I'm getting the impression people have no idea what the hell is going on here, and I think some elements of having a different visual presentation is what's causing the problem. EVENTUALLY, we will have all of the pages redone in this artist's style, but until then, here's what's happening:

- The enraged kitty is NITRIA, Milea's mother. Hey, she's Kraz's mom, too. In case the scene at the end of Act III where Cobalt, Paladin and Milea had the heart-to-heart over the body of Kraz and all of the staggering visual evidence wasn't enough, Cobalt shagged this kitty rotten 40+ years ago and had two beautiful halfbreed children. Oh my! I retconned the old design of Mercadians, and had Nitria's look significantly updated since my new artist is a SUEPRFREAK OF AWESOME when it comes to artistic expression and style. The updated pages 1-91 (when they finally happen) will make more sense. Guaranteed.

- Although it's not TERRIBLY evident, Cobalt and Co. were DISARMED by the cats prior to this standoff, and rest assured, it was STILL a standoff! The crew may have been outnumbered, but humans and humanoids have superior upper body strength, where Mercadians rely heavily on their lightning fast reflexes and super-strong legs to win the day. that, and the fact that each of their paws/hands contains five deadly weapons, each.

- Nitria is unleashing the fury on Cobalt... 40 years of broken heart, coupled with witnessing what appeared to be the Star Alliance goons murdering their son, her reaction is perfectly normal for a grieving mother who just HAPPENS to be a member of a feral species who's emotions still drive on their animal passions. But it's much more complex than that. Additionally, she's still gripping a 2-star admiral's shirt in a menacing way.

Leading into...

- ...Parson's reaction is something no military person would ever question. The C/O is in DANGER. Granted, there is dialog going on, but it's tempered with rage. Nitria has those 1" daggers of claws latched onto the front of Cobalt's shirt. there's still like TWENTY of them surrounding the scene. Oh, and here's a flash, folks! ALLIANCE WEAPONS *DO* HAVE STUN SETTINGS. It's the 30th Century... why wouldn't they? This is not evident. We'll work on that. Some stuff should remain implied, though. But back to the military thing, when you are in a dire situation, you always seek to take the upper hand. Parsons was just following his training: protect the c/o. This scene and scenes like it have played out in hundreds of stories throughout time. It's called "ratcheting up the tension".

I wish I could tell a little "mini" story each week as the pages go up, but try this: wait until next week before you pass judgment on this scene. It makes a lot more sense when the cavalry arrives.