Chapter Four: Old Friends and New Places
Daria sat perched on the railing that surrounded the Nautilus's upper deck, glorying in the feel of a proper wind against her face. It was two days after the All Hallows Eve party, and the Nautilus was taking the League to a designated rendezvous point in the northern Atlantic Ocean. All six of them were taking advantage of the fine – if slightly chilly- weather to get a little air and sun before their week-long trip to Verris.
"How soon will your friend be here?" Nemo asked.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. And there's no guarantee that our pilot will be a friend of mine, Captain. Most likely, we'll get picked up by someone doing a cargo run in the area, although it is entirely possible that the Council will send a courier vessel. It all depends on who is in the area and what the situation is."
The captain nodded and went over to chastise Skinner and Sawyer. From what Daria could see, it seemed as if the League's two jokers were engaging in a spitting contest over the side of the Nautilus.
Their contest was interrupted by more than just the intimidating Nemo, however. A brilliant beam of white light shot down from the sky, and with a loud, metallic whirring sound, a set of seven giant metal rings slid down the beam. The light flared so brightly that the League members had to look away from it. There was another whirring sound, then the rings vanished and the light faded.
Daria blinked to clear her vision, then stared at the figure that had been deposited by the ring transport system. The Tau'ka whooped with laughter and rushed to him. "Vader!"
Her friend and battle companion of several harrowing adventures caught her up and swung her around, a broad grin on his scarred face. "How have you been, Scarface?" she asked in rapid Goa'uld. "And explain to me just why you weren't on-base when I was there two weeks ago?"
"It's good to see you too, Dhar'ya," he said in carefully pronounced English. She stared up at him in surprise.
"When did you pick up English?"
"About a week after you left," Vader replied. "There will be plenty of time to get caught up when we're on our way. Are these your new friends?"
She could have smacked herself on her forehead for getting carried away. "Yes, they are." She turned to the League and began pointing out the various members, switching back to English as she did so. "Vader, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This is Captain Nemo, Commander-creator of the Nautilus; Mrs. Wilhelmina Harker, chemist and vampiress; over there in the hat and coat is Rodney Skinner, so-called 'gentleman thief', and with him is Special Agent Tom Sawyer of the American Secret Service, marksmen, de facto leader and resident cheer squad. And this," she added, drawing Jekyll forward, "Is Doctor Henry Jekyll, our medic, with his alternate personality Edward Hyde, the League's all-around heavy damage inflictor." Vader nodded, clearly putting faces to names as Daria rattled them off briskly.
The Tau'ka then turned to the League. "This is my good friend, Force Adept Vader Skywalker, warrior, mechanic, and pilot."
The humans nodded, or touched their hats, depending on their personal preferences. Sawyer strolled right up and offered Vader a hand. "You're a friend of Daria's?" he asked. "Pleased to meet ya."
Vader accepted the offered hand and shook it. Sawyer's eyes widened at the strength of the man's grip. He made a mental note to ask Daria where she'd met this intimidating fellow. Daria saw the look of surprise and remembered that she had failed to warn Sawyer about Vader's artificial arm.
"What's a 'Force Adept'?" Skinner asked. Vader gazed at the invisible thief, his piercing blue eyes unreadable.
"It is what I am," he said cryptically.
Daria did smack her forehead. "Sorry, Skinner," she said. "He likes messing with people's heads."
"That I do," Vader affirmed. "Now, if the lot of you would go and get any luggage you might have?"
They scattered, heading for the hatch that led into the interior of the Nautilus. Jekyll, the last in line for the ladder, stopped in his tracks as Vader said, "Doctor Jekyll? A word with you?"
Now what did you do? Hyde quipped.
Jekyll walked over to where Vader stood by the railing, feeling apprehensive. When the other man turned to look at him, he was uncomfortably reminded of a mouse caught in the merciless gaze of a hawk. Hyde chuckled at his fearful reaction.
Vader folded his arms across his chest. "So," he said. He had a mid-range voice that had a faint rasp to it, as if some long-ago accident had damaged his throat. Jekyll suddenly recognized what the numerous scars criss-crossing the man's face and neck were from.
They were burn scars. At some point Vader had been horribly burned. Jekyll recalled having to tend Skinner after his encounter with one of M's armored soldiers that had been armed with a flamethrower. In comparison to Vader, Skinner had gotten a bad sunburn.
That must explain why he wears those gloves, he thought. Vader wore a leather tunic-vest and long-sleeved shirt, and his arms were covered by a pair of long gloves, all in either dark brown or black. On one shoulder was a badge of some kind, a glowing sword-like object over a cog, set on a field that was half-gray, half-white. The whole device was ringed in black.
"Y-yes?" Jekyll stammered nervously.
So much for the spine…Hyde muttered.
Vader's gaze intensified to the point where even Hyde started to feel a little spooked. There was an odd sense of 'sheer power' around this man. "I understand that you have some feelings for Dhar'ya, Doctor Jekyll."
His eyes widened in surprise. How had he known?
"I…., well… I mean… you and she aren't… are you?" he stammered weakly.
Vader shook his head. "Of course not. I simply wish to make something clear," he went on. "Dhar'ya and I are very close. I owe her a great deal, and I consider her- at risk of sounding cliché- something of a sister. Towards this end, I will give you one warning. Hurt her, and you will regret it."
Jekyll swallowed hard. For a moment, he thought he saw another figure in Vader's place- a tall, armored figure dressed entirely in black, with a black metal death-mask covering its features. A moment later, the image was gone, but its memory sent a chill down his spine. He had no doubt that Vader was entirely serious. Who was this man, really? "That was never my intention, sir," he said, forcing himself to speak without tripping over the words or fiddling with his pocket watch.
The scarred man contemplated him for a short while longer, then nodded, his gaze no longer quite so discomforting. "Good," he said with a slight smile. "You seem to be a decent individual, and Dhar'ya likes you. I would hate to have to kill you."
Jekyll wasn't entirely certain what to say to that. At least he wasn't being scrutinized with that raptorial gaze anymore. He turned to leave.
Then he paused and turned back. "Mr. Skywalker…" he began.
Vader raised an amused eyebrow. " 'Vader' is fine. Or 'sir'. If you feel you absolutely must be formal, than 'Adept Skywalker' will serve."
"Adept Skywalker, then." Jekyll took a deep breath. "Does Daria have any, ah, male relatives?"
The other man frowned. "Why?" he asked.
"Well, apart from her father, as I was told he was dead, and her brothers-"
"Definitely leave those two off the list."
"Is there anyone?"
He thought for a moment. "Her cousin, Nibor Noclaf. He is a healer, and the son of her mother's sister. Why do you want to know?"
Jekyll shifted nervously. "I don't know about any traditions the Tau'ka have," he said. "But here, a man must ask permission from the nearest male relative before he courts a woman." There. He'd said it.
The eyebrow rose higher. "I see," Vader said "You are serious." At his mute nod of response, Daria's friend smiled. "I'm afraid Nibor would fall over laughing if you asked him, and then, once he picked himself off of the floor, he would tell you to go ask Dhar'ya yourself. The Tau'ka, from what I've seen, aren't nearly as formal as either of our societies. I believe they use some system of courting-tokens to signify their intent."
"You aren't Tau'ka?" Jekyll asked in surprise.
Vader smiled and shook his head. "I didn't even know they existed until about three years ago. I'm human- as much as you are."
"Oh,"
"Go get your gear, Doctor."
OSCOSCOSCOSCOSCOSC
"That was amazing!" Sawyer exclaimed after he'd been ringed up to the ship Vader had flown to Earth. "Can we do it again?"
Vader smiled, recalling a little boy who had once reacted much the same way his first time onboard a starship. "Not now, Sawyer," he said. "Dhar'ya will point you towards the passenger quarters." He waved a hand and Sawyer's luggage flew away from the ring platform and settled alongside the wall. "Get out of the way so I can bring Nemo and Skinner up."
The Tern was a small transport capable of carrying up to twenty people. It was about eighty feet from nose to stern, and was moderately luxurious for a craft of its size. Of Kelownian design, it did not have the pyramidal shape of most Goa'uld built ships. And unlike most transport vessels, the Tern was armed, and it was very fast.
That was why Vader had picked it.
He finished transporting the remaining League members to the Tern's ring chamber, enjoying their awestruck looks as they examined their new surroundings. Well, they were nearly all awestruck. He had the distinct impression that the ring system had made Skinner a little queasy, and had sent the thief in the direction of the nearest 'fresher station.
Nemo, on the other hand, immediately moved towards the nearest console and began examining it intently. Vader watched the man amusedly, until Nemo showed signs of being about to push the button that would open the airlock.
"I wouldn't push that if I were you," Vader warned. Nemo jerked his hand back and looked up at Vader, curiosity lighting up his dark eyes.
"Why?" he asked. "What is the purpose of that control?"
"The airlock control."
The Nautilus's captain frowned as Daria poked her head in.
"Oh, he's right," she said, seeing the panel Nemo was standing by. "You really don't want to touch that, Captain. Are you familiar with what pure vacuum can do to objects containing liquid?" When Nemo nodded she went on, her face completely deadpan. "It just so happens that we are beyond Earth's atmosphere, and space is nearly pure vacuum. So, unless you really want to determine just how long it would take for all of our blood to boil out of our skins…"
Nemo went remarkably pale and immediately turned to studying the Goa'uld symbol on the airlock control so he would recognize it when he saw it and therefore not be tempted to touch it.
Vader left for the Tern's bridge to get them started on their journey while Daria summoned the rest of the League for a meeting. The Tau'ka smiled as she saw the amazed looks on their faces as the ship began to move. She strongly suspected that, if they had been any younger, there might have been a few squabbles for the best spots by the viewports as they each tried to get a better view when Vader pulled the ship out of orbit. As it was, there was some use of elbows.
"It's so beautiful," Mina said, awestruck. "All those stars… you can't see nearly as many from the ground."
"I don't see why you want to work anywhere else, Daria," Sawyer said.
"I prefer to fly myself," Daria told him. "And it's not all pretty stars and great views. It's dangerous up in space. For one, there's no air out there. One hole in the hull and we lose all the air in here."
Jekyll moved slightly away from the viewport.
"Now, if you're all done gawking…" She waited until the humans grudgingly turned away from the viewport before continuing. "There are a few things you need to be aware of, both about star travel and what to expect among the Tau'ka. Firstly," she pointed towards the control panel by the door. "Do not touch that. That opens the airlock and, if not done properly, will kill us all." Daria gave Skinner a hard look, and he contrived to look innocent. "Galley is open at all time to whoever thinks they can cook. Help yourself, but be careful with the protein in all the colors of the rainbow. It's temperamental and doesn't taste very good if you don't prepare it correctly. No one goes into the engine room or the bridge without either myself or Vader."
"Why?" Sawyer asked. He looked a little put out.
"Vader's rules. He's protective of anything he's flying. Do you want to argue with him?"
The American shook his head hurriedly.
"Right. Gun turrets and the infirmary are also off-limits. Everywhere else is open. There's a game-board in the common area that I can program for whatever you like. We should be there in a few days, depending on how many times we have to backtrack."
"Why would we have to backtrack?" Mina asked.
"So nothing follows us home," Vader called from the bridge. "The Tau'ka are so picky about what they let you keep." There was a note of amusement in his rough voice.
Daria glared at her friend in mock-outrage. "It's so we don't have any Goa'uld spies following us to the base."
"Tha' would be bad, woudn'it?" Skinner said.
She sighed. "Yes, it would. Now, the other thing- courtesy."
The invisible man immediately pulled Mina into a hug and said, "Wha' about it?" Mina pushed him away with a long-suffering sigh.
Daria flopped down into a seat. "Unfortunately, as you all know, many Tau'ka have certain, ah…"
"Xenophobic tendencies?" Jekyll prompted.
"More like racist. Too many of my kind look upon humans as a lesser species."
"But I thought your kind had been intermarrying with humans for centuries," Mina said.
"That's true," Daria agreed. "But then you get into the whole 'pure-blood' thing, and then it gets really messy."
"What are you?" Sawyer inquired. The Tau'ka mumbled something the others didn't catch. "Sorry?" he added.
"Pure-blooded Tau'ka," she repeated, more loudly. "And it's embarrassing how some of the others act. I'll apologize now for anything they might cause. It isn't pretty, but it's there, and you all have to be aware of that. I think I can work the Council around, but the general populace is likely to cause issues. To minimize that, be polite." She stood and scrutinized her companions. "Henry, Mina, and Nemo should get by without any difficulty, and I'm not too worried about the kid."
Sawyer bristled a bit at the nickname as Daria locked eyes with Skinner. "But you had better watch it. Now, there is one specific point I want to make. Bowing."
"What about it?" Sawyer asked.
She gestured to Jekyll. "Henry, if you would bow, please?"
The doctor frowned but complied. Before he had inclined his torso halfway, Daria stopped him. "Henry here has just executed a textbook example of 'How to get a Tau'ka to Challenge You to a Death Duel'."
Jekyll straightened up in surprise. "W-what?" he yelped. "Death duel? How?"
The Tau'ka imitated his interrupted bow, emphasizing the way he had held one arm behind his back. "Many Tau'ka carry a weapon of some kind at the small of their backs," she said, demonstrating with a short knife none of them had known she was carrying until that moment. "Bowing this manner is tantamount to threatening to pull a weapon on the person you're speaking to. It also implies that they are cowardly, disloyal, and traitorous, because they would use the hidden weapon rather than directly challenging you up front."
The doctor gulped as he thought of all the times he had greeted Daria in just that manner.
Smooth, Henry, Hyde told him. Daria put her blade away and patted his arm consolingly. She couldn't blame him- he didn't know.
"Now, since I don't want to see any of you in the Dueling Arena, I suggest that you perform all bows with your arms to the sides. If you're greeting someone on the Council, it's permissible to fold one arm across the waist. Don't greet anyone else like that, unless you see me do it first."
Skinner raised his hand. "'Ow are we going to talk to your folks?" he asked. "Seeing as we don't speak Tau'ka-ese."
"Translators," Daria replied. She pulled a small device out of her pocket. "They're only one-way, though. You stick this part in your ear and it'll automatically translate Goa'uld to English."
"And when we wish to respond?" Mina pointed out.
"Well, most Tau'ka are Communications Telepaths, or True Telepaths. They'll be able to 'read' what you say as you think it. The Empaths will be able to read associated emotions, and we have a few Translators who will be able to pick up on English very quickly. About ninety-seven percent of the population has one or more of these abilities."
"And the ones that do not?" Jekyll asked.
"I'm not the only Tau'ka who speaks English, and any who don't will wear their own translators." she replied. "But on that note, it would be best if you try to keep Hyde as quiet as possible while we're there. We can't run the risk of him saying anything… unfortunate."
The doctor nodded. When Daria asked if there were any more questions, the others all shook their heads, although Nemo asked to look more closely at the translator. She handed the small device to him and let the others go.
This may be an interesting trip.