Star Kitten (43 page)

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 rather 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.