Warning: Slash, male/male pairing
My slash fanfiction archive: www.broken-epiphany.net /impulse
dalpin crage - It's good to know I'm not the only one who had some kinky thoughts about those two ;) Thanks.
Unholy Trinity - And you made my day. For a moment, I was really starting to wonder if I was the only person who saw Riddick and Vaako as the obvious slash couple. Thanks a lot :)
Isskar - Glad to be of service! I went on a hunt for Riddick/Vaako fanfiction before I began OBEDIENCE, and was really surprised not to find anything :( I suppose it's just 'cause the movie is still fairly new, still being in theaters and whatnot. I hope the pairing amasses a following though. Thanks for your comments. I think you might like this chapter a little more, if the interplay in the last one was pleasing to you.
OBEDIENCE - CHAPTER 2 - RETURN
Spacecraft 213-B departed from the planet Helion Prime without a hitch. However, Riddick had neglected to give Vaako orders concerning where to go, so the commander was merely circling the outskirts of the Helion system until Riddick made a decision.
Normally, Vaako would have asked Riddick instead of waiting, but when he searched for the man, he found him in the cargo hold, where he was locking Kyra's body into a cryo-tank. He stayed there for a long time, too, and Vaako thought it would be somewhat suicidal to disrupt Riddick.
As he settled back into his seat on the flight deck, Vaako wondered exactly who the girl was. While he found out her name on the trip back from Crematoria, that was all the information she would give. He remembered very clearly the way she grieved. It seemed as though any minute she would begin to sob, but the tears never came. Vaako sort of...admired that type of strength in a non-Necromonger female.
However, that didn't change the fact that she was dead and that her death was putting Vaako's army in jeapordy. Riddick obviously blamed the Necromongers for the loss of his Kyra, and for that reason he refused to lead them. Vaako didn't exactly blame him, but he needed Riddick to either accept his position or die. But nothing was happening. Thus, the army was locked in a complete standstill, unable to make a move because its leader refused to voice any orders.
Gritting his teeth, Vaako considered slaying Riddick for the umpteenth time. It might be an easy job...In his sleep, or even right now, when he was so trapped in mourning over Kyra. His hands tightended around the arm rests. He would enjoy killing Riddick more than any of his other conquests, simply because of the humiliation the Furian had caused him.
But the man had no weaknesses, and for this reason Vaako couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, take the risk. Riddick had the potential to be the army's most powerful leader, and Vaako felt that his genius might even lead them to the Underverse. Everything the commander had ever desired since conversion seemed within his grasp- if only Riddick would accept his position! And because of that "if only," the Underverse never felt so far away.
"Why are we still in the Helion system?"
Riddick's voice startled Vaako, especially since the commander had just been contemplating killing him. He flinched as he sat up in his chair and explained, "You never named your destination, Lord Marshal."
"I want to see this Underverse of yours," Riddick declared, sliding into a chair beside Vaako. The commander nearly cracked a smile. "But since you have no idea where it is, get me to Crematoria."
Wincing inwardly, Vaako punched a new set of numbers into the navigation system. Riddick raised an eyebrow at him, surprised and pleased that Vaako didn't question this decision. He found it odd that he had no objections returning to Crematoria, a planet which nearly killed him and his unit, but he decided the less questions Vaako asked, the better.
After a long moment of silence between them, Vaako asked quietly, "Who was she?"
Knowing Vaako spoke of Kyra, the Furian genuinely considered the question before he remembered who he was speaking with.
"None of your business," Riddick replied. Again, he was met with quiet obedience. If the rest of the Necromongers were as subservient as the commander appeared to be, maybe leading them wouldn't be as bothersome as Riddick first guessed. Still, it wasn't a responsibility he wanted. After some reflection, he considered another option.
"Could the army be disbanded?" he asked, glancing at Vaako out of the corners of his eyes.
For the first time, Vaako showed an outward reaction to Riddick. His eyes widened just slightly, and what little color his ashen complexion held drained.
"Lord Marshal, that could have dire consequences..."
"Explain."
"Citizens that had to be converted by force are merely drones," he said. "They know nothing but violence. To set them free would be like unleashing rabid animals upon the universe. If you thought your predecessor was ruthless, consider mindless men who have been trained as assassins and feel no pain."
"Isn't that what you are?" Riddick asked, his eyes watching Vaako carefully.
Now the commander's eyes narrowed, and his jaw twitched. Riddick received no answer. It was interesting to see Vaako angry, especially since it was obvious he was going through great pains not to look at his superior. Specifically to unnerve his subordinate, Riddick turned in his chair and eyed Vaako intently.
"How did your wife do it?"
"...do what?" Vaako asked after a moment's hesitation. His eyes were locked forward, as though he wished to burn holes into the glass windows before him.
"Convince you to assassinate the Lord Marshal. You were too well converted to think of that idea on your own," Riddick said. "I'm surprised you didn't turn her in for conspiracy yourself."
For the first time, Vaako glanced at Riddick. "Make no mistake: the thought crossed my mind. But she was able to see Lord Marshal's weakness before I did."
Riddick shrugged. "Your wife was impatient. He woulda named you his successor eventually."
Vaako nodded. "Yes, but the situation was more dire than that." He looked at Riddick with something akin to a glare, though not so overt as that. "I was rewarded for slaying you, yet you were still alive. The Lord Marshal would have never let me live. It was kill, or be killed."
"And you took the former option. I did once, too...Only they put me in a slam," Riddick said, a hint of either bitterness or amusement in his voice.
The other man raised an eyebrow, just slightly. He had almost forgotten that Riddick was convict and wondered about his escape, but Vaako did not ask about it. Obedience without question, loyalty until Underverse come. Though he was finding it very difficult not to have questions when his superior was so shrouded in mystery.
The rest of the trip to Crematoria was spent in frosty silence, and neither man slept.
"Careful," Vaako warned anxiously.
"Sit back," Riddick ordered, tapping buttons on the control panel.
"Lord Marshal, the angle-"
"Sit back!" he roared, rising from his own seat just a little. An alarm system sounded, confirming the commander's fears.
Vaako bit the inside of his cheek to keep from exclaiming, but it didn't work. "The angle is suicidal, Lord Marshal!" He quickly entered a new set of numbers into the navigation system. The alarm system shut off, but now Riddick was shouting.
"We're not gonna make it like this, now sit the fuck back and let me land the damn ship!"
"You don't know what you're doing-"
"And you don't know who you're messin' with, kid," Riddick replied as he adjusted the ship's numbers. It lurched forward, and both men had to grab onto their seats to keep from flying forward. They appeared to be diving into the planet at 90 degree angle. Vaako's eyes widened as they nosedived toward the ground. The seat belt was straining under his weight, which threatened to fall forward and crash the glass windows. Acting purely on instinct, he reached out and punched a couple of buttons to set the ship right horizontally.
Riddick roared, "Who's driving here?!"
The ship righted itself and Vaako breathed again, but Riddick was furiously undoing his work. It seemed to be too late, when suddenly the ship dropped into a valley and Riddick did a sharp, nightmare turn. The side of the ship clipped a wall of the crevice, bouncing them into a turbulent ride. The spacecraft was speeding into a hangar. Pulling on a lever, Riddick activated air breaks and landing gear. They came to a screeching halt, nearly slamming into the back wall of the hangar.
"You picked the wrong time to start questioning me, commander!" Riddick shouted as he stood. Vaako rose and followed after Riddick, spilling an apology. Riddick spun on his heel and faced Vaako. He hissed, "Who is in charge of this damn ship?"
Swallowing his pride, Vaako consented, "You are, Lord Marshal."
Through gritted teeth, Riddick said, "Don't fuckin' forget."
They exited into extreme heat, which both of the men remembered bitterly. They had not been walking long before a fine sweat covered Riddick's body, and Vaako found himself wiping his forehead. Riddick led them underground, into the prison.
"This is...a prison?" Vaako quizzed.
"One of the few triple max slams left in the system," Riddick informed. As they loaded onto a rail car, he advised, "Keep your head down." The memory of killing Toombs' fifth man came back to him, and he couldn't help but smirk. Vaako saw and thought it was a slightly ominous gesture. He kept his head down.
The ride was short enough, taking them to the command chamber of the prison. And there, Riddick was unsurprised to see just the man he'd come for.
Toombs spit out the water he'd been drinking when Riddick walked through the doors, followed by a man dressed in Necromonger armor.
"Well I'll be damned," Toombs declared, standing. "If it isn't everyone's favorite slick shit killer." If he thought he had even the slightest chance of surviving, he would have killed Riddick then and there. Staying locked between a pair of dogs from hell was worse than most of his nightmares, and he had the shit knocked out of him by prisoners once he managed to get free. But it only took a couple 'accidents' before the convicts unanimously decided to put Toombs in charge.
"Hello Toombs," Riddick said in that slow way of his. "You should try looking a little more grateful. I am here to rescue you, after all."
"Nevermind that I wouldn't need rescuing if it wasn't for you," Toombs spat. "What do you want?"
Riddick jerked his head in Vaako's direction, who had remained silent. "The commander and I are searching for a place…Mercs tend to have a good sense of direction, so I thought, why not check in on everyone's favorite dysfuctional mercenary? And here I am."
"Screw you, Riddick. I ain't helpin' you even if you kill me for it," Toombs replied, flicking his cigarette at the Furian. "Who the hell do you think you are-"
As though it meant nothing, Riddick shrugged and turned around, beckoning for Vaako to follow him. They returned to the rail car and were about to take off when, as Riddick expected, Toombs came running after them.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"
"My business here is through, Toombs," Riddick declared. He pulled a switch, about to start the rail car up. Toombs hopped in just before it took off, fumbling to fasten his seatbelt before the speed of the car sent him flying.
"Maybe I could point you in the right direction," Toombs admitted.
Riddick smirked. "Knew you'd see it my way."
Vaako took this opportunity to size up the newcomer. He had a tall, lanky frame and an ugly scar over his right eye. It amused Vaako to think that this man had ever dared pursue Riddick. By the way Toombs seemed so bitter, Vaako guessed the mercenary had failed pretty miserably.
When they boarded the ship, Riddick used a sensor on the ship's outside to detect the temperature.
"We got a couple of minutes before the sunrise. Let's get movin'!" Toombs called.
Riddick snickered. "I forgot to tell you: I'm in charge. Now strap yourself in before this ride gets rough."
Vaako was just about to suggest waiting a day before leaving when Riddick turned and faced him, holding a finger to the man's lips. "Ah, ah, ah. Who's flying this ship?"
To Riddick's surprise, Vaako's ashen cheeks flushed oh-so-slightly.
END
A/N: I think this chapter went more smoothly than the last. Now we've got Toombs tagging along. He's something of a plot device, but his character is rather easy for me to write, especially in comparison to Vaako. I think to be 100% in character he would have to be silent the entire fanfic, a few "Yes, Lord Marshal" and "No, Lord Marshal"-s aside. Though I suppose if I turned it into a PWP, that wouldn't be a problem...
[EDIT 6-24] Just added in a horizontal rule where my divider wouldn't show up. [/EDIT]
My slash fanfiction archive: www.broken-epiphany.net /impulse