Welcome to my website, detailing the adventures of Captain Esek Hrelle, his family, and the crew and cadets of his starship, the USS Surefoot. These stories are set in the 2360-70s, the Next Generation/DS9/Voyager Era.

When I wrote the first story, The Universe Had Other Plans, in the far off distant year of 2016, I never intended it to be a "first" story of anything. It was meant to be a one-off, a means of helping me fight writer's block on another project. I am amazed and delighted that it has taken on a life of its own, with an extended family of characters, places, ships and events.

The column on the right hand side groups the stories chronologically by significant events in Captain Hrelle's life (such as the command of a new Surefoot), as well as major events in the Star Trek timeline. The column on the left hand side lists reference articles, one-off stories, and a link to stories set on the USS Harken, a ship from decades before but with ties to the Surefoot Universe.

The universe of Star Trek belongs to CBS/Paramount; all of the original characters here belong to me. There is no explicit sexual content, but there are instances of profanity, violence and discussions of adult subject matters and emotional themes; I will try to offer warnings on some of the stories, but sometimes I forget.

I love comments (I don't get paid for this, sadly), so feel free to write and let me know what you think!

Sunday 10 November 2019

Spotlight: The Kaetini

The Kaetini, also known as the Warriors of the Great Mother, is a Caitian paramilitary order, a company of select individuals who have achieved individual acclaim for acts of heroism in defence of Caitians or others, or in defence of the Motherworld.

History:
The Kaetini was created approximately 1289 AD (Terran calendar), during the time of the Exodus. The race we now call Caitians originated on another planet, Ferasa Prime. A century prior to the Exodus, a group of genetically-augmented Ferasans seized control of their planet, suppressing their female-centric social and religious societal structures, and instituting a eugenics program,  including sterilisation, enslavement and Augmentation of select cubs.

A large group of pureblood Ferasans managed to escape their planet in a series of space arks to find a new home. These vessels were capable only of sublight speeds, and there were no interstellar powers in the Quadrant at this time, but the time dilation effects of near-relativistic travel allowed the escapees to traverse many light years within their lifetimes, eventually settling on an uninhabited Class-M planet in a system identified on Terran starcharts as 15 Lyncis, approximately 178 light years from Earth.

The years following First Landing on the planet they would call Cait were arduous; technology was very limited, with the majority of the space arks being deployed as orbital protection in the event of pursuit from the Ferasans. To help keep cohesion among the many settlements, an order was formed: The Kaetini, the Warriors of the Great Mother, promoting virtues such as courage, compassion, honour, self-sacrifice and perseverance, often acting in a law enforcement capacity for isolated communities around Cait, providing information and defence.

Like their Terran counterparts the Knights of the Round Table and the Samurai, or the Klingon Dahar Masters, legends regarding their abilities and exploits proliferated over the subsequent centuries, even as the Caitians grew in numbers and technology, reaching levels approximate to what their ancestors possessed on their former homeworld. In more modern times, the numbers of Kaetini have diminished, but their influence on Caitian society persists.


Organisation:
The Kaetini are not an organised army, employing uniforms, ranks and barracks. They are spread throughout the Caitian peoples, in all strata of life: soldiers, parents, doctors, teachers, artists, butchers, cooks, cleaners, musicians and many others. They can be male or female, young or old, and rarely advertise who they are (their identities are kept in a Registry in the Temple at T’Grerish Nein, accessible only by the leader of the Temple, Mistress Nvell, and a select few).

They do not receive a salary or stipend, but often are awarded custom-designed ceremonial swords, forged from the hulls of the original space arks, and treated using methods forgotten by all except those at T’Grerish Nein, to maintain a constant nanosharpness that allows the blade to easily cut through flesh, bone and many materials.

Requirements:
One cannot petition to become a Kaetini (such an act would be seen as lacking in humility), or purchase membership into it; potential members are always sponsored by others, who are vetted and decided upon by Mistress Nvell. The requirements are simple:

  • They must be proficient to the Seventh Tier in the Caitian Martial Art of K’Gressir, an unarmed combat focusing on the use of claws (Note: there are Twelve Tiers in K'Gressir, but proficiency in the higher tiers does not automatically guarantee membership as one of the Kaetini).
  • They must have performed multiple heroic acts in the defence of the Motherworld, or of Caitians or children/cubs, often at risk of their own lives. It can be performed on- or off-world, and performed within a military or non-military capacity (many serve with distinction, but not all will be seen to have served above and beyond the call of duty)
  • They must demonstrate a knowledge of Caitian history, principles and ideals, in their words and ideals.

While every member of the Kaetini has naturally been Caitian, there is nothing specifically requiring that they have to be Caitian.

                                             
Purpose:
The Oath of the Kaetini is thus:
‘I am Kaetini: a Warrior of the Great Mother. 
I am Her Eyes, and I am Her Ears. 
I am Her Teeth, and I am Her Claws. 
I am Her Purr, and I am Her Roar. 
I will defend the Living, and I will avenge the Dead. 
And I will give my life to protect the Motherworld and her people.’

What this means in everyday life is open to interpretation. Many do not operate in occupations where heroism is required on a daily basis, but still act in such a way that demonstrates Caitian principles, often teaching it to others and serving as role models, which has proven to be valuable in more modern times, with Cait a member of the Federation.

However, it is often rumoured that this secret society will be more formally assembled, should the Motherworld fall under occupation from any outside power...


(Many thanks to the wonderful artists of the amazing artwork here, who inspired me)

5 comments:

  1. Oh snap, spoilers aplenty. And that last sentence actually gave me goosebumps imagining the occupation, especially given the hints laid out in Sreenity, can't wait to see what you have planned and where it's going.

    DS9 was my favorite series because of the way it dealt with the occupation of Bajor and the wars, didn't always have the neat happy ending that TOS or TNG did.

    And definitely thank your artists, especially whoever did the 1st, 3rd, and especially the last one.

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  2. I like this. Royla has nothing like this. Even the Elders Council, nor the Table of the Goddess is anything like them. Good work, sir.

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    1. Thanks muchly, Jack - the concept of this only came about a couple of days ago, and wasn't an original part of the next story, but I just fell in love with the idea of a band of warriors hidden among ordinary people in Caitian society, ready to leap into action...

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  3. I almost wonder if they have non-Caitian members.

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    1. Jack, like maybe a certain blond we know and love who happens to be a member of a very important clan? LOL

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