Stella and I had only been married for two years and how in the hell could a marriage go to shit in that short length of time? There were no money iss...es; my construction company was going great guns. Sexually things were fine, at least from my standpoint. We were still going after each other like honeymooners. Something was obviously wrong, but I was at a loss to figure out what it was.I thought back to see if I could remember anything that might give me a clue as to when Stella had started. There seemed something preposterous that tools designed for use on the brawny backs of hardened men could be applied to her tender shoulders.The mood of anticipation was extraordinary. 200, maybe 250, spectators all silent, staring at this beautiful creature drawn out on the frame, waiting her punishment. When the first stroke came, it was almost a shock, the strap resounding against her skin. “One,” called the magistrate and I leaned forward to try to see the effect on her skin. At first there. Fifteen or so minutes later, Red came in and said, "There were no others. I tracked them to the road and down it a little." The two I knocked out were coming around. Red said, "What should we do with these three?" Let's let Miriam decide. It was their home they invaded and her mate they killed." I said. Everyone nodded and we waited.After a long while, Miriam looked up and said, "Why did they do this?"Miranda said, "I can find out. They will talk for me and we need to hear some of their story. There were no holographs of family or friends to humanise it. There were none of the sentimental reminders of a civilian life that most soldiers, especially female ones, gathered about them. When the colonel had finished dictating her account of her company's patrol, which she did with extraordinary precision and detail, she didn't choose to listen to music or watch a holographic movie. Instead, she promptly began studying news stories and academic articles on a wide range of subjects, of which.