Treacherous

“Can you tell me where the Conquest Icons come from?”

The two men looked thoughtful, but didn’t hesitate to answer Bell’s question. “They are harvested.”

“Harvested? I don’t think I understand.”

The older of the two men stepped forward. There was no mistaking the glint of interest in his eye. Necromongers were incapable of reproduction, but quite capable of intercourse.

“It’s a science lesson really. The heat caused by the Conquest Icon’s blast reacts with elements on a basic level. Throughout the universe many things are constant, one of those being elements. Carbon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Fluorine, Oxygen, and other chemicals are absorbed by the icon itself. It collects and stores these necessary compounds and very little is needed to prepare them for use again.”

“So you recycle them,” she clarified. “How long does it take them to recharge or whatever?”

“Approximately six weeks depending on the make up of the planet.”

“And how are they retrieved?”

“We have thirty or so teams that go out and prep the Icons. They often need repairs, superficial maintenance. Then they are launched with the coordinates of the next landing.”

“Impact you mean.”

He smiled, proud of the technology, “Yes, they make a substantial dent.”

“How many are needed to destroy a planet?”

The tight face of aggravation. He obviously didn’t like stating the obvious Necromonger dealings with an ignorant breeder. “The Conquest Icons don’t destroy planets. It is an energy blast, nothing more. The surface is leveled, and cleansed. The planet will recover itself in time.”

Bell was nearly grinding her teeth. “I doubt that could happen in a mortal’s lifetime.” He looked to be considering that, but she went on. “How many are needed per world?”

“Depends on the size. Each Icon is capable of clearing a portion of several million square kilometers.”

Impressive. But of course everything the Mongers did was colossal, meant to inspire, or intimidate, but always impress.

“So it takes at lease thirty or more for an average sized planet,” she figured.

He nodded looking grudgingly impressed by her calculating. That gleam returned to his eye. “Yes, that’s right. Good math. The fewest used on any planet has been two dozen, and up to fifty.”

“So now that there isn’t a new target where are they all?”

“Holding their location. When the Lord Marshal is settled in and directs it, they will be ready to move.”

Bell left them, wanting to spend some time alone. The Basilica had many lower level halls that were for the most part abandoned. She walked, getting exercise and just being alone.

Her dress was chafing. Back and forth it slid over her skin as she walked. Soon she’d have to find somewhere to get a workable wardrobe. For now the Necromonger’s styles suited her. And she’d seen that Riddick thought it suited her as well, she thought with a smile. Let them see her as one of them, in a place of importance.

Through the history of Lord Marshal’s, of which Riddick was the seventh, none had had a conventional significant other. Mentions were made of them being licentious, but never monogamous. But obviously it wasn’t unheard of. Vaako and his woman had had some sort of pact. Marriage was unnecessary due to them not procreating. Dame Vaako had most likely just aligned herself in the highest position of power she could manage. One of the Commanders was the only option since the Lord Marshal was unattainable.

She reached the main level of the ship and went to the children’s room. Already some toys had been found for them. Drawing boards and building blocks, and other things. The blocks looked like they were trimmed with gold, but whatever.

The door chimed and Bell was the one that got up. Riddick stood there, looking reluctant. She smiled, pleased that he was at least going to try. Inside his apparition was turmoil. Poor guy.

“How do I do this?” he asked softly.

She reached for his hand, feeling the connection made at the contact. “Like you do everything else, Riddick. They’re kids, not bombs.”

He was looking past her. “They found some toys.”

“Necromongers are resourceful. Hard telling what kind of stuff they got hiding in these big ol’ ships.”

He nodded, but wasn’t really paying attention to her. She saw his jaw harden.

“Relax. You don’t have to play with them.” She shrugged, “You don’t even have to talk. Just sit down. ”

Wies ran to her as she and Riddick approached. “J!” he yelled as she hoisted him up. His eyes were on Riddick, who glanced at her before staring right back at the child.

Riddick didn’t have to voice his question, she could feel his query. “Ramsay and I decided it was safer for them not to call me ‘mom’ or ‘mommy’. Next best thing became ‘J’.” She hoisted Wies higher, watching him pull back some from Riddick’s direct look. “This is Wies.”

“What do they call me?”

Bell frowned thoughtfully at him and then looked at her other two children still playing on the floor with the girls. “Dunno. Hadn’t thought about it.”

‘Father’ would seem appropriate considering Riddick’s title, but didn’t sound at all right for Riddick. ‘My Lord’ wouldn’t do. ‘Daddy’ and ‘Richard’ weren’t even in the running and she smiled even thinking of them. ‘R’? Doubtful. ‘Riddick’ would have to work.

Finally she shrugged, “It’ll have to be ‘Riddick’, I guess.”

“That’s my name,” piped Wies.

Bell rolled her eyes. “Riddick is your family name, goof. You got it from him.”

“That’s your name?” he asked, obviously impressed.

Riddick nodded.

Wies stared at him for a few seconds longer and then smiled, “’Kay.” He kissed at Bell, hitting her cheek, and then was pushing down from her hold.

She snorted as he ran back to where his siblings were playing. “Well, that went over well.”

“You gave them my name.” His tone was low, low enough for the others not to hear him.

Bell smiled, feeling his mixed emotions. “They’re your sons, Riddick. I’m just sorry you missed making fun of how fat I got.”

He raised a brow and looked at her stomach. “Fat?”

She nodded earnestly, “You have no idea. Think somethin’ of yours would be little? Or come out easy?” she grumbled.

Half a smile curved his mouth. Smug bastard. But it was exactly what she’d been trying for. Let him build up some pride for them, even if it was at her expense.

“Now Colin over there ain’t gonna come introduce himself.” She looked up sideways at him. “He’s you in a smaller package.”

Riddick’s gaze was intense on the children, but he didn’t respond.

Thea got bored with the blocks the boys were playing with, or bored of them stopping her from knocking them down. Up and toddling toward her dangerously fast. A swerve at the end sent her in Riddick’s direction and she would have fallen if he hadn’t reached down. Instead she fell chest-first onto his hand.

He lifted her, holding her out in front of him as if to inspect her. All eyes in the room were suddenly on the unexpected interaction. Bell watched Riddick look the girl over, his quicksilver eyes flashing. Chubby legs, chubbier arms, round face, dark wispy hair and eyes so dark they appeared fake.

Thea started babbling something. The girl could speak some, but preferred this language that only she knew, though she did seem to be talking earnestly about something.

Thea reached out with near serpent-like speed and gripped Riddick’s face, pinching his cheek just below the eye. Bell gasped at the effrontery, but Riddick didn’t react in the least. Thea reeled herself in with the punishing grip and then lifted her other hand to neatly poke him in the eye. “Pretty eye,” she said as clear as Bell had ever heard.

Bell grinned behind her hand.

Riddick removed the little hand that was trying to blind him permanently, holding the girl against his chest with one arm. “Hide and seek eyes.”

Bell nearly giggled. He was so clever! She could’ve clapped she was so thrilled by the simple interaction. She grinned openly now, more than pleased to see him talking so easily to Thea. But she’d never doubted his ability, just his will.

Wies wasn’t about to let anything to do with hide-and-seek go without being part of it. He jumped up, scattering blocks, and ran to Riddick. One hand yanked Thea’s foot, the other pulled at Riddick’s leg. “Let me see! I wanna see, Riddick.”

Hearing Weis say his name twisted at Bell’s heart. Something so small, but so significant.

Riddick glanced at her but she shook her head and took a step back. No help here.

He squatted, and now even Colin was getting up, though he wasn’t so quick in his approach as Wies had been.

“They’re shiny,” Wies exclaimed, in Riddick’s face, nearly nose to nose with him.

“Can see you in the dark,” Riddick told him, that hint of a smile seeming playful under the circumstances. The eyes in question never stopped moving. Lots to take in. Wies, with a hand on Riddick’s shoulder. Thea staring around from her new perch on his thigh. And Colin slowly getting closer.

Wies was shaking his head. “I like the dark. Colin and me play. He likes to scare me.”

Bell was grinning again to see Colin smiling at that particular comment.

Riddick turned those popular eyes on Colin who’d maneuvered to only a few feet away. “That true? You scare your brother?”

Colin looked at her for a second, but then he squared his small shoulders and stared at Riddick. “Yeah.”

“He hides and grabs me,” Wies was informing them. “We like to play that game.”

Riddick smiled a little, “S’long as it’s just a game.”

Colin’s downcast eyes spoke for him. He would have continued the game with or without the consent, and wasn’t sure how to take the approval.

The initial wonder of Riddick’s eyes wore off and eventually the children went back to playing, now with markers on a big board. Though Thea was mostly coloring herself.

To Bell’s surprise Colin was the most reluctant to leave the newcomer. He never spoke more than that one word and mostly kept his gaze downcast, but he stayed near them for long minutes after the other two had wandered off, taking peeks at Riddick.

Bell wished he was more like Weis and would accept her comfort, but always Colin had been nearly secretive. He had fears and wants and annoying habits like all children, but he dealt with them differently, and took discipline and criticism much harder. Once she squatted down to his level, to try to draw him closer, but he shook his head and moved away. Bell stood, hiding her hurt, and smiled at Riddick.

“He’s harder to deal with,” she whispered. “Harder to read.”

“Have you tried to read him?”

She shook her head at just the idea, “No, I keep it held back around them. I don’t know how much they understand. They’ve never spoken of their abilities.”

“But they have them,” he told her, sounding knowledgeable. “Colin the strongest. He was first?”

“First born? Yeah, by a minute or so.”

He just nodded, watching the children play. They stayed with them for a while longer, but then left to do other duties. Bell was pleased at how the first encounter had gone. There was hope.