By the following morning, news of the incident had spread everywhere nearby.
Every soldier on the military base talked about Maya's strength and authority.
She arrived at the central headquarters office before the sun had risen.
Her official commander dress uniform sat crisply tailored against her shoulders.
She sat down at the large wooden desk to review unit records.
Maya: Send in the secondary officers for immediate inspection right now.
Her aide stepped into the room and saluted her with crisp discipline.
Three senior lieutenants walked inside and stood in a straight neat line.
They looked noticeably nervous after seeing what had happened to Sergeant Miller.
Maya: I have reviewed your personal performance files from last year.
She placed three thin blue folders onto the center of her desk.
Lieutenant Davis: We were only following Miller's orders, Ma'am.
Maya: Following bad orders is no excuse for mistreating your own troops.
She stood up from her chair and walked toward the window glass.
Outside, dozens of soldiers were marching in formation across the dirty yard.
Maya: Leadership is about taking care of those under your command.
Lieutenant Davis: We understand completely, Commander Maya.
Maya: You will retake your basic leadership qualifications starting tomorrow morning.
The officers nodded quickly without daring to argue against her clear demand.
They knew her reputation for total fairness and absolute discipline was real.
Maya dismissed them with a gentle wave of her right hand.
She turned her attention back to the massive pile of paperwork before her.
There were severe budget discrepancies that needed her immediate personal attention.
Money meant for recruit meals had been redirected to private officer lounges.
Miller had signed off on those illegal financial transfers three weeks prior.
Maya: The corruption here goes much deeper than simple arrogance.
She reached for her phone to call the base financial audit department.
She was determined to clear out every single trace of corruption today.