Fighting the Truth [Chronicles of Riddick, #blade (#323)]
Title: Fighting the Truth
Author: taibhrigh
Fandom: The Chronicles of Riddick,
Pairing/Characters: Riddick/Vaako
Rating/Category: R/Slash (language)
Word Count: 1615
Prompt: Vaako actually DOES try to kill Riddick (in battle? in bed?) [at smallfandomfest] / blade (#323) [at writers_choice]
Summary: Vaako's pissed and Riddick is the cause of his ire.
Notes: Thanks to siluria for the beta.
Riddick rolled to his feet, knife still in his hand as he spun back around toward his attacker. They had been at this for almost twenty minutes and neither of them were winded, or for that matter, showing any signs of backing down. They both sported several small knife cuts, as they had each gotten close with their blades but not close enough to do any real damage. More like annoying little stings, especially with neither of them wearing armor.
He pivoted again and danced around his opponent; missing by mere millimeters of being able to slice into the other man's bicep. Riddick had to give Vaako credit, the Necromonger was more flexible and far better at hand-to-hand combat then he would have figured for a man who pulled guns before a knife.
Vaako had been at each of Riddick's tussles with the Necromongers--from the very first time on Helion Prime to his battle with Zhylaw. Riddick had been victorious in one fashion or another in all of the encounters. Though, he wasn't sure if becoming Lord Marshal was a victory or not.
In the last several months Vaako had actually been quite helpful with getting Riddick settled in the Lord Marshal position, from the trip to the Threshold to actually getting the other soldiers to fall into line.
But a week ago Lord Vaako's wife had made a play for both Riddick and the position of Lord Marshal. Dame Vaako really wanted the position and to be the first woman Lord Marshal. She tried rubbing up against him and whispering in his ear. He ignored her. She upped the ante by sneaking into his quarters and climbing into bed with him. He let her go for a ride and then dumped her on the floor. Riddick could see what Vaako enjoyed about the woman, she was quite fiery and he liked a good tussle in bed. But he just wasn't into two-faced bitches.
When fucking him didn't work, Dame Vaako tried to kill him. Riddick could tolerate a lot of things, someone trying to murder him wasn't one of them. So Dame Vaako's first attempt at killing him was also her last. She came at him with a dainty little sword and he stabbed her in the heart with the small curved blade he used to shave his head.
Vaako came at him again. This time with a kick to the solar plexus followed up a punch to the jaw. "Nice move," Riddick grunted, stumbling slightly before rebalancing and flipping Vaako over his back to the hard marble floor.
The two men came at each other again and again and broke apart just as quickly. Riddick finally took them to the floor with a move that had him coming out on top, straddling Vaako's waist. Riddick's knife was at Vaako's throat; Vaako's knife was at Riddick's stomach. The two men stared at each other. "I figure we'll both be dead if we keep this up," Riddick said.
"Neither of us is going to yield," Vaako remarked.
The door to the Necropolis began to open and both Riddick and Vaako barked the same order at the door. "Get Out!"
Vaako glared up at Riddick. "They will wait until we are both weak and then one of the Commanders will come in here and finish us both, becoming the new Lord Marshal."
Riddick knew a lot about Vaako. A lot more than Vaako knew about himself. He could feel the hardness of the other man's body beneath him. Could feel the tension and adrenaline as it raced just under Vaako's skin. The Threshold had shown him a lot.
The Elementals had been wrong. He wasn't the last Furyan, he had just been the last purebred born that had managed to live when Zhylaw came to destroy Furya. The Furyans had been a warrior race. If you purchased their services they fought and died for you. If they mixed with your people and had children they stayed to protect what was theirs. The Elementals had miscalculated. If Aereon hadn't been sent to Zhylaw, the Furyans would have exterminated the Necromongers years earlier.
Zhylaw had been worried about Riddick after the Greater Quasi Dead had announced that he was Furyan. But Zhylaw had never taken a closer look at the converts around him. The head Purifier had been a converted Furyan. And Riddick knew there were at least a dozen half-bred Furyan children still in the Necromonger fleet. The prophecy of Zhylaw's death would have come true one way or another.
Riddick leaned down so his silver eyes could look directly into Vaako's hazel ones. He could feel the slight bite of Vaako's blade, but he also felt Vaako shift his wrist a fraction so the blade did no actual damage. "What has you so pissed Vaako that you would try to kill me? Change your mind about being Lord Marshal?"
"No. But, you killed my wife, Riddick. Law dictates I kill you for taking what is mine."
"She wasn't loyal. She liked to slip into other people's beds."
"Yours?"
"Mine. Toal's, Lady Elda's."
"Then I will take care of them when I am done with you."
Riddick snorted at Vaako's confidence. He liked that in the other man and had no doubt that if Vaako walked out of this room alive the other two people would soon be dead. "Were you loyal to her?" Riddick asked.
"Yes."
"Did you love her?"
"That is not important."
Riddick shrugged a little, having already guessed that the marriage had really been a political move for one or both of them. "Did you trust her?"
"No," Vaako answered.
Riddick leaned back and removed his knife from Vaako's throat. He wasn't worried that Vaako still hadn't moved his blade away. "Ever wonder why you and the Purifier didn't die with the rest of your men who were in the path of my little light show back on Crematoria?"
"What does this have to do with you killing my wife?"
"Just answer the question."
Vaako growled and tried to buck Riddick off of him but the Furyan barely moved and Vaako had to move the knife in the process to avoid it twisting into his own stomach. "Yes! Okay, yes! I wanted to know, want to know, why I didn't die with them."
Riddick leaned down again. "Did your chest burn with an ache of pain, of rage like you never felt before?"
Vaako glared at him and Riddick knew Vaako wanted to deny it but couldn't. "Yes."
Riddick grinned and leaned even further down so he could whisper into Vaako's ear. "One of your parents was like me, a Furyan."
This time Vaako did manage to dislodge Riddick from his spot and the two men sprung back to their feet, facing each other with knives ready. "You lie!" Vaako said angrily. "Zhylaw would have killed me on sight if that was true."
"Zhylaw thought too much of himself to ever pay attention to the convert intake records," Riddick said before ducking a kick aimed at his head. He landed his own kick to Vaako's chest that sent the man flying through the air. "And I just bet you stayed out of the clutches of those Quasi Dead things."
Vaako landed in a crouch before springing into a move that brought him within striking distance of Riddick. "Again I ask, what does this have to do with you killing my wife?"
Riddick danced out of the way. "Just saving you from having to do it yourself."
"I could have been free of ties," Vaako began but could say no more when the door to the Necropolis opened again. The handful of soldiers that followed Commander Scales into the room quickly backed out of it when Scales fell to the floor with two knives protruding from his neck.
The two combatants turned back to each other, each pulling another knife from some hidden location on their body.
"Are we really going to start this all over again?" Riddick asked. He rolled the muscles in his shoulders and stared at Vaako waiting for answer. "I can prove what I say."
"How?"
Riddick used his knife to cut away a section of his shirt. The outline of a handprint could clearly be seen on the Furyan's chest right above his heart. He watched as Vaako put his hand to his own chest and rubbed before using his own blade to cut away a similar section of shirt.
There on Vaako's chest was a very pale outline of a hand. It burned even brighter to Riddick's sight now that there was no clothing covering it.
"Why?" Vaako asked, backing up several steps. "Why?"
Riddick approached Vaako slowly, like you would a skittish animal even as Vaako backed away. "You keep what you kill," Riddick reminded Vaako. "She wasn't for you. She couldn't give you what you want or need. I killed her to keep you."
"I don't..." Vaako began.
Riddick quieted Vaako by pushing the other man against the wall and kissing him. "You will be the leader of my army. My right hand, my consort. My partner. We will rule this fleet together," Riddick said breaking the kiss. "I will give you my trust, my love and only ask for the same in return."
Vaako was quiet for a second as he stared into Riddick's eyes. Riddick almost believed that the other man could see right into his soul; and maybe for a minute Vaako could because he grabbed the back of Riddick's head and brought their lips together.
"Yes," Vaako said as the sound of two knives hitting the marble floor echoed through the Necropolis.
-end-
Author: taibhrigh
Fandom: The Chronicles of Riddick,
Pairing/Characters: Riddick/Vaako
Rating/Category: R/Slash (language)
Word Count: 1615
Prompt: Vaako actually DOES try to kill Riddick (in battle? in bed?) [at smallfandomfest] / blade (#323) [at writers_choice]
Summary: Vaako's pissed and Riddick is the cause of his ire.
Notes: Thanks to siluria for the beta.
Riddick rolled to his feet, knife still in his hand as he spun back around toward his attacker. They had been at this for almost twenty minutes and neither of them were winded, or for that matter, showing any signs of backing down. They both sported several small knife cuts, as they had each gotten close with their blades but not close enough to do any real damage. More like annoying little stings, especially with neither of them wearing armor.
He pivoted again and danced around his opponent; missing by mere millimeters of being able to slice into the other man's bicep. Riddick had to give Vaako credit, the Necromonger was more flexible and far better at hand-to-hand combat then he would have figured for a man who pulled guns before a knife.
Vaako had been at each of Riddick's tussles with the Necromongers--from the very first time on Helion Prime to his battle with Zhylaw. Riddick had been victorious in one fashion or another in all of the encounters. Though, he wasn't sure if becoming Lord Marshal was a victory or not.
In the last several months Vaako had actually been quite helpful with getting Riddick settled in the Lord Marshal position, from the trip to the Threshold to actually getting the other soldiers to fall into line.
But a week ago Lord Vaako's wife had made a play for both Riddick and the position of Lord Marshal. Dame Vaako really wanted the position and to be the first woman Lord Marshal. She tried rubbing up against him and whispering in his ear. He ignored her. She upped the ante by sneaking into his quarters and climbing into bed with him. He let her go for a ride and then dumped her on the floor. Riddick could see what Vaako enjoyed about the woman, she was quite fiery and he liked a good tussle in bed. But he just wasn't into two-faced bitches.
When fucking him didn't work, Dame Vaako tried to kill him. Riddick could tolerate a lot of things, someone trying to murder him wasn't one of them. So Dame Vaako's first attempt at killing him was also her last. She came at him with a dainty little sword and he stabbed her in the heart with the small curved blade he used to shave his head.
Vaako came at him again. This time with a kick to the solar plexus followed up a punch to the jaw. "Nice move," Riddick grunted, stumbling slightly before rebalancing and flipping Vaako over his back to the hard marble floor.
The two men came at each other again and again and broke apart just as quickly. Riddick finally took them to the floor with a move that had him coming out on top, straddling Vaako's waist. Riddick's knife was at Vaako's throat; Vaako's knife was at Riddick's stomach. The two men stared at each other. "I figure we'll both be dead if we keep this up," Riddick said.
"Neither of us is going to yield," Vaako remarked.
The door to the Necropolis began to open and both Riddick and Vaako barked the same order at the door. "Get Out!"
Vaako glared up at Riddick. "They will wait until we are both weak and then one of the Commanders will come in here and finish us both, becoming the new Lord Marshal."
Riddick knew a lot about Vaako. A lot more than Vaako knew about himself. He could feel the hardness of the other man's body beneath him. Could feel the tension and adrenaline as it raced just under Vaako's skin. The Threshold had shown him a lot.
The Elementals had been wrong. He wasn't the last Furyan, he had just been the last purebred born that had managed to live when Zhylaw came to destroy Furya. The Furyans had been a warrior race. If you purchased their services they fought and died for you. If they mixed with your people and had children they stayed to protect what was theirs. The Elementals had miscalculated. If Aereon hadn't been sent to Zhylaw, the Furyans would have exterminated the Necromongers years earlier.
Zhylaw had been worried about Riddick after the Greater Quasi Dead had announced that he was Furyan. But Zhylaw had never taken a closer look at the converts around him. The head Purifier had been a converted Furyan. And Riddick knew there were at least a dozen half-bred Furyan children still in the Necromonger fleet. The prophecy of Zhylaw's death would have come true one way or another.
Riddick leaned down so his silver eyes could look directly into Vaako's hazel ones. He could feel the slight bite of Vaako's blade, but he also felt Vaako shift his wrist a fraction so the blade did no actual damage. "What has you so pissed Vaako that you would try to kill me? Change your mind about being Lord Marshal?"
"No. But, you killed my wife, Riddick. Law dictates I kill you for taking what is mine."
"She wasn't loyal. She liked to slip into other people's beds."
"Yours?"
"Mine. Toal's, Lady Elda's."
"Then I will take care of them when I am done with you."
Riddick snorted at Vaako's confidence. He liked that in the other man and had no doubt that if Vaako walked out of this room alive the other two people would soon be dead. "Were you loyal to her?" Riddick asked.
"Yes."
"Did you love her?"
"That is not important."
Riddick shrugged a little, having already guessed that the marriage had really been a political move for one or both of them. "Did you trust her?"
"No," Vaako answered.
Riddick leaned back and removed his knife from Vaako's throat. He wasn't worried that Vaako still hadn't moved his blade away. "Ever wonder why you and the Purifier didn't die with the rest of your men who were in the path of my little light show back on Crematoria?"
"What does this have to do with you killing my wife?"
"Just answer the question."
Vaako growled and tried to buck Riddick off of him but the Furyan barely moved and Vaako had to move the knife in the process to avoid it twisting into his own stomach. "Yes! Okay, yes! I wanted to know, want to know, why I didn't die with them."
Riddick leaned down again. "Did your chest burn with an ache of pain, of rage like you never felt before?"
Vaako glared at him and Riddick knew Vaako wanted to deny it but couldn't. "Yes."
Riddick grinned and leaned even further down so he could whisper into Vaako's ear. "One of your parents was like me, a Furyan."
This time Vaako did manage to dislodge Riddick from his spot and the two men sprung back to their feet, facing each other with knives ready. "You lie!" Vaako said angrily. "Zhylaw would have killed me on sight if that was true."
"Zhylaw thought too much of himself to ever pay attention to the convert intake records," Riddick said before ducking a kick aimed at his head. He landed his own kick to Vaako's chest that sent the man flying through the air. "And I just bet you stayed out of the clutches of those Quasi Dead things."
Vaako landed in a crouch before springing into a move that brought him within striking distance of Riddick. "Again I ask, what does this have to do with you killing my wife?"
Riddick danced out of the way. "Just saving you from having to do it yourself."
"I could have been free of ties," Vaako began but could say no more when the door to the Necropolis opened again. The handful of soldiers that followed Commander Scales into the room quickly backed out of it when Scales fell to the floor with two knives protruding from his neck.
The two combatants turned back to each other, each pulling another knife from some hidden location on their body.
"Are we really going to start this all over again?" Riddick asked. He rolled the muscles in his shoulders and stared at Vaako waiting for answer. "I can prove what I say."
"How?"
Riddick used his knife to cut away a section of his shirt. The outline of a handprint could clearly be seen on the Furyan's chest right above his heart. He watched as Vaako put his hand to his own chest and rubbed before using his own blade to cut away a similar section of shirt.
There on Vaako's chest was a very pale outline of a hand. It burned even brighter to Riddick's sight now that there was no clothing covering it.
"Why?" Vaako asked, backing up several steps. "Why?"
Riddick approached Vaako slowly, like you would a skittish animal even as Vaako backed away. "You keep what you kill," Riddick reminded Vaako. "She wasn't for you. She couldn't give you what you want or need. I killed her to keep you."
"I don't..." Vaako began.
Riddick quieted Vaako by pushing the other man against the wall and kissing him. "You will be the leader of my army. My right hand, my consort. My partner. We will rule this fleet together," Riddick said breaking the kiss. "I will give you my trust, my love and only ask for the same in return."
Vaako was quiet for a second as he stared into Riddick's eyes. Riddick almost believed that the other man could see right into his soul; and maybe for a minute Vaako could because he grabbed the back of Riddick's head and brought their lips together.
"Yes," Vaako said as the sound of two knives hitting the marble floor echoed through the Necropolis.
-end-