Chapter Text
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 5: All Good People
Scene 1: Survey Run
5.1
Survey Run
Lance Corporal Petra Spitze was delighted to be detailed to protect Captain Skip Howard whenever he was on an away mission. She was still unreasonably terrified of the man even though he was physically no bigger than she was and seemed incapable of not smiling. But there was something about him that was clearly born to power.
Spike had been less thrilled to learn she would be spending several days camping with a pack of tellarites. The porcine-faced aliens were often compared with pigs. Nothing for a marine to be frightened of, but famously unpleasant company.
She had no idea what a biological expedition with a dozen tellerite biologists would be like.
Serrat Prime had an enormous variety of environments. The survey team from the Tellarite Biological Survey chose to start with a forested environment. They set up base camp in a high, well-drained area a few hundred feet above the swamps.
The group was up well before dawn. While Spike, her squad of three (Privates Guz Maxwell, Raanda Habib and Sasha Soko), and Captain Howard were enjoying their morning coffee, Drisk javWalirsh and his team were crawling about, snuffling and conferring. So much of their language just didn’t make it through the universal translator. The English language Spike was accustomed to simply didn’t have terms to describe the blend of emotions and odors that the tellarites were communicating.
Spike was amazed at the diversity among the tellarites. There were the gigantic bear-like tellarites - their bodies covered with fur, like the director and his family. Norkaond Vef - only 4'5" - was the smallest of the tellarites - bright pink skin and only a small tuft of white hair at the top of her head.
“Better drink up, get up and gear up, marines,” said Captain Howard suddenly. “They’re getting close to making a decision. When they do that, they’ll take off and it won’t be easy to keep up with them.” He drained his coffee and set the cup inside the camp lockbox.
Drisk javWalirsh, the tellarite director, was enormous - almost 7 feet tall and nearly 500 pounds. While aboard the Beagle, Drisk tended to wear brown denim overalls with flannel shirts. Here in the forest he was stripped down to a pair of brown, denim, cutoff shorts. Not that he appeared underdressed - his entire body was covered with a wooly coat of brown and gray fur. He draped a massive paw across Captain Howard’s shoulders.
“Do you think these pathetic, overdressed children will be able to keep up with a biological survey?”
Howard smiled. “We’re about to find out.”
The gigantic tellerite ambled over to Spike, his enormous, bare chest in her face. Four large, dark brown nipples. He bent down until his huge tusks were almost touching her ear. His foul-smelling breath moving her hair. His voice just a slight whisper: “Make sure your puppies don’t stub their toes, Stinky.” He emphasized his point by tapping two, long, clawed toes on her boot.
Spike turned until her mouth was almost touching his tusks and very quietly replied: “You got it, fart-breath…”
Drisk raised up to full height, let out a single, loud, “Ha!” He twisted impossibly and in a single bound vanished into the trees - along with all the other tellarites and Captain Howard.
Spike, Guz, Raanda and Sasha looked at one another in surprise, then went tearing off in the last direction they had seen the tellarites.
5.1