Feline Clan background: Money and the Power

Clan founding #4, #8 and #12 are the economic might of the Feline-Empire. Clan members consider themselves the proudest and purest of all the families in blood and doctrine.

While the ruling Families work hard to maintain their reputation and honor more so than any of the founding. Many of the other clans have abandoned titles with the exception of ruling families, the Kar-ith, or Founding 4,8, and 12 have embraced the titles fully.

Many of the Families see it as their divine duty to protect their family assets, reputation and commoners from threats of corruption, decay and a static reality that is in constant flux.

They control the flow of money and trade among the Cat-Empire and are the bolts and leather straps that keep the armored plate together. Rising stars in the business world and those with potential are quickly snapped up by Families who are looking to maintain or push for market growth.

The Founding Business families were the ones to develop the Trade IV language, which is the most widely used for almost all business transactions.

One such example is a typical greeting of “hello”. It would be pronounced “nay-noon”. The person giving the greeting would point their index finger up, for morning time, wave their hand sweeping motion for the afternoon, and index finger pointed downward for evening or nighttime. Then the person giving the greeting would point their finger back at the other person to complete the greeting by throwing it back as if asking “How are you?”

Kittens, or people learning the language for the first time, are taught that the language is like tossing a ball of yarn in that only one person can play with it at one time.

Outsiders to the Kar-ith often say the only way you can separate them from their money is to cut off their paws.

***

"Akuma probably didn’t try to talk his way out of it, by the way I need to stop by Rhodes to collect,” Lee plainly stated.

Rhodes was a human tinker. Tinks take electronics, spare parts or anything mechanical and turn it into something useful or improve them. One of the few rules, especially while working on a space ship, was to repair and make it last.

There were few places you could stop to pick up spare parts, and everything had to last as if your life depended on it, because it did. On planet side, this was still a problem. Rhodes repaired machines so well that they never break down, and thus no repeat business. My family still has a toaster he repaired when my mom was 9-years-old.

We entered his shop and it was littered with parts looted from old spaceships, cars or anything that had some sort of electronics. He had a pair of killer bots, banned by 90% of the civilized galaxy, resting quietly in the corner.

“Hey old man, were here to collect,” Lee told him.

Rhodes looked at him blankly for a few moments and tossed him 400 in gold notes. Lee counted it.

“You’re 50 shy, old man,” he said picking up a hammer.

“It’s been tough, lil’ business,” he said matter of factly. Lee leaned close, eye-to-eye.

“If taxes didn’t go up, I wouldn’t be here, you gotta work with me,” Lee calmly told Rhodes.

“You know how…”Rhodes started to say. Lee put his finger to Rhode’s lips “shhh”.

I knew what was going to happen next. When I ran things we let people slide, after all we don’t steal from the poor.

“Hey old man! How much for this?” I asked picking up the closest object to me.

“A ship’s docking PA system? For you 30-G notes.” He said happily.

“50-notes,” I replied trying to help him out.

“25 and not a copper more! I’ll even throw in some old music to play on it,” Rhodes replied again. Lee’s right eye twitched in frustration. I handed Lee the 100 note from the old spacer. Lee gave me back the change.

“Your debt is clear laser brain,” Lee said slightly vexed.

“Wait, don’t go! I still owe you 50,” Rhodes said in frustration. After 30 minutes of trying to explain what just happened we gave up. Lee, me and a PA system we got far away from that place as possible.