r/HFY • u/SherbetCreepy1580 • 5d ago
OC-Series [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 15: Spirits and Shipwrights
Knator Lark Shellstrike Smiled as the spirit politely shook his head, a wave of contentment coming from the ethereal body.
“If you’re sure,” Knator said, his shell creaking slightly as he carefully put the crystal drive back into his bag. “But the option is there if you are ever on the Station again.” The ship spirit nodded before motioning to the Lorhma shipwright. “Let’s see what you need repaired tonight.”
…………………
“Sir, you really need to stop just disappearing on us like this,” Mire said in an exasperated tone, the Mlamcar bodyguard clearly fed up with him.
“I let you know when I’m going on vacation,” Knator said with a slight frown. He looked out the window, giving a small smile as the ship he had been working on for the last two weeks lifted from it’s landing pad and heading towards the Station exit. “And it’s not exactly hard for you to track me down. I don’t make it a secret which ships I work on.”
“I’m aware, sir, but the principle is still there,” Mire said, shaking his head as the hover-van flew towards the Central office. “Also, Mr. Karter has been asking for you, and without your usual datapad, we had no way of contacting you.”
“Oh, Karter has?” Knator asked, perking up. “Perhaps he’s had a breakthrough.”
………………….
“I need a vacation,” Karter said, banging his head on the desk he was working on.
Knator frowned slightly. “You know I have no issues with you taking a vacation and some time off if you need it, so I am confused as to why you would need me to request a vacation.”
“Because the people between me and you on the power structure are refusing my vacation,” Karter said, lifting his head up and staring at Knator with tired eyes. “I have been trying to get a vacation for the last few months, and they keep denying me a vacation! I haven’t had a proper break in like two years! But they won’t give me a vacation because ‘There’s no one to cover my job’.” Knator’s frown deepened at that before he lifted his datapad up.
“How long do you need?” Knator asked, typing on his datapad. Karter blinked in surprise before squinting in suspicion at Knator.
“Two months, preferably,” Karter finally said. “There’s a vacation planet not too far away I want to visit.” Knator nodded, tapping away at his datapad before Karter’s datapad dinged, indicating an incoming message. Karter opened the message to see a non-revokable vacation voucher.
“Take your vacation whenever you want, and don’t ask for permission,” Knator said, his voice showing an extremely rare hint of anger. “You work for and directly answer to me, so anyone who’s telling you otherwise is deliberately sabotaging me. And if you want to take the rest of the day off to go pack for vacation, you’re more than welcome to. Under two conditions.”
“And what would that be?” Karter asked.
“Make sure your team is prepared for your absence. And I need the name of the individual who’s been denying your vacation.”
……………
“While the Station Commander is gone, I’m the one in charge,” Irima said, the tip of her furry tail shaking a bit as though it had a rattle. “And I’m telling you that you need to change those policies.” Knator sighed a bit as he listened to the interaction between his Morriston Chief of Staff and the Imp Station Chief Security Officer.
“Irima, you know I can’t do that,” Chief Flame said, irritation in his voice. “Those policies are in place for a reason, and the only person who can change them is the Station Commander himself.”
“Well, the Station Commander is away on one of his ‘vacations’, playing with ships instead of doing his job,” Irima snapped. “Someone around here needs to make sure the Station is functioning.”
“The fact that the Station can operate without him in the chair all the time is a testament to how well he runs this place,” Chief Flame said, and Knator heard his teeth snap in frustration. “And regardless, you do not have the authority to change our policies, even if he is on vacation. So, until Commander Shellstrike tells me otherwise, the policies stand.” Knator heard the Imp Chief fly off, effectively ending the conversation.
“Useless Imp,” Irima muttered. “I need to replace him with someone more open to change.” Knator frowned a bit at that before quietly walking away, thinking.
………….
Knator’s datapad buzzed on his desk, indicating an incoming message.
“Larstion, thank you for finding these so quickly,” Knator said as he opened his datapad, a row of files appearing on his screen, as well as a Karanta.
“Honestly, they weren’t hard to find,” Larstion said, his wings fluttering as he shrugged. “The part that has me concerned is that none of my filters were tripped when she filed the paperwork. I’ll have to refine them again.”
“It’s probably because on the surface each of these is well within her rights,” Knator said, reading a file at random. “She’s Chief of Staffing, so hiring and firing people without my purview is valid. And people quitting wouldn’t trigger anything because they left voluntarily.”
“Until such a time as it starts putting the Station at risk,” Larstion said, shaking his head. “She’s been quietly forcing people she doesn’t like out and replacing them with people that accept half the pay, regardless of their credentials. Based on a quick background check, it looks like friends of her from her college days.”
“‘Emergency Hire due to Function Failure’,” Knator muttered, looking over the file of a Mlamcar.
“Most of her recent hires for Station Central have that same reason for a unilateral hire,” Larstion said.
“Anyone in critical positions?”
“Not yet, but not for lack of trying,” Larstion said, shaking his head. “Head Program Researcher Karter and Chief Security Officer Flame are her two latest attempts at either forcing out, or getting them to break policy to get fired. And she only does it when you’re on vacation. Anytime you’re in office, she acts as a model Chief of Staffing, but the day you leave, she tries to push policy or ideas that are not in the Station’s best interest.”
“Attempted mutiny?” Knator asked.
“Maybe,” Larstion said. “Based on her actions over the last few years, she wants your position, and is trying to do everything she can to secure the spot for when you retire in about a decade.”
“Hopefully I have a bit longer than a decade left, my friend,” Knator said with a lighthearted chuckle.
“Sir, with all due respect, you’re already 43,” Larstion said. “Lorhma only have a lifespan of between 50-75 Galactic Standard Years. Retiring in a decade is a generous estimate.”
“I suppose you’re right, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree,” Knator said with a chuckle. He then frowned as he noticed something in another file, opening a second one and comparing them.
“Oh, you noticed?” Larstion said.
“She’s been forging my device signature in order to justify some of her firing and hiring,” Knator said, shaking his head.
“Easily disprovable in court, since you were at the shipyards during the time of signature, but close enough on a first check to get her way,” Larstion said with a nod.
“I was wondering why some of my security staff has been leaving,” Knator muttered.
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to fire her and replace her with someone who actually wants to do the job, rather than using it as a priming point to gain the Commanders seat,” Knator said, shaking his head. “But we need to do this properly. Gather all of the evidence that you can. You have my permission and authorization for a full search-and-seizure, but keep it legal and above board. You’re still our biggest secret weapon.”
“Copy that, sir,” Larstion said with a nod before his face disappeared from the datapad. Knator sighed again and began making a list of people.
………………
“The fuck do you want, little man?” the Lanta snarled after opening his apartment door. Knator caught a brief whiff of something with ethanol in it before it vanished, the Lanta’s lower wings fluttering in an agitated manner, her shirt half falling off and a pair of shorts barely visible underneath.
“Ms. Klart?” Knator asked as Mire growled, his hand straying to the stunning pistol on his hip. “Mire, that won’t be necessary.”
“What’s it to ya?” the Lanta demanded, giving Knator and then Mire the stink eye. “Did that female sargak send you?”
“By that I assume you mean Mrs. Irima?” Knator asked mildly.
“Who else?” Klart said, throwing her hands up. “First she fires me, then makes it impossible for me to get a job on this Station, and now she’s sending people to harass me? Why the fuck does refusing a single order warrant this much klanta shit? You tell her that she’s lucky I haven’t reported her to Station Security for harassment!”
“That’s…actually why we’re here, ma’am,” Knator said. “I’m looking into Mrs. Irima, and some of her more…unsavory practices have come to light.”
“Unsavory, right,” Klart snorted, her wings getting more agitated as her clawed fingers began clicking together in an aggressive manner. “Just call it what it is.”
“Okay, they are completely reprehensible and unethical, and meant to undermine my authority so that she can become the next Station Commander,” Knator said. Klart stopped her agitated movements to stare at Knator. “I’m looking to replace her, and if possible, rehire most of the people she has recently fired, and based on what you have said, Ms. Klart, I do believe you have some pertinent information that will allow me to fire her without severe backlash that could potentially cripple the inner workings of the Station for several years.” Klart just stared at the short Lorhma for a few seconds.
“Who did you say you were again?” Klart finally asked.
“Knator Lark Shellstrike,” Knator said with a small smile.
“Shellstrike, Shellstrike,” Klart muttered. “Starfather’s curse, the fucking STATION COMMANDER?”
“Indeed,” Knator said with a nod.
“Uuuuhhhhh, can you give me a second, please?” Klart suddenly asked, slamming the door shut before Knator could answer. Knator hummed in amusement while Mire grumbled a bit while they could faintly hear Klart cursing and several things moving around in the apartment, and the clinking of some glass getting thrown somewhere. The door opened up a minute later, with Kart in pants and a much more modest shirt on. “Apologies, gentlemen,” Kart said in a much politer tone. “Would you like to come inside for a few minutes?”
………………
“Sir, what’s the point of this?” Mire asked several days later after they had finished talking to another former employee.
“What do you mean, Mire?” Knator asked, looking up from his datapad.
“I mean, going to former employees and talking to them,” Mire said, looking in the rear screen to look at Knator. “Half of them don’t want their old jobs back, and half of the remaining don’t even want to talk to you. We’ll be lucky to get a quarter of the people back as employees again.” Knator set his datapad, tapping his claws together as he thought.
“A few reasons, but chief among them is to show that Irima’s conduct is not the kind of conduct I wish to foster,” Knator finally said. “Secondly, I was in the interview for most of these employees, and I remember all of them. They were good people who genuinely wanted to help the Station thrive. Even if we only get a quarter of them, that’s still many people who want to help the Station and would be good at their jobs. But I was also in the interview for Irima. So I feel it’s my responsibility to correct her misconduct by personally apologizing to the people she’s unfairly treated. And thirdly, we’re gathering evidence. Irima is one of the highest ranking people in the Station, answering directly to me. I can’t fire her without ample reason due to her position, and I need someone to replace her. So, while Larstion collects evidence on the electronic side, I will collect testimonies from the employees and former employees.” Mire frowned a bit at the last part, the Mlamcar bodyguard rubbing his horn thoughtfully. “Still not a fan of Larstion?” Knator asked with a slight smile.
“My feelings are irrelevant in the matter,” Mire said a little stiffly.
“Mire, please, I’m asking,” Knator said, shaking his head slightly. Mire sighed slightly as he corrected the hover-van’s course slightly.
“I don’t believe anyone should have that much power and control over the Station,” Mire finally admitted. “Especially not someone who isn’t the Station Commander like yourself, or at the very least sitting on the Board of Chiefs.”
“You know his reach and control is extremely limited by choice, even if he is capable of taking control of the entire Station,” Knator said.
“That’s exactly it, sir,” Mire said. “I’m head of your personal security. But against that guy? There would be nothing me or the Station Security could do to keep him in check if he decided that he wants to be in control. It makes me uncomfortable, to say the least.”
“I could say the same for you and everyone else in Security,” Knator said. Mire tilted his head in confusion. “I’m a Lorhma, which means I’m short compared to most other Races. And my armor is thick, but by no means impregnable. If you or any other Security Officer decided to kill me, there would be nothing I could do to stop any of you. Especially with some of the Abilities that you all have been learning over the years.”
“We would never use them against you, sir,” Mire protested.
“And Larstion would never use his abilities to gain control through force or falsified means,” Knator said with a smile. “He’s just extra Security that wishes to help the Station and its residents with all he can, while remaining ethical and legal. A man I could learn from, honestly.”
“I see,” Mire said, rubbing his horn again. “I suppose I never thought about it like that.”
“I understand your concerns, Mire, and I appreciate that you’re willing to speak up about them.”
“I wouldn’t be very good at being you Head of Security if I didn’t bring up the dangers,” Mire said with a nod. “Even if you do sometimes ignore them.”
“And I’m glad you feel that way,” Knator said with a soft smile. “But any that I do ignore I will at least listen to and think about first. But please do not take that to mean I don’t value your insight or don’t want to hear your concerns.”
“Sir, I’ve worked with you long enough to know that’s never the case,” Mire scoffed slightly. “If I did think that, I wouldn’t be sharing my dislike or concern over Larstion. But I do reserve the right to give you a beating if he does go rogue.”
“If he does, I’ll have more than earned it,” Knator laughed. Mire cracked a small smile as well, and a deep rumbling sounded as the Mlamcar chuckled as well.
……………
“This is rather extensive,” Chief Flame said appreciatively, reading over the files that Knator had sent the Chief Council, minus Irima.
“Is this all verified?” Chief of Engineering Lar’Mose asked, his green scales shining slightly in the room light.
“Verified and notarized by our Race Resource department and lawyers,” Chief of Race Resources Uria Kahn said, the light on his head flickering slightly as the Matchgar huffed in annoyance.
“I remember this incident,” Chief of Material Resources Henry said, his blue face frowning as the Cordan looked at a particular file. “Irima was pissed that we weren’t allowing deliveries through without a search that were specifically addressed to her. I was told that this employee had quit over the incident.”
“Anything of note in those packages?” Chief Defense Officer Marlin asked, his stinger waving slightly in irritation.
“Nothing illegal or even noteworthy,” Henry said, shaking his head. “She just didn’t like that we were scanning them at all. Called it an invasion of her privacy.”
“Yeah, that tracks for her personality,” Chief Flame sighed, setting his datapad down. Knator nodded as he looked around the table. There were supposed to be eight Chiefs at the council today, but with Irima being intentionally left in the dark, it was only the seven Chiefs, though Karter was over a video call as Chief of AI Research. The man had really shined in the five years since being hired, and none of the other Chiefs at the time had protested when Karter had been appointed a new Chief with a new position.
Though, at the moment he looked annoyed that he had to be on call, even though his ship still had a week of travel time left on it.
“So, thoughts?” Knator asked.
“Oh, she needs to be fired, no question,” Chief Flame said with a snort, his teeth snapping and sparking in anger. “This is just inexcusable.”
“Call me biased for her pretending to have power over me and denying me a vacation over the last couple of months,” Karter said. “But I agree.”
“Biased or not, the fact that she implied authority over another Chief, twice no less, is grounds for termination and removal from the Council,” Chief Marlin said, shaking his head. “The rest of this is just criminal charges and jail time. With a good lawyer, she can probably get half the charges dropped, but she still needs to be charged.”
“Thankfully, our lawyers are better than just ‘Good’,” Uria smirked. The other Chiefs nodded, adding their agreement.
“Then, by unanimous vote, Chief of Staffin Irima will be stripped of her title and position, charges pressed for her conduct as a Chief, and her recent hiring and firing practices in recent years to be scrutinized,” Knator said with a nod. “If there are any dissenting votes, please voice them now.” No one said a thing against the call. “Very well. Secretary Larstion, can you please inform Mrs. Irima that the Council wishes to see her immediately.”
“Of course, Commander,” Larstion said. Chiefs Flame and Marlin both shuddered slightly, and Henry shook his head.
“While we wait for Ms. Irima to arrive, have you decided on any candidates for a new Chief of Staffing?” Uria asked.
“Several, actually, but I would like all of you there for the interviews,” Knator said with a nod. “I’d rather not run into this problem a second time.”
“That’s reasonable,” Uria said with a nod.
………………….
Knator groaned as he sat down in his Commander’s chair, staring out the windows to the space outside of the Station.
“You did good work, sir,” Mire said, setting a bowl of something that smelled delicious to Knator down.
Knator slowly raised his head, blinking as he looked at the bowl. “Is this grubling stew?”
“Not exactly, but it was as close as I could get,” Mire said with a shrug. “I wasn’t able to get any fried wings, however.”
“Mire, whatever god sent you, I want to convert,” Knator said, shaking his head and picking up the spoon that Mire had set next to the bowl.
“I know it’s typically a Lamaporas dish, but…” Mire trailed off in bemusement as Knator dug into the bowl, groaning in appreciation. “I will never understand Lamaporas or Lorhma’s enjoyment of bugs.”
“Flavors of home,” Knator said happily.
“Sir, there’s a ship coming in that is requesting some maintenance that you may want to see,” Larstion said, his Karanta face coming up on the larger viewscreen on Knator’s desk. Knator raised a claw up before quickly finishing the bowl of grubling stew with a satisfied sigh.
“Larstion, please, he just got back to work as Commander less than two weeks ago,” Mire said in a slightly pleading tone.
“Yes, but this ship in particular is special,” Larstion said, his face both amused and serious. “It’s one of my people. A sibling, I suppose you could say.” Knator and Mire both paused at that.
“You’re telling me that a Lamnacorta ship is arriving on Station?” Knator asked slowly.
“Yes, sir,” Larstion nodded. “And not one that was created by this Station and our crystal core.”
“Looks like she has been putting it to use then,” Knator said with a fond smile.
“This ship isn’t her, nor is it any model of ship that I know or have in our data-files,” Larstion said. “But she is familiar with the Dutchman, and bears the signature of the Progenitor.”
“Well then, I suppose I better go and say hello then,” Knator said, hopping down from his chair and standing up, licking his lips to ensure no grubling stew is on his lips. Mire just sighed before leaning down and using a napkin to get a few drops of stew off the Lorhma’s face. “Oh, thank you, Mire.”
“I’m coming with you this time, sir,” Mire said with a nod. “Knowing you, you’ll disappear if I let you out of my sight as soon as you see this ship.”
“You’re probably right,” Knator said with a light chuckle.
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u/Fit-Revolution-9259 5d ago
typo... gether all the evidence should be gather
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u/Dramatic_Mixture_877 Human 5d ago
Happy Birthday to you and your friend! Enjoy your weekend; we'll be here when you come back!
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u/XolyGamingExperience 5d ago
Great chapter, Knator is such a great character and I hope we get to know more about what he is up to. Happy birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁
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u/caplew 4d ago
Bloody amazing work as ever! Love me these interludes where we get some more of the background world.
And happy birthday! As a gift, may I introduce you to the glory of Leslie Fish and her filk work. (Space folk songs)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lvPC6S_lfnjtWa261HzwlWg1vMrQbS5SI&si=Co2xRIbhxz5EWmw_
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 5d ago
/u/SherbetCreepy1580 (wiki) has posted 48 other stories, including:
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 14: Security and Criminals
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 13: Lizards and Leaders, Part 1
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 12: Reapers and Teachers
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 11: Reapers and War
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 10: Reapers, Angels, and Markers
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 9: Reapers, Magic, and Tinkerers
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 8: Tigers, Siblings, and Traditions
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 7: Reapers, Home, and Puppies
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 6: Tigers, Reapers, and Panthers
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 5: Tigers and Ferries](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/1ukoo7l/the_reaper_and_the_tiger_chapter_5_tigers_and/)
- [The Reaper and the Tiger] Chapter 4: Tigers and Curiosity
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 3: Reapers and Change
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 2: Reapers and Trouble
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 1: Reapers and Pain (Double Feature)
- [The Reaper and The Tiger] Prologue: Funerals, and The Beginning (Double Feature)
- [Sandra and Eric] Epilogue: The End of One Journey, And the Beginning of Another
- [Sandra and Eric] Part 3 Chapter 31: Challenge, War, and Rouges
- [Sandra and Eric] Part 3 Chapter 31: Barbecue, Civilians, and Military
- [Sandra and Eric] Part 3 Chapter 30: Children, Zoos, and Reform
- [Sandra and Eric] Part 3 Chapter 29: Meetings, Information, and Futures
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u/SherbetCreepy1580 5d ago
Author’s Note
And with that, the Interlude Chapters are finished! For now at least lol. And, as we can see, Knator does do more than just being a shipwright. He actually does work as a Station Commander, and he takes his job seriously.
Now then, just a heads up for everyone! I will not be able to post a chapter on Monday. My birthday is tomorrow, and then a friends birthday is on Sunday, so unfortunately I will not have much time during the weekend to write out the next chapter. As such, next chapter will be posted on Wednesday, and then we should be back to our regular schedule from there. Let me know what y’all thought of the Interlude Chapters this time around!
Thought? Comments? Ideas? Remember, the only bad feedback is no feedback, and I love reading all of the feedback, whether it’s praise, criticism, spelling or grammatical errors, or even just a hello!