Da'an entered his office, annoyed by Zo'or's behavior the fourth time this day. He now searched for a quiet place to calm down. Looking out of the window over the city normally helped somewhat but not today. It was raining and grey clouds moved across the skies. ‘This weather really fits to my mood’, Da'an thought. Just then he noticed a small movement behind him. Turning around he saw a small, furry... something on his chair. Curiously he moved to the cushion-shaped thing when it moved again, stretching into an animal that was looking at Da'an like saying: Did you have to interrupt my sleep?
Now he recognized the ‘thing’ as a pet the humans referred to as a ‘cat’. A brown cat with yellow eyes, that now sat on Da'an's chair like it was it's throne.
‘How did a cat come into the embassy?’, Da'an mused. The cat watched him, as he watched the cat. Then he remembered Lili telling stories about her having a cat as a kid and that this cat, Armstrong, had been her closest friend, comforting her when she was sad or angry. Slowly he approached the cat, picked it up, sat down and to his astonishment the cat curled itself up in his lap. Not daring to move he carefully began to stroke the soft fur and the cat began to purr.
When Liam and Lili arrived at the embassy to report an hour later they fond a very relaxed Taelon and a cat that was purring with full power.
“Da'an! That's a...”, Liam started.
“A Cat!” There was no holding Lili. “I love cats. How's he come here?”
“I do not know. He had occupied my chair when I came back from the mothership.” Da'an answered. “He?”
“Yes, it's a he. Look at his head. A female's is more triangular.”
Named ‘he’ seemed to enjoy all the fuss made around him a big time, showing himself from his best side. Lili was now crouching down beneath Da'an, ruffling the cat's fur, drawing even louder purrs from him. “No name, no tattoo, no collar”, she murmured. “He looks just like Armstrong.”
“Armstrong?” Liam looked dumbfolded at the scenery before him: A Taelon and a marine fighter fussing about a little cat.
“Let us call him Aldrin then.” Da'an stated.
“Aldrin it is.” beamed Lili.

 
* * *
 

In the next days Aldrin appeared at the most odd places. It seemed like the virtual glass didn't exist for him. Da'an enjoyed the presence of the cat a great time. Aldrin was present at all opportunities, during meetings and reports, even in the shuttles where Lili could throw him out of before he could get trapped on the mothership. He seemed to enjoy being with Da'an, even Da'ans energy showers couldn't chase him away. He lay curled up on his lap, purring in pure bliss with his fur sparkling from static electricity.
Then came the day of Aldrin's first meeting with Zo'or.
During a meeting Aldrin strutted into Da'ans office. Nobody noticed him at first, when suddenly Zo'or changed color. With a horrified look on his face Zo'or lost his facade and turned from his normally blueish purple color slowly to an angry red. With a loud popping sound and a few sparks flying off his body he turned back to normal. A few seconds later the whole thing started again.
Sandoval looked around in panic, searching for some new secret weapon produced by the resistance, Liam stood speachless next to Da'an, who looked disbelieving at first, then slightly amused.
“Bless you.”
“Huh?”
“Keep calm, Agent Sandoval, Zo'or is just sneezing.” -POP- “Bless you again.”
“Sneezing?!”
Then Liam spotted Aldrin, sitting with a self-satisfied look on his face next to Zo'or's left foot.
“May it be possible that you are, ah, allergic against, hm cats, Zo'or?”
“Ca -POP- ts?! What makes you think -POP- that?”
“Well, there's one sitting right next to you. Some humans react allergic against cats, why not Taelons?”
“Sando -POP-, Sandoval, we will leave this place -POP- immediately!”
“Yes, Zo'or.”
After Zo'or and Sandoval had left Da'ans office the popping sounds decreased.
Lili, who had followed the whole thing trying not to laugh now burst out laughing. “Allergic against cats! Aldrin, I think you knew that, didn't you? Allergic! Da'an, I'm sorry, this is not funny, but I've never seen a Taelon popping, ah, sneezing like that! It's, sorry....”
Lili was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. By now her laughter had infected Liam, too, and even Da'an wore a big grin on his face.
“Well, I think this will be a Zo'or-free and that means quiet place for the next time!”