the happier I’ll be."

"You want to leave?" I asked in surprise, and Kain snorted.

"Yeah. What? You think I want to hang around people who rain down death like water? Fuck no! I want Jack happy and safe, and she ain’t gonna be, livin’ wit’ y’all. She is needing light and warmth right now; some decent food and water, and the time to heal from what happened."

I smiled slightly at that, and nodded.

"The healing is already done," I said, and Kain shook his head slowly.

"You think some regain tool is gonna heal what happened to her?" he asked quietly, and then laughed dryly as he stood up and moved towards the large window.

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, but no answer was forth coming.

"Kain. I can’t help her unless you tell me what is wrong with her," I said quietly, and he snorted in response.

He stared at the stars as they spun by, and finally rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he spoke.

"She has my blood in her veins at the moment - and until it’s gone, she’s gonna remain sick. It ain’t the outside you gotta worry about - it’s what’s on the inside."

I frowned as he continued to look out the window and glanced back down at the cortex in front of me. Touching the screen I bought up the files I had on the people of the planet. Human in appearance, yet green blood inside. The blood could be used as a healing agent, and sold for a high price, but there were side effects…

"I see," I said quietly, and Kain snickered softly.

"Do you?" he asked, and glanced over his shoulder at me. "What do ya see? Hmm?" he asked, and I stared at him silently for a moment.

"I see a man who bled to save the girl he… loves. Without your blood, she would have been dead by the time Riddick found her - correct?"

Kain tilted his head slightly in admission and then looked away again.

"That’s easily repaired, Kain - we have the technology to filter your blood out and heal any damage…"

He shook his head slightly, and I fell silent as I thought over his words carefully. I looked up slowly, and saw his eyes flicker towards mine in the window, before they moved away.

"She’s a rape victim?"

Kain’s spine stiffened, and he slowly turned to face me.

"She ain’t a victim… don’t ever make the mistake of callin’ her a fuckin’ victim. She’s a survivor, and she ain’t open for discussion - not wit’ you, and not wit’ him," he snarled, and I nodded slowly as his eyes flashed with fury.

He turned fluidly towards the window again, his shoulders shaking as he braced his hands on the bulkhead and rested his head against the window.

"My apologies, Kain," I offered quietly, and his shoulders twitched as he took a deep breath.

"What is it that ya wanted, Vaako?" he asked, his voice flat as he slumped inwards.

"To discuss keeping Jack safe aboard the necropolis," I said, and he turned to face me slowly.

"Safe?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, and I gestured towards the seat opposite my desk.

"Yes," I replied as he sat down, and I leaned forward slightly.

"When we are converted, we loose our body heat - our skin is cool to touch, as is the blood that flows through our veins. Jack, however, is a what we call a breeder - she is warmth and life. The men will fight for her - to possess her and her warmth. To sway that, it needs to be made known that she belongs to someone in power…"

My voice trailed off as he leaned over my desk, his voice frigid with icy anger.

"She ain’t a fuckin’ possession, and you ain’t whorin’ her out to some slime ball who wants to dip his dick in a hot spot."

Kain raised an eyebrow as I stared at him, and I sighed softly.

"Kain - you are one young man, defending the honor of a girl you care about. You are defending her against an army of thousands. I wouldn’t put Jack in that position - what I was going to suggest, was to make it appear that she belonged to Riddick."

When his mouth opened again, I held up my hand to forestall anything that he wanted to say, and continued on quickly.

"As the new Lord Marshal, he is in the highest position of power. It is the only way to keep her safe - to stop the past repeating itself. Riddick killed the old Lord Marshal because he had killed Kyra - he did this in front of the entire fleet. He also demanded that we cross the ‘verse to find Jack - it is the only way.

"If we present her as his… companion, she remains safe. She will still be able to converse with you and your family, but she must play this role. You all have too. I can set you up in rooms next to his, so that you know where she is at all times."

Kain raised his eyebrows slowly.

"His rooms?"

I nodded in conformation and Kain snarled softly.

"Why can’t you just leave us on the nearest planet?" he asked, and I sighed softly.

"Because the nearest planet is New Mecca, and that’s where we are headed."

Kain snorted but remained silent, and when he looked back at me, he sighed heavily.

"And this is the only way you can think of to keep her safe?" he muttered, and then swore softly when I nodded. "Let me tell her… Jack ain’t gonna be happy ‘bout this," he muttered, and I nodded once more.

"What is your relationship to Jack?" I asked a moment later, and his eyes flashed towards mine again.

"Nunya."

"Nunya?" I asked when the word didn’t register, and Kain nodded.

"Yup… as in nunya fuckin’ business."

"Are you always this hard-headed?" I asked in exasperation, and Kain chuckled.

"Uh huh."

I glared at him, and he just chuckled again.

"She’s my friend…" he said finally.

"You kiss all of your friends?" I asked waspishly, and Kain snorted with laughter.

"Nope."

"Are you lovers?" I hissed, fast losing my patience, and Kain stilled.

"No."

It was said softly, and I paused as I stared at him; the knowledge came to me so quickly that I experienced a moment of vertigo. Although his blood had healed her, it had made her sick. His biology had made him incompatible with humans, and I felt a momentary stab of pity for the young man in front of me. I couldn’t help but wonder how he did it - how he loved her, when he could not possess her sexually without making her ill.

"I don’t want nor need your pity, Vaako," he said quietly, and I saw him watching me. "I accepted this a long time ago. She’s the only thing in the whole ‘verse that I give a damn about. Sexual tension is just a side effect I live with."

"How?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity, and Kain shrugged.

"You get used to it. Tell me, Vaako - have you ever wanted something that you can’t have?"

I felt that deep hidden pang again, yet kept my features schooled. But when Kain continued to look at me, I finally nodded. I knew that if I wanted him to work with me in regards to Jack, it would take total honesty.

"Children," I said finally, and he lifted his chin slightly.

"When converted, you become sterile. No children are ever born to you, once you choose this path. I didn’t think of that when I converted. And when I eventually die - there will be no child to carry on my name - my blood lines."

Kain stared at me for a long moment, before he spoke quietly.

"I have loved Jack the entire time I’ve known her. I have watched her grow up and become the young woman she is. I could spend my life with her - but not in the way I want. I can’t. My blood heals her - keeps her alive. But it makes her sick. Weakens her. I can’t give her the life she deserves, no matter how much I wish I could. So I take care of her instead - I love her, and she loves me, and we trust. It’s enough."

"But you want more?" I asked and he shrugged slightly.

"What I want and what I can have are two very different things, Vaako. I know Jack’s body - I know she can provide me heaven for a while in her arms. But the price is too high, and I am not willing to pay it. I am not willing to cross that line completely for a few moments of release."

"And yet you kissed her in the prison," I said, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Your point?" he asked, and then looked away towards the window again.

"I kiss her, Vaako. I touch her, and bring her pleasure, which brings it to me in turn. But I can’t form a sexual relationship with her. I kiss her and she nearly passes out. Imagine what would happen if I fucked her and a condom broke? Pregnancy would be the least of our issues. Do you know what it’s like, knowing that the one time I did find that slice of paradise with her, she was sick for weeks afterwards? I haven’t touched her like that since."

Kain looked down at his hands, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he rubbed his thumb over the almost completely healed cuts on his wrists. A sardonic smile twisted his lips for a moment, before he sighed and spoke quietly.

"So where is this living city of yours headed?" he mumbled, and I smiled.

"The Underverse, where all life shall be embraced in another delight."

He raised his eyebrows in confusion, and I nodded as I explained myself.

"We cross over from this ‘verse into a better one - a better life… we rise again in a new life."

Kain’s face twisted as he stared at me, and when he spoke, I could hear the confusion in his voice.

"There is only one ‘verse… and it’s the one your people are hell bent on destroying. The only other type of ‘verse out there is the one that death brings… you’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!" he hissed and rose to his feet.

"Mass suicide? Is that why you convert? So that you can then go and kill yourself by being sucked into a black hole? That is so many different types of fucked up that I don’t even know where to start! No way… no fuckin’ way are you takin’ us down wit’ you.”

I could only watch him as he turned his back on me and walked out of my office. I followed him quickly, and watched as he and Riddick collided as Riddick walked out of Jack’s room as Kain went to walk into it.

“Nice mission you got goin’ on here,” Kain spat, and shouldered his way past Riddick and went to Jack.

I stood at Riddick’s side as Kain cupped Jack’s face in his hands, a small smile briefly crossing his face.

“Lookin’ good, baby girl. You feel ok?”

Jack nodded as Kain rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone.

“Jack…when we hit New Mecca, we’re outta here.”

Jack’s eyes crossed to Riddick’s briefly, and then moved back to Kain’s when he continued to speak.

“These lovely people Riddick’s leading, are plannin’ on mass suicide… I ain’t ready to die. Are you?” he asked, and Jack’s eyes flashed to Riddick’s in horror.

“Suicide?” Riddick asked, and Kain turned to face him as he wrapped an arm around Jack’s waist.

“Thanks for the springing’ of us all back on Crematoria, but no way are you takin’ her down wit’ you when y’all cross over” Kain said, rubbing a hand down over Jack’s back as she leaned into him. “Just drop us wherever the fuck you haven’t killed a planet, and we’ll be on our way.”

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Riddick asked in confusion and Kain sneered slightly.

“I’m talkin’ about the fact that your boy here is a Necro, and all Necro’s are converted so that they can then die and rise again in a new life - a better life. I ain’t got much, but I’m happy wit’ my lot in life, and I ain’t givin’ it up. I ain’t gonna sit back and watch ya drag Jack down too… she’s fought too hard to just let you kill her, Riddick, when y‘all cross from this ‘verse into the next. You wanna die, go ahead! Just leave us out of it.”

Riddick turned to face me as Kain turned back towards Jack and wrapped his arms around her. I could hear Kain’s voice rumbling soft reassurances as Jack whispered back, and Riddick’s voice interrupted me trying to make out what they were saying when he spoke.

“I think you’d better fill me in on what this deal is all about Vaako… I don’t remember the bit in the contract that said I had to die!”

I could only nod as Kain picked Jack up and moved towards the bed. The last I saw of them were Kain’s angry eyes as he glared at me from over Jack’s bent head, and then the door slid shut and I was left with an equally angry Riddick. Where was a purifier when you needed one?