Star Kitten

by Purple Hazel

  But it made sense really. These quite isolated tribesmen with such different customs to other tribes likely enjoyed the chance to explain their ways to an outsider. They were proud of their little society; and their abstinence from imbibing alcohol or committing sinful acts of the flesh. They were proud of their piety, and grateful for all of Allah’s blessings. Better yet, they were so very pleased to tell all of this to the adorable kindly she-cat, and bask in her complete unreserved acceptance of them. Felina listened and purred patiently as they showed her around their community. She sat with them on mats and talked, absorbed their words, and most of all heard the deep feelings behind those words too.

  As Felina summarized it back to them, with her usual uncanny skill at understanding one’s words better than they could have said it in the first place, “I see, so you believe your God delivered all of you here to not only purify yourselves with penance for your sins… but… Allah actually gave you all an opportunity to reach an inner sense of peace within your souls. You’ve been able to become more Godly men in the process—through God’s blessings—in sending you all here. This is why you all demonstrate your piety and respect for God by abstaining from drinking and fornication like other tribes.”

  Then she gave a warm wonderful smile, saying sweetly, “I think that’s very beautiful, indeed.” A deep momentary pall of silence befell the audience of mostly older black men gathered all around her in the main cave where they conducted all their ceremonies. Deeply affected, many of them gradually started murmuring excitedly. The elders nodded in peaceful bliss. “Yes, Felina… that is exactly what we believe,” smiled their chieftain, an old black man from America who now called himself Abd Al Hammid.

  Solomon was so very proud of her, he could just burst. Truly this was the woman of his dreams. And yet, not even a woman at all. She couldn’t bear children, not even with a Pumalar male. She could not betray him. Couldn’t denounce him or break his heart. She couldn’t be anything but perfect… in every way… for the rest of his life. She was greater than any wife he could have imagined in his wildest dreams; and she was all his, committed completely. It was in her very nature to match and adapt perfectly with any mate; and because she was both wise and outspoken, she was even better—yes better—than any other Pumalar Empath. To Solomon it even occurred to him that he’d only scratched the surface of her true potential.

  But not all of this diplomatic tour was a pleasant experience for Felina. Some tribes clearly were abusing their female tribal members and causing them undue hardship. Females were in some rare instances kept like prisoners or held in caves like animals, to be brought out occasionally for “entertainment”. This was unacceptable to Felina. True, in most communities, many females were mere servants to the males in their tribe, assigned to cleaning and food preparation. Their domestic duties made for a contribution to the societies they lived in, but their status was clearly that of slaves; and there was no better word for it. Even where there was partnering of females with males… it was nothing more than like a valued piece of property or a prized pet being claimed by an owner. No equality, certainly. And little in the way of respect.

  Felina—true to form—spoke up about it to her mate, Solomon. Occasionally she even felt compelled to enlighten all the others around her too! Tribesmen and their chieftains all got the full brunt of her wise words on numerous occasions. But Solomon just let her speak her mind. He loved her, yes. Anyone could see it, in the way he acted around her. And the other chieftains gladly gave ear to her observations. She was an honored guest after all, and that meant she had the status associated with being the clearly-defined mate of a fellow respected tribal chieftain.

  Oh, she had plenty to say, that was for sure. Yet she never spoke in any confrontational manner which might offend other tribes. She didn’t use any provocative tone with them either. Her comments were enlightened yes—blunt at times even—but never offensive.

  The Spleef tribes, in particular, got a good piece of her mind. In their communities, females of different species were sometimes treated like herded animals. They were fed basic rations and rarely participated in day-to-day society; but by law any male Spleef had absolute entitlement to enjoy a captive female at any time of day and in any given moment that the mood struck him. Females had no say in the matter; and what Felina learned from them really bristled up the fur on her back. When she saw the level of debasement and the way females were reduced to a mode of basic animal survival; she spoke out. And she didn’t wait to have an audience with the chieftain of the tribe either!

  Being a six foot tall Pumalar, towering over the diminutive Spleefs by over a foot in some cases; her words were quite effective. And truth be told, Spleefs were by nature quite terrified of Pumalars to begin with. Yet this gorgeous female was something many of them had never experienced. Solomon did his part of course by making the introductions and establishing the fact that Felina was indeed his mate for life; a female of a different species than his own but still his partner. This was plenty enough to give Felina some level of credibility going in; but her manner and kind nature were sufficient to disarm even the most fearsome and loathsome of characters that she met.

  In one case, she actually met with a Spleef warlord from the Bandicoots, who’d dueled with and killed another Spleef in an attempt to seize his property. By Spleef tribal law, if two rival Spleef warriors, merchants, or farmers chose to engage in a dispute, the chieftain could, if he wished, actually order the two conflicting parties to fight it out in controlled combat, with each party agreeing beforehand to acceptable weapons, and more importantly the stakes. If either party yielded they had to negotiate a settlement (essentially trade for their own life). If one was killed, then the winner took possession of the deceased’s property. All of it. This custom harkened back to ancient times back on planet Schpleefti when warlords maintained vast estates and warred upon each other regularly. Local noble Lords would merely call for a duel and settle the matter personally once and for all. Brutal, yes. But it kept the peace.

  What Felina observed however, was that the “property” taken after the deadly duel between the two warrior Spleefs included twenty females from three different species. The surviving warrior, a Spleef named Muroid, abused these captive females regularly, Felina learned from speaking to his captured concubines. He even shared them with his fellow warriors like they were a cask of wine or slices of bread. It was like they were nothing but a bottle of whiskey being passed around for each rat-like creature to take a drink of. And that’s not all she’d found out.

  He held vast feasts and parties where the female Zorgs, Porkos, and even a few humans were forced to entertain all the males in various ways. Those who resisted—or even worse complained—were “disciplined harshly” she was told. Felina saw the evidence of that too on their bodies. This bothered her greatly. And she said so.

  One night, she and Solomon dined with Lord Muroid in his private cave. This was his palace, so to speak, and as his guest, Felina was expected to act accordingly. Yet after a bountiful feast; and with the warriors of his tribe also in attendance, she spoke up anyway. During dessert, she explained it to him thusly, “So much you have accomplished and achieved… so much that you have to be proud of, Muroid. And your warriors are some of the finest on New Australia. Gallant and brave during the rebellion, I’ve learned.”

  Proud murmuring arose from the audience of warriors sitting around the cave. She continued: “The hardest of workers. Valued greatly in the industry of soil production up on the surface. Diligent and dedicated too, toiling tirelessly on the farms nearby us that feed your tribe. Yes, you control a vast estate down here in the caves of your tribe’s territory; and your benevolence toward your subjects is such that can be deeply admired by all.” The pudgy Spleef smiled proudly at her words. He’d become accustomed to receiving compliments, as of late.

  “However,” she said purring softly, “You have the opportunity to show your greatness in so many more ways now, my Lord.” The r
ather rotund rat-like creature continued to smile… but now blinked his red beady eyes for a moment with confusion and apprehension. He was interested, of course, but the room gradually fell silent in anticipation of her next words. Felina’s reputation preceded her by now. And her charming demeanor had put the creature at ease already. That said, even Solomon wondered anxiously what she might say next!

  “If I may elaborate…” she began. The plump rodent creature nodded, sniffing the air nervously, but riveted just like his fellow warriors.

  “Your females, my Lord. You have taken these intelligent beings, and reduced them to mere animals. Corraled and kept like animals, used like animals. Yes… this is all within your rights to do so, of course. Yet they are so much more valuable to you if treated as equals. Equal… to all your other subjects whom you now rule over. Strong they are, these females, oh yes. Smart they are, too. And when this female strength and intelligence is combined… into what can turn them into valuable members of your society… then they too will become loyal servants who will love and respect you as their wise leader.” Felina smiled calmly. She waited for the words to sink in a moment before proceeding.

  “And do they not respect me? Do they not fear me?” snarled the pudgy rat defensively. “Must I free them, to gain their… loyalty?” he confronted her arrogantly. The warriors in the large cave murmured pensively. A few even chuckled derisively.

  Felina answered without hardly skipping a beat, “No my Lord. Even better. Make them equal. Protected and respected as equal members of your tribe. It’s what all intelligent beings really desire. To be valued and to be needed. To be safe and without worry….” Felina revealed little change in her calm soothing voice, but a growing intensity now shown in her eyes. Murmurs continued to rise among his agitated warriors.

  However, she continued softly, reaching out and grasping his tiny pink fingers in her long clawed paws, “You alone, among all the great Schpleeftii… you alone will be admired in this way… if you do this benevolent deed. It’s the next step in the achievement of your greatness, my Lord. A greatness which you and all enlightened rulers truly desire… to be recognized throughout all of New Australia for your generosity and wisdom. You have great power, oh yes, but you desire even more. I see that in you. You desire greatness among all Spleefs… just as all Spleefs are gaining every day with their amazing contributions to this planet and its future.”

  An even bigger rise in the murmuring among his warriors distracted the proud warlord for a moment; and he recognized the chord his beautiful guest had struck in all of them. Yes! Spleefs were gaining respect among all the other species on New Australia every day due to their diligence and effort in producing soil for New Australia’s new farms. He merely needed to gaze over at the warm smile on Solomon’s face for a moment to make the connection in his mind. To be progressive and enlightened… like Solomon... that was the next step for him to take in his rise to power. My God, the she-cat might just be right! He could be the first to emancipate his females. The whole planet would soon know of it, too.

  Then Felina released the little rat’s hands and sat back on her little stool, folding her hands carefully over her lap. She added one more comment that shook up her host quite a bit, but it was something she just felt really needed to be said. In an almost inaudible whisper, she said, “Warden Ggggaaah was a fiend. Solomon has told me all about him.” Muroid and his warriors bristled at the mere mention of the evil prison warden’s name. Memories of oppression at the hands of the mostly Zorg security guards swirled in their minds.

  Felina leaned forward a bit… and in a low purring voice she added, “It was said that he kept tiny cages of mice on his desk… for snacks… when he needed one he merely pulled out a helpless baby mouse and devoured it… whole.”

  Muroid’s red beady eyes widened with disgust and moral outrage. He gasped and guffawed, shifting his round girthed weight on his stool; clearly uncomfortable and unsettled due to the image this conjured in his mind. Such an implied comparison was something that would really have struck home with any Schpleefti. Upper class Zorgolongians had always been known to raise lower order mice for harvesting as food back on Zorgolong; and the practice was reviled by all Schpleeftii everywhere.

  It imbalanced him emotionally. “Schpleeftii…” growled Muroid with a fiery glare, “are not Zorg.” He raised his snout proudly, “And Muroid is not Ggggaaah!” Felina relaxed calmly as the entire cave around her erupted in supportive retorts at their warlord’s reaction. Solomon winced and sighed, thinking to himself, “Oh shit she’s done it now.”

  But Felina knew exactly the point she was trying to make, and continued without hesitation, “No my Lord… you are Muroid, Lord Muroid, great and powerful among all Schpleeftii… and great among all Nausties as well. And with that greatness, now comes vision. A vision of your tribe’s real potential. All great leaders have this. That’s precisely what I see in you too, mighty Lord. And you alone can be the first to show how mighty you truly are….”

  The big rat sighed and smiled, relieved. She wasn’t comparing him to Ggggaaah… she was actually differentiating him from a reviled tyrant, who’d abused the powerless. He saw it all now. Knew what he needed to do; to demonstrate his greatness as a leader. He must follow this wonderful she-cat’s advice and free his own females. Give them rights of protection and equality; so that everyone everywhere would hear of his magnanimity. He beamed warmly and confidently, taking in a long breath of pride like some warrior receiving a decoration for bravery.

  She leaned forward and grasped his pink claws once again. “I and my husband Solomon thank you for your hospitality and value our new friendship with you. We are proud to be your loyal ally.” Then she shocked everyone in the cave by giving the customary Schpleefti greeting of placing her nose up to his snout and sniffing his breath. Such a custom was NEVER seen performed by another being besides other Schpleeftis toward each other; and it really impressed the hell out of all those in the cave. Even Solomon was surprised… but it was just something from Felina’s training as an Empath. She knew all about customs from every known species in the universe. Schpleeftis as well.

  Muroid was startled at first but his eyes widened with joyous surprise at the respectful gesture. Spleefs were not really accustomed to being shown sincere courtesy or great respect by other creatures on New Australia—or anywhere in the galaxy for that matter. This was something very new to them! She’d honored him greatly; and right in front of his warriors.

  Muroid smiled, and grasped Felina’s large paws tightly, then leaned in to sniff her breath… as the customary reply to her greeting. He sniffed three quick whiffs of her mouth just to show his courage and respect, then pulled back to proclaim boldly, “Yes… Muroid. That I am.” He smiled warmly, and gestured to his warriors to calm themselves. Felina smiled. She knew the diminutive little creature was trying to impress his fellow warriors by getting close to the fangs of a big scary Pumalar! Muroid then stood, and addressed his warriors thus, “It shall be done….”

  And so it was done. Next day, holding hands with the tall elegant she-cat, Muroid joyfully led her around his kingdom (basically a three square mile network of large and smaller caves, lit by electric lighting). At every opportunity, he ordered females set free and gave his commands regarding their future treatment. Stammering at first, he even timidly looked to Felina on occasion for direction; but he learned fast; and gradually got the hang of it. Holding pens were torn down, and females were set free to roam about like ordinary tribal members. Rations were to be shared equally from then on, he decreed. From that point forward it was Muroid, warlord of the Bandicoots, who set the example for all Spleefs on New Australia to emulate.

  “All other tribes should follow my lead on this,” Muroid proclaimed to Solomon on the day they departed Bandicoot territory. And Solomon nodded proudly in agreement. It would take time, yes. But it had to be this way. Muroid was the first, but others would copy him. It would start with his tribe, and then others would
be inspired to do the same.

  Females should have equal rights… protected from violence or endangerment. They should be given equal rations of food; given freedom to move about the tribal territories without fear of molestation or subjugation. They must be made equal members of their tribes, in every way, to other male Nausties. Word gradually spread of Muroid’s deeds. Gradually other chieftains began to agree that it was the right thing to do in their own tribes as well. This was the turning point for all females and their condition on New Australia.

  Naturally, it would be a long tough road to try and convince all the other male dominated societies throughout the planet to emancipate their females. But Solomon knew it was time for this to happen. What’s more, he was in love, and an even bolder gesture (on his part) was now in order. A personal gesture, that is. He knew just what he could do to inspire even more radical change among other Nausties, and that would be to publicly declare Felina to be his WIFE.

  That’s right. He needed to gain his lover’s consent (which he knew he could achieve by nothing more than a simple sincere request). That was the first order of business. However, he also wanted it known everywhere throughout the planet that he’d done so. That’s why he chose to propose to her right in the middle of the Tribal Confederation Assembly later that month! This bold act would send the message to all Nausties, that females could and should become mated to a male and partnered with that male for life. This could change everything. Families could be started, and offspring could be raised correctly by their parents according to each tribe’s customs. New Australia could have a new generation of heirs to their free and independent planet.

  Once this was set into motion, the whole culture of the planet would be altered. A ritual for the creation of this “Marriage” would have to be performed. And the rules and format for the first one would need to be devised right there in the Tribal Confederation Assembly as well, setting the precedent for thousands more to come.