Outside the Dark Chamber
5:45 PM

The door opened and the Enforcers silently filed out, all of their blades stained crimson.

"It is done," one of them said simply.

A furiously agitated Dr. McCoy rushed into the chamber.

"Good God!" he shouted as he took in the carnage. "Saratoga! Two to beam directly to Sickbay! Now!"

Saratoga Sick Bay
9:30 PM

"How is he, Bones?" Kirk asked quietly.

McCoy's face was grim. "He's alive. Barely. Those Enforcers cut him to pieces. Literally. I almost lost him during
surgery a couple of times but he's stabilized for now."

"Can I see him?"

McCoy nodded and Kirk made his way back to the intensive care ward.

Andrew Philips lay on a biobed. He was deathly pale and the bed's bio-monitors recorded his heart as barely beating.
A respiratory unit was over his nose and mouth A transfuser was hooked to left arm, replenishing his blood supply.
Bandages were wrapped tightly around the stump that used to be his right arm and covered the left side of his face.

McCoy came up beside him. "They castrated him Jim. They sliced off his right arm. They cut out one of his eyes.
They sliced and stabbed him over twenty times."

"I read your medical report, Bones."

"He almost died. He still might die."

"I know," Kirk said softly. When Philips' bloodcurdling screams had started he had nearly had to physically restrain
McCoy to keep him from rushing in. He had been hard pressed not to run in himself.

McCoy closed his eyes briefly as he recalled first entering the Dark Chamber.

The room spattered with blood.

The Philips boy lying naked on the floor covered with deep stab wounds.

All leaking blood.

One of his arms lying severed on the floor.

As well as...

"The Tribunal said they would show mercy, Jim. This doesn't seem merciful at all."

*Flashback*
Tribunal Chamber

Kirk stood facing the solemn faced Tribunal.

"Know this, Captain Kirk," Justice A'lea began. "From our earliest recorded history, there has been one punishment
exacted upon one guilty of breaking the First Rule of the Flesh. If that sentence is not imposed now that would set
a precedent." She paused. "What happens after that sentence is imposed, however, is another matter."

Tormav spoke. "The sentence for violation of the First Rule is the Karesun, the Sharp Death. The Condemned
endures the blades of our Enforcers. Our Enforcers are members of the Karee and masters of the blade.
The name Karee literally means "One who brings sharpness.' To face a single member of the Karee is to invite death.
If one faces several members- a Kareesun, death is a near certainty and thus it is called the Sharp Death.

Kareene now spoke. "Those who are sentenced to face them in the Dark Chamber die in darkness and pain.
To insure that, the Karesun inflict wounds that while fatal do not kill immediately.

"If someone other than an Advocate or a friend or family member asks for mercy for the Condemned, they must
still face the blades of the Kareesun…but someone may tend them afterwards and try to save them. On Takara
very few, even family members, ask for mercy for Condemned. And of the few for whom someone did ask, even
fewer have survived."

A'lea once again spoke. "We have judged the Philips boy guilty and by our laws and traditions he will face the Kareesun,
the Sharp Death. However, since mercy was requested for him, we will not stop you from taking him afterwards
and attempting to save him.

Her expression grew stern. "Neither you nor your doctor may interfere while the sentence is being carried out.
You may not enter the room or attempt to beam Philips out until the Karesun have competed their task and left
the room. If any part of him is cut off you may not retrieve it or attempt to reattach it. If your doctor is able
to save him he will leave this planet with his life and for that he should be grateful."

*End Flashback*

Sickbay

Kirk's face was sad and grim. "They did show mercy Bones," he said quietly. "If they hadn't allowed us to take
him after the Kareesun was done he'd be dead now. The Tribunal told me that Tkarites are the People of the Blade.
They follow the Way of Cunning, the Way of Strength, the Way of Swiftness, the Way of Hardness and the
Way of Sharpness. Very seldom do they ask for or show mercy. In the rare event when someone does ask for
mercy they grant it, although others might consider it very small. A thread."

He drew a shuddered breath. "They said that they would show Philips mercy and they did, although we consider
it a thread. They gave him a chance, however slight, of survival."

McCoy sighed. "He's only nineteen Jim. He turned nineteen three weeks ago. And he's going to go through
the rest of his life maimed and blind in one eye."

"He's alive, Bones. He and his family should be grateful."