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<blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1888736" data-attributes="member: 6294">&quot;The Targ Totality&quot; - Part 4Fury and S'Ondra crouch behind a cluster of small boulders, looking down a long slope to the Targ encampment.&nbsp; Three dome-like tents form a rough semicircle, while a fourth slowly assembles itself in jerky stop motion.&nbsp; Several figures are clustered at the opposite end of the camp, surrounding what looks like a machine-gun pit.&quot;Paranoid bunch.&quot; Fury notes, staring through a pair of binoculars, &quot;They've killed everything on the planet, and they're still carrying more firepower than the Pathfinder.&quot;&quot;What are they wearing?&quot; S'Ondra shades her eyes.&nbsp; Unlike Fury, she does not have the benefit of binoculars.&quot;Some kind of encounter suit, I think.&quot; Fury frowns, &quot;It's like one of our spacesuits, but all in black with a tinted visor.&nbsp; I guess they must be shy.&quot;&quot;So how do we get past them all and onto the shuttle?&quot; S'Ondra asks, gesturing at the blocky vehicle which sits beyond the camp.&nbsp; As she does so, the shuttle's engines roar into life, and it lifts into the air.Watching the shuttle zoom off into space, Fury sighs,&quot;With difficulty.&quot;With the shuttle's departure, one of the Targ still at the camp can be gesturing and pointing.&nbsp; As he (or possibly she ... or even it) does so, the other Targ break up into small groups.&quot;Two each going into the tents -&quot; Fury holds his breath&quot;- and two going on patrol.&quot; S'Ondra smiles.&nbsp; &quot;From the way he was pointing, they'll start out west, then circle clockwise.&nbsp; If we head north, we can cut them off.&quot;Fury nods his agreement.&quot;Let's get Archie and the Doc.&quot;The pair both turn, intending to leave, and almost clash heads.&nbsp; They pause, eyes locked, lips only inches apart.&quot;Sorry.&quot; Fury manages at last, &quot;Ladies first.&quot;S'Ondra gives him her best regal nod, the effect spoiled somewhat by the flushed colour of her face, and quickly scrambles away, crouched at the waist to avoid being seen.It's a tough job following a beautiful woman in that position, but Fury's the man to do it.Through the wonders of TV continuity, we cut to the full Q-Ship crew, lurking in ditches on either side of a small dirt track.&nbsp; S'Ondra and Gustav are one side of the track, while Fury and Archie crouch on the other.&quot;This is most unsanitary.&quot; The robot frets.&quot;Quiet, or I'll turn you off.&quot; Fury points down the track.&nbsp; &quot;Here they come.&quot;Viewing the Targ up close for the first time, we see that they are indeed dressed in full black body suits.&nbsp; The basic suits are fairly form-fitting, but the Targ wear bulky helmets and armoured vests over the top of them, while tubing runs from the vest to their gloves and boots.&nbsp; Both Targ carry black guns with large, diamond-shaped muzzles.As the Targ pass between the two groups of Q-Shippers, the ambush is sprung.&nbsp; The scuffle is over quickly: the two aliens are surprised, and when you get hit by a 700 lb. robot, you stay hit.Still in their encounter suits, the unconscious Targ are bound with steel cables.&nbsp; After a few minutes, they start to come around,&quot;What do you think you're doing, Primitive?&quot; the first snarls at Fury, struggling futilely against his bonds.&quot;I'm the one with the disruptor.&quot; Fury hefts the weapon, taken from the two now-helpless Targ, &quot;I'll ask the questions.&nbsp; Why have you come to this planet?&quot;&quot;To claim it in the name of the Targ Totality.&nbsp; All who stand against us will be destroyed -&quot;&quot;We already heard that speech from your commander.&quot; S'Ondra jabs the alien in the chest with the butt of her heat lance, &quot;Did your people send the mould that destroyed this world?&quot;&quot;Of course.&quot;Fury snarls wordlessly, then gets his feelings under control.&nbsp; The questioning continues: the crew of the Pathfinder learn that the aliens' suits are fully self-contained environments, providing air for them to breathe, as well as food and water to drink, for up to a week at a time.&nbsp; Although the two Targ don't know when their shuttle will return, they are confident it will.&quot;They will bring more of our people, so we can colonise this planet.&nbsp; There are thousands of warriors aboard the Dreadnought!&quot;&quot;Do they all fight as badly as you?&quot; S'Ondra asks.&quot;You will be destroyed!&quot; the Targ replies, &quot;The Totality owns hundreds of planets!&nbsp; We have dozens of fleets!&nbsp; Our vessel is the most powerful battle fortress in this system!&quot;&quot;Only because zere are no ozzer battle fortresses in zis system,&quot; Gustav observes, primly.&quot;Doc, you're not helping.&quot; Fury turns back to the aliens. &quot;If you're coming to colonise, does that mean you have women aboard the ship?&quot;&quot;Women?&quot; the Targ's tone is confused.&quot;Yes, women.&quot; Fury gestures vaguely, &quot;You know the drill.&nbsp; Boy meets girl.&nbsp; They love each other very much -&quot;&quot;Disgusting!&quot; the second alien bursts out, &quot;You mean breed?&nbsp; Like animals?&quot;&quot;I think you'd like it if you tried it.&quot; Fury looks smug.&quot;We're wasting time.&quot; S'Ondra quickly tires of Fury's efforts to learn if there are any hot Targ babes. &quot;Let's put two of us in their suits, go back to the camp, and hijack the next shuttle that comes down.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Capellan, post: 1888736, member: 6294"] [b]"The Targ Totality" - Part 4[/b] Fury and S'Ondra crouch behind a cluster of small boulders, looking down a long slope to the Targ encampment. Three dome-like tents form a rough semicircle, while a fourth slowly assembles itself in jerky stop motion. Several figures are clustered at the opposite end of the camp, surrounding what looks like a machine-gun pit. "Paranoid bunch." Fury notes, staring through a pair of binoculars, "They've killed everything on the planet, and they're still carrying more firepower than the [I]Pathfinder[/I]." "What are they wearing?" S'Ondra shades her eyes. Unlike Fury, she does not have the benefit of binoculars. "Some kind of encounter suit, I think." Fury frowns, "It's like one of our spacesuits, but all in black with a tinted visor. I guess they must be shy." "So how do we get past them all and onto the shuttle?" S'Ondra asks, gesturing at the blocky vehicle which sits beyond the camp. As she does so, the shuttle's engines roar into life, and it lifts into the air. Watching the shuttle zoom off into space, Fury sighs, "With difficulty." With the shuttle's departure, one of the Targ still at the camp can be gesturing and pointing. As he (or possibly she ... or even it) does so, the other Targ break up into small groups. "Two each going into the tents -" Fury holds his breath "- and two going on patrol." S'Ondra smiles. "From the way he was pointing, they'll start out west, then circle clockwise. If we head north, we can cut them off." Fury nods his agreement. "Let's get Archie and the Doc." The pair both turn, intending to leave, and almost clash heads. They pause, eyes locked, lips only inches apart. "Sorry." Fury manages at last, "Ladies first." S'Ondra gives him her best regal nod, the effect spoiled somewhat by the flushed colour of her face, and quickly scrambles away, crouched at the waist to avoid being seen. It's a tough job following a beautiful woman in that position, but Fury's the man to do it. Through the wonders of TV continuity, we cut to the full Q-Ship crew, lurking in ditches on either side of a small dirt track. S'Ondra and Gustav are one side of the track, while Fury and Archie crouch on the other. "This is most unsanitary." The robot frets. "Quiet, or I'll turn you off." Fury points down the track. "Here they come." Viewing the Targ up close for the first time, we see that they are indeed dressed in full black body suits. The basic suits are fairly form-fitting, but the Targ wear bulky helmets and armoured vests over the top of them, while tubing runs from the vest to their gloves and boots. Both Targ carry black guns with large, diamond-shaped muzzles. As the Targ pass between the two groups of Q-Shippers, the ambush is sprung. The scuffle is over quickly: the two aliens are surprised, and when you get hit by a 700 lb. robot, you [I]stay[/I] hit. Still in their encounter suits, the unconscious Targ are bound with steel cables. After a few minutes, they start to come around, "What do you think you're doing, Primitive?" the first snarls at Fury, struggling futilely against his bonds. "I'm the one with the disruptor." Fury hefts the weapon, taken from the two now-helpless Targ, "I'll ask the questions. Why have you come to this planet?" "To claim it in the name of the Targ Totality. All who stand against us will be destroyed -" "We already heard that speech from your commander." S'Ondra jabs the alien in the chest with the butt of her heat lance, "Did your people send the mould that destroyed this world?" "Of course." Fury snarls wordlessly, then gets his feelings under control. The questioning continues: the crew of the [I]Pathfinder[/I] learn that the aliens' suits are fully self-contained environments, providing air for them to breathe, as well as food and water to drink, for up to a week at a time. Although the two Targ don't know when their shuttle will return, they are confident it will. "They will bring more of our people, so we can colonise this planet. There are thousands of warriors aboard the Dreadnought!" "Do they all fight as badly as you?" S'Ondra asks. "You will be destroyed!" the Targ replies, "The Totality owns hundreds of planets! We have dozens of fleets! Our vessel is the most powerful battle fortress in this system!" "Only because zere are no ozzer battle fortresses in zis system," Gustav observes, primly. "Doc, you're not helping." Fury turns back to the aliens. "If you're coming to colonise, does that mean you have women aboard the ship?" "Women?" the Targ's tone is confused. "Yes, women." Fury gestures vaguely, "You know the drill. Boy meets girl. They love each other very much -" "Disgusting!" the second alien bursts out, "You mean [I]breed[/I]? Like [I]animals[/I]?" "I think you'd like it if you tried it." Fury looks smug. "We're wasting time." S'Ondra quickly tires of Fury's efforts to learn if there are any hot Targ babes. "Let's put two of us in their suits, go back to the camp, and hijack the next shuttle that comes down." [/QUOTE]

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