Themis, captain of the aging freighter Ceridwen, was torn. The middle aged holy man who had called on her this morning seemed the perfect paying passenger. Quiet, thoughtful, a comforting presence. But this "traveling companion" of his . . . he was something else. The longer she was with him, even here in the peace and security of the station commissary, the greater the sense that letting him on the ship would be a significant mistake. That at any moment he was going to be the still point in a whirlwind of weapons.

Still, the dark man was paying, his coin was good, and since it was coin, it was easy enough to conceal from the tax collectors. He was willing to pay generously for passage for three from Minos to New Ithaca, even though her ship that was taking a very circuitous route. Her cargo bay far emptier than she liked, and if she didn't have contracts she had to fulfill with long time customers, this would not be a worthwhile trip to make. With his contribution, the trip she could turn a profit.

She just wished she knew he hadn't done anything too illegal to get the funds.

What cargo she had needed actual tending, so no cryo for the ship's "crew," her and her husband Dale. A few passengers could be a boon that way as well. Help keep their minds off of the aching emptiness of time in space. If this particular passenger didn't kill them.

"So who's the third member of your . . . party?" she asked pleasantly trying to stall.

He shrugged slightly. "Just a kid. Won't take much space."

"Your kid?"

Something shadowed his features. "No. But she's with me."

Now, why would that be? Did you kill the parents? The thought was morbidly fascinating. But silly. No one did that. At least, no one traveling with a holy man. She compensated for her dark thoughts with a smile. "Can I meet her?"

He shrugged. Raised his voice. "Hey, Jack."

Themis turned her head to follow his voice. A young . . . person pulled away from a chattering swarm of animated adolescents. Themis would have guessed it to be a 13 year old boy from the lanky build, short hair, and loose stride. The girl, if that's what it was, gave Riddick a brilliant smile, just barely brushed the back of his hand with her fingers as she sat herself at the table with a boneless grace rarely given to adolescents.

If the man was flirting with darkness personified, this girl was all sunshine. Themis gave him another quick look. Riddick's features had actually softened as he looked at the girl. He noticed the glance, and his features stiffened back into impassivity. Doesn't want anyone to know he cares about her, she realized. She filed that away. The girl smiled at Themis, met her eyes boldly.

"Hello, Captain. Got room for three more?" No fear in that voice or in that body language. The captain's sense of foreboding began to fade. If this strong, confident girl was with him, this Riddick couldn't be all bad.

"Hello, Jack, I'm Themis. Can I buy you a real lunch in the captains' lounge?"

"Absolutely!" Jack bounced out of her seat, suddenly seeming much younger, full of delight. Themis stood, smiling. Riddick stood too, slowly, his full attention hard on her. Calculating. There was a moment of awkwardness.

Jack broke it with a tinkling laugh. "I think she means just me, Riddick."

"Hm." His voice was thoughtful, but there was a warning implicit. Trying to figure out if I'm going to hurt the kid?

This thought surprised her. But it was, in its own way, charming. She was beginning, slightly, to like this man. It was absolutely obvious he was out of his depth taking care of someone. He wanted on her ship, but he didn't like the idea of this girl being out of his sight.

The girl knew it too. "I'll be fine." Jack made a fist, punched him gently in the arm. "I don't think this lady's gonna try to eat me."

His head swiveled down, his attention now completely focused on the girl. Finally, he shrugged. "Scream if you need me."

"Always do."

His lips actually twitched. He sat back down, letting her lead the child away into more exclusive dining facilities.

Jack was clearly not from the streets, whatever else she was. She was perfectly at ease at this fairly posh establishment, and ordered paneer palak as if the menu contained no mysteries for her. Themis settled for the gumbo, knowing it was likely the last time she'd see fish or flesh for a while. As they were waiting for their food, she finally asked, "He treat you okay?"

"As good as he can."

"So . . . what was all that about?"

"What?"

"Eating. Screaming. You folks . . . have a history. But he's clearly not family. You together long?"

Jack looked down at the table for a moment. "For a while." Her sunny disposition darkened briefly.

"Look, I'll be frank." Themis shook her gray locks, tiredly. "I like you. I like Abu. I even kinda like him. But . . . I'm worried. He looks like trouble."

Jack snorted involuntarily. Before Themis could ask why, their food came. When the waiter departed with his platitudes, Jack took a mouthful of greens, chewed thoughtfully.

"So he's trouble?" Themis prodded.

"Depends." Jack took another mouthful, savored it. Seemed to come to a conclusion. "Look. He is what he is. He's no Space Scout. He'd love to just ditch me off someplace, stalk back into the darkness, live in splendid isolation behind some wall somewhere. He didn't ask for this, but he promised someone he'd get me and Abu home safe. And he's trying his best." She took a drink of water, clearly choosing her words carefully.

"If you're asking me if he's going to be trouble . . . well, it depends. I've never seen him pick a fight. But when fights come, he gets between me and monsters, and the monsters get hurt."

Strange way to put that. "Why is he taking care of you?"

"I don't know." Jack suddenly looked much older. "It's sorta random. But he's all I got. Him and Abu. Once we get where we're going, he says he'll go, and Abu'll be all I've got."

The girl's face grew pleading. "Captain, I really want to be on your ship because Abu says we wouldn't have to go into cryo. Riddick never does, and I really wanna spend more time with him before he goes away. Please let us go with you."

It was Themis's turn to take a mouthful, chew it thoughtfully. "He's a criminal, isn't he?"

Jack flushed, looked down. Didn't say anything.

Themis smiled. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone. Most of us are some sort of criminals, out here. Or runaways." She was rewarded with a brilliant, heart-meltingly hopeful smile.

"He's never done anything wrong while I'm around," Jack said, staunchly. "He's a good guy."

"Look, I don't know how to ask this question. So I'm just going to ask. Is there anything going on between you?"

Jack's smile was a little forced, but still hopeful. "No. He's not the slightest bit interested in me that way."

Themis chewed, thoughtfully. "I'll make you a deal."

Jack's face was even more hopeful.

"You keep him good, and you can come with us. But you have to promise me you'll tell me if he hurts you."

"Yes Ma'am!"

They finished the meal. Themis paid. Jack's gratitude seemed genuine and unforced. I could really get to like this kid. "We leave at 1600. That's three hours. Can you round up your people? Jack nodded vigorously and scampered off.

0o0

Weeks after they had started this leg of their adventures, Jack still liked the ship. Jack liked the people on this ship. Jack even sorta liked the fact she was catching up on school on this ship. Themis had a fascinating past. She'd been a marine before she'd gone into moving small freight. Maybe she was ready for a new career, she took to teaching with an enthusiasm that made Jack hide from her some times.

Jack was growing to like having her own cabin, even though at first it was strange to sleep without Riddick within an arm's reach. He still spent hours with her every day, mostly teaching her strange fighting techniques. She didn't necessarily want to learn these things, didn't like the implication that he thought she needed to know these things, but he paid attention to her if she applied herself. So she applied herself.

Their second stop was the peculiarly named Wonderfalls. A planet of middle managers all of whom, Themis said, fancied themselves artists. The Ceridwen was carrying orders of rare raw materials, and would be collecting art that, the savants on the planet declared, needed tending in transit. Whatever.

Riddick had wanted her to go shopping. Riddick had not wanted to go shopping with her. He'd arranged for her to go with Themis.

It made her nervous. Like he was trying to get her to bond with this woman, get her out so he could slip away, guilt free. Still, it was hard to fathom that he'd slip away on this iteration of paradise, full of wholesome art of questionable quality. And she did like Themis already. Even if she sometimes talked weird.

It had been a good day. They were walking back to the space port, taking their time, enjoying the sunset, talking of almost nothing, shifting the bags from hand to hand. They could have taken a transport, but it felt good to stretch.

"You remind me of my daughter, Ari, when she was younger." Themis smiled at her, grandmotherly.

"You have a daughter?"

"I had a son and a daughter. Ari and Ici."

"My god." Jack blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Themis laughed. "It's okay. They were short for Ariadne and Icarus. Named for a story."

"Tell me."

"It's a sad story. I sometimes regret saddling them with these names."

Jack gave her a puzzled look.

"Anyway, short version. My daughter, Ariadne, was named for a princess who fell in love with a stranger, and somewhat foolishly helped that stranger kill her brother in the middle of the night. Her brother was a monster, a killer of men, but still . . . anyway, she escaped her home with the stranger, who later abandoned her.

"I sometimes think I set my daughter up. She's been married a few times, has a few children, but doesn't seem able to settle down into a good relationship."

"What about your son?"

"You don't know about Icarus? He lived in the same palace as Ariadne. He lived with his uncle Daedelus, the king's . . . well, the king's own Leonardo. After she escaped, her father locked him up thinking he was involved. They tried to escape from there too, by flying out of there, only Icarus flew . . . .well, in the old days, they said "too close to the sun," and his wings melted. Sometimes, I think I cursed my son with that name too."

"What do you mean?"

"He joined the military. They tell me he died in battle."

"I'm so sorry." Jack touched her arm. They walked in silence. Finally, Jack broke it. "Better than what I've got. The big story associated with my name had me being a boy and falling down a hill."

Themis smiled. Bumped her affectionately with one of the bags. "That's not the only story, you know. There's another where you climb into the heavens and bring back wonders. Jack and the Beanstalk. And another where you scare off demons. People still put out Jack o' Lanterns in some worlds. And another where you represent the life force itself, Jack o' the Green. Another where you are the messenger of old winter. Jack Frost. All sorts of stories."

"I didn't know that. I'll have to read them some time."

Themis smirked at her. "We'll add it to your lessons." Jack groaned in mock horror.

The sky seemed to pick up the sound. Themis froze, scanning upwards. Jack followed her eyes, to something streaking like a meteor across the darkening sky. Everyone stopped, watching. An interplanetary shuttle, out of control, falling out of the heavens.

It hit the ground far too close with a shattering explosion. With a spacer's instinct to flee possible decompression, Themis dropped the packages, tried to yank Jack away. But the girl was already gone, sprinting towards the flames.