In a flash, I'd crossed the space between us and pinned the alien to the floor by its neck. You ordered invasion and kidnappings?! I snarled. What have you done with Daddy?

  The alien's middle and back limbs scrabbled frantically as it stared up at me with renewed fear. No, no! I'm just in charge of this ship! I don't make decisions about the Rebound as a whole. And the vassals were only ordered to bring us humans! I have no idea where your father might be!

  Not my father! I shook myself and eased up a little on the alien's neck since it was starting to look a little goggly-eyed. What have you done with the humans your…vassals…kidnapped?

  They're safe! They're safe in the holding cells! Look, please don't hurt me, I'm really just a nobody, this is my first command, I'm too young to get murdered by savages!

  I narrowed my eyes and showed a little of my teeth to the cowering alien. Who are you calling a savage?

  Certainly not you, noble Earth Rat!

  I let go of the alien's neck and backed up few steps. It warily pushed itself back to standing and nervously began grooming its ears. Using both of its front sets of limbs.

  It was incredibly off-putting.

  I ignored the disturbing display, however, and pondered. If this alien rat was in charge of the ship, then that opened up some interesting possibilities. My little girl was waiting for me with increasing odds of discovery by the blue bi-pedal aliens, though, so I needed to speed things along.

  Alright, I said. I promise not to dismember you gruesomely with ultimate savagery if you help me find my human kit's father and let us all go.

  The alien perked up. Really? That's wonderful! What can I do to help?

  Boy, this thing was fickle. I was pretty sure if someone had invaded my cage and started threatening me I wouldn't have rolled over this quickly. Maybe it was some sort of cultural difference. First, tell me how to raise the ramp that's letting your vassals on and off the ship.

  Oh, we can do that from the bridge. The alien indicated the bank of controls behind me. Just press the third button from the right.

  I stepped over to the controls, never letting the alien out of my sight, and held a paw over the button. This button here? This will open the bridge?

  The alien looked shifty. Um, yes. That is definitely what that button does.

  I snarled slightly. It's not the exact button you were trying for when I found you, then? Maybe an alarm of some sort?

  The panic was back. Oh…uh…no? I mean…well, alright fine! Don't hurt me, that's the recall alarm!

  Thought so. Thankfully the alien was easy to read. Then if I wanted to access the bridge…?

  The alien slumped. The big button in the center.

  I pressed it, and with a rumble the room began to rise.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  As soon as the floor started to move, I launched myself at the alien, pinning it to the floor where it gave a frightened squeak. Once I was reasonably sure it wasn't going to try and escape, I looked around.

  A swirl that I hadn't noticed in the ceiling irised open, letting full light into the alien rat's little lair, and the floor lifted us up and through. As the walls fell below us, a half-wall extended upwards on all sides—high enough to prevent accidentally slipping off the rising platform, but low enough to see over. The bank of controls remaining unchanged.

  Around us I could see what was apparently the bridge; fortunately, it was empty at the moment aside from the two of us on our rising platform. Several kiosks with screens and controls sized for humans—or blue alien vassals, I supposed—were spaced evenly around the room. Most of the walls were dominated by giant screens or projections showing the town around us, with what appeared to be the door that had stymied my little girl and I from entering the bridge interrupting them to my left past the alien rat's control bank. Several steps led down to the door, which explained how the alien's lair had fit underneath the bridge.

  The platform we were on rose until it was approximately waist height on a human before slowing to a stop. I waited a moment to be sure nothing was going to go wrong and then let go of the alien rat and stepped back once more. Ok, good. Now how do we raise the ramp?

  The alien looked uncomfortable. That's controlled by one of the vassal stations. I could go over there and…no? Uh, or I could stay right here. You don't need to snarl at me!

  I gave it a disgusted look. I wasn't snarling, thank you very much! In that case, can you open the big door over there?

  The alien perked up. Oh, yeah, that's easy. Just twist that control and press the button to its left.

  I did as it indicated, keeping an eye on the alien while I did so, but apparently it wasn't trying to pull another fast one on me because with a muted rumble the door slid open and my little girl rushed into the bridge.

  "Snuggles? Oh, thank goodness, it is you!" She stopped dead, mid-rush toward our pedestal, when she spotted the alien. "What is that?!"

  Oh, you have a pet human? The alien was looking my little girl over with curiosity. Well, that makes things easier. Just have her head over to the station on…the right… The alien petered off and shrank away from me a little.

  She's not a pet! She's my kit!

  Um. The alien shuffled in place. Uh. But, she's human, and you're a rat…?

  Save me from idiot alien invaders. I didn't bother to respond to that and twisted the control that had opened the door back before slapping the button and causing it to shut tight once more. No need to tempt fate; as long as we controlled the bridge, hopefully the vassals would have trouble causing us issues even if they had returned to the ship.

  "Ack!" said my little girl, spinning around. Whoops, maybe I should have found a way to warn her. "Oh wow, did you just control the spaceship, Princess Snugglypants?! Way to go! And it looks like you made a friend."

  The alien was staring at me. Oh, you're royalty! No wonder you've got such a hair trigger.

  That didn't justify a response. How do we raise the ramp?

  Like I was saying, just have your human go to the something station, and…

  My little girl interrupted us. "Wow, you have really shiny fur." The alien turned toward her and froze when it found my little girl's face inches away. "Do you think it's safe to pet, Snuggles? Daddy says not to go near wild rats."

  Kind of late for that, kiddo.

  The alien was looking agitated. What is the human doing? Why would it think it's alright to—no, stop! Put me down!

  My little girl had picked up the rat and was stroking its fur as she held it against her chest. "Wow, you're super-soft! But why do you have six legs?" She gently pinched one of the alien's extra limbs and wiggled it a bit.

  Stop! Desist! I have never suffered such embarrassment!

  I had been tensed and ready to jump to my little girl's aid had the alien turned violent, but it looked like my fears were unfounded. The alien really was quite the pushover. And on the plus side having my little girl hold the alien rat meant it wasn't going to be trying any tricks with the controls again.

  The alien was giving me what it must consider a death glare, but whose impact was greatly decreased due to the alien currently being held upside down while my girl petted its belly. I insist you take your human in hand! This is a disgrace!

  I scoffed. And how am I supposed to tell her that?

  Well, you could start by turning on the Universal Translator!

  The what now?