Author's Note: I relied only on the information given in PB and COR and their subsequent novelizations, and inconsistencies with any other media pertaining to Riddick's world is unfortunate, but will not be amended. Basically, Jack did hook up with mercs out of Lupus Five, but in this version they did what they promised to do. She learned the tricks of the trade and became a highly celebrated Scan Man. There are no Necros, but the assignment to pick up Riddick on UV6 did come from Helion Prime.

For those who are fans of No One Around, this is a little different. This is an action/adventure fic, but there may be some romance/sexual interplay later on between some characters. I haven't decided yet. If there is, I doubt it'll be explicit enough for me to change the rating. Where No One Around is "truthful" and adheres to the guidelines set by the movies, this one will tend to follow its own threads.

I don't really feel the need for the discretionary release of responsibility, i.e.,You can tell what's mine and what's not, other wise I don't think you'd be reading this. For fans by fans, after all.

R&R much appreciated!

Chapter One

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The large violet sun hung low in the sky, making everything alive look oxygen starved. The ice flows reflected the purple light up and into the fem-merc's eyes, making it difficult to distinguish moving objects from stationary ones through the light sprinkle of snow. She pulled down her special made ski goggles, flipping on the heat sensitive screens. "Where are you, you bastard?" she mumbled through her half mask, scanning the horizon and near by ice crags. Nothing.

With a disappointed grunt of unverifiable expletives, she swirled around, sending the ice crystals clinging to her cloak flying. A silver hull was there to confront her. She signaled to the pilot to let her in. The ramp on the space craft extended complacently, and she jogged aboard.

Throwing her gatgun to the nearest crew member, she shrugged the fur cloak to the floor and shivered lightly. Pulling the mask down from her nose and mouth to pool around her neck, she confirmed, "No sign of any warm bodies for miles."

"You sure?" Asked the big man she'd forced her gun upon.

She shoved him aside, making her way up to the copilot's seat. "Yeah, I'm sure, Spooner."

"It's Spinner," he barked back.

"Whatever."

The pilot turned to the argumentative man, "You're new on the team, so I don't expect you to click right in, but there's one thing you should know. When Kyra here says it's clean, it's clean. She's the best Scan Man I've ever met, so tighten up that girdle and take a chair. We're jetting off."

"Not to far," warned the fourth member of the crew, a sassy red headed woman named Mitch.

"Yeah," Kyra nodded, "Just another half a quadrant. Not too far. Keep this nice and easy."

"Not hot and heavy?" quipped the pilot, cocky.

"We're only scanning right now. We don't need to get rough with the equipment."

"But that's just the way I like it," the pilot hissed, his voice deep and inviting. He arched his back a little, and glanced mischievously over at her.

"Cut it, Toombs," Kyra spat.

"Sure, sweet heart," he said, cracking a metal spotted smile. He retracted the landing gear and shifted up.

As they flew, Kyra's gaze grazed the surface through the windshield. She rested her forehead against the multiplex, hyper functioning glass. It was freezing cold and helped to soothe the headache that had suddenly decided to barrel into her.

"You all right, girl?" asked Mitch, slinking up to lean over the back of her chair, "You look flushed."

Kyra touched her cheeks. They were hot. "I'm fine. It's near twenty below out there, and I'm still dressed for it." She sat up, scooting to the edge of her seat. She leaned on her arm rest towards Toombs, "So do we get the guy's name yet, or are you still afraid we'll pull out?"

"Yeah," piped up Spinner, "Who's this guy with the mil-plus pay day?"

"You know I only agreed to come with out a name because you don't cop out on the splits," said Kyra, moving her booted foot near his leg, stroking the outside of his pants softly, encouraging him to cough up the info. She looked at Mitch with smirk, "Four way split is a four way split with Toombs. He'll never have to worry about mutiny that way."

"You know me," he said gruffly, relishing the feel of her tease, "It's the easiest way to make sure my ass is covered."

"Plus, he knows I gutted the last man who cheated me. And I wouldn't hesitated to do the same to him if he ever decided to slip a little extra into his own pocket. Right, Toombs?"

"That's also why I don't let her play with pointy objects while on board." He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably as she ran her foot higher. She leaned closer, her voice playfully seductive, "So who is it?"

"Old mate of yours."

She stopped her enticing trail up his calf. "Who?" she asked suspiciously.

He moved his leg away. "Riddick," he said simply, keeping his eyes glued to the horizon in front of them.

She lashed out, trying to kick him in the shin. Luckily he'd been prepared for that kind of a reaction and avoided the blow. "Are you trying to fuck with me? Because you know that's not funny!" She roughly brushed the wavy brown locks that had fallen into her eyes away from her face.

"Hey, hey!" he chanted at her.

"Cool it, girl," Mitch snapped, grabbing Kyra's shoulder and forcing her down into her seat.

"Riddick?" echoed Spinner, as if he were trying to recall where he'd heard that name before. "Didn't he... didn't he die or somethin'? In a crash?"

Kyra turned on him, sick of the dumb oaf's idiotic comments, "Die? On the Hunter Gratzner, you mean? You mean the Company ship that got pushed off course by a rogue comet? You mean the ship I was on?"

"You were on that?"

"God in heaven, where did you pick this guy up?" she asked Toombs.

"Give it a rest, sweet heart. You're not as famous as you'd like to think you are." He decided to set her down. They'd traveled a good distance further and were now in a previously unexplored section. He unbuckled and stretched, straining his neck to turn around and peer at the man. "She's our little celebrity. Stay in the merc world long enough and you're bound to hear her name come up in a conversation or two. She's the only person who ever stood in Riddick's way and lived to brag about it." He glanced at her, flashing a patronizing smile, "For some reason she was special. He didn't cut her up and scatter the pieces. At least, not physically."

"You're an ass," she breathed at him, getting up to grab the cloak again. She strapped it on and wrenched her gun from Spinner. Shouldering it she asked Toombs, her back to him, "The target's Riddick?"

"Wouldn't have even considered taking the job without you. Because you're on board I figure we just upped our chances of survival fifty percent."

"Yeah? Well get out your calculator again. I think you figured wrong."