Star Kitten

by Purple Hazel

  The Tribal Confederation was thrilled with the haul and promptly gave Terminal Chief Solomon carte blanche to just keep on doing what was clearly working out so very well. Solomon had assumed correctly, right from the start. All that Tribal Confederation cared about was acceptable results; and warehouses full of food meant everything to New Australia at that time. Just keep on raiding, they decreed. The results were fast, the manpower needs were easily fulfilled as well. Losses from battle could easily be replaced the command center assured them, and new crewmen could be trained quite easily. Confederation Committees agreed. The numbers and estimates all made sense.

  Captain Snout put replacement crews and fresh troops right to work, and warriors for raids could now all be armed with EIC’s and side-arms for battle, making spears, shields, and daggers practically unnecessary. Tribal leaders returned to their tribesmen ebulliently announcing that their days of glory and riches were only just beginning. The galaxy was soon going to fear the very mention of their name.

  Business was soon booming too… practically overnight. Snout continued his focus on raiding lone freighters in space shipping lanes for a few months until he built up his squadron into a formidable raiding force. This was needed at first, just to make sure he could fend off attacks from any other enemy pirates competing for prey. Gradually though… there were no other pirate vessels truly capable of challenging him. Any challenges from these “minor leaguers” as he called them, were quickly dispatched. Accomplishing this eventually meant a virtual monopoly on raiding shipping lanes. Snout could then start sending single freighters back to New Australia laden with food and supplies while keeping his main fleet out in space looking for new targets.

  Next he turned his attention to remote space colonies, and that’s when New Australia’s fortunes really improved. The galaxy had so many logical targets, and Snout knew exactly where to find them as well as how to attack them. Kcsheeech, his first mate, was a big help to him too because Kcsheeech had direct experience with conducting these raids. The old First Mate’s resources were now far better than when he was a Zorgolongian pirate. It was far easier to take on a remote space outpost when he could unleash a thousand hardened warriors to overwhelm its garrison quickly. Within hours they could hit a planet and carry off shiploads of food and ammunition—tools and materials—weapons and prisoners—before any alarm could be sounded or distress signal answered by Star Fleet patrols.

  Frabrak 3 became a perfect target for the Nausties. It was a planet that had been steadily colonized by the Porkonjii for many years. Tropical and lush with vegetation, Frabrak 3 was the third planet in a star system which was dotted with islands ranging from small atolls on up to isolated small continents the size of Spain. Most all of these were volcanic islands formed millions of years ago by massive now-dormant volcanoes. At the summits of these mountains, the rains fell almost daily, and fresh water would run off into valleys formed below, creating fertile farmland and giant inland lakes which held millions of fish. Porkonji farmers had cleared the land and began farming the islands there a hundred Earth years ago, yielding food and fish produce which was sold at markets throughout the galaxy. This was a cornucopia of opportunity for the once near-starving planet of New Australia, and the varieties of vegetables, fruits, and fish were outstanding.

  Raiding Frabrak 3 could become a regular stop for Captain Snout if he didn’t take too many chances. After each successful raid, the local Porkonjii forces would try to reinforce the planet as best they could, but it was no use. When Snout’s fleet returned, fully laden with shock troops to pounce on an isolated island there, the reinforced Porko soldiers still had no chance. Certainly, Porkonji colonial troops were some of the worst warriors in the galaxy, so superior numbers and surprise attacks were simply more than they could handle. Garrisons fell, settlements were sacked, and surviving Porko female captives were hauled off to waiting shuttle crafts which whisked them away to New Australia.

  Back on New Australia ironically it was the Pumalar tribes who longed for the return of freighters from raids on Frabrak 3. Fresh fish would be stored in giant tanks now welded together on board the freighters. Sea Plankton wafers from Frabrak 3 processing plants would also be on board. Those were a delicious supplement to their feline diet. But the Porko tribes on New Australia as well… they couldn’t wait for the distribution of captured Porko females to satiate their carnal desires. And everyone else loved the fresh produce, healthy grains, and frozen meat carcasses taken from Porkonji warehouses there.

  Kcsheeech knew where most all enemy pirate bases might likely be located and this was a great advantage to Snout. Kcsheeech knew their practices and tactics well, so Snout could be ready to take advantage of competitors at all times. It wasn’t long before Snout was even directing raids on enemy strongholds! At first to devastate them and eliminate them from operational capability, Snout would simply time his attack according to enemy pirate movement, knowing WHEN the base was lightly defended by monitoring enemy pirate ship attacks in space, then following them back to their secret bases.

  He’d then order the fleet to ambush the enemy craft in deep space as it neared its secret base, and load up the captured craft with shock troops. Snout would send an inter-space message back to the base FROM the captured craft saying they were returning and to ready the port for landing. The enemy pirate base would allow the ship to land thinking it was its own craft… then Naustie shock troops would spill out and mercilessly slaughter its defenders, with the rest of the Naustie fleet landing to support the attack. Supplies and ammunition, as well as weapons and female captives (if they had any females), would be hauled on board transport shuttles while the base burned. Once the fleet’s freighters were loaded to the gills with plunder and females, the Nausties would hastily exit.

  The big Porko Captain and his little Zorg First Mate figured the Nausties could very well monopolize the entire galaxy’s pirate enterprise within a few more years at the rate they were going—but they wisely continued to avoid any direct confrontation with Star Fleet itslef. It was far safer for Star Fleet to never detect their movements or the size of their fleet… only respond to the scene after the Naustie Pirates were long gone.

  But yet—not surprisingly—Terminal Chief Solomon wanted something even greater for New Australia….

  He imagined something even more grand and ambitious than just pirate raids and plunder. Solomon appreciated the performance of his Captain and First Mate—even recommended to the Tribal Confederation that an official promotion be given to Snout, making him Commodore of the Naustie Fleet. However, he saw a future for his planet now that he gradually wanted to communicate to others. Piracy was merely a means to an end. He actually—though it was far from practical yet—wanted to achieve legitimacy within the galaxy as a recognized independent planet in the Interplanetary Authority. A real and accepted citizen planet is what he foresaw… with political and diplomatic representation in the Galactic Convention.

  Such a vision was ambitious, at the least. True, if they’d tried it when all they had was the Anarchy, and no other demonstrated ability to defend themselves, the IPA would have squashed such a dream like a grape. The new “pirate culture” made more sense to them now. The Galaxy didn't want them. Their home planets discarded them. Now they were making everyone pay.

  But still, Solomon felt it was time to consider the long term.

  To go from convicts, to prisoners, to rebels, to pirates… then seek diplomatic recognition and political sovereignty… from the very planets they were warring against? That was completely—or at least practically—impossible. Yet Solomon envisioned it for his planet someday. He needed others to grasp it too. And there was only one being on all of New Australia that he could confide this in and seek counsel.

  Solomon spoke privately on numerous occasions with his old friend and spiritual mentor Architeuthis. Sometimes only Architeuthis could really understand the creative mind Solomon had for planning and devising. Despite being from two vastly differen
t species, there was so much of his own younger self that Architeuthis could see in Solomon. The two actually had a lot in common, in that Solomon had once been dictator of a small African nation back on Earth, whereas Architeuthis had once been in charge of a Slartigifijian government agency tasked with fighting a terrible plague that eventually wiped out millions on his planet before a vaccine was developed.

  The wise old Slart that Solomon had befriended… was in those days just a young, naïve, and rather overwhelmed government administrator. In the end he did finally oversee the development of the vaccine which might stop the spread of the plague, but by then millions had died already.

  By the time his scientists were distributing syringes to hospitals proclaiming a “scientific breakthrough”, it was basically already quite clear the threat of global epidemic had passed. Architeuthis was perceived by his colleagues and the public as essentially having failed. Millions had already died, and the public’s attention turned from desperation for survival to grief for all their loved ones who’d perished. That grief eventually led to recriminations toward the government for taking so long to develop a vaccine. An inquiry was conducted… and heads were sure to roll.

  Architeuthis was discharged and eventually as a result of this “government inquiry” he was quite unjustly banished to Rijel 12 for “three years”. Disgraced and humiliated, Architeuthis saw himself (at first) as a failure who’d “allowed” millions to suffer death from the plague while his staff labored tirelessly to try and save the planet. But the banishment merely made him more determined than ever to seek fairness. Indeed, his scientists really did develop the vaccine that would have saved his planet from species extinction, if the plague hadn’t run its course already. His banishment was, in his mind, merely his own government looking for someone to blame, and it truly wasn’t fair. The plague did all the killing, after all. Not him.

  To Architeuthis, Solomon’s past was so very similar. As a rebel leader, he led his men to overthrow a brutal dictator, and when he couldn’t hold onto power any longer he had to abdicate the presidency. But in the end he got blamed for causing the events that led to the tribal violence and massacres of innocent people. Back on Earth, they just needed someone to blame… someone to take on all the responsibility for the civilian deaths. Tribal death squads did all that, not Solomon. But the World Court Judges needed someone to “swing for it”, as Solomon said to him jokingly once. And Solomon was the most recognizable figurehead from the disaster that could be blamed… in an effort to satisfy public outrage.

  Therefore, they were both once high profile beings on their home planets who’d done what they thought was right at the time for their people or country—and by failing—they’d found themselves both sent here, to this awful barren planet to die.

  Solomon confided in Architeuthis privately, “Old friend I don’t know much about your planet’s history, but on mine, robbers and thieves sometimes became princes and kings. I’ve turned our planet into nothing more than a global pirate base—and a darn good one at that—however I’d like to accomplish so much more. I really do see a future for New Australia as a respected planet within the Interplanetary Authority.”

  Architeuthis was intrigued. His human friend was so incredibly talented and clever. But was he really suggesting that New Australia could seek legitimacy in the galaxy or for that matter even independence? Right now New Australia’s "independence" was only a myth in their own minds… a reality only because the Interplanetary Authority had no definitive knowledge of their existence (merely considered them officially to be a quarantined planet and publicly assumed that the last of the planet’s population had starved to death when the food ran out).

  But Architeuthis remained calmly silent, gazing at Solomon with his enormous eyes and patiently listened. Solomon added, “I really do see a future where a delegation from our planet is sent to the Galactic Convention to negotiate trade agreements and vote on galactic policies. It’s just that we have such a long way to go getting our planet to where we can actually be respected within the galaxy.”

  Architeuthis fluttered his tentacles peacefully. It was always so fascinating and interesting listening to his human friend. Solomon was one of those rare humans who had the imagination to see things as they needed to be; as well as the will to make them so. Architeuthis said, “Oh yes my friend… I know of your history. Ghengis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Tamerlane, Attila the Hun, Erik the Red… they all came from humble or even dubious pasts, yet seized power and tried gaining legitimacy through conquest.”

  Solomon interjected, “But I don’t intend to conquer. I don’t even intend to seize power. What I am talking about, is the vision I have of New Australia gaining political autonomy as a planet that can be respected and traded with.” Solomon had quite a clear idea of what that had to entail. First of all, the planet had to become self-sufficient and economically sustainable. Had to be able to feed itself. Then it had to be able to defend itself. To do all of that required wealth. Wealth would pay for the weapons and the ships and the military with which New Australia could defend the planet as well as its political interests.

  Wealth would pay for the supplies and materials to build a true civilization underground beneath the Rijel sun’s oppressive and dangerous rays, and safe from the devastating weather patterns on the surface which often buried the landing pad in sand within a few hours. The solar farm was being planted and cultivated inside the old terminal dome. Hydroponic gardens were already being harvested regularly below. Ships returning from raids brought more varieties of seeds for growing vegetables and fruits. Frankly the whole planet’s population had converted within two years from forced prison labor miners into farmers, food and water distributors—or troops and crewmen for the pirate raids.

  Solomon could see why Architeuthis was now drawing comparisons to the way the Mongols and the Huns for example rose up from historic obscurity as nomads and farmers to become massive hordes of rampaging warriors which threatened to overrun all of Europe. But those two examples didn’t quite match what New Australia would have to become or accomplish. To Solomon, piracy had an endgame. It was only necessary now; but in time the planets in the galaxy would want to trade with New Australia. They had to really. The vast almost infinite mineral resources of the planet were vital to the galactic economy, and on New Australia these could be mined and sold cheaply.

  The mines would therefore need to be reopened, Solomon knew. Perhaps not immediately of course… for now the tribes were enjoying a Renaissance in the advancement of their warrior cultures and delighting in the new market economy developing in their territories. Tribes were evolving from a violent prison gang culture into sophisticated almost feudal societies; and because of the variety of goods brought in, a lively trading system evolved. Tribes traded and bartered with each other for most everything they needed. Not just food either!

  Goods and supplies… fresh and frozen foods… all were being brought in and stored in warehouses within the old Service Tunnel, which was now basically the New Australia highway system. They might as well just have called it that really, in that goods were being shipped across the planet to tribal receiving depots; and often traded with other tribes for other goods in short supply; via this spider web-like network that spread across the planet, about 2-300 feet below the hellish planet surface. Females were being brought back to New Australia too! And in the early days these were distributed to the Nausties (usually according to species) who traded them like luxury goods with each other.

  Chieftains often traded females with other tribes, or simply kept them for their own amusement. Earth females were the most commonly tradable item among the different species. Naustie raiders were so often falling upon Earth trade ships or passenger ships traveling to planets in the galaxy; and females were often a part of the crew or among the guests on board. All species enjoyed them except the Slarts who had no concept of copulating with a female unless it was for the purpose of procreating the species.

 
; The polar opposite of this to Slarts of course, were the Zorgs. Zorg tribes like the Ahk-Chor-Galkisha enjoyed Earth women royally, finding their reproductive anatomy to be both fascinating and tantalizing. Earth women sent to the Ahk-Chor-Galkisha tribe were ironically some of the lucky ones—once they got over any revulsion to reptiles and lizards they might have, that is. Skinny, dainty Earth females were greatly prized by the Zorgs and ended up doing quite well in tribal society as concubines for the tribe. The lizard-like Zorgs, with their insatiable sexual urges kept their female human slaves quite content… in several ways. Ahk-Chor-Galkisha females were even kept in a sacred “temple” cave where they were considered to be “Priestesses of Enlightenment”.

  Of course so did the Pumalars. They simply adored human females because of their compatible anatomies for sexual copulation. But it was a terrifying ordeal for Earth females given to the Smilodon tribe for instance. Warlike and brutal to begin with, Pumalar males were big, strong, and ferocious lovers. Very few women actually enjoyed or could even endure their ravages. Women sent to live with those beings often didn’t survive for very long. Yet some actually did… and grew to prefer it amazingly enough.

  Each time a Naustie freighter would arrive with cargo that included female captives, the different tribal chieftains would receive them on a turn by turn basis. Naturally most Earther tribes enjoyed it when a ship brought back female humans too, because the lonely human men of New Australia certainly enjoyed partaking of their favors, whether willingly offered or not.