Star Kitten (24 page)

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.

However the Arian Knights Tribe had no
particular carnal desire for females whatsoever. The Arian Knights
were all homosexual. In effect whatever their true sexual nature
might truly have been when they’d arrived at New Australia
Planetary Prison, if they chose to join Arian Knights, they had to
abandon any heterosexual inclinations. Arian Knight Society was
very ritualistic. Historically, when joining the gang, a new member
was paired off with another male who was usually quite older. This
person was their “life partner” and they were to learn from him,
care for him, sleep with him, and see to his safety and health.
When the older partner died, then the younger partner could be
“paired” with another man of his choice, or join in with another
existing paired couple.

Matters of confrontation
between jealous lovers were therefore quite rare, and the social
code of loyalty to one’s “life partner” was strictly enforced. Open
sexual relationships most certainly existed, where couples engaged
with other couples or single (widowed) males. But it was also quite
common for a relationship to be completely
non-
sexual
.
Older partners were traditionally
referred to as the Adam; and younger partners were referred to as
the Eve. Adding additional “Eves” to the relationship was
completely acceptable, if the gang leadership approved it. Disputes
due to infidelity were settled quite quickly by simply having the
Adam publicly whip the Eve with a leather flogger. This sent the
message to everyone about what was—and what was not—acceptable. In
such a tight close-knit community, it was nearly impossible to
cheat on one’s partner. SOMEONE would hear. Everyone would find
out. And the offending Eve would be dragged out to the whipping
post to be punished by their Adam, once their infidelity had been
discovered.

For that reason, when Earth women were
brought back to New Australia and given to the Arian Knights, it
may have seemed to be a blessing for the exhausted and terrified
women. Having been ravaged likely by the crew and its Pumalar troop
complement, they’d be expecting the same thing from their new
owners: the bald, pale, shaven and tattooed warriors of the Arian
Knights. But soon they’d find themselves being fed and offered a
bath instead. The Arian Knights, to their relief (or dismay,
depending on the woman) didn’t touch them! On the contrary, the
Arian Knights merely let them live freely within their community
until they were healthy and strong again. However, once they were
all healed up, rested, and well-fed again, the Arian Knights would
usually trade them to another tribe for supplies. God help them if
the Smilodons purchased them!

Again… not that some of
the women didn’t actually like it with a Pumalar. True, some women
really lived quite well in the Smilodon chieftain’s harem. He kept
ten to twenty of them at all times, discarding the ones he tired of
from time to time. But they had to be REALLY good and really tough
to remain under his protection. Homosexual men would have made
great partners for Pumalars; but alas the Arian Knights and
Smilodons were traditionally bitter rivals; and the chances of an
inter-tribal
hook-up
occurring between a Smilodon and a young virile Arian Knight
were slim to none.

And for that matter too, the Arian Knights
didn’t always trade away their women slaves with other tribes
either. Some they actually kept! Partly out of compassion for ones
they particularly liked; and perhaps mostly because female women
were great domestic help. If they liked her cooking, they might
just keep her….

That was really more the exception than the
rule, though. Most tribes were species-exclusive and scooped up
every new shipload of females from their particular home planets
enthusiastically, when it was their turn. The last major exception
to this was the Schpleeftkorkii tribe. This tribe was made up of
Spleefs, Zorgs, Porkos, Pumalars, AND black African-origin humans.
This was the planet’s oldest surviving gang–now-tribe… still
observing traditions that went back over fifty years.

By way of comparison to
the Arian Knights, the Schpleeftkorkii tribe scorned all bonding
long term relationships of any kind. "Shunned them," might be a
better way of putting it. In this tribe, sex—and sexuality—was just
another expression of personality and individual contribution to
the tribe’s culture. Bizarre sexual rituals and practices developed
and evolved over the years which continued to change and be altered
from time to time. Not surprisingly, when the Schpleeftkorkii tribe
took on female prisoners the experience for a
human
female especially could be
quite nightmarish unless the woman had incredibly imaginative sex
fantasies as well as spectacular sexual stamina.

Solomon oversaw all of this activity and
distribution of females for the Schpleeftkorkii tribe, in that he
was also their tribal Chieftain. He rather enjoyed it. Yet, over
time he felt and recognized the need and longing of the Pumalars
within his tribe to try and find Pumalar females. He realized how
they really needed their own kind as partners for true fulfillment.
Human females just couldn’t handle them, even if some really and
truly tried.

The ships returning just never seemed to
have Pumalar females. Pumalar merchant ships simply didn’t have
female crew of any kind, by tradition, and Snout rarely raided them
anyway. It was far too dangerous doing battle with Pumalar troops
in close order combat. The best colonies for raiding, like Frabrak
3… were run by Porkonjii. Space stations were usually populated
with only Zorgs and humans. Spleef females? They could be found
just about anywhere serving as domestic help or working in light
manufacturing. Pumalar females just didn’t seem to travel much.
What might be the solution then for his Pumalar tribesmen, he
wondered?

Then one day, the
returning
Anarchy
docked in his loading terminal and he got to meet with his
trusted friend Kcsheeech; as well as Captain Snout. Over a mug or
two of ale, which had been plundered from an Earth food freighter,
they sat up in Solomon’s command center and chatted casually.
Technically it was a debriefing, but really Solomon was just
interested in hearing about their adventures. True, Solomon had
absolutely NO interest in flying on one of those pirate raiders
himself. But their stories were always fascinating.

“I’ve enjoyed your reports today, Kcsheeech
and Captain Snout. You’ve impressed everyone with how adept you’ve
been at finding food and supplies for our planet while at the same
time keeping our location and identity completely secret. I’m
deeply grateful to both of you,” said Solomon. Solomon slurred his
words a bit from the effects of the ale. “However,” started Solomon
now measuring his words. He knew he was tipsy and needed to be
careful how he worded his next question.

“However… in this matter of captured
females,” he began… then winced a bit while putting the back of his
left hand up to his mouth trying to cover up a belch. “I’ve been
amazed at how bringing female Earthers, Zorgs, Porkos, and Spleefs
back to our planet has created no major problems of any kind. I
would have thought there would be conflicts, jealousies, and even
fights over access to the more prized and appealing ones, but alas,
the Tribal Confederation was quite wise in setting up a system for
distribution. It’s worked out quite well.”