Alternate Ending

It's this damn ship.

Are we all going to go mad here?

Vaako held his wife close, seemed to be murmuring in her ear. His hand held her wrist, but the blade was still inches from Zemma's eye.

"I loved you more than life or death."

Zemma wasn't sure what to make of that. She wasn't at an angle to read Vaako, her view being limited by her bound position on the bed. His voice was still raw, and sad, and Zemma thought there was something more. There was a dangerous quality to it.

Madness: again, or still.

This place will drive us all insane.

"Vaako, my young warrior, I'm going to make you Lord Marshal."

Zemma saw the Lord's hand tighten on his Lady's wrist.

"You were destined for Underserve, my love."

Zemma saw the dagger move away, up and towards the soiled nightdress of the ruined Lady.

"Vaako?"

"You deserve more than I can give you, now, Rachana."

"Vaako!" Panic and disbelief in the Lady's voice.

"You'll be reborn, Rachana. You'll be... perfection, again." Sorrow. Guilt.

Absolution.

He forgives her.

"Vaako! No!"

"Forgive me, Rachana."

Their bodies shook a little, as she struggled in his grip. His hand on her wrist moved the dagger inevitably towards her ravaged body.

"We'll both be free, Rachana."

The Lady was thrashing now, but she was defenseless against his decision.

"Don't throw away your chance at power!" Dame Vaako hissed.

Zemma was impressed at the Lady's courage. She wasn't screaming now, she was trying to rationalize with her spouse.

But the ship has him in its clutches, Lady. Just as it has you.

And me. And we're all damned.

Zemma never felt so helpless and depressed.

"The only power I have left, my love, is to take back my honor."

Zemma heard a soft, terrible noise. The death of the Lady was anticlimactic to her life of rage and passion. Perhaps Lord Vaako covered her mouth in a kiss before that final thrust. Zemma didn't want to see. What she did see was the knife drop to the floor between them and scarlet cover them both as Lord Vaako clutched his dead wife's body to his.

The door and voice comm were signaling for attention.

Zemma was a little afraid to speak; which never seemed to stop her anymore.

"Vaako?" She whispered hoarsely.

No answer.

"Commander?" She tried a little louder.

Is it wise to get his attention right now?

The door comm quit its incessant noise. Zemma heard the sound of people in the other room. Vaako dropped the body of his beloved and turned towards the living area. When he crouched to pick up the dropped blade Zemma worried less about herself suddenly. The man's grief...

"Vaako." Riddick's voice seemed to be both command and question.

They found her! Don must have seen the Chemist move her here.

Vaako straightened slowly. "Lord Marshal." His voice was defeated.

"I told you," Riddick spoke slowly. "I'm not your Lord Marshal anymore."

"I'm," Vaako hesitated as if trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "Free?"

"Can you live with that?" Wariness. Riddick was waiting to see if Vaako had pushed himself over the edge. Zemma was too.

"Who did you kill to get your honor back?" Vaako seemed almost conversational. Zemma thought that was a good sign.

"It was who I didn't kill," Riddick replied.

Cryptic as always.

Zemma wanted to ask this supposed murderer who he DIDN'T kill, and how much more of his reported history was a lie.

Later... Listen.

"Then what did you do?" Vaako asked quietly.

"I left."

Zemma saw Vaako turn towards her with the knife. She still couldn't see his face from her angle. She heard the sound of a rifle being readied across the room.

"Step back." Riddick's voice sounded closer.

"Sir, step away from there." Another voice, one she didn't know.

"Commander," Jaron's voice, with warning in it.

"She enslaved me." Vaako's voice was distant again.

He was starting to lean over Zemma. She couldn't see anything but the knife pass over her face.

"Vaako." Riddick's voice was closer again, calm and commanding as always. "Drop the knife."

Zemma felt the blade against the back of her neck. She kept very still.

"Sir, I have a clear shot." The voice, from somewhere behind her, sounded eager.

"Wait." Riddick was close enough for Zemma to see his leg as he stepped beside Vaako.

The knife at Zemma's neck moved suddenly and the cord around her neck was severed. She took a deep breath and tried to straighten her body from the cramped position she'd been bound in. Hands grabbed her arms and she felt the bonds being cut there too. She closed her eyes and had to clamp her jaw shut to keep from screaming as circulation, feeling and pain returned.

She heard Jaron's voice, "Take him to the other room."

Zemma felt her feet cut loose. She couldn't move much yet, shaking from the effort not to make a lot of noise, though she knew some sounds were escaping her. The sound of her own blood pressure was very loud in her ears. Her breath was hitching in her throat.

"...Zemma?" Riddick's challenge voice.

"Ask... me... tomorrow," she managed to hiss between gasps, eyes still closed.

"Call for a stretcher," Jaron commanded someone in the other room.

"Where are you hurt?" She felt him lay a hand on her face and now had to control tears of relief as well as pain.

"Broken foot..." she managed. "Ribs too, maybe."

"You've been gone three days."

Zemma opened her eyes to see Riddick's face inches from her own. He had that concerned look that always ate away at her self-control. "Three days?" Her voice was raspy.

Probably the bed isn't the only thing that smells then.

That's a helpful thought.

"Where's Jack?" Zemma tried to distract herself.

"Locked in your old bedroom with Nor for a guard." Riddick smirked a moment before his face turned serious. "She won't say what happened. She tried to use your code to pinch a ship."

"My fault," Zemma rasped out and closed her eyes.

"Bullshit." Zemma heard a serious quality in Riddick's voice; don't lie to me, don't lie for her.

Zemma opted not to say any more. She didn't want to lie to him, wasn't even sure she could. She just didn't want to see the scared kid pushed too far, or see the girl push Riddick too far either.

Woman. She's an adult.

Hmm.

Zemma felt herself drifting away. Sounds in the other room seemed distant.

"...Zemma?" Riddick's voice was faint.

Zemma tried to respond but fell into darkness.

She awoke in the brightly lit med lab.

"Do we tell her?" Jaron was whispering so quietly Zemma could barely hear him.

"No," Riddick was firm.

Zemma struggled to open her eyes and speak again, but floated away before she could form any words.

She drifted back to consciousness in the dark, strange dreams wafting away. Her pain was lessened to the point she could string one thought after the other. The first was:

Where the hell am I?

The second was:

Where's Riddick?

Zemma blinked her blue lenses up; she was in the bedroom she shared with Riddick. She rolled over and discovered him sleeping next to her. His eyes opened.

"You okay?"

Zemma nodded.

"Go back to sleep," he told her.

Zemma nodded.

Everything could wait till morning.

To Be Continued...