The pilot that Mizan shot waved for them to follow him as he turned around, still rubbing at his chest and grumbling. "C'mon, the Arch Primarch wants to meet you. By the way, I can't help but still be curious despite how sore I am from being shot... What exactly are you? You all look really similar to the animals native to our planet, yet simultaneously... Well, you certainly aren't."

Mizan tilted her head at him, "First, I would not have shot you had you not charged at me like some filthy beast. I thought you were trying to assault me, and from what I've heard you were planning on something similar. Second, we hail from the GC. A collective of 17 different races, though my species is not counted among the GC. We have no relation to your planet. Did that satisfy your curiosity perverted man?"

The pilot's eye twitched, "Perverted man!? I'll have you know that petting cats is physically irresistible! It has literally nothing to do with anything sexual! Also, my name is Xander! Not 'perverted man'! Needing to pet everything and anything that moves is a Human condition. A condition that... a lot of us share. Not just me."

Mizan stared up at the man with disgust. "Ah. You should have told me that you were a child. I might have gone a bit easier on you... Pervert"

The other pilots around him doubled over and burst out laughing, one of the other pilots added in, "Damn Xander! You just got taken out by a kitty cat!"

Xander grumbled to himself for a moment before sighing and scratching his head, "C'mon guys... I know you wanted to pet them too! Ugh! Fine! I deserved it! I should have been more considerate to the cat... thing."

Mizan quirked an eyebrow at him. "Names Mizan. I'll forgive it this time. But only the goddess can help you if you choose to try again. I'll perform a nice little back alley vasectomy on you."

Xander looked down at Mizan in shock for a second before clearing his throat awkwardly. "Ahem, yes... I'll be sure to keep a professional distance next time."

A few minutes passed and the group found themselves at the door to the bridge. Xander straightened out his uniform as the door fell away. Directly on the other side of the door just so happened to be Catherine and the Atteni, sitting at a nearby table. Almost the second the menagerie of alien animals became visible Catherine reacted. "Kitty! Ohmygod soo cuuute!"

She gasped and nearly tripped over herself standing up out of a chair as the other aliens came into view, "Ohhhhhhhhh! Two little sneaky sneks, a pretty little birdie, and an adorable little scuba suit octopus! You are all so fucking adorable!" after recovering from her trip she sprinted over to the group.

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Mizan deftly avoided the incoming predator alongside Vella who quickly flapped his wings and leaped out of the behemoth's path. Ren and Sven slithered back to Alai who wasn't as mobile and tried to drag him out of the way, but they were too slow. Catherine collapsed onto the three of them with a loud thud as she hit the metal deck.

Mizan feared the worst but she could clearly see that the three she presumed pancaked were instead somehow already wrapped into a gentle embrace. "Dawwww! You little guys are so sooooft! Let mamma Cath spoil you! I'll take you little guys to all the cool places in this arm of the galaxy!"

Sven slithered out of her gentle grip as soon as he got his bearings, yelling out, "Unhand my wife you barbarian! We do not wish to be set upon by your 'pettings'!"

Ren popped her little head out of Catherine's arms and looked at Sven, "Oh no Svenni, It's ok! Normally I have to pay for a massage like this! And she's basically just a big ole heating stone too! Alai seems to be enjoying himself too, aren't ya bud?"

Sven narrowed his eyes at Ren and sighed heavily. "Of course... She's enjoying this... You're ridiculous sometimes..." He then looked away and mumbled under his breath, "But, that's what I love about you."

Alai looked over at Ren and replied, "It's quite nice... She's warm. And... She's nice. It's like all the tension and worry for my race from before is just washing away with the tides."

Ren smiled at him and nodded along happily, "These Terrans might not be all bad after all... I mean, they give out free massages!"

The sound of heavy metal boots slowly clinking along the metal decking was becoming louder with each passing step. Mizan peered out behind Catherine and saw a man walking toward their group that would give her nightmares. His entire chest cavity was nothing but metal with its inner workings exposed. The pilots quickly stood straight and slammed their chests in an Imperial salute. "Arch Primarch Aurelius, Sir!"

Aurelius walked up to the pilots and gave them a slow wave, "At ease, Hunters." Before turning his gaze to the prone Catherine who was holding onto two alien VIPs as if they were her own pets. "Ms. Dulacy. I have had your fox escorted here. Please, leave the aliens alone. Don't cause another diplomatic incident today... please?"

Catherine sighed, giving Alai and Ren another quick pat before gently setting them onto the floor. "Sorry little ones... Haruhi hasn't seen me all day so I'm sure she's stressed. I gotta go give her some cuddles."

As she said that a high-pitched snicker rang out from a few feet away. She turned around to see Haruhi sitting on her haunches, rolling her eyes at the statement. "I'm not stressed, you just want cuddle time. You're overdue by a few hours. Sorry to all of you new alien friends. She's... a handful. I hope she didn't cause too much trouble." Her mouth didn't move when she talked at all, but everyone within ten feet of her could hear her as if they were right next to her.

Mizan slowly walked up to Haruhi with an incredibly shocked and puzzled expression, "A kitanjo?! But... No... You are, but you aren't?"

Hearing the word 'Kitanjo' Saren turned around and spied the group behind them, along with the red fox of a completely different lineage than his own. "By the goddess! You are one of my kind? What happened to you? Why do you walk on all fours like an animal?!"

Haruhi turned and stared at the alien version of her species with confusion. "An animal? There's no such thing as an animal in Imperial space anymore. Or any other planet under Human control. The Humans made sure of that. We are all free-thinking sentients just like you."