The Ambassador's Pet

This diplomat had to be treated with kid gloves; my orders were clear on that. Trouble was my instructions from Earth didn't cover—
I picked up sealed orders at the Routing Desk of Space Service. They were addressed to Captain Johnny Martin of the spaceship 13-XV-1, which is my name and my ship.
They said:
Proceed to Aldebaran VII at once. You are to pick up an Aldebaranian ambassador and transfer him to Earth for high-level diplomatic talks.
You are to treat him with utmost courtesy. Relations between Earth and Aldebaran VII are in a very delicate state at this time.
The ambassador informs us he plans to bring a pet with him to Earth.
Pets, huh? I snorted a little and folded the orders away in my pocket. Well, I supposed it came in the line of duty. If they ordered me to ferry Aldebaranian pets, I'd ferry Aldebaranian pets. All in a day's work, I told myself.
I stopped off and had a couple of beers before returning to the ship. Meersal, my First Officer, was waiting for me.
Well? Pick up the orders?
I nodded. Yep. Got 'em right here. I unfolded them and handed them over to him.
He ran his eyes over them quizzically. Hokay, he said. I guess we go to Aldebaran, huh?
Our instructions came in detail a little while later. We were to hover over Aldebaran VII and give a special signal; a transfer-tug would come up to us from the surface and hand the Ambassador and his pet over to us. Under no conditions were we to land on Aldebaran VII itself; the natives would regard it as a breach of the truce that currently existed between their world and ours.