Holding on to Hope

Posted on Fri Jul 9th, 2021 @ 6:48am by Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson

Mission: Darkness Rising - A Phoenix Lalor Sub Plot
Location: Equinox Observation Deck
Timeline: Day - 17 1400 Hrs
1841 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Kate placed a frame with canvas in what appeared to be a cargo hold and began to put out some pant she found. She sat down with a good light on the canvas and began to create an outline of a woman. Minute after minute.... Hour after hour. THe figure took hold until it was easily recognizable as Josephine Carlyle. Kate wasn't obsessed, she was just holding on to Josie. Holding on to hope and never letting go.

There was a knock on the door. "Kate?" Lily's voice came through. "Are you there?"

"Come in Lily." Kate continued the painting in her room. She was exaggerating a little on Josie, but all artists tended to do that. She wanted it to be beautiful... A wedding gift for whern all was right again.. Josie would love it, and it would help Arri keep her sanity, Paintiing the woman she loved. She smiled warmly while she did it.

Lily entered and closed the door behind her. "oh Arri" She breathed looking at the painting

"This is my way of holding onto her... Reminding me never to give up. Never to give in. And I'm going to give this to her at our wedding." Kate mentioned.

Phoenix put her hand on her shoulder. "When you marry her, I am so doing the ceremony."

"Damn right you are, Phoenix. And Alindari have standards for weddings." Arri smiled. "You know what I like in a party, that's why we get along so well."

Phoenix grinned at her. "In the Arboretum, full four levels. I think we can arrange for the Cherry trees to be in bloom around the gazebo on level 2.."

"My family, Hers. Expect an imperial presence, Phoenix. My cousin was like a second sister to me when I was a girl. Blue roses. I just need the ring. Oh it will be a grand occasion. Beauty unmatched for our Elysium house." Arri smiled. "Mattias sounds like a good catch Phoenix. I am pleased beyond measure you're happy again. After Ken died, I was determined for your twins to know their mother, and never let that Ein'kan'taa Pallas near them." Arri noted. "Did you know he proposed a marriage alliance to Empress Alena?" [Ein'kan'taa = swine excrement.)

Phoenix giggled "Really?"

"Empress Alena told him she'd rather consider a marriage alliance to a Nausicaan over him." Arri laughed. "Something about the way his nation treats women."

"well she is a wise woman, your cousin. As for Pallas, if he gets within 2 feet of my children there will be no warning for him. I know what he thinks of them, and how they are seen on Erisia. He will die."

"You wouldn't have been able to get in good with Cragen, Phoenix. The price of infiltrating his organization would have been Kara." Arri noted. "Kyle Cragen has something called the innoculation. It's what is given to all his female slaves. It's a vile thing. First, it prevents pregnancy for two months without damaging the reproductive system. Second, it makes the victim very susceptible to suggestion. They had me as Flossi in two days. Third, it is quite addictive. I've been working on a counter-serum with Kara. Using me for examination."

"Are you sure?" Phoenix asked.

"We're close, but Josie got more of it. I need Kara to come up with a counter-serum or he can manufacture an identity for her, like they did me."

Phoenix paused. "You dont know if he already has?"

"Phoenix I was dormant in my own mind. It was your presence, your voice, that served as a catalyst for me. I was afraid you'd see me as a failure. You'd be repulsed by me. That was not the case, and I woke up to fight Flossi. I then used something to destroy Flossi and the thing that was feeding my frustrations. It was called mindpurge. It was used millennia ago when my people used telepathy as a weapon, and it was made to combat mindphagues. Corrupt thoughts designed to kill. I need the means to restore Josie and remove the personality that has overrun her mind. But I do have an advantage. I still remember the times from our melds of Josie's most private and intimate memories. She will instantly know they are hers, even though the deviant personality may fight it." Arri noted. "She will feel the intense love i have for her, and eventually realize that I would never drug her, nor harm her. I'm hoping it only takes a few days or weeks for Josephine to fight back. I'm hoping she fights enough to recognize me when I come for her." Arrianna noted.

"You love her Arri, she knows that."

"Phoenix when I first saw her. I knew instantly she wasn't part of that time. She was intelligent and strong to have endured two years in 1661. And even though hope was lost, she was really to live a life of seclusion. Just to preserve our future. I couldn't do anything but fall in love with her. She was so.... incredible when I first saw her."

"Arri, Cragen told us, he has been searching for Josie for centuries." Phoenix said softly. "He told Kara that she was not for sale. He knew who she was... I get the feeling that she was the target, you were icing." She paused. "Did 'Flossi' help Cragen break Josie?"

Tears formed in Arrianna's eyes, then she began crying. "I had no control. No choice. I could only watch. And be overwhelmed by sheer the desire to become something lewd and disgraceful. " Arri unleashed tremendous sorrow. "It was like I was assimilated by Cragen. I couldn't stop Phoenix l. I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop her from hurting her. I helped him destroy her. Now I have to heal her. Oh Josie. I am so sorry."

Phoenix knelt down and gently took her friends shoulders. "He planned it Arri. You both made it easy for him. There was no way, he could have gotten to Josie on the Elysium. NO way, Lia would have let him on board. But your leaving, gave him ample opportunity, so he took you both, And turned you so you could help break her. That is on him. Not You. She knows that. And she would know that you would never do that to her. Josie is strong, she survived the 1660's and King Charles the second, she survived the Mirror Universe and you know how bad that was. This is Cragen. Not you. I bet if we looked into him, we would find him in history somewhere."

Arri suddenly remembered. "By Tirielle!!!!!! Josephine did have suitors. Many of them.. When our mission is complete, I need to speak to James Westin. Wait... Charles the Second was abnormally fond of Josephine. No.... it's not possible. I think I know that face." Arri brought up a terminal. "Computer i need an image of Charles the Second of England."

"Arri, I highly doubt he was Charles. It was too convenient and a King not dying. If anything, he was probably at Court. Josephine probably never even knew him, or if she did, she probably didn't think much about it. She said herself in her debrief that she chose to stay out of such matters because she felt it would introduce her bloodline to the timeline too early."

"Then we need James Westin. And to do that. I must aid you in finding Cragen's master." Arri noted. "It appears Kate Daniels needs to go back to work."

"I highly doubt James Westin is any mood to help anyone at the moment without a massive reduction in his sentence" Phoenix said softly. "But Kate can always talk to Lily, you know."

'There's just one thing Lily." Arri responded. "Flossi..has influenced some of my clothing recently. A desire to show... Skin... I need to remove that thought too. It is inappropriate."

"depends on the Skin" came Lily's reply. "But how do you expect to do that?"

"Suddenly the Uniform Skirt option seems cute to me, Phoenix." Arri noted. " and even now with this jacket im wearing. I'm showing... skin.... no I don't want to do another mindpurge. It may damage my personality. But what would Josie think if subconsciously i started wearing... oh never mind. Clearly Flossi was a blight that needed to be removed. The Viceroy made me like silk too much and now Flossi has made me like wearing less too much." She chuckled.

"Arri, there is nothing wrong with liking Silk. Hell I like silk and believe me, my bedroom is not staid. And I sometimes wear the skirt of the uniform. As does a number of other officers. Besides, Arri and take this as a friend. You are a beautiful lady. Nothing wrong with being confident in that. As long as you are not going around without panties and flashing the men, I think you are safe. But if you want to do another mind purge, talk to Kara ok?"

"I will only do that if I haven't removed all of Flossi's lewd thoughts. Particularly any that compel me to do things I wouldn't do. But it will take two months to get the inoculation completely out of me. I've been counter-scting its influence with my restored emotional control, and I will not let a drug make me disloyal to Josie." Arri noted. "Only Josephine can touch me, no others."

"Arri... when this is over? You are going to sit down with a counsellor. Do you understand?" Phoenix asked softly. "Josie is going to need one as well, if not more, depending on how long this takes, but You will need to do it as well. You need to be in the best mental state to help her."

"Oh I intend to, Phoenix. I'll contact the finest mentalists from the College of Philosophy They will helo me, and provide Alicia with valuable assistance with Josephine. Whatever she needs to take back her life, I will find.." Arri noted. "And then if any of Cragen or other of his associates escape. However, Phoenix... Kyle Cragen enslaved not only a Federation Citizen, but a citizen of the Alindari Imperium. Even if we take down Cragen... The intent to 'buy' an Alindari... is inexcusable to my people. Provocative.. The Imperial Guard will hunt Cragen's customers without pause. And anyone that grants them reprieve will find themselves at war with the Alindari." Arrianna noted. "WHich is why I want to capture Cragen discretely so my people don't get involved. Slavery is more than an offense to the Imperium, it is an act of war."

Phoenix was not sure on how many more fronts they could fight a war but she nodded. "We will find her. Even if we take down the Watch and loose Cragen, We will still look and find her Arrianna."

Arri breathed and then spoke with worried emotion. "I love her, Phoenix... Every day is agony without her."

"She is strong Arri, You are too. We will fix this." Phoenix assured her.

END