Treacherous

Thirty-six hours. Launched from Aqua Major and its surrounding recently inhabited neighboring planets, the Conquest Icons were programmed with the coordinates for Teos. It would take them a day and a half to reach their destination. In about twelve hours the armada would increase its speed to match that of the passing Icons, joining the trailing comet-looking formation.

Bell wished there was a way to set the children down somewhere. Taking them into a war seemed like a really stupid idea, but in reality there was no safer place for them. What better place to be than at the center of the destruction?

Soldiers were everywhere. Where had they all been before? Armor was donned, the rougher looking, the better. Weapons were sharpened. It still amused her that Riddick had coalesced with a technologically advanced people that still believed in hand-to-hand combat. Irony or prophecy? Troops were formed according to rank. Lensors were brought out and checked for equipment malfunctions. And lastly, orders were given.

From the back, always away from the center of activity, Bell watched. Riddick strode through groups of soldiers that had once tried to kill him. He was their ruler, their king, and he looked it.

He’d said that he wanted no part in this. Not just this campaign, but the Necromongers as well. But looking at him now, feeling him, made her believe he’d lied.

She could feel that a part of his attention was always on her. A distraction? She didn’t know, but she decided to find better things to do than ogle the Lord Marshal.

Dressed for battle, she felt strong. Black fatigues and boots, sleeveless and form fitting. She felt dangerous, and probably was, but couldn’t imagine actually hurting anything. She was armed. The smallest gravity gun that the Necromongers had was in a holster at the small of her back. Knives, Riddick-approved ones, were tucked into sheaths here and there, some hidden, some not. Other necessities, little things, filled her pockets, making some of them feel bulky as they bumped against her legs or sides.

Through the Basilica, she moved quickly, nodding at anyone that looked at her, or bowed. Down two levels, she entered the domain of the technician who’d taken on the task of cleansing Ramsay, Sener. More than a week had passed, and nearly two days since she’d last visited.

So it was a complete shock to see Ramsay standing, alone.

He smiled and she ran to him, throwing herself at him. “Oh, god, you’re up. I was so worried.”

A door opened at the back of the room and Sener appeared. He looked up at hearing them and then was smiling. “I was about to call for you, My Lady.”

She saw Ramsay raise that brow at the use of the title. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

He stopped across the table from her. “I think I do. You made your wishes known.”

Bell smiled, feeling a little guilty for her threats. “I had to.”

A moment of silence, then he nodded, “I understood.” He took a deep breath and sighed it out. “But he is finished. No tracking, no monitoring. Everything is gone.”

“Was there any damage?”

A frown of concentration, “Nothing that couldn’t be repaired. There shouldn’t be any lasting effects.”

Bell grinned, more than pleased by the result. “I am in your debt. Is there anything you need so that I can return the favor?”

His smile suddenly disappeared, “My Lady, I am here to serve. That was all I did. Your gratitude is enough.”

She nodded. Obviously she wasn’t used to an autocratic governing system. To live to serve was foreign to her, and would be unacceptable if she were in any other position but the top rank.

“Then I give you the order to stay aboard ship.”

“But My Lady, we—“

She shook her head, “It’s an order, Seren. If you receive counter orders from anyone other than the Lord Marshal you are to disobey.”

It took him a second, but he finally nodded solemnly.

“May I take him?” she asked as she reached for Ram’s hand.

“He is fully functional once again.” His smile wasn’t as carefree this time. She regretted taking the pride from his mood, but whether he saw it the same or not, the only way she could return the favor of him saving Ramsay’s life was to save his life in return. If he left the ship, as most of the Necromongers would some time the next day, there was a chance he wouldn’t survive. He might see it as being denied the chance to pass to the Underverse in glory or whatever, but she could prevent his death of ignorance.

Within the halls, Ramsay was a spectacle to the Necromongers. Many had most likely never seen a synthetic, and his damned pleased expression didn’t help in the least. Then again, they could be checking him out for other reasons. It had been so long. She’d kept Ramsay in seclusion most of the time, not purposely, but out of necessity. Walking beside him now, she saw again how attractive he was, and saw how others seeing him for the first time would see him. It made her want to grin constantly.

“Bella, you have a lot to fill me in on.”

Bell shrugged, “It’s simple really.” They reached her chambers and she let him in, dismissing the attendants.

“Necromongers at your bidding is not simple.”

She sat with him, making sure to put some distance between them, but she held his hand. “I told you Riddick was off U.V. 6.” He nodded. “Well, he killed the Lord Marshal, and the Necromonger motto is ‘keep what you kill’.”

Eyes wide, “Riddick is Lord Marshal?”

“Yes, he is.”

They both looked up to see Riddick and Vaako standing in the door.

Ramsay looked worried, and Bell did a quick assessment. Would Riddick refuse her Ramsay? If he had an issue with her and Ramsay’s past he very well could. But despite loving the android she still just saw him as an android. Others sometimes couldn’t though.

She felt at Riddick, trying to determine what his stand was, but he pushed her away. That pissed her off and she came to her feet.

“Done commanding your army, My Lord?”

She saw and felt him become angry. It was beautiful despite the alarm at seeing it. “You mean the army that is going to keep the Militia from attacking you?” His voice had risen, almost yelling at her. “While you sit here socializing,” he added, softly.

“Your issue is with me, Riddick. Leave Ramsay out of this. Thank you for what you’re doing. I know you wanted no part of this.”

Her mood swing threw him and she could feel it. “Vaako, continue until I get there.”

Vaako gave a curt nod, his piercing eyes on her as he turned to leave.

Riddick waited for the door to close. “Do you see him as Thea’s father?”

Bell felt like he’d punched her. Where the hell had that come from? Riddick being open and sincere? And so she couldn’t lie to him.

“Partially.”

“So you see where I might have a problem with that.”

She considered, reversing their places. To have had no control over something so significant. To learn years later that something so intimate and vital had been essentially taken and used to create a life. Yeah, that would bother the shit out of her, but she saw things a little differently than Big Evil here.

“Do you see yourself as Thea’s father?”

Suddenly there was a wash of rage. It never showed on his face, save a tightening of his jaw, but he was one step from hurting her. He fought to control it, but that it was there was meaningful to her. It was her answer and she was instantly contrite.

He pulled back from her as she moved closer, probably for her safety. But she continued, putting her arms around him and just squeezing.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Back straight, his rigid stance remained for a long minute. Finally he sighed and dropped his head until his mouth was against the top of her head and his arms came up around her.

‘S’not fair.’

Bell gasped. She’d heard that, but hadn’t. Always they conveyed emotion, mood, attitude, and sometimes even circumstance, but never had there been words. ‘Riddick?’ she thought. She didn’t know if it would work, didn’t know how to make it work, but she sure as hell had just heard his thought.

He pulled back, his hands on her shoulders held her away from him. She smiled. Oh, yeah, he’d heard that.

“I don’t want you in my head, Bell.”

She just smiled, “I was already in your head. Now you just can’t deny it.”

Thin lips, not angry, just considering. ‘I couldn’t before.’

Bell grinned. Damn! If she didn’t know better he had just admitted something very close to caring.

“So is Ramsay going to be a problem?” she asked, aloud, getting back to their original argument and avoiding a discussion that was too deep and complicated to get into now.

Ramsay stood at hearing his name. Riddick looked at the android, his expression hard. No love there, that was for sure.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a problem.”

Bell was getting ready to argue when he spoke again. “But he can stay. The kids need him, and I wouldn’t take him from them or you.”

“Ground rules?” She was almost too thrilled to speak. He was doing this for them, letting her, them, keep Ramsay. Of course, that was going without mentioning the hell she would have produced if he’d tried to get rid of the synthetic.

“Not in this room.” He stared hard at the android and Bell was truly worried about the animosity. The kids would be able to pick up on that. “And no fucking.”

Bell grinned, “That wasn’t an option.”

He looked at her now and she got the distinct feeling that he thought she was lying.

She moved closer, up against him, accidentally brushing his groin. “I only needed him cuz someone else cut out on me.”

He stared down at her for a second before taking a step back and nodding curtly. “He can stay with the kids. They’ll be guarded from the outside, but he can be with them. They’ll feel better with him there.”

Ramsay moved up beside her, “Thank you.”

Riddick just stared, looking like he wasn’t happy making any sort of concession. “Militia wants those kids. The guards will protect the ship and the room, but you are solely responsible. If they get through I expect you to prevent them from being taken. By any means necessary.”

Ramsay nodded solemnly. Bell chewed her lip as Riddick turned and left them. She didn’t assume that he was ordering Ramsay to kill the children, but to kill himself. Androids had a self-destruct that could be powerful. Hide the children and destroy the room. It may be their last chance.

She looked up at Ramsay, “Let’s get you armed.”