Space shuttle Pioneer 02 - flux redux.

Pioneer 02 was built immediately after the mission to find the Felis-Sapien race. Unfortunately Pioneer 01 was not built for long distance space travel. We learned from the Felis' that this was a shuttle for short trips only. A much bigger vessel housed dozens of these shuttles. Which we found out weren't for exploration, but defense for the mothership. Once Kitty was able to make a translator of sorts from our "primitive laboratory", she laughed at us for thinking this was a deep space vessel. Kitty became an official member of the crew just before we reached her homeworld. Since she was banished (for masquerading as a male), having her on the crew gave her diplomatic immunity.