BACKGROUND - Clan Farth-Tar-Sen (Protectors of the Clans)

Before the great founding, as the clans stretched their paws into space, there was always a need for a strong military. While the Galactic Council likes to claim there is peace in our time, it is anything but. Pirates, rogue nations and those who think they can do better have been a threat to peace.

The military clans are broken up into three separate clans. Officially, Clan Yarth protects the 12-clans internally. Clan Farth-Tar-Sen protects the colonial worlds and surrounding systems, and the third (name withheld for security reasons) clan acts a logistic and reserve force to supplement where needed. On paper, they are referred to as the 9th Order.

Clan Yarth’s territory is spread out across over four planets, where they recruit residents of all ages, no exceptions. Nobles are expected to serve, just like the lowest serf. The harsh city life is pure survival of the fittest. It is not uncommon for some teens to never make it to adulthood.

Life in the city or the country side is only the beginning as their life begins again when they join the military. Often times rival gangs, who were at each other’s throats, will push aside their differences during their 10-year military service. It is not uncommon to pick up where they left off when they return home.

Age is measured by battles, war, and skirmishes, not by physical time.

While a native might is 60-years-old, the individual may only being considered a 10-years-old due to the lack of combat experience.

The current ruler, Supreme General Mau-Mau, has been in charge of his clan for the past 1,000 years. He is currently, looking to step down and let his son (Vice General Shino-Nan) take over when he becomes old enough.

With other Cat-Clans, the oldest is usually the next in line for the throne, this is not the case for the military families. Power rests with the strongest.

Supreme General Mau-Mau oldest child, Vice General Amaterasu-Sun, while being a brilliant strategist and the hardened warrior was no match for her brother’s fierceness in combat. They dueled for three weeks for control of the clan, but she was finally bested. Now she’s been banished for failure to defeat her brother.

With no home, she turned to the one person who she could trust, her betrothed the current Emperor of the Cats. Now she has taken up the responsibility of training the local defense forces of the home world. Soon the two will wed and she will become the Empress.

With several billion solders at the ready and many more in reserve, the military clans protect the cat race from threats internal and external.

***

A few days went by after getting my ass beat and losing my gang to Akuma. I decided to console myself with a few bottles of Lazer-88. Earlier that day Henna tried to comfort me, but I chased her away.

I tossed an empty bottle onto the street below with a loud crash, sending glass everywhere. My concentration was quickly shattered like the glass by the footfalls that echoed up the fire escape. Anna and Henna were running up. They paused for a few seconds to catch their breath in the night air.

“I thought I told you two, dat I want to be alone,” I drunkenly said.

“Yo, we got a problem, bro!” my sister said hurriedly.

“Yeah, everyone has been called out!” Henna blurted out, obvious winded.

“Huh, what’s got Akuma all angry ‘bout now?” I asked looking up from my third bottle.

When the entire gang is called out there’s usually a big problem. I attempted to stand up. Both Anna and Henna helped me to my feet.

Gingerly, I made my way down the fire escape. From what I could tell from Anna and Henna said that some guy was flying solo in the middle of our turf, and at night.

I found Lee watching from a hidden position carefully watching Alpine Street. Sure enough, it was some guy wearing a gray coat that went down to his knees. On his face, he wore a white cat-face mask with three red stripes on it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a map.

“I bet it’s sum’ kinda Roylie out there slummin’ it,” I whispered.

Lee shook his head no.

Henna looked down at Anna, “Na, if he was a Roylie he’d be surrounded by Invincible Guardsmen or sumptin’.”

Around his feet, shadows swirled, like a black smoke. Even at night, shadows soaked up what little light there was. As the shadows came together they formed a lower cousin. The black cat with a slender frame, which I could only assume was female, appeared. When she exhaled her the outside air became chilled and was frozen by her breath.

On our world adopting a lower cousin, or house cat, requires extensive paperwork, and one is investigated thoroughly. You are more likely to win the Galactic Lotto or be accepted outside your social circle then to make the list. And that’s just to be investigated for the privilege of being allowed to make it to the adoption waiting list. Even the most qualified and well-connected people may spend a decade or more on a waiting list without even being considered.

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He kneeled down, shook his map pointing to something while he talked to her.

While I didn’t graduate private school, I was there long enough to learn the bare basics of Trade IV, a fast but very deliberate language of the Merchant-Clan. One can convey entire speeches in just a few words and hand gestures.

“Why haven’t we jumped him?” I asked my breathing stinking of nip, without taking his eyes off the mystery man.

“I’m scared,” replied Lee.

I’ve never known Lee to be scared of anything. Even when he was younger he would stand up to the older kids without fear or backing down. I knew better than to press him for more details. Anna had a death grip on my hand and Henna was watching from the safety from my shoulder.

The guy took a step back and threw his arms up in frustration to the lower cousin. She evaporated in a wisp of smoke. He looked around and then walked towards us.

Despite wearing a mask, the hair on the back of my neck rose as I felt him staring into my very core. He stopped about 10-respectable paces from where we were hiding under the building.

He lowered his map and in what I could only describe as a sing-song type of voice sung by a choir of Celestials, or Angels, said “Bur-Nan-Na” and made a few gestures with his hand.

No one replied.

From the best I could translate: greetings and salutations, I seem a bit lost, so could I trouble you for some directions? I’m in a bit of a hurry.

I stepped forward, only after Lee pushed me forward.

Trying to speak proper common, “I am afraid I do not understand, sir.”

The shadow cat appeared and hissed at him.

He spoke again, “Bis-noon.”

Translation: Princess Nova is correct, is there a place we can speak privately and away from prying eyes?

I summed up the situation and I could see eyes all around us.

“Yah-Yah tee ta,” I tried my best to say with the appropriate hand signs.

Translation: I would like to offer the safety of my residence for us to speak further.

He nodded behind the cat mask. A thousand questions ran through my head, which was slowly sobering up. After reaching my apartment door he waited patiently and refused to come inside until I invited him in.

Now if only Henna could be taught to do that. Anna followed closely behind him.

I did my best to pick up the empty bottles and clothes from the couch and floor. Anna quickly threw away the trash. He put his hand up to his face and the mask disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

He had dark brown hair and soft features, but his eyes stood out. His purple eyes soaked up every detail in my dirty house. The moon-like pupils narrowed to slivers as he looked back at me. He was a full-blooded feline, the eyes were a giveaway.

The others from the North-Central Posse were watching from the windows and the door way.

He shook his head and said in common, “You might as well let them in, or run the risk of repeating yourself 20 times.”

It took less than five minutes for the gang to enter and settle down on the tattered couch, floor, and tables or wherever they could find a seat. It was so quiet you could hear an electron move. All eyes were on the guest. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned that he was outnumbered.

He spoke in common, “I don’t have time to play games or play Q & A, and neither do you. As I speak there’s an Inquisitional Battle Corvette ready to slag this entire area and the people here.” There was a flurry of voices, but before anyone could speak he continued. “Personally, I prefer performing surgery to a full orbital strike.”

Anna nervously handed him a drink and he took it, gave her a smile as if meeting an old friend and said thank you. Most of the Royalies, or Royal born, I’ve met in my private school days tended to be assholes and rude, even to each other, this guy was anything but rude.

Akuma tried to say something, but he held his hand up to silence him. Akuma lowered his head in submission. I couldn’t help but grin.

“Now, depending on the answers I receive will determine what happens next. We don’t have a lot of time and so I will dispense with the pleasantries and protocol. Have any of you seen any odd activity, by the way of people running around in wizard-robes or casting circles or anything strange bursts of energy? Any info is vital.”

He stared directly at Red, somehow he could tell the guy was our gang task mage.

There were a few whispers, but no direct response.

Red spoke up, “Na, ju’s the usual sheet you see in da ghetto.”

Everyone else either mumbled or nodded in agreement. Behind him, reality began to bend and become misshapen. A kaleidoscope of deep blues, purples, and sanguine reds turned from hazy fuzz to a fractal pattern as if someone shattered stained glass.

The very fabric of reality twisted and turned as a female shattered reality matrix to step through. She adjusted a ring on her black leather collar. Reality began to reshape itself back to normal behind her.

Red muttered, “t-t-t-that’s impossible, how can you teleport…in this area?”

Her soft blue-gray eyes stared back down at him, she parted her natural ruby lips as she spoke, “They will begin the count down as soon as you leave, we just…oh hello!” she said calmly looking around noticing the eyes cautiously watching her.

“Oh heeey, cousin-kitty aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends? Hi, I’m [CENSORED] (as I try to write her name the ink slides off the paper and eventually I have forgotten her name. Red later told me this is some kind of powerful Chaos Magic), and it’s nice to meet everyone!”

Henna, which was closest to her, waved back at her. Abby, who was twice her size, simply stared at her in disbelief.

"Fine, tell them I’m about to wrap it up and do me a fave, mess with their computer or something,” he told her.

“I get to destroy something!?!?!?” she said eagerly as her face brightened up, the way Anna’s face brightens up when I tell her she is right about something.

“No! Jus’ monkey wrench them or something, nothing permanent.” He quickly responded.

She pouted and stuck out her lower lip, “Fine….and I thought we were gonna have some fun or somethin’.”

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “fine, after I wrap up here, we can go chase some ratkin (shape shifting rats) or something,”

She perked up to that. She smiled at Red with a big wide grin and faded from reality, leaving nothing but a toothy grin before that disappeared.

Before the realization of what was just said hit Anna blurted out, “SIR or Lord or whatever you are, rats!!!”

Lee picked up the cue from Anna, “Yeah, there was a ratkin, we ran into the other day!”

“Go on,” he cautiously replied.

Both I, Lee and Anna recounted the story.

“Yeah, they were roughed up kinda good,” replied Akuma trying to sound important.

He narrowed his eyes at him and asked if he knew where the rats lived. Akuma shook his head no.

Anna chimed in, “But we do know where their shop’s at, you know, the one wit the female ratkin. Wait a sec, k?”

She dashed into my bedroom pushing people out of the way. After of a few crashes later she came back with a plasma gun and carefully handed it to the guest. He examined it.

“You need to show me where you got this….now!” he said.