“Sector LV-426, twenty clicks from target. Reestablishing set down in T-Minus forty.” The ship’s female voice echoed mechanically through the small ship as a figure sat in the pilot’s seat, expert fingers dancing gracefully along the ship’s main controls.
The view screen revealed an abandoned colony in the middle of a monochrome desert. Monoliths rose from the landscape like the dried bones of a sleeping giant just outside the crudely constructed buildings. Old structures by the looks of it. Probably early terraformers lookin’ for a new place to call home when Earth went south.
Why all the way out here? First time in years he’d caught a familiar scent and it led to this planetoid called Acheron orbiting an even larger planet. What drew her to this place so far away from the systems she’d been stalking for the past ten years? Had he really lost her?
He cut the thoughts short as the ship jerked; the beginning stages of breaking orbit and descent into atmo. With ease, he brought the hunk of metal through the chop and eased it through a blanket of billowing clouds. Just another drop, nuthin’ new. But what he hadn’t expected, was another vessel damn near sideswiping him when he finally broke through the cloud layer. It wasn’t easy to spot but every damned alarm went off and screamed against the walls of the cockpit like a whistle blown inside a tin can.
“Fuck.” He growled and maneuvered the ship to the left as the unknown craft flew at him again, this time swooping up to his right, paused long enough to match his speed only to barrel roll to his left, vanishing from his radar.
Stopping himself from getting his ship’s guns ready, he had a sudden itch to play along. There was just something in the back of his mind, telling him that if he did…his search would finally be over. Because there was only one person he knew who was just crazy enough to pull those kind of maneuvers with a shit star-jumper. At least, that’s what she always wanted to do.
A small curve edged across his full lips as a thundering voice poured into the air around him. “Alright Wildcat. Let’s play.”
-*-
The view screen revealed an abandoned colony in the middle of a monochrome desert. Monoliths rose from the landscape like the dried bones of a sleeping giant just outside the crudely constructed buildings. Old structures by the looks of it. Probably early terraformers lookin’ for a new place to call home when Earth went south.
Why all the way out here? First time in years he’d caught a familiar scent and it led to this planetoid called Acheron orbiting an even larger planet. What drew her to this place so far away from the systems she’d been stalking for the past ten years? Had he really lost her?
He cut the thoughts short as the ship jerked; the beginning stages of breaking orbit and descent into atmo. With ease, he brought the hunk of metal through the chop and eased it through a blanket of billowing clouds. Just another drop, nuthin’ new. But what he hadn’t expected, was another vessel damn near sideswiping him when he finally broke through the cloud layer. It wasn’t easy to spot but every damned alarm went off and screamed against the walls of the cockpit like a whistle blown inside a tin can.
“Fuck.” He growled and maneuvered the ship to the left as the unknown craft flew at him again, this time swooping up to his right, paused long enough to match his speed only to barrel roll to his left, vanishing from his radar.
Stopping himself from getting his ship’s guns ready, he had a sudden itch to play along. There was just something in the back of his mind, telling him that if he did…his search would finally be over. Because there was only one person he knew who was just crazy enough to pull those kind of maneuvers with a shit star-jumper. At least, that’s what she always wanted to do.
A small curve edged across his full lips as a thundering voice poured into the air around him. “Alright Wildcat. Let’s play.”
-*-
Turbulent skies opened up like the jaws of a black leviathan; ready to swallow all who dared venture past as two dots echoed in and out of sight; dancing dangerously close to each other as they spun through an angry darkness of howling wind and rain that slammed against their fragile hulls.
The ships spiraled and flipped, pouring in and out of the thick cloud layer while narrowly missing each other by inches. This went on for almost twelve minutes when the sleeker of the two cut its engines and began freefalling toward the ground, forcing the larger ship to go into a nose dive in pursuit.
Merely seconds away from becoming nothing more then a ball of fire, the smaller ship went into full burn and swept back up in a graceful arch over the colony walls, only to land expertly on a large platform without so much as a hitch as the landing gear touched metal.
A chorus of mechanical hisses lifted into the stormy air as the hatch finally locked down on the metal grating of the landing platform. A shadowed figure appeared, suddenly slammed by the sting of cold rain that fell across the landscape in sheets. But after being onboard that small vessel for so long with nothing between you and that empty void of silence but the thin walls of the ship, it felt amazing to touch land. With a slight roll of the neck and shoulders, the figure slipped something over its eyes, hiding them from the blinding orange landing lights that shown brilliantly against the gray haze of the alien planet.
Not moments later, that piece of shit Merc vessel started to ease down on an adjacent platform to the left, the roar of the engine’s thrusters drowned out by the howling wind. A smirk edged across full lips at the familiar face that strained to get a good view of her through the view screen of the cockpit. It wouldn’t do him any good with how hard the rain was falling and the way the wind created spiraling shadows of dancing mist, making visibility an almost impossible feat. But she didn’t need eyes to know where she was going on this rock she’d made her home for the past seven months…and she knew he didn’t either.
She could feel that familiar pull of energy between them, the one that told her when he was close, a gentle whisper beckoning from the back of her mind. There was a moment of stillness, sensing him as he cut the engines and prepared to drop the hatch. Knowing that he could feel her, a wordless voice calling out to him from the black.
The ships spiraled and flipped, pouring in and out of the thick cloud layer while narrowly missing each other by inches. This went on for almost twelve minutes when the sleeker of the two cut its engines and began freefalling toward the ground, forcing the larger ship to go into a nose dive in pursuit.
Merely seconds away from becoming nothing more then a ball of fire, the smaller ship went into full burn and swept back up in a graceful arch over the colony walls, only to land expertly on a large platform without so much as a hitch as the landing gear touched metal.
A chorus of mechanical hisses lifted into the stormy air as the hatch finally locked down on the metal grating of the landing platform. A shadowed figure appeared, suddenly slammed by the sting of cold rain that fell across the landscape in sheets. But after being onboard that small vessel for so long with nothing between you and that empty void of silence but the thin walls of the ship, it felt amazing to touch land. With a slight roll of the neck and shoulders, the figure slipped something over its eyes, hiding them from the blinding orange landing lights that shown brilliantly against the gray haze of the alien planet.
Not moments later, that piece of shit Merc vessel started to ease down on an adjacent platform to the left, the roar of the engine’s thrusters drowned out by the howling wind. A smirk edged across full lips at the familiar face that strained to get a good view of her through the view screen of the cockpit. It wouldn’t do him any good with how hard the rain was falling and the way the wind created spiraling shadows of dancing mist, making visibility an almost impossible feat. But she didn’t need eyes to know where she was going on this rock she’d made her home for the past seven months…and she knew he didn’t either.
She could feel that familiar pull of energy between them, the one that told her when he was close, a gentle whisper beckoning from the back of her mind. There was a moment of stillness, sensing him as he cut the engines and prepared to drop the hatch. Knowing that he could feel her, a wordless voice calling out to him from the black.
How after all these years, that it was Riddick that found her first? She’d all but given up on the search for her lost light… Biding her time by Hunting the very things she’d grown to despise. Had he thought of her the way she thought of him? Was there a sense of guilt for leaving her behind; letting himself get snatched up so she could have a better life? But how will he feel when he learns of the person she had become. That without him, she’d turned into the very thing he tried to protect her from.
Better to be the Monster then the victim.
With an expert hand, she worked the panel to her right and kept her gaze forward. With the last button hit, the pistons let out a whine, followed by the hatch rising back into the frame to lock in place. A few seconds later, the orange glare went out, leaving her standing there next to a sleeping beast as bright halogens of the Merc ship tried in vain to pierce through the heavy rainfall, making her appear as nothing more than a ghostly silhouette consumed in a swirling mist.
A calm coursed through her as those blinding landing lights dimmed and a figure emerged from below that hunk of metal. His wardrobe had changed, more of a makeshift getup she was sure he’d crafted himself while being stuck on some nameless planet. But everything else…was the same. His presence was deafening as he stalked toward her, his movements methodical yet graceful as the rain soaked his bronzed skin. As he closed the distance between them, she caught a whiff of copper, telling her he’d recently acquired more battle wounds and they were still fresh.
Years ago she would’ve bolted toward him and leapt into his arms, desperate to feel him flush against her, to hear his heart beat thundering deep within his chest. To feel that warm breath fan against her neck as he breathed her in, encased in those powerful arms where nothing could to touch her. Now she merely waited, calm and collected as he closed the gap, leaving inches between them.
She could see herself in those black lenses, her reflection having changed from the last time she stood before him. She wondered what unnerved him the most… Her stillness, her stone expression…or was it the goggles that shielded her gaze from him? Was it like looking into a doorway, an alternate reality and seeing a female version of himself? Whatever it was that ran through that calculated mind of his, she could feel his disappointment. As if a knife of guilt had just been shoved into his gut. She could almost hear his thoughts that she was nothing but a shell of the person he once knew. Riddick wasn’t wrong, but she was so much more now…
“Before the questions start, why don’t we take this Ten Year Reunion someplace dry.” She exclaimed in a cocky tone loud enough to be heard through the howling wind and watched him merely nod in response before she turned and began the short trek into the colony.
Better to be the Monster then the victim.
With an expert hand, she worked the panel to her right and kept her gaze forward. With the last button hit, the pistons let out a whine, followed by the hatch rising back into the frame to lock in place. A few seconds later, the orange glare went out, leaving her standing there next to a sleeping beast as bright halogens of the Merc ship tried in vain to pierce through the heavy rainfall, making her appear as nothing more than a ghostly silhouette consumed in a swirling mist.
A calm coursed through her as those blinding landing lights dimmed and a figure emerged from below that hunk of metal. His wardrobe had changed, more of a makeshift getup she was sure he’d crafted himself while being stuck on some nameless planet. But everything else…was the same. His presence was deafening as he stalked toward her, his movements methodical yet graceful as the rain soaked his bronzed skin. As he closed the distance between them, she caught a whiff of copper, telling her he’d recently acquired more battle wounds and they were still fresh.
Years ago she would’ve bolted toward him and leapt into his arms, desperate to feel him flush against her, to hear his heart beat thundering deep within his chest. To feel that warm breath fan against her neck as he breathed her in, encased in those powerful arms where nothing could to touch her. Now she merely waited, calm and collected as he closed the gap, leaving inches between them.
She could see herself in those black lenses, her reflection having changed from the last time she stood before him. She wondered what unnerved him the most… Her stillness, her stone expression…or was it the goggles that shielded her gaze from him? Was it like looking into a doorway, an alternate reality and seeing a female version of himself? Whatever it was that ran through that calculated mind of his, she could feel his disappointment. As if a knife of guilt had just been shoved into his gut. She could almost hear his thoughts that she was nothing but a shell of the person he once knew. Riddick wasn’t wrong, but she was so much more now…
“Before the questions start, why don’t we take this Ten Year Reunion someplace dry.” She exclaimed in a cocky tone loud enough to be heard through the howling wind and watched him merely nod in response before she turned and began the short trek into the colony.
I'm liking this. Do keep going! :)
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