 What was the author's purpose on including a section about Hatcher's feedings?
Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine. Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture. A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room. His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council. One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
 To further elaborate how different Hatcher and his kind are from a human.
 To give insight on Hatcher's personality.  To show that McCray will have to feed like Hatcher if he does not return to Jodrell Bank because there is no human food where he is.  To further elaborate how different Hatcher and his kind are from a human.  To show how grotesque his feeding process is.