'We've lost more than seventy, it's true.' The Commander thought to herself while wandering around the spaceship. 'But each and every one of us knew what we were getting ourselves into. This mission was a desperate problem to save our civilization... Anyone of us could have died. We're just part of the lucky ones...'
Roka couldn't help but tighten her fists as she walked.
Her frustration and annoyance knew no bounds.
But she was their Commander. If she were to start focusing on the past, how would her soldiers do?
"We're going back to a planet where we lost more than thirty..." Roka whispered. "We'll need to be quick and efficient. The same goal as the first time we got there. To obtain fuel. Should we land on the other side of that planet? But who knows what we'll find there... And there are only so many areas where we can... Tsk." She massaged her tired eyes. "I can't show doubt or uncertainty. We must get the Tsero Crystal to our people no matter what. No matter the cost..."
But doing this is no easy feat. Especially if the Soldiers start disagreeing with their Commander's orders. Now that the number of Soldiers decreased, it's much easier to state one's distaste or disagreement.
"I need to find a way to keep morale high. Finding and securing the Tsero Crystal immediately gave everyone a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. But losing more people and... I can't let them start feeling despair or hopelessness. Not when we're so close to our goal..."
Roka's thoughts couldn't help but wander back towards,
"Ugh..." She sighed. "I took that mutt in since I thought it looked cool, but all of them thought it was disgusting and scary." Roka changed her course and started walking towards the room in which the -Mutt- was kept. "Maybe I should've taken that thing as a pet. Looks unoffensive. I'm sure they would find it cute. A pet might help them take their mind off-"
Her whispering immediately stopped, and her whole body froze.
Seven steps in front of her, stood the Paru. It stared dumbly at the wall before moving towards it-
"DON'T MOVE!" Roka shouted as she reached for her gun.
The Paru stopped for a moment, before continuing to walk towards the wall.
"Tsk..." She scratched her head with the bottom of her gun's grip. "Of course, it wouldn't understand."
Roka cautiously walked closer, while keeping her gun aimed at the creature in front of her.
"How did you get here?"
Remembering how harmless the previous creature of the same species was, she felt silly about being so on guard.
"Mm..." Roka squatted down once a step separated her from the creature.
She poked the creature's shell with the barrel of her gun, and the Paru slowly turned around.
'Please, don't shoot. Please, don't shoot. Please, don't shoot.'
The creature turned around, revealing its pincers.
"Mmm..."
Unknowingly to Roka, the Paru was hiding some of its limbs inside its shell. Specifically, its tentacles, the metal-covered and sharp arms, as well as two others with sharp ends that weren't necessary to use when moving around.
The Paru's goal was to look as harmless as possible.
Roka stood back up, before placing her foot against the Paru's shell.
'Geh...'
The Paru let itself be pushed off its feet. Due to the curvature of its shell, the Paru's body rotated a bit.
"Guess it won't attack... Or maybe it just can't."
Roka waited for the Paru to get back on its feet.
The latter purposefully took more time than was necessary.
'Harmless stupid cute creature... That's what I gotta try to look like, right? Shouldn't be too hard. Especially since after that... I'll be in near proximity to the hot girls. I can already imagine them placing me on their thighs and stroking my body. Sounds nice... Though I don't plan on staying just a pet for too-'
"BAH!" Roka shouted as she suddenly placed her face in front of the Paru's eyes.
The latter barely reacted.
It walked away and started staring at the wall after a handful of seconds.
"Even when surprised, it doesn't do anything... Guess it would be fine to keep it." Roka nodded to herself. "They'll go crazy for you, you know?" She whispered as she placed her hand against the Paru's shell.
'Crazy for me, huh?' The Paru smirked internally. 'Let's fucking go!'
The Commander took a couple of steps away from the Paru.
"Alright. Follow me." She gestured.
The Paru stared dumbly, before walking into the wall.
"Shit... If it's too dumb, I won't have the patience to keep it around."
'Yes, sir!!'
Roka stared for a bit.
"Come here! Look! The gun is so shiny!"
'An alien isn't a fucking cat!! And don't use a gun!!'
Still, the Paru acted mesmerized, and followed the shining gun that was being waved.
...
Roka was completely right.
Just like she thought and said, they went completely crazy for the cute and harmless Paru.
And just like the Paru had imagined, it didn't take long for their hands to be placed on his body.
The Paru was even being hugged.
Not only that, it didn't take long for his body to be lifted, and placed on their thighs.
There was only one problem.
'THIS ISN'T THE TYPE OF ATTENTION THAT I WANTED!'
"You're so cuuute! So very cute!!" Kris whispered as he hugged the Paru on his thighs.
'I DIDN'T WANT MALE ATTENTION!!'