In the following, would a comma come after “saluted” or is use of a period more appropriate?

- Captain Christopher Christen stopped stiffly in front of the commanding general’s desk and saluted. “Sir, Captain Christen reporting as ordered.”

- Captain Christopher Christen stopped stiffly in front of the commanding general’s desk and saluted, “Sir, Captain Christen reporting as ordered.”

Thanks! A~

Captain Christopher Christen stopped stiffly in front of the commanding general’s desk and saluted. “Sir, Captain Christen reporting as ordered.”
Captain Christopher Christen stopped stiffly in front of the commanding general’s desk and saluted, “Sir, Captain Christen reporting as ordered.”

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A sentence leading into a quotation and ending in a word like said, remarked, replied, etc. usually has a comma at the end. Yours ends with saluted, which doesn’t necessarily suggest that a quotation will follow, so a period is the right choice.

Thank you!

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