The Thirty-Nine Strokes
By Oonagh
Disclaimer: Babylon 5 is not mine and this story will make no profit.
Author's Notes: The scene where G'Kar is being flogged repeatedly by Cartagia's soldier has always fascinated me and the last time I watched this episode I wondered how exactly all the characters were feeling before, during and after the scene. They were all living through the same experience but I'd be willing to bet no two of them saw it in the same way. So I wrote this. Please Review, I love reviews.
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G'kar stood against the pillar, his arms manacled around the cold marble, and glared at Mollari's monster. Through the gloom he could only make out a silhouette but that was enough to provide a focus for his rage. The Emperor Cartagia – and even in his own mind G'kar infused those two words with as much disdain as possible – obviously had some kind of display planned and G'kar knew the role he would be expected to play. He was there to provide entertainment. And, thanks to Mollari, he knew what would happen if he didn't provide it. Under other circumstances that wouldn't bother him. Death held no fear for the last of the Kar'ee. But today was different. Today he held the fate of his entire people in his hands. If he held out, he died. If he died, he took his people with him. And so G'kar knew he must submit, give the creature sitting there, enthroned in darkness, what it wanted. He must play Mollari's game, trusting that his oldest enemy knew what he was doing and would keep his word. G'kar had never had any reason to doubt Mollari's intelligence or political savvy. His integrity, however, was a different matter entirely. But G'Kar had no choice. A slim hope was better than no hope at all. Mr. Garibaldi had told him that once. And so G'Kar stood, leaning against the pillar and prepared himself to be entertaining.