Former Rivals

Posted on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 @ 8:30am by Captain Garrett Lovejoy [ Taylor] & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Secured Medical Room
1193 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Arrianna layed on her side when Garrett entered. Even a human could see what she had been through. Her emotions were very more calmer, but that did not Garrett from looking at her and realizing.. It had been like her heart had been torn out by Cragen. She wanted to calm herself. But there was only one way this woman would ever be complete again.

"Garrett..." Arri noted. "I am so broken, you should not see me like this.. I nearly took my life.. I betrayed people in blind desperation to get her back. I've been torn apart by alternate personalities who wanted control. And I am desperately trying to be the woman Josie fell in love with." Arrianna noted. "And at the same time; I want to be the Starfleet Officer I once was.."

"Commander." Garrett started and stopped that was too formal. He started again "Arrianna." He stopped again, still not good. 'Arri." He said and was satisfied. That was what was needed, a personal touch. "Why shouldn't I see you? You are a member of this crew. Highly respected and liked. You were placed in an impossible situation. Alone, just you and Lt. Carlyle. You were constantly tortured and abused. Subjected to both physical and mental manipulation. Deprived of clothes. I know you pride yourself on your physical and mental toughness but a news flash you aren't a machine Arri and neither is Lt. Carlyle. Your captors knew how to manipulate you both to get the desired results they wanted. We will find, recover and reunite you and Lt. Carlyle. I promise you that."

"I'm so angry Garrett. But I can't feed that anymore. I tried to kill him, Garrett. I raged, and stabbed.." Arri sat up from her bed. "And blood covered me..."

"You were as you said angry but it was more than Arri. You felt helpless and the person or at least one of them who had made you feel that way was right in front of you so you reacted as you did." Garrett answered. "Now you need to redirect your energies to finding Lt. Carlyle."

"I have a treatment for Cragen's brainwashing.. But I don't know if it will truly bring her back. It will show her the truth." Arrianna noted. "Does it take a killer to oppose evil?"

"No," Garrett answered decisively. "It takes a strong woman dedicated to justice to bring those who flaunt the law to justice. It also takes a woman whose heart is full of love and can continue to love to not only oppose those who are evil but also triumph over them."

"So I'm pulling myself back together.. Along with Josephine. Garrett, when you lost Samatha into the Mirror Universe. Did you feel.... like this. Such despair." Arri noted.

Garrett didn't rush answer he thought of what he wanted to say. After a few seconds he spoke. "I was a wreck. Both physically and mentally. I worried about Sam constantly. Was she alive? If so was she okay? Would I ever see her again? It made me hard, an ass. It turned me into the commander this crew hated. I lashed out at them unfairly because they were here, coinvent and I felt totally useless."

"Now we have something in common Garrett. You now know how every day without her... is agony for me. How I almost took my life." Arri noted. "The despair I fight again. Curse you Kyle Cragen!" Arri tightened her fist.

"I do know how you feel and I know the struggle you are going through. However do not give Kyle Cragen the satisfaction of succumbing to despair. You are better and stronger than that Arri. To for yourself and if that isn't enough motivation due for Josephine."

"The treatment I have will cause her to remember everything that happened for the last six months." Arrianna noted. "She'll relive it all and It will not be subtle.. Nor will it be easy... She'll experience it all over again. It's like liquid truth." Arrianna noted. "And it may be too much for her to handle.. I hope, with this neural stimulation treatment, I can telepathically guide her through her own memories and allow her to sift the truth from the lies, and I may need this crew to meld with me as I do it to show her what is real, and what is fake."

"Arri, I believe you are doing a disservice to both Josephine and yourself. I believe she will be strong enough to come through this. I also believe you can help her by guiding her through the events of the last six months. It won't be easy or pleasant but it will make you both stronger and your love for each other deeper and more encompassing. We, the crew of course will be here to help both of you if it is required or requested." Garrett replied.

"What if there's nothing left of her." Arrianna noted. "They used me to break her. The shame that they used me to break my mate into a slave.. Is unbearable."

"To use an old Earth saying, you are putting the cart before the horse. Do not presuppose or over think what is going to happen. Take it has it comes and then deal with it."

Arrianna thought a moment.. thinking... She then spoke. "I need everyone Josie knew.. And I need Phoenix Lalor... Phoenix was one of her best friends. I will need everyone she once knew to break this mind conditioning. Unfortunately." Arri stopped speaking. "I cannot say where she is right now."

"We'll get everyone who knew Josie." Garrett promised "And I mean everyone. We'll break the conditioning Josephine has been subjected to and then we'll work on bringing back the Josephine we all know."

"Right now, Where she is needs to be secret. There is someone at Command I have an appointment with. When it is time. I want to look that person in his eyes and ask that person where his honor was." Arri mentioned. "You're right... I'm not a killer, Lily. I believe in utmost principles of Starfleet. Or I strive to with everything I am. But sometimes... I just want to kill... I just want to make things right by destroying Garrett."

"You are and always will be a Starfleet Officer. You won't forsake it's principles even if others have." Garrett noted.

Arri began shedding tears. "Please Garrett help me save her. I'll do anything."

"I promise you, I will do everything in my power to save Josephine and reunite you with her again. You have my word Arri." Garrett replied firmly.

"Garrett. I need you to help me reach her when the time comes. I know she's still alive because my link with her mind is still there.. She's... It's like she's in limbo.. If we can reach her.. I can... possibly help her come out... and beg her forgiveness for what I did.." Arri noted. "But Garrett. I cannot resume my post yet... My mind is not a safe place right now."

Tag

OOC: How does Arri know of Evelyn?
OOC: Either post or delete please