"Well. We get that thing -" subtly pointing at the transport "- off the ground, and when they -" pointing at the ornithopters "- notice something is wrong they will want to chase us instead of chasing after Paul. And don't worry, the transport is going to be empty, so we can actually outrun the thopters. If I'm flying it. Now we should shut up, Sardaukars don't speak Galach between each other."

One the pilots shouts at them. "Why are you two back alone? Where are the others?"

The language sounds different from what Duncan was speaking, harsh and guttural.

Conrad stiffens.

"The others have been killed, Sir. Duncan Idaho escaped with Paul and Jessica," he says in the same language. His accent is perfect. "We have been ordered to retreat and do an air search."

The pilot is suspicious, noticing something... off about the phrasing. As he's thinking about it, he hears the sound of metal scraping on metal, and then of an ornithopter taking off.

"Quick, you two, get on board!"

What. Why does Conrad speak Sardaukar like a native? And yet, he fought beside him, and they are getting on the transport, not attacking, so he must have given the correct answer.

Oh, that sound is probably Paul! They need to rush.

It turns out that being below average in Bluff for a Chelaxian still means you're above average in...wherever this place is. Or he just got lucky. He will take all the luck he can get, now.

Duncan said that the troop transport will be empty. Is it empty? What's inside?

Beside the two pilots, there is nobody there, just rows of seats and some trunks below the seats. The doors close immediately after they get on board, and they take off.

He signals with his hands. :I'll take the one piloting, you take the other. Ok?:

Tongues only covers spoken language, not sign or written language. Still, he can get the gist of what he's saying. He will change his bonded item from a dagger to a sword. It is silent.

He'll wait for his cue.

Good, he got the message. :Now!:

The two soldiers are not wearing armor, and were definitely not expecting to be attacked, so they go down without a fight.

Duncan shoves the pilot out of his seat, and slows down enough to get behind the ornithopters.

"So. Tell me about your vacation on Salusa Secundus."

"I don't know what Salusa Secundus is. I told you that Tongues lets me speak your language – it lets me speak and understand any other spoken language too. If you know other languages than Galach, I can speak to you in them. Try me."

He supposes it's too much for a fighter to know Tongues – it's not the most flashy or popular of spells. It's no Fireball.

Sure. Why not. There's no way he knows the Ancient Battle Language. Duncan can barely remember it from his studies.

"Hok skias dubito vere."

"Noli dubitare, quia lingua tua loquor."

Conrad looks very smug about it.

What. He knows the Sardaukar language. And Conrad just spoke with a better accent than Gurney has.

"Well." He aims at one of the ornithopters.

"Aren't you full of surprises." Fire!

"We really need to survive this, because I want to hear your story. I'm sure I won't believe a tenth of it, but I still want to hear it."

His target goes down, and the other two split, one keeping pursuit of Paul, the other turning back on him.

He's the better pilot, but the ornithopter is more agile, and he can't avoid being hit.

"Damn it, that was a bad one. They hit the left engine. I'm not sure we'll be able to..."

With a loud bang, the left engine stops working, and they begin to lose altitude.

"... YOU UNCLEGRABBER." He manages to down the second thopter, but the sand is getting closer.

"Ferrer, brace!"

"Ouch." He's... still in one piece, but pretty bruised. "You alright there?"

Conrad is aware that he has to brace, but he's not sure how one is supposed to brace in this specific case. He will simply curl up into a fetal position and hold onto himself tightly. He tumbles over to the floor when the transport crashes. It's painful, but it's not a big deal.

"I've survived worse. What about you?"

"Well, I survived being stabbed through the gut today, it's not like a bumpy landing is going to kill me!"

"Are there enemies around? Can you see or detect them?"

"I don't see any, no. Do you?"

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

"No."

He should probably explain a little about how wizard magic works.

"I have limited uses of my abilities, and I have one use remaining. I can choose to prepare an ability now, and this will let me use that ability without any lead time, but this will fix the use to that ability. Alternatively, I can continue to leave it unfixed, but this will mean that when I need to do something, I have to prepare it using my book for a minute. Which I can't do if we're fighting.

If there is no one around, then it would be good to think about what ability would be useful for me to prepare."

"I sure hope we won't fight again today. Not sure I could take another hit.

I see no one around so... might as well go through the options. What are your "abilities"?"