“I do want Instructor Gray to train me,” you say. “But, I can’t promise I’ll stay out of trouble.”

“You better stay out of trouble,” Terra says swiftly, her beautiful blue eyes narrowing at you. “Because if you come back in a state like today again, you’re going to be in trouble with me. And Grisham, if she’s here.”

“What!?” You gasp. “What… that’s not fair.”

“I don’t care if it’s fair. You keep your nose clean with Instructor Gray,” Terra says firmly. “You’ve chosen to train with her, so you’re accepting the consequences of that.”

“But…”

“No, Cadet,” Terra says. “These are the terms.”

“And if I don’t accept them?”

“It’s not up to you to accept them or not,” she says. “I’m telling you how it is going to be. Now, lay over my lap and let me treat those whip marks.”

“But Gray gets mad about everything,” you argue.

“Like you mouthing off instead of following orders?”

You fall silent. Terra crooks her finger at you, beckoning you over. Blushing, you slide over her lap. You feel her thighs beneath you, your crotch pressing against her right leg in a way which is undeniably intimate. Her fingers run around your waist and she peels your pajamas down over your buttocks, taking your underwear with them. In a second she has bared your bottom and thighs to the cabin’s warm air.

“Relax, Cadet,” she says as you tense your muscles reflexively. “You’re not in trouble right now.”

You hear the click of a cap of a bottle of lotion and wince a little as smooth, cool gel is dabbed lightly over the worst of the marks. Biting your lower lip and fighting embarrassment, you stay silent as Terra treats the welts with gentle care. Bare bottomed and over your commanding officer’s lap, you don’t feel like much of a soldier. Terra has a way of making you forget what you’re really there for sometimes, of disarming your emotional defenses and leaving you vulnerable in more way than one.

“I’m proud of you,” she murmurs as her fingers move lightly over your skin, working the soothing gel into the worst hit areas. “Not for getting into trouble, obviously, but for stepping up to the challenge. You performed well today, Cadet.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” you say, smiling into the couch as you feel an incongruous rush of pride.

A kind touch after Gray’s very unkind touch is a relief, even with Terra getting a little stern. And to hear her praise you, that’s worth every single welt Gray gave you.

She tends to you for long minutes, her fingers moving gently over your body in a hypnotic series of little circles. You start to drift and unwind, relaxing as a deep sense of tiredness flows through you. It has been a hard day, but this is pretty much the perfect end to it. You rest your head on your crossed arms and close your eyes, letting Terra take care of you.

“Cadet?”

“MMmhmm?” You open your eyes.

“You’re falling asleep,” she says, warmth in her voice. “I’ve been taking to you for minutes.”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” you say sleepily. “I didn’t realize.”

“I know,” she says, gently pulling your clothing back into its proper place. “Go get some sleep, Cadet,” she says, patting your pajama clad bottom. “You’ve got another big day ahead of you tomorrow.”

You do as you are told, your feet heavy as you drag yourself to bed and curl up beneath the covers, snuggly and warm, and feeling quite loved.

*****

The next day brings new challenges. You have another weapons training session in the morning, but you find it harder to focus knowing that Instructor Gray awaits you in the afternoon. You go to her after lunch with no small measure of apprehension. Not only is she harsh, but if you get in trouble today, Terra probably isn’t going to spend the evening rubbing your bottom better.

As you step into the gym, you’re assailed by a shout. This time it isn’t Instructor Gray hurling herself at you. The yelling is from someone entirely new.

“I DON’T CARE! I DIDN’T CHOOSE TO EXIST! I DIDN’T ASK TO COME HERE! I DON’T CARE!”

You sidle into the gym to find Instructor Gray standing over a red faced young woman. She’s about 5’1, has short, choppy blonde hair, a curvy figure and is wearing a gray prisoner’s jumpsuit. She might be pretty. You can’t really tell, her face is contorted with primal rage.

“I DON’T EVEN BELIEVE IN RULES! YOU CAN’T IMPOSE YOUR SO CALLED REGULATIONS ON ME!”

Instructor Gray is not moving, not saying a word. She is standing over the much shorter, much younger woman, who is melting down furiously.

“Come in, Cadet,” she says, acknowledging you as the tirade continues.

Unsure as to what’s going on, you take a few steps further in and watch the show unfold.

“YOU’RE THE PROBLEM! YOU’RE PART OF THE SYSTEM! YOU’RE WHO WE’RE ALL FIGHTING AGAINST!”

You can see the young woman is tiring herself out. She looks winded, her cheeks red with her anger. She’s starting to wheeze and pant with the sheer effort of her tantrum.

As she takes a break from shouting to catch her breath, Instructor Gray fills you in.

“We’ve got someone to train with us today, Cadet,” she says. “This is Jodie. She’s here as part of a rehabilitation effort. She was captured as part of a rebel unit. Most of her peers have since been incarcerated. Jodie is only eighteen, so we believe she might be rehabilitated with some military training.”

“YOU CAN’T REHABILITATE THAT WHICH WAS NEVER UNHABITLITATED! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS HABILITLITATING!”

You’re surprised Instructor Gray is letting Jodie scream like that. You were just a little mouthy and you got your ass beat. So why is this brat getting away with it?

“You can start with 30 push ups, Cadet,” Instructor Gray says. “And 30 squats. Then thirty laps of the gym.”

You feel a little weird starting to work out with a human foghorn a few yards away, but you’re not going to risk disobeying Instructor Gray right away. You can tell that she’s not happy underneath her mask of calm. There’s a glint in her eye and a set to her jaw which gives you an internal tremor on behalf of Jodie.

“Let me know when you’re done,” Gray says to Jodie.

“I WON’T EVER BE DONE!” Jodie stamps her foot. “I’M LEAVING!”

She tries to turn and leave the gym, but Gray steps in front of her, blocking her path. Again, you notice how hands-off she is being. Weird.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

Jodie tries to go to Gray’s left. Gray steps left and blocks her. She tries going right. Gray steps right. You finish your push ups and squats and start running laps of the gym as they dance a waltz of wills, a battle of attrition.

Somewhere around your tenth lap, Jodie collapses to the ground and starts sobbing so pitifully that even though she’s a complete stranger, you can’t help but feel sorry for her. She’s young and she’s totally out of place and you can tell that her frustration and fear is past the point of containment. Dealing with Gray was hard enough for you, and you’ve got several years on her, not to mention actually wanting to be here.

Jodie sits on the gym floor, cross-legged and sobbing into her cupped hands. You slow down as you circle near her, feeling some natural impulse to comfort her. Instructor Gray catches your eye and gives a curt shake of her head.