A hot summer wind skimmed over the barren ground. Four scarred, wooden posts rose several feet over the hard packed earth. Rough iron manacles hung from deeply imbedded chains, well designed to keep their prisoners upright and immobile. There was no grass or other plants to soften this place. It was as desolate as the wastelands of Sarufa in the east, where the sun was merciless and rain almost never fell.

Which was quite a feat considering the area was only a few hundred feet square and sunken into the ground by several feet. Some had said it resembled an abandoned quarry, one that no longer gave out any useful stone and was now used for the morbid amusement of its owner.

A set of grand bleachers ringed the top of the square. The empty seats climbed row upon row into the sky and were crowned by massive cornices and intricate statues. They were built of a sturdy white rock and reflected the morning sunlight. Bright crimson pennants snapped in the wind, casting flickering shadows on an empty throne set in a boxed area on top of one of the walls.

In the main area of the square, an unlikely group was gathered. Colorful and fine cloth contrasted with the barren ground. Artfully arranged hair, polished nails and soft skin stood alongside no nonsense crew cuts, calluses and scars.

Hushed murmurs and muffled crying drifted up out of the pit, interlaced with the sharp crack of whips and the more piercing shrieks of those tied to the posts.

Mai took deep, steady breaths. Her turn at the post would be soon. She had been unlucky enough to fall into the back of the group as it had been ushered out to the execution grounds. Which meant she had to witness the striping of many others without the benefit of pain to distract her.

She wasn't sure one was truly better than the other, but given a choice between physical and mental pain... she would choose the physical. It was hard to shut out the moans and wails of those being tortured when the mind wasn't clouded already.

Each crack and scream hurt her.

Especially now, as she watched Brussi being whipped. The Saiyan didn't cry out, allowing only choked grunts to escape with each stroke. Brussi had too much pride to satisfy her abuser's ego with anything more, though her nails dug into the splintered wood. She would have stood on her own without the chains as well.

But that didn't mean she was immune to the ferengor's power. Every strike sent waves of agony through her body, feeling like fire along her nerves and causing her muscles to shudder.

Mai was beginning to worry that the guard attending to Brussi might take the lack of reaction as an excuse to extend the beating. She had seen it happen before. Once, her friend had been stubborn enough to withstand 300 lashes without a single sound.

Brussi had managed to walk back to the seraglio under her power. It was only after the guard had left, the door was shut and she was behind the curtain of her alcove that she had permitted her body to respond by passing out.

Mai sent a small prayer of thanks to the heavens when the guard signaled to the others standing by. Brussi was let out of the manacles and led back to the group. She flashed Mai a cocky grin and took her place in the back. Mai didn't miss the catch in Brussi's breathing or the slight halt in her steps.

Before she could think about it much more, a guard grabbed her arm and nudged her forward. Mai didn't try to stop him or hang back. There was no point. One way or the other, she had to face this punishment.

She brought to a stop in front of one of the poles. It stank of sweat and blood, both new and old. Her nose wrinkled a little from the smell. Her stomach clenched a bit when the guards pulled down the top of her dress, baring her back. Then, her arms were forced up. The manacles closed around her wrists and clanked shut. She drew in a calming breath and tried to prepare herself for the pain.

It didn't help.

The first stroke cut through her mental defenses. Her body lurched a little and screamed to her brain that something was surely scorching it. Even though she knew the whips left no physical damage, her nerves begged to differ.

The second stroke came quick on the heels of the first, adding its own measure of pain and ripping through her mind. The third and fourth drove out any coherent thought. Agony built on itself, spilling out in waves over her skin, then burrowed deeper into her flesh.

Another stroke, and another. The insistent whack whack of the whip worked into her fogged mind, making the world nothing but a faded gray shroud of suffering.

Mai began to become disoriented and a primitive gratitude surfaced for the numbness that hard started to work its way through her body. She couldn't be sure if she was hanging limp from the chains, standing, screaming or silent. The thought that Brussi would be disappointed if she was screaming flit through her brain. But she couldn't react to it and it slipped back into the depths it had come from.

It took her a few seconds to realize the sound of the whip had stopped completely. The fear that she had been beaten to death bubbled to the surface. It was quickly ushered away when a pair of hands released her from the chains and pushed her away from the post.

Mai blinked and the gray mist receded from her eyes. The numbness went with it, leaving burning trails down her back. She hissed. The guard took exception to that and rewarded her with a poke to the back. She stumbled a bit as renewed pain burst through her. The guard swore and threw her to the ground.

She lay still a moment, sucking in the dry air and trying to will away some of the pain. The guard decided there was as good as anywhere to leave her and treated her to the sight of his smudged boots receding into the background.

Mai licked her lips, coughing a little at the dust he kicked up. Breathing was definitely not a pleasurable activity at the moment.

"Mai?" The inquiry was hoarse and low. It took her mind a little too long to figure out how to respond to that, so the name was repeated, "Mai?"

A slippered foot nudged Mai in the side, causing her to suck in a deep breath at the throbbing it inspired.

"Damn it, Brussi, I think the guard did a fine job on his own," Mai hissed, pulling her lips back in a snarl.

"Hah!" Brussi crouched down and grinned at Mai, though the expression didn't quite hide the concern in her eyes. "Well I wasn't sure if you were dead or just napping."

"Funny..." Mai wheezed. Strong hands clamped onto her arm and she found herself being hauled back upright. Mai couldn't stop the low growl that formed in her throat, but Brussi didn't mind. The Saiyan righted the top of her friend's dress, taking about as much care as she knew how.

"You were one of the last ones," Brussi commented. She cocked her head towards the poles where two others were being loosed. Then she grinned again. "I'm impressed. You didn't scream once. Of course, it did look like you were about to pass out after the fourth strike."

Mai rubbed a hand over her right side where the whip had caught her a few times. She gave Brussi a doubtful look. "Thanks... I think."

Brussi patted Mai reassuringly on the shoulder, causing her to wince.

The crowd around them quieted down. The two women glanced around to see what had happened and saw Furyo and Toriko being led to the posts. The guards roughly pushed them forward. Some faint jeering could be heard coming from the men.

Furyo was chained first, her long tan arms bent around the post. Toriko, being shorter, found herself stretched. The guards smiled wickedly and began to tear off their clothes. The slaves were pawed, shoved and slapped. Captain Hiso stood off to the side, smirking and rocking a little on his heels.

Mai clenched her teeth at the spectacle. It was bad enough they were going to be beaten for something they had no part in, but to add this additional humiliation... She shook her head. She wasn't surprised and supposed they should be grateful if the Captain decided those things were enough punishment. She feared he wouldn't, though.

Her fears were borne out when the guards tired of their game and left a softly weeping Toriko and a stern faced Furyo to their fate. Captain Hiso strode between the two poles and swept his gaze over the assemblage.

He motioned to the guards on the side. Four men came to him, two carrying flat wooden cases. The other two were brawny and wore black robes over their usual uniform. The guards carrying the cases opened their packages. The robed guards reached in.

Mai's eyes widened as she saw what they withdrew. These whips were not the usual ferengor that were used. Instead, these had several strips attached to the handle. Each strip was adorned with razor edged bone.

These were not whips meant to beat. These were meant to kill.

Mai looked at her friend in horror. She didn't want to believe that anyone, even Captain Hiso, would use such a punishment. In the years she had been there, she had never seen these whips used before. Perhaps she was wrong?

Brussi gave her no encouragement, instead there was a flash of pity in her eyes, then she turned her gaze away from Mai.

The first cracks of those whips were quickly drowned out by the agonized screeches of Furyo and Toriko.

Mai's heart fell and bile rose in her throat. Her eyes drawn back to the two slaves anchored to the wooden posts. Drawn to the rise and fall of those deadly strips. Drawn to the blood already flowing down their backs, copper and sapphire streaks on tan and blue.

Each second imprinted itself onto her memory. Glittering drops pattered to the hard earth, bits of flesh flew as every arch of the guards' arms dug the thorns deeper. Crack... crack... The screaming voices fading into sobs and into silence.

And it still went on. More strokes, more flesh never meant to be seen being laid bare to the sun. The greedy soil soaked up the precious life that was spilled onto it.

Mai pressed her teeth together hard, impotent fury churning inside her chest. She fisted her hands. Her nails sliced into her palms but she didn't notice that any more than she did the pain that still lingered in her back.

This was insanity. This was... evil!

She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. Her mind nearly blanked as some buried instinct screamed for her to attack whoever had dared. The horror and rage firing her heart flowed into her muscles. Only the shock the violent thought caused in her normally peaceful self kept her frozen.

"Mai..." The voice worked its way through the turbulent feelings. "Mai, it's over."

Mai panted, forcing the terrible emotions down. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. When she opened them again, she saw what was left of Furyo and Toriko still hanging from their chains. Her mind reeled from recognizing the various colored tags and white which peeked through.

Incredible sorrow swamped Mai's soul. There was nothing she could do or say that would change what had just happened. Yet deep within, she wished for a way.

The hand that had been squeezing her shoulder shook her somewhat roughly now. Mai tilted her head and looked at her friend sadly.

"Come on," muttered Brussi. She tugged the Namek along, knowing that if they delayed, the guards would be too happy to help them move.

Mai cast one last glance at the poles. She offered up all prayers she knew for souls on their way to the gods, pleading that they had suffered enough in this life so wouldn't the god of the dead see fit to let them into heaven?

Brussi tugged on her more forcefully and Mai gave in to the urging. Following her friend, she made her way back to the seraglio.

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