The Mrreti

Alas, who originally wrote this piece is lost in the mists of time. I sure didn't do it.
Here's another alien race for the resource list. I got tired of seeing so many felinoids based on lions (with prides and useless males), I decided to try another feline - cheetahs...

This is also a good adventure seed - which I may write up in the near future...

MRRETI:    ATTRIBUTE Dice: 12D
	   ATTRIBUTE MINIMUMS/MAXIMUMS:
			     DEXTERITY: 1D+2/4D+2
			     KNOWLEDGE: 2D/4D
			     MECHANICAL: 1D/3D+2
			     PERCEPTION: 2D/4D+1
			     STRENGTH: 1D/3D+1
			     TECHNICAL: 1D/3D
	   MOVE: 12/20
	   HEIGHT: 1.2-1.7 meters (standing up)
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
	   Mrreti are descended from cheetah-like felinoids. They have
	   non-retractable claws which do STRENGTH+2D additional damage.
	   However, they are not very sturdy - subtract a die from STRENGTH
	   when resisting damage.

	   Running down prey over long distances, Mrreti have a high stamina
	   and good running skills. Even now, they can switch between
	   two-footed and four-footed stance.  Running on all fours
	   doubles their speed. Mrreti may sprint up to 125 kilometers/hour
	   but only for 30 seconds. Then they must rest as if they had
	   taken stun damage.

	   On all fours, a Mrreti can be mistaken for any of the Galaxy's
	   numerous feline-like predators or pets.

Paffi - a sample Mrreti (and the character I'm running)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Paffi is a short, thin wiry felinoid, with dark spotted fur and large green eyes. About a meter of tail follows her. Dressed in a variety of clothes. Delicate looking, even though her species originally ran down their prey.

PERSONALITY:
Naive, trusting and curious. Oh so curious. Technology, culture, customs and humans are all so interesting. Fascinated with speed, like all her species. Not quick to fight; her species has had a long history of peace and cooperation.

OBJECTIVES:
To bring her home planet the supplies needed to keep her people from returning to a bare subsistence lifestyle. To free her home planet from the Imperial garrison and the mining company's grip. To pay off the debt she undertook when she bought a beat-up light freighter to smuggle technology and supplies back to her planet.

BACKGROUND:
The Mrreti planet is a oceanic world with a single continent at the equator. The continent is mostly grassland mixed with trees and savannah, interrupted by mountains along the coasts. On the savannah, a variety of animals evolved that either cropped the grasses or trees or preyed on the grazers. In this Africa-like world, a small group of cat-like predators was in trouble. Most of the herd animals were becoming too large to bring down by themselves. Larger predators were now killing their kittens faster than they could replace them. Extinction looked likely.

Instead, the ancestors of the Mrreti retreated to the stony outcroppings that littered the wide plains of their world, formed themselves into small tribes that could defend their kittens and hunt the larger prey, and developed intelligence. An upright stance allowed further vision in the grasslands and language coordinated hunting and socialization.

The Mrreti were still in the Paleolithic stage when the first explorers from the Old Republic found them. The explorers taught them the Basic language and introduced them to technology. For the first time, the Mrreti could live at more than at subsistence level. The raw materials of civilization were buried deep below the grass of the savannah - far too deep to be used by a primitive civilization.

In testing the Mrreti, early explorers was determined that many of the felinoids were Force-sensitive, a result perhaps of evolutionary pressures that permitted only those that could sense and alter the Force in some crude fashion to survive. A few students of the Force visited with the Mrreti, teaching them of the ways of the Jedi. The Mrreti picked up some of the concepts and incorporated them into their own beliefs, which they called the 'Hunter's Way'.

As Old Republic began to collapse, rich mineral discoveries were made along the south coast of the major continent and a mining operation was undertaken. With the destruction of the Jedi, only Corporation officers visited the planet anymore.

When the Emperor took control of the remains of the Republic, a decree was issued that the Mrreti planet was closed to outsiders. Only the mining operation would continue - under Imperial Charter. The Force-sensitive natives were to stay imprisoned on the planet.

As energy cells ran out and equipment wore out, the Mrreti started to find themselves forced back to the primitive existence that their ancestors had been living.

A few smugglers descended onto the planet, eager to find out what the Empire was hiding. They found only scattered bands of Mrreti, wondering why they had been abandoned. Sometimes, they were persuaded to take Mrreti back to the outside world. These Mrreti were charged by their tribe elders to try and bring help to the prison planet.

Paffi is one of these.

She was smuggled off-planet by a friendly smuggler in return for a handful of semi-precious red stones. These stones, each about the size of a human hand, have a faint red star glowing within them. Paffi carried four. One paid for her trip off the planet. While traveling with the smuggler, she learned how to fly the light freighter.

The other three served as a down-payment on her own battered freighter. She had to borrow money to complete the sale, much to her dismay; space ships were more expensive then she had planned. In fact, she had planned to use the stones to buy supplies to ferry past the blockade to her people.

Paffi is trying to pay off the debt so that she can begin helping her people. This has meant doing some things that have given her the title 'Smuggler', but she doesn't think she is doing wrong. Trying to move things past the Imperial's idea of rules and regulations is just a game for her.

She soon learned that aliens were not always welcome in the human-run Empire. Having been mistaken for someone's pet several times, she now tries to dress like a human when she can. A belt pouch and an amulet just isn't enough.

QUOTE:
"Wait here. I'll run him down for you."
"What does this do? Opps!"
"I am not someone's pet!"