After the delivery and a night with Ura, we were back at the Recruiting Agency Manpower for our first round of Interviews. As soon as we entered, we both noticed Kelly smiling at us. She waved us over, which we followed. Kelly only greeted us and then showed us the way to the interview area, where we were promptly brought into a room with three couches, each with a console and a TV to the side, and a couch before us with a console for them to use. She took a seat, and Ura and I took a seat beside each other, with Ura in the middle.
Ura was the ship's captain, so Kelly was expecting this even if I was suited up in my armor and my face mask lifted. "Okay, so we can control the resume and anything that the interviewee brings to sell themselves to you, obviously not literally, but from our consoles, we can control portfolios to take a look. You can also look things up on the net related to the interviewees. Also, for one last thing," Kelly said, looking at us both, "Don't waste our time or the interviewee's time. I am also here to advocate for them, and If you begin to think you are not here to give a person a job, I will remove you. Understood?" Kelly finished.
"Understood," Ura replied while I remained silent, and Kelly nodded.
"Then let us call in your first candidate," Kelly said. She pressed a button, and a moment later, the first pilot candidate showed up. It was the Dog-kin with those nice ears and an insanely charming smile. He walked in with a nice blazer, shirt, and pants, grinning.
"Hello, Ladies. I am Steven Runners; my friends and family call me Spot, and I prefer to be called that," Spot said with a grin. Sorry, I am a little informal, but I prefer to show myself off and not the clothes I wear. Do you mind if I sit down for our conversation?" the man asked, and I felt his nervous twitch and overbearing politeness.
"Spot," I said slowly, "Please dump the overly polite attitude unless that is what you will be on an everyday basis," I told him, and he looked at me, surprised. "We are looking for Crews and Pilots who may very well be our ship captains. We are not a military or a major corporation. We are looking for a small, close group with people who can be real around each other or develop a ship culture of their own."
Spot looked surprised and nodded. "Sorry," he said with a sigh. "I have been stuck on this planet for a bit since the military dumped me here, and I want off this planet." He said this much more casually, but still stood.
"Sit, Spot," I told him, and he nodded, taking a seat. "So, how is your piloting?" I asked.
"I think I am really good. I used to work with smaller ships but have experience with things up to a frigate. I hear that you are looking for Corvette-size pilots," he said, asking us, and I nodded.
"Yes, we have a group of Corvettes entering our hands soon, and we are looking for pilots and/or captains to fly them for us. We will be doing armed transportation. Although the ships won't be armed, we are looking to group you up with a core of Bounty Hunters who will travel planet to planet with you, protecting you and the cargo and doing bounties on different planets."
"That sounds amazing. Please ask me if you would like to know anything about me." Spot replied.
"Your discharge," I said bluntly without any follow-up, and he sighed.
"I assaulted a superior officer knocking them out," Spot said with a sigh, "Got me Dishonorably discharged because he was my captain and not just anyone. It was over," he blushed, "I was dating a woman at the time on the ship and well," He blushed harder. He looked away, "He used that to have intercourse with me because that woman was married to someone else, and I did not want to screw her over." His face turned to a sneer, "He told her husband anyway once he was done with me a couple of times." I could tell he was blushing with shame, "So I punched him several times."
Kelly nodded, "That is what the report says," Kelly confirmed, "Although not that in-depth."
"A lot of the details were omitted because it made me look better and would have saved my military career," Spot said and blushed, "A- and I am not proud of being blackmailed, pansexual or not."
"Okay," I said, and I looked at Ura, and she nodded. "Honestly," I said a moment later, "We have four candidates and two spots with more on the way. So we have not decided yet, but if we like you, even if you don't get picked up on this round of hiring, we will hire you for the next round. Does that work for you, Spot?" I asked.
"Absolutely. I would like to go sooner rather than later as I am reaching the end of my savings, but I also promise that if another opportunity comes up in between, I will take it," Spot replied.
"Oh, we understand, but I will say something about that," I told him and took a deep breath, "You saw our compensation package?"
"I thought it was an error, if I am being honest," Spot said incredulously. "I was planning on asking about that."
"It is true," I told him, "We are looking for people who want to grow with our company, will be on time, and want to make more deliveries. You make a portion of the year-end dividends your ship brings in. That includes what the bounty hunters make, not including items."
Spot looked impressed and nodded, "I- I can't wait forever," Sport broke down a little, "I am looking at the bottom of the barrel of financial ruin, and my only job is piloting, and minimum wage in a shit job is not going to be enough. If it wasn't for my savings," He sighed, and I nodded.
"We will let you know; I appreciate your candor."
"Is there anything you would like to ask?" Ura jumped in.
"Yes, when it comes to crew disputes, what would that look like?" Spot asked seriously.
"We have yet to develop our labor resources department, and we plan to have professionals work on that."
"So you're a new company?" Spot asked.
"Exactly, we are a new company, and you have a chance at the ground floor where we are trying to entice people. Although I prefer to take people in worse circumstances and lift them out of that, earning a bit more in return while you work for me."
"Thank you," Spot said and smiled. I would love to work with you if you push an offer toward me. I can hold off for two and a half months, MAX," he emphasized. Any more, and I will be homeless and desperate for anything."
"Noted." I finished, "I will let you know by the end of this interview round if you should wait or not. We plan to interview your rivals before having a chat and coming to a decision."
Spot nodded, turned, and walked out of the interview room.
"I liked him," I said the moment the door closed, "Solid head on him. Practical. But I am a little worried about his ability to captain."
"I agree. I am interested in the others before I put him somewhere on a list," Ura said.
"I will bring in the next interviewee then," Kelly said and pressed a button. Moments later, the door spot just exited came a Woman with two large horns coming from her head and B-cup breasts in a nice tank top with a logo of some kind that looked like a gear. She moved with ease in what looked like thick leather pants, took her seat slowly, and smiled, "Hello, I am Zella, and I am a Human Devil mixed. I was a federation pilot, and I was distinguished before I was stripped of my medals. Would you like to know the reason or not?": She asked, moving around and sitting down with extreme confidence.
"Yes," Ura said, and her head snapped to Ura, and she smiled.
"Hmm, you are ex-military too," Zella said and nodded, "I disobeyed orders of a weak captain, and I took tactical control to shoot down a passenger liner." Her face was like a stone as she said that, and shock hit me, and my eyes narrowed as she sighed. "Obviously, I had a reason for my actions, and we were all going to die if we followed what my captain wanted to do. The ship had an outbreak of the Red phase plague and was in terminal stage four." Ura gasped, and Kelly looked away. "They were all dead, and my captain wanted to save them against the medical department's recommendations. We were in combat with pirates earlier in the same system when we found the ship. But," She shrugged, "Our captain has an Admiral daddy, and I was saddled with the blame and stripped of my honors, but they could not criminally convict me without telling the galaxy what happened. So I was quietly dismissed and stripped."
Kelly nodded, "That has been confirmed."
"Okay, have you looked at the compensation package?"
"Yes, it makes me happy to see such a nice agreement to sign, but I want to know the ships."
"Slipstream Corvettes near the best that local star cluster can bring," Ura said.
"Would you micromanage me?" Zella asked.
"If you make enough for loan payments and maintenance with a little profit," Ura shrugged, "why would we care? The rest is an incentive structure based on deliveries and bounties."
"Mmm, I saw that, I like that, I work, and my teammates work, and the better we get and the more efficient we get, the more all of us get richer."
"What do you think about having bounty hunters on your ship?" I asked.
"Better than worthless bodyguards. Only the most professional guards are worth anything. I can also see that if someone steals our cargo, and the company has a series of bounty hunters," she grinned, "the larger the organization, the more muscle it has to hunt down nonpayments or thefts."
I smiled and chuckled, "Exactly. Now, I am going to tell you." I began to explain that we had other interviews and that we would do another round in the future if she did not make it in this round. She seemed content, if not a little annoyed. After I went over it all, she nodded slowly.
"Okay, I will wait for a favorable reply. I could use the work, and I like the compensation package. Do you have any more questions?" Zella asked. I shook my head. She got out of her couch and headed out without another word, and I chuckled.
"I like her, but let's move on. We have so many more interviews," I said. Kelly pressed a button, and a moment later, the door opened where Zella had just departed.
The woman who entered was a catkin woman. She was in a black tube top with D-cup breasts that seemed to defy gravity and a toned eight-pack stomach. She looked like a fighter, and she grinned as she walked in. She was wearing short shorts, and her thighs looked strong enough to crush a human head. She moved and sat down. "So you asked for an interview, whi'h means you don't give a Fu'k about me, Dishonorable dis'harge. My question for you is if that 'ompensation pa'kage is real and if you want someone like me piloting for you?"
"I have no issue with you as long as you are loyal and want to work for the money we will pay you," I replied bluntly. "In fact, you are a good fit for us if you are interested in bounty hunting and piloting," I told her, and she looked at me interested and smiled.
"You, Your Rish'an Lo'ktor," The Cat-kin commented with an odd smile.
"I am," I replied blandly, and her odd smile turned almost feral.
"I like your kind, although I think your spe'ies needs to learn to love more than just those shooters. Lasers, Fa'etts, and other weapons 'an be even stronger than those propellent weapons."
"I like my propellant weapons, but I don't mind others using something else," I replied with a grin. Something told me that I would get a debuff for using something other than a gun with bullets.
"Ah, at least you're not one of those suprema'ists, Rish; I like you. That armor," Her eyes narrowed, "That not 'heap."
Finally, I realized what was up with this woman's speech. She seemed unable to use the letter C in the human language, which was odd, but I did not care. "Nope, it is. But, Introduce yourself so I stop thinking of you as a Cat girl in my head."
"AHAHAHA," The Cat woman laughed happily, "So many of my fellow kin have no ability to take you, Rish. I am Nyahdia Lightpaw, and I love heavy weapons and large weapon systems. I like a heavy weapon, sin'e I love ripping things to shreds! I looked at your 'ompensation pa'kage, and I want to go in. I am willing to pilot as long as I 'an get out to shoot some people up from time to time."
Ura looked at me, and I nodded.
"Well, I am not going to lie, Nyahdia. I like you. So we have one more interview before we discuss who we are accepting first. That being said," I continued and told her that even if she did not make it this round, we had more ships coming, and we would not waste her time if we did not want her.
She grinned and got up. "No problem," Nyahdia said and went to the door. "I look forward to you saying you want me. If you have no problem with my dis'harge then you will want me. See you~!"
With that, Nyahdia stepped out without being dismissed, and I liked her. She was a prime candidate for a smuggling ship and was clearly blunt. Maybe not the best negotiator, though.
"I like her," I said, and Ura chuckled.
"I do. She is on the top of my list," Ura said. I saw Kelly look stunned, and we turned to her. "Next, please," Ura said, and Kelly hit the button once more, calling in the next candidate.
A young-looking man with long ears soon came in. He was on the shorter side to the point that I would not be surprised if he only had to duck a little in the crew quarters. "Hello," He said, his voice light, musical, and charming. "I am Treega Highleaf of the High Elves. I am no longer allowed on the homeworld or an elf world, much to their demerit, and I am a powerful mage and Pilot who reached the rank of captain before I was dishonorably discharged."
The young man then stepped around the couch and sat down, smiling. Please ask me questions."
"Well, what were you discharged for?" Ura asked.
He winced slightly but smiled, "I was for smuggling," He said with a soft smile, and I frowned.
Someone who got caught smuggling was a terrible choice."Oh?" I asked slowly, "You said no elven planets?"
"Yes, I should say that I was not the one smuggling; I had no need for extra money before my parents disinherited me. I had a crew member who was using my frequent passage to my homeworld to have things put in my luggage and bring it back to the fleet. Various things that we find sacred were brought off our planet, and I was 'caught' with a bag full of something I did not take, and for the next couple of hundred years, from being on an elven planet."
I leaned back and decided no matter what, this man was not going to be on our ships. I did not believe him, especially since a crew member was doing that to him. I think even now, he is unwilling to fess up to his mistake, and his parents don't believe him, and the military does not believe his stupid excuse. Plus, if he was so high-strung that he allowed himself to be tricked into smuggling for someone else, he was too fucking stupid to be an actual smuggler.
I did not want him for our normal ships or our smuggling ships.
He was too stupid.
"What kind of Mage are you?" I asked, curious if there were various types.
"I am a powerful First Circle elven plant mage! I am growing in strength but require more funds for growing stronger."
"Wow," I said, looking to ask Kelly what that meant. "We will be in touch with you, Treega. We will call you if we choose you. We will decide in a conversation just after you leave whom we will pick for our first and second rounds of pilots, and we will not jerk you around, okay?"
"Excellent. Your compensation package was suitable for someone like me. See you later, lovely ladies." He said, getting up and walking out, and I turned to Ura, who looked at me.
The moment the door shut, I looked at Kelly and asked, "Sorry for my ignorance, but First Circle Plant mage?"
Kelly sighed, "The Elves go with Circles on how strong people are. It really does not mean much, but it is their lowest level of mage. That means that he can make some plants sprout a little faster and sense things in plants nearby. Not that great; his piloting record is amazing, though."
"Hmmm, I don't like him," Ura said, and I nodded.
"He had his ass out the entire time like he was entitled to the package we had instead of being happy for that type of package coming his way. It would inspire no loyalty in him, and therefore, I have no use for him." I added, "Now Nyahdia was a woman I liked and would love to have her piloting one of our ships," I said, my voice solid, and Ura nodded.
"Yeah, we will take her first. And what about the other two?" Ura said, and I frowned.
"I like both Spot and Zella, if I am being honest. I think Spot is forthright and honest about things. I am unsure about him being a captain, but as a Pilot? I think he is well-suited. I have fewer reservations about Zella. She seemed solid and knowledgeable even during that short meeting. I lean more towards Zella and Nyahdia, but Spot is someone whom I think if we get him sooner, we can mold him inside our ship for a bit before we make him a captain."
Ura frowned, "Nyahdia is someone we both agree on. Zella is ruthless and willing to follow whatever she thinks is the right thing to do. Killing that many people and accepting the discharge also shows she has a spine. I think she is a solid pick. Ruthless but solid in the end. As for Spot, he is a little soft, which makes me unsure of him. The fact that he was blackmailed and got screwed for it was on him in many respects, but he is also loyal. I think if we work on him, then he will become Captain material."
"I want to hire him right away," I said, thinking. "I want to put him on probation early and bring him into some combat areas to see how he reacts. If he is level-headed, then I think we will move forward and make him a captain. I think we can go ahead and hire all three of them and test Spot to see if he can cut it. As for Nyahdia and Zella, I think they fit what we are looking for."
Ura hummed and nodded, "Kelly, call in Spot for us because we will not be giving him the direct compensation package we expected to start with. But he will get at least somewhere. He will not be using his savings in the meantime while we test him."
Kelly nodded and started typing into the console. A minute later, the cute Dog-kin Spot came back in, and he looked happy with his tail wagging.
"You called me in?" Spot asked, clearly excited that he was about to be hired.
"Spot," I said slowly, "I have good and bad news for you. The Good news is that we want to hire you." His face lit up with happiness."The bad news is that we are on the fence about whether you can captain a ship yet." His face fell.
"W- What does that mean?" He asked the critical question, and I smiled.
"Good question; it means we want to hire you now, test you, and we will provide room onboard, food, and even a ticket to another tier one planet that we stop at if you choose to follow us and fail our probation. If you pass, though, that compensation package you first saw will be your remuneration if you become a Captain. There is also the opportunity just to be a pilot under someone else if you impress us with your piloting skills, but we still don't think you make the cut. Are you interested in this offer?" I asked, and Ura looked at me, surprised, then happy.
I could tell that she was impressed that I came up with the employment contract, and she quickly nodded in my direction. "I would love to prove myself to you."
"Perfect, then come sit, Spot beside me," I said, snapping my fingers without thinking. He moved beside me and literally sat beside me in a submissive puppy position, and my eyes widened at how naturally he followed my directions.
Ura blushed, and Kelly did the same. I said nothing, looking back and forth, and Spot blushed, too. I could see he realized what he did, outing himself as a masochist into pet play. I turned to Kelly, "Invite the other two in, and we will give them the good news and start signing contracts."
Kelly did that for us, and the two women walked in. The Devil looked at the Cat Kin, then at us, and then noticed Spot sitting in a puppy pose beside us. His blushing puppy face made me want to tease him more. After doing what he did, he did not know how to act and just continued sitting there without correcting his actions. The Cat Kin grinned with a massive smile, and I felt a kinship with the Cat Kin instantly.
"So I bet both of you are wondering what you were called in together for," I said, and I turned to Ura for her to continue.
"Yes, We have decided that we would like both of you for the position outlined in the contract we sent to you yesterday. You will join us temporarily for a probationary period before our ships come in. Then you will follow the stipulated terms until the completion of the probation time, during which time you will be given shares of the ships that you will be captain of to make deliveries under our company name."
"I would love to," Zella said with a grin,
"I would love to as well, I think I like you as a Rish too, Do you two mind introducing yourself?" Nyahdia.
"Absolutely, I am glad to have you both on. I am the head bounty hunter of our company, SleepyWonder, and this Sexy Captain here is the Captain and CEO of our little company at this point, Ura." I introduced myself, and Spot sat in his spot with a blushing face, but his tail was wagging in my vision.
"I don't have to sit like a little bit'h like the puppy, right?" Nyahdia asked, and I could not help the laugh that happened at Spot's expense, and Zella was smiling.
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Hey everyone,
Published another short story for you all. It is a Futanari on Male story for those interested. Check it out on Amazon, the name is:
The Crossdresser did not realize who they were messing with.
Thank you for reading.