Hawks Unto Ferra 2

Chapter 3: Renown

The next day, Karen spent twice as long as usual getting ready. Once she felt composed, she put on her uniform and left her apartment. She reached the city rail system which had reopened the day prior to her fortune. Halse Senior had already upgraded its security protocols and added a direct rail line to Halse Tower and law enforcement and active military animannel now rode free of charge.

The rail’s operating system was identical to the one at the tower.

“Lieutenant Karen Tasker,” Mirri announced as Karen passed through the station’s security gate. The hologram appeared beside her, matching her pace. “Karen? May I assist you?”

“Hi. Uh… sure,” Karen said.

“You are scheduled in the Halse Tower conference room in twenty minutes. Do you require guidance?”

“Yes, actually. That would help.”

“As you wish. The central elevator will take you directly to the conference room upon arrival.” Mirri vanished as the rail began to move.

“Okay… helpful,” Karen muttered.

A minute later, the rail delivered her to the tower. She stepped out, passed through another security checkpoint, and approached the elevator. She pressed the small, illuminated button; the same one she’d seen Lia use.

The doors opened.

“Lieutenant Karen Tasker to the conference room,” Mirri repeated.

“Yep.” Karen said, already annoyed.

The elevator opened into a large conference chamber where city officials were arguing loudly about reconstruction efforts and how to compensate Halse Senior for the relief he’d provided. Halse Senior stood at the head of the table, silent and patient. He towered over everyone, even the chief, his presence both intimidating and reassuring.

No one acknowledged Karen until she slipped into an empty seat across from the current mayor: a Ferran by the name Magnolia Schwinn.

“Hi Karen, good to see you,” the mayor whispered.

“Hey. Is Halse Junior here?” Karen asked.

The mayor nodded and gestured toward her far right.

Karen followed the gesture — and froze.

Halse Junior sat in a wheelchair, dressed in a white SHADE uniform adorned with medals and commendations. He looked exhausted, bored by a politician’s attempt to flatter him. His right arm was gone. Both legs ended at the waist. Karen’s eyes drifted upward to his shoulder, it was then Karen sensed the pink eyes of Junior’s assistant piercing her. The assistant leaned in and whispered something to him.

“Oh no,” Karen breathed, sinking back behind the anima beside her.

The failing-to-flatter politician finally stopped talking and sat down. Junior spoke next.

“We need fuel and gas. That is all. Petroleum, gas one, and gas fifty‑three.” His voice carried a foreign accent — smooth but irritated. Karen noted the similarity to Lia’s, though not identical.

“Halse, we’ve agreed to that, but we want to give you something more substantial. Otherwise, we risk depleting global reserves and driving up costs for our citizens.” The mayor said without warning, drawing Junior’s attention towards Karen for a moment; causing her to flinch and look at the mayor instead of him.

“Then keep the agreement as long as you can. We require nothing else,” Junior replied.

A few politicians stood to leave.

“Hold on now — ” the mayor protested.

“No, madam. It’s alright,” Halse Senior said, his deep voice resonating like a low temple bell. “We aren’t keeping anyone here. Meeting adjourned.”

He escorted the mayor and the remaining officials to the elevator. Only the chief, Halse Junior, his assistant, and Karen remained.

As the assistant gathered papers, Karen approached Mike.

“Captain? A word?”

“Greetings, Lieutenant.” Mike turned his chair to face her. “I wanted to thank you personally for the operation you carried out yesterday. It yielded a wealth of information on anima trafficking rings here and beyond. I also understand you were close to Harvie, yet unaware of his dealings. You have my condolences.”

“Thank you, sir. And… I’m grateful for your sacrifice in saving the city. We’re all in your debt.”

“As for that,” Mike said, “I wish we had found the culprit sooner. Tundridge would have been spared if we hadn’t been negotiating with Shrewd’s organization about patrol boundaries.”

Karen stiffened at the mention of the crimelord she’d once cooperated with.

“Sir… could you tell me more?”

“Shrewd did not trust us,” Mike said. “He called us ‘aliens probing where we shouldn’t be: HIS Tundridge.’ In retrospect, a few SHADE Troopers risking their lives to save the so‑called guardians of Tundridge, only to be attacked by them, is outweighed by the millions who died. We should have been there, even without permission.”

“So, it was Shrewd’s fault? He wouldn’t guarantee police safety?”

“For the police, yes. For US? No. I refused to send SHADE units because if a firefight broke out, we would have annihilated his gang. It would have made us look like the aggressors.”

“And Shrewd’s group was targeted because none of your people were nearby,” Karen said.

Mike’s expression shifted — impressed.

Karen allowed herself a small smile.

“Well, Lieutenant, it has been a pleasure,” he said, extending his only arm.

“Likewise, Captain.”

She stepped aside as the assistant pushed him toward the elevator.

“Good day,” Mike said as the doors closed.

“See you back at the station, Tasker,” the chief called as he boarded the rail.

“See you, chief.”

Karen lingered in the lobby. She wasn’t ready to leave. She returned to the elevator.

“Hello again, Karen. Where would you like to go?” Mirri asked.

“Um… basement, please?”

“Access denied. Senior‑level animannel only.”

Karen blinked. “Okay… where did Halse Junior go?”

“Medical Bay One. Access currently denied.”

“What areas can I access?”

“Law enforcement animannel may access: lobby, conference room, lower flight deck, parking level one, parking level two, and the gala space.”

“What’s the gala space?”

“The gala space is a celebratory venue normally off‑limits to visitors, but accessible to law enforcement, senior animannel, and select Yvawsh celebrities. Would you like to visit the gala space?”

Karen shrugged. “Sure.”

She still didn’t know what “Yvawsh” meant.

Content disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, settings, and organizations depicted are entirely imaginary and created for storytelling purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual locations or entities is purely coincidental. The content is intended for creative exploration within a fictional universe and does not reflect real-world beliefs, actions, or endorsements.