You don’t know what to say. Grisham being like Sarah is a huge surprise, but some things are starting to make sense now, like why she doesn’t need much sleep, and maybe even why Terra wants her in the unit.

“What would you do to me?” You answer Grisham’s question with a question.

“If you spoke to me like that, I’d bare that ass and spank your butt red,” Grisham says.

Sarah looks nervous. She’s kind of cute when she’s nervous. Her big blue eyes go even bigger as she cringes in Grisham’s grasp. You’re pretty sure Sarah has never been spanked before. She sure acts like it.

“Hey, I was just playing. I mean I didn’t know what you were,” she says, trying to get out of trouble.

“Oh, you didn’t recognize my uniform?” Grisham’s question is heavy on the sarcasm. “You didn’t know being a smart mouth to an officer isn’t allowed?”

“No, I mean I thought you were a dopey normie,” Sarah says bluntly, her attempts at politeness lasting 0.002 seconds.

“Oh I see. So you figure you can treat others with disrespect, is that it?”

“…. uh…. yeah,” Sarah says. “Don’t tell me you respect them. The normal ones.”

“I do,” Grisham says. “Because you know what? Respect isn’t about genetics. It’s about character. Now bend over the bed.”

“WHAT!?!”

“Mhm.” Grisham lets Sarah go. “You can bend your butt over and put your hands on the bed, that’s what you can do for me right now – and don’t you even think about running, or I will do this to you in the mess hall in front of all those normies.”

“I’d rather you kicked my ass,” Sarah says.

Oh I bet you would. That way you’d get to resist and fight. Nope. No deal. You bend over now, girl. Or I will take you over my knee, and you know you don’t want to have your bare butt over my lap, don’t you.”

Sarah gulps. “Uhm. Ma’am, I’d like to apologize.”

“You can do that after,” Grisham says. “Get your butt over that bed. Now!”

“Damn, ma’am, I’m sorry, alright!” Sarah’s basically begging. “I didn’t know it was going to be a big deal okay?”

“Well now you know it is.”

“I promise,” Sarah says. “I won’t mouth off again, alright. Let’s just not do this, please. I was just trying to tell cadet what happened and I didn’t think about what I was saying or anything so, if you could just forgive me this time. This one time…” There’s a note of pure desperation in Sarah’s voice that almost makes you feel sorry for her. She seems absolutely petrified at the idea of being punished by Grisham. Her lower lip is actually quivering. In this moment she doesn’t look anything like a super soldier. She looks like a girl begging for clemency.

“Get on out of here,” Grisham relents. “Terra’s upstairs, go get some downtime with her. If I hear so much as a whisper about you causing trouble anywhere on this base, I will find you, I will call a special assembly and I will whip your bare ass until you wail like a baby, you understand me?”

“Yes ma’am,” Sarah says. Her face is blushing crimson as Grisham steps aside and lets her get to the door. You half expect Grisham to swat her butt on the way out, but Grisham just watches every step she takes until she’s out of the room and the door is shut behind her. You’re left with your jaw dropped, your mouth open.

“Why did you let her go!?” You can’t believe Grisham didn’t follow through.

“Because she just got a fright she won’t forget in a hurry,” Grisham says. “She just begged and belly crawled her way out of here. I could have smacked her butt for a year and not made her that sorry. Sometimes the fear of discipline is more effective than the discipline itself.”

“Then why didn’t you just try to fear me instead of spanking me all those times!”

“I did,” Grisham reminds you, her dark eyes fixed on your petulant pout. “The first time we met I gave you a warning. Do you remember what you did?”

“Uhm… not exactly?” Your voice goes up in pitch as you desperately try not to remember what you totally remember.

“You told me to shove my cane up my ass,” she says flatly.

“Oh… yeah…” you blush, remembering your first meeting with Grisham.

“Yup. And that’s why you’ve been getting your butt warmed for the last day or so,” she says. “You’re more reckless than she is. How’s that for irony.”

“It’s still not fair,” you mutter.

“Life isn’t fair,” Grisham replies.

“Well, if she gets away with everything, do I at least get pants now? I mean sheesh!”

“Settle,” Grisham warns you. “I just gave her my last free pass, and I’m all out, so you better watch your mouth, your tone and your attitude, cadet.”