When Atlas left the captain’s quarters, it was with a rare smile on his face. Jerri Tessil would soon learn that she wasn’t the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve.
He had a few matters to attend to, none of them urgent, but all of them pressing. No matter what he found himself doing, his mind kept drifting back to Jerri, particularly to the way she’d looked and sounded over his knee last night. Her cries still echoed in his ears, a plaintive and yet seductive sound. She’d truly think he was sick if she knew how much he had enjoyed spanking her until she cried.
“Commander Atlas, sir!”
An ensign barked his name and snapped to attention in the hall. He offered a salute in return, and would have walked right past the ensign if not for a tickle of attention at the peripheral of his vision.
It was Jerri.
He almost didn’t recognize her. Her hair was brushed and tied back. Her blue and gold uniform was not only being worn, but worn properly with the lapel buttoned all the way up under her chin. Her blue leather boots were shined to a high sheen. There was not a single item out of place, not a single point he could critique.
“Your turnout is very good today, Ensign.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said, saluting again. “I’ve been asked to proceed to the captain’s quarters, so if you’d be so kind as to dismiss me, I will be on my way.”
“Dismissed,” he smiled.
She turned and walked away quickly. Atlas was left with the feeling that he should be pleased seeing her following protocols and wearing her uniform correctly, and generally behaving as a functioning member of the crew. But something didn’t feel right. People didn’t change that quickly. They pretended to change that quickly. Then again, if her pretense at change was to follow protocol and orders, then could he truly have a problem with it? Not yet. He would keep an eye on her.
Chapter Six
Captain Janus was at the window, staring out into space when the doors opened to allow Jerri passage into the captain’s ready room.
The captain was a mature woman, seasoned on more missions and wars than anybody could count. Well, more than Jerri had ever bothered to count. Captain Janus was a legend, more or less retired now. She did not overly interfere with the day to day running of the ship, leaving that onerous task to her command crew.
Janus was one of the very few people Jerri could manage to muster respect for. Her long and storied career could be read on her face, one half of which was a mass of scars from the first alliance war. She wore a cybernetic mask on that side of her face, which Jerri had always considered bad ass as hell.
This was the first audience she had ever had directly with Janus, and she desperately wanted to make a good impression.
“You summoned me, Captain?”
Janus turned toward her and extended a hand in a gesture that indicated that Jerri should come in. The wounded side of her face was cast in darkness but lit with a blue light where her eye had once been. It was an eerie sight. It might have been frightening, if not for the energy coming from the woman. She had the calming aura of someone who had seen everything and was not concerned by anything.
“You did an excellent job last night, Ensign Tessil. Having reviewed your work this morning, I’ve become impressed with your work ethic and your ability to keep our crew safe.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Jerri could not believe what she was hearing. This was what she had expected to hear from Atlas last night. Instead he’d whipped her like a redheaded stepchild. It was nice to finally get some praise from a superior.
“I am promoting you to lieutenant, effective immediately.”
Jerri was momentarily speechless, then she realized she would have to say something.
“Wow. Thank you, ma’am.”
This felt like the strangest, least likely outcome of the last twenty-four hours. When she’d woken up that morning with her ass still throbbing and tears drying on her face, she’d felt as low as she ever had. The decision to put her uniform on like high drag came out of a desire to project strength. He’d made her feel so very small. She wanted to show that she wasn’t small. Didn’t need to be treated like a goddamn baby. If she never saw Commander Atlas again, it would be too soon.
Just as she was thinking his name, it came out of the captain’s mouth.
“Commander Atlas was effusive in his praise of your technical skill, and he brought to my attention the fact that you are one of the longest serving ensigns on the Audacity who is yet to receive a promotion. I apologize for overlooking your contributions.”