Paige looked at the squirming wreck of a woman, and listened to her desperate plea. The sergeant was worldly wise, and knew what living in the Terran Empire meant. She had done things she wasn't proud of, most recently leaving the wounded to die along with the machine gun crew at the base of the ramp as she made her way to the Bridge of the Roger Young. She had asked for a medevac but none could be spared and that position was overrun five minutes after she and her squad had passed through.<br/><br/>She too had ordered her troops to fire on civilians, she had ordered her troops to hold an untenable position, knowing they would be slaughtered to a man, all the while promising them reinforcements would be sent, knowing none could be spared, and knowing that every moment they held on was another moment that the line behind them could be strengthened and prepared for the coming assault, and that every enemy they killed would be one less the main defensive line would not have to face.<br/><br/>So Kerry knew the score. And as she looked at the pathetic whore dangling before her, she sighed and put the whip down. "You sicken me! You think this is about absolving your guilt? Don't be so fucking naive. This is about me being even more of a sadistic bitch than you are. You want absolution, go find a priest." Of course that was impossible, as any religion was illegal, except the worship of the Emperor. 'Go find a priest' was a standard expression for someone who was telling you a sob story.<br/><br/>"We all have our guilt, honey. If you can't live with yours, then the big empty is just the other side of that wall", She pointed at the slightly curving outer bulkhead. Paige reached up and unfastened one of Kara's wrists. "Did I say you could put your feet down?" she warned, as the woman, now dangling from one wrist, tried to do just that. With a smirk, she snapped the release on the PD's other wrist and let her fall the short distance to the floor.<br/><br/>"Clean this place up, get your shit in order and be combat ready in half an hour, Citizen. You're joining my platoon!"<br/><br/>And with that, she turned and left, leaving the cabin door wide open behind her.