My mind is a battleground

Posted on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 @ 9:04pm by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Quinn [ADMIN NPC] & Vice-Consul Josephine Carlyle-Cragen & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: Season 5: Interlude: Darkness Abounds
Location: Arrianna's Mindscape.
Timeline: MD4
2104 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Quinn entered Arrianna's mind and walked through what appeared to be a burnt and shattered wasteland. Everything was either broken or burnt. A true mental no-man's land. A mind war. In the middle of a desolate landscape was one patch of flowers and trees. And on one tree sitting on a wooden swing was Arrianna. The core of her being.. Staring at four marble pillars and a marble statue of Josephine. The last thing keeping her sane. Even a representation of her home on Sena Alindar. Was ravaged.

In the distance was fighting.. Representations of Terran soldiers. Cragen's mercenaries. Multiple representations of Kate Daniels and Flossie killing each other. Representing thoughts at war with each other. Fighting with every horror imaginable.

Quinn sighed and moved and sat at Arri's feet. "Wow, impressive" she said softly. "She is really pretty"

"She was trapped in a world that did not deserve her." In a flash they appeared in the castle where they met. "She was not a woman of that time. She displayed a confidence and elegance that enthralled me."

"Hello... I am an art collector from Florence. Have you seen an amulet like this?" Arri showed Josie her combadge.

Keeping her face straight, Josephine stepped into the house saying over her shoulder. "You best come in, Rain is coming."

"She didn't mention Kyle Cragen at that time did she?"

Suddenly an aspect of Arrianna appeared. This one completely enraged. "Sne married a filthy El Aurian meddler. The man who tortured me again and again. Do you know what Bishop did to me. He calibrated the pain stock to the apex of my pain tolerance. It was like every hour of torture was a day. I became what they wanted for the screaming to stop. She abandoned me for him."

Flossie appeared. "And then I became what you see. And I excelled at it. She submitted to save me? I fought for her. I resisted until Bishop broke me."

"I was a willing slave, broken in every way. Except my love for Josie."

"Did that belong to Cragen too?"

Quinn sighed "And what did you do to her?" She asked softly. "She fought for you didn't she?"

"I couldn't stop what I had become. I went to sleep in my mind." Arrianna noted. "Flossie took over." Arrianna stated.

"I showed Josie that she had to be a good wife for her husband. A good slave. Because that's what Josie wanted." Flossie noted.

"She agreed to be his slave, but he didn't free me. So I was sold. Flossie was going to be a good slave for her new owner. How was she supposed to know that her owner was Phoenix Lalor. "And she didn't even save Josie. She should have tried. But she followed orders like a good spy." Kate raged. "And what was Arrianna's principles as a Starfleet officer worth if they didn't protect Arrianna and Josie. So I put Arrianna to sleep. I'd protect her buy unleashing a river of blood, and I'd take her love back."

"Your hate nearly jeopardized Phoenix's mission Kate."

"You know that Phoenix would have done all she could to get Josie back Arrianna, but she had to make the tough call." Quinn said. "She knows what it is like to be apart from those who she loves."

Quinn saw the moment where Arrianna began stabbing Cragen. "Give her back to me!!! Give her back to me now." Tears were streaming down Arrianna's face. "I destroyed everything I fought for. Phoenix sent me away. She has every right to despise me now." Arrianna noted. "The love of my life, a sex slave of my own making. Shunned by my Captain. My friends. Everyone that once counted on me. I've earned my misery."

"Oh Josie.. forgive me. I'll fight harder for you. Ill be truer to you, more honest." She continued. "Phoenix, ill be more loyal. I know you need to kill at times, but don't be a monster like Pallas. If I have to be your conscience and compassion, I will give all that and more to you."

Quinn moved and sat beside Arri on the swing and slid an arm around her gently. "You are loyal, which is why you are as tortured as you are. Josie knows you are loyal. Its why she fought to save you. She was hoping you would be freed so you could find her and save her. And Pene knows you are Loyal, its why she sent you home, to heal, to get better."

Josie was exhausted. The drug had kept her at a heightened state the entire time. She raised her head and looked at him. "Let her go please." she whispered. "I'll.. do whatever.. let her go."

Raising an eyebrow, he replied. "You love her that much, that you'd willingly sacrifice yourself to me?" He contemplated this. "You would have to truly make it worth my while. Give yourself fully and freely, without the use of drugs.... Then I'd consider it."

She would, for Arri. Josie nodded "I will. You can whip me, electrocute me, fuck me I will let you do it, and I will do it freely, willingly, just let her go." She begged, her amber eyes focusing on him. "I will be anything you want me to be."

For a few moments, he said nothing. Then a sadistic grin filled his face. "You have a deal, my pet. I will release your lover, so long as you give yourself fully to me." He didn't tell her that this wasn't the first time he spoke that lie. He would release Arrianna. Either when she was purchased, or when she went into the Arena. Either way, he would still win.

Josie studied him, pain was radiating from her shoulders and making it hard to think. "Sign a contract." She said. "We will sign a contract on it Kyle."

Shrugging, Cragen agreed. "Make it a business proposal, then? A'right." He grabbed a PADD from the top of the nearby desk. Then he looked up and sighed. "Oh, wait. I forgot. One, I don't do contracts with my property, and two, as you are certainly under duress, it wouldn't be valid anyway. So...." he tossed the PADD back on his desk and grabbed the cat-of-nine-tails whip and began to lash Josie's back for the next ten minutes. While not as damaging as the bull whip, over the long haul, it tore up her back even more.

Josie's screams echoed through the room. Her body jerked and writhed as she dangled from the ceiling. She had been going to honour the bargain struck. She wanted him to honour his side. She screamed as one of the strikes caused her body to jerk and almost dislocated her shoulder. The image floated around them, Quinn showing Arri.

Arri winced as she saw Josie being whipped. "He lied... They lied..." She noted. "You don't lie to your mate.. It's not done.. They made me believe she wanted me to be a slave." Arri shed even more tears. "How does anyone lie to their mate?" Her mind began to calm. The billowing stormclouds in the mindscape began to break.

The Kates and Flossies began to vanish. One by one, as they had nothing further to fight each other about.

"He LIED!!! He married her, he doesn't treat her as a bride, we're all slaves to him." One of the Flossies stated.

"He LIED!!!! Decieved and tricked us.." One of the Kates snarled. "Made us think she wanted us to be a slave. He drugged her... Tortured her... DEATH!!!"

"NO!!!!" Arrianna said to her fragmented mental state. "We're not a killer.. We're not going to kill him. That's how this began.. That's how our mind shattered. Please... We will go to Josie. We will love her and protect her... And give everything to her."

"She's married to him." One of the Flossies stated.

"And he broke and oath to his wife." Arrianna noted. "We cannot end up like him. We cannot destroy what's left of ourselves by becoming what Kyle Cragen has become."

Quinn watched silently.

Arrianna walked towards Josie's statue and the other fragments of her personality walked towards her. One by one, they walked into Arrianna, becoming one with her once again. Until there was only Arrianna.

The mindscape shifted to that to a pristine mountain meadow, a crisp wind with a field of green. Trees in the distance, and wild horses galloping across the plains of Sena Alindar. Snow capped mountains. A woman walked to the statue, representing her link to Josie, and put her hand on her marble cheek.

"Josie... I am whole again... I know what happened.." A calm voice not heard since before the ship was captured by Captain Taylor. "He betrayed you, he deceived us, he hurt us. I know you did not tell me about your past marriage... I didn't tell you about Kyle. I should have." Arrianna noted. "Kyle Reece was a true friend, but youth and distance strained our relationship. You see... Alindari only conceive in the presence of their truest mate. We have to be in a state of the truest affection for each other. And I did not conceive with Kyle Reece. We remained friends.. and we moved on." She reached and kissed the marble form.

"You are my life... My everything.." Arri noted. "Take me back... I'll be more honest..." She noted. "Cragen broke his word to you. I will not. He hurt you... I would die for you again and again. I need no business contracts to be loyal to you." She shed more tears. "I'm coming for you, my love.. I will fight until Bishop releases you.. No more broken oaths.." She embraced the marble form.

"No more hatred... No more rage... No more submission... no more madness.." Arrianna noted.

Quinn sighed. "She never married him in the past. She only married him in 2397.. She and he were courting but nothing serious as Westin was stopping it where possible." She informed Arrianna. "She will be hard to find. Bishop will have hidden her well, at Cragen's insistence. But time moves in mysterious ways, I am sure she will be found."

Arrianna spoke. "Bishop cannot hide Josie from me. We need to leave my mindscape. I need to find his ship, and I know where to do it."

Quinn touched Arri's face gently, freezing the woman where she stood. "I will let us out but I want you to know something. There are things that need to happen. To you, To Josie, to Bishop all these things need to happen before the universe will let you reunite. She loves you. She will never not love you. But you need to trust in the universe right now, she is not being harmed nor tortured, He will not harm her."

"Trust in the universe. We're just two people Quinn. Insanely in love with each other." Arrianna noted. "I do not understand the reality I live in. What possible Universe altering event that an small being like me create that would require the attention of someone like you? I'm just one speck... in the grand scheme of things, Quinn. One insignificant, lonely, heartbroken, tortured, finite speck."

"The Universe has a way of working things out." Quinn said softly.

"I need to sleep for a bit Quinn." Arri noted.

"I know" Quinn smiled. "Come, lets get you to bed."

"One thing, can you touch my mind to Josie's for a moment, I want her to know I am myself again. And not the thing that tortured her. It's the only thing ill ask of your abilities. And I will owe you a debt for it."

Quinn sighed and nodded "Brief. But she is not herself at this stage"

Arri smiled then turned towards the Josie statue. She did not have to say anything. She just walked up and held out her combadge at the statue. That would tell Josie's recovering mind everything she needed to know; Arri was herself again, and she was not giving up on her.

Quinn allowed her the briefest glimpse, Josie's mind was dark and shrouded and disjoined images floated. Arri, her memories of Arri on the Elysium, Pacifica, of their private moments, and Kyle Cragen mixed together. But the Kyle was not the one Arri knew, it was of a man dressed in Ancient Earth clothes. The man she knew before she knew Arri. Then Quinn closed the link.

OOC: A Sample of this mental battleground. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGo1VaUzoeU