Chapter Three: Hounds, Jackals, and the English Language

Author's Note: I'm going to update in the hopes that anyone lurking will take pity on me and leave a review- it's so lonely in here.

OSCOSC

Using hyperspace technology, the flight from Verris to Earth took about five days. Daria spent most of that time listening to a language program. One of the abilities that showed up among the Tau'ka was an ability to learn languages by "pulling" them out of a native speaker's head, rather like the copy-and-paste function on a computer's text program. The process not only brought words and grammar, it brought along untranslatables and shades of meaning that usually couldn't be picked up by the normal means of learning a language. Once copied, the language could be transferred to a sophisticated program that 'downloaded' it into the new speaker's subconscious mind. The end result was that the recipient could speak the language nearly as well as they could their native tongue in a matter of a few days.

This method of learning languages was one of the tools that made the Tau'ka effective spies- in essence, they could teach their agents how to "talk the talk", allowing them to blend in with the lingo of nearly any population and made it easier for them to be accepted by those they needed to deceive.

Daria listened to one of these programs on the flight from Verris to Earth, rapidly cramming as much English into her head as possible in between games of Senet or Hounds and Jackals with Vader. Distracted as she was, he usually ended up beating her handily. On these occasions, he would raise an eyebrow as if asking if she was certain she wanted to play again. For her part, the Tau'ka would flap her hand in a 'go ahead' gesture and set the board for another round.

The five days passed in this manner. Daria developed the annoying habit of slipping unconsciously into English when speaking to Vader. Such lapses were a common side effect of the program and, as Daria didn't realize she was doing it, a sign that the language was taking hold. Unfortunately, the language program couldn't entirely erase her accent, a holdover from over sixty years of speaking mainly Goa'uld or Goa'uld dialects. Looking over the notes that Ferris had provided, Daria knew that her accent would be taken into account- her persona was that of someone raised in Cairo, Egypt and would be easily explained. Even though they were a good sign, the lapses annoyed her companion, who didn't speak English himself.

"Daria!" he growled the twelfth time she did so in the space of three hours. "By the Force, listen to the culture program for a while!"

"Sorry," she muttered. She did as he said, switching to a disc that would describe the various aspects of nineteenth-century English culture.

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"Coming out of hyperspace," Vader announced the next day from the cockpit. "We'll be coming out between the sixth and seventh planets inward and should be entering Earth's atmosphere in about an hour. Are you all ready, Daria?"

"Yes!" she called from the main room as she finished changing into the clothes she would need to fit in on Earth. When she was fully dressed, she opened a travel satchel and pulled out an odd-looking construct of leather and synthetic fiber straps and metal buckles. "At least, I will when I get into this and loaded up."

"Finish packing and then go ahead and shift," Vader called back. "I'll be there in a second to help you with that harness."

The ship shuddered slightly as it returned to realspace. From the outside, it would appear as if the craft had suddenly appeared in a swirling flash of blue and violet light.

Daria set down the harness and stepped into the middle of the room, where there was no gear scattered about the floor. She would need plenty of space to draw on one of the rarest Tau'ka abilities- shapeshifting. The Tau'ka agent let herself relax and performed the peculiar little mental twist that would trigger the transformation.

Seconds later, a large, falcon-like gryphon stood in the main hold, folding her long wings against her back.

As the ship settled into a computer-guided flight towards Earth, Vader walked into the hold.

"Why we can't just set down and let you off normally is anyone's guess," he muttered as he picked up the harness and walked over to Daria's side, completely unfazed by the shape of the giant predator she now wore. "Wings back."

She complied, and shifted to a variety of other positions at his direction as her friend adjusted the various straps and buckles of the carry-harness. Such a rig was a useful piece of equipment, allowing her to carry more than she would normally be able to. The fact that anything she wore or carried shifted with her- unless she willed it otherwise- came in handy as well. As a gryphon, Daria was capable of carrying something the size of an average human. The harness facilitated such maneuvers when they were necessary. For now, though, Vader would just attach her travel satchels to it so she could carry them while in flight.

He did so, clipping them on with the ease of long practice. "Are those settled alright?" he asked, taking a step backwards. Daria shook herself thoroughly and was pleased to note that none of the satchels moved to the point where they might affect her balance.

"All sssettled," she informed him. "Rready to go on yourr marrk."

Vader raised an eyebrow. "You always insist on mangling the language when you're in that shape. I can hear you telepathically." He sighed in mock-exasperation.

An alarm sounded in the cockpit- the one that indicated that the ship was coming up on an atmosphere. Vader went to see to it.

"At least you're flying a whole ship thiss time!" Daria quipped, poking her beaked head into the corridor after her friend. He flapped a hand at her in dismissal.

"Just go and get ready by the airlock. I'm officially kicking you out as soon as we get to a safe altitude."

"How thoughtful of you."

"At least it'll be a safe altitude."

She chirped in the way that was a gryphon's laughter and went to stand by the airlock doorway. Underneath her, the ship bounced a bit as it struck the atmosphere, but Vader's steady hand on the controls negated most of that. As the ship dropped lower into the skies of Earth, it slowed down. By the time she could see the faint lights of an enormous city in the distance, the craft had slowed enough so that she wouldn't kill herself if she left it. They were still hundreds of meters above sea level, but that would pose no problem.

Finally, Vader guided the ship to a halt, hovering it on its repulsorlifts. "Go," he ordered. "These things are touchy if they hover too long. Opening airlock now."

The double-door before Daria opened slowly, allowing the first gust of Earth wind to spiral in. She stepped forward and crouched by the opening, ready to fling herself into the night air.

And Daria? Vader sent her silently.

Yes?

May the Force be with you. I have the feeling you're going to need it. A sensation like a hand squeezing her shoulder, and then Vader cut off the telepathic link. He had never been one for long goodbyes.

Daria chirped again, and then leaped.