"Telling Arri the news"

Posted on Wed Oct 19th, 2022 @ 5:24am by Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: Captains Ready Room
Timeline: 19/08/2397 - Late Afternoon
1996 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

[[Commander Salannis an Vantar to the Commodore's Ready Room]] the summons went out to Arrianna.

Inside the ready room, Phoenix and Gary waited for Arrianna to arrive.

"Not too late to get security in here." Gary said half seriously.

"We will be fine. I will lock the door behind her." Phoenix muttered.

"Good idea on locking the door. Should have gotten a hypo from Sickbay as well." Gary commented.

"Breathe" Phoenix said with a warm smile. "She is not totally unreasonable."

Gary smiled back. "Right breathe and as for not being totally unreasonable, we're about to tell her former lover is back." He nodded, "I mean what can go wrong?"

Arrianna was in stellar cartography charting nebulas again. It was a way to calm herself so she didn't have to think about things. She looked up as the message came in and stood to go to Phoenix's ready room. This encounter was either going to be hopeful, or incredibly horrific. Phoenix wanted to see her? Perhaps to tell her to get off her ship? Fifty-Fifty.

She rode the turbolift with her usual restored calm demeanor. And it wasn't long before she was on the bridge. She sighed as she watched T'Kara in her post. Perhaps she should transfer.. Maybe to a deep space science ship where there was always the potential of never being heard from again. Was this to tell her that Josie's body had been found. If so.. Arrianna would make a quiet pledge never to love anyone again. She breathed somewhat, maintaining her calmness and pushed the doorchime.

Inside the Ready Room, Gary heard the chime just as Phoenix did. He glanced over to her, "Now, it begins. Ready?"

"Come!" Phoenix called out as she nodded at Gary.

Arrianna entered the room and stood. This did not look good. Gary was there also. Three things were probably going to happen here. Either her career was dead and she was being transferred off, Josie's body was found, Or this was going to at the least a reprimand for something. Possibly a demotion. "Yes, Captain?"

"Avalon, lock door please" Phoenix ordered and the door locked. "Have a seat Commander" She said calmly waving to the couch in the corner.

Gary looked at Arri, silently appraising her. She appeared calm and unruffled, but he knew what she had been through, and appearances were often deceiving especially where strong emotions were involved.

"Is there a reason I am being locked inside the Commodore's Ready Room with you and Captain Taylor?" Arrianna mused. "Of which I can only assume you have something very difficult to say where you don't want me to leave. Which could be any number of things. I can assume you either found Sephine Cragen... Or you found Josie's body." Arrianna mentioned. It's been eight months.. eight months at the tender mercies of Michael Bishop. She couldn't stand nine days without becoming Flossie. Eight months of the effective and excruciating conditioning of Michael Bishop. No woman's sanity could survive that.

"Sit Arri" Phoenix replied calmly.

Arrianna bowed her head, this was not what she thought.

"Ok, here is the deal. Josephine was released by Michael Bishop four days ago, on Galaxy Station, which you might remember is now under the command of Captain Lovejoy." Phoenix held up a hand to stall Arri's interruptions. "She knows who she is, and what happened to her and after being assessed by his medical team was brought to Earth by shuttle. It arrived a few hours ago. She is currently at Starfleet Medical. And No Arri, you may not see her."

"Bishop broke the Sephine personality and as the Commodore just stated Josephine knows who she is. There is no vestige of the Sephine personality." Gary added perhaps a bit redundantly, but he wanted Arri to understand what was being said.

"And rightly so..." Arrianna noted. "I did fail her, I did fail you, the Elysium's crew. And I failed everyone who believed in me." Arri mentioned. "I put her into danger." Arri noted. "It was my lack of discipline, that resulted in us being captured and enslaved. She is better and safer without me in her life." Arrianna mentioned as calmly as she could. "I regret my failures every day, and I am stronger because of them."

"Arri." No one is casting any blame on you. You are the only one doing so. You cannot undo what was done, but you can move forward, and you can start by stop being a martyr." Gary said calmly.

"I am not worthy of her!" Arrianna noted. "I disappointed her so much.. I nearly became like Cragen.. I did not cherish her nearly as much as I should have. Obsessed over her, I lost my sanity, my self control." Arri noted. "I nearly even took my own life. And she will hate me more when she learns.." Arrianna mentioned. "At least.. I can have some form of peace knowing she's no longer Bishop's prisoner. And I can have resolution as I rebuild my life and career that unlike Kyle Cragen, I can let go. If I love her more than life itself. I can give her a choice." Arrianna held back tears again.

"Arri, stop it. You are jumping to conclusions and this self hatred doesn't do you any good nor will it help if you continue this when you finally do see Josephine." Gary answered calmly. "You are working on those issues, don't downplay that fact."

"And she has to undergo counselling and the like before she can return to duty Arrianna. Its going to be tough for both of you. And Josephine is not taking Visitors until she is cleared okay?" Phoenix said softly.

"I nearly became what she hated, Phoenix." Arrianna mentioned. "And now I'm doing everything I can to become the woman you and Gary once knew again. But please, if I cannot see her, nor talk to her, let me record a message for her, and you and the counsellors can deliver it when you feel the time is right."

Phoenix nodded "Very well. I am sure that once Starfleet clears her she will be allowed to return to Elysium to undergo further counselling and such. But Arri? I want your word, you will let her deal with the things she has to deal with, and come to you."

"I love her so much Phoenix. Living each day without her is a special kind of torture." Arrianna stated. "If it weren't for Cragen, I would have promised her I'd do better with even Carrington. I was about to offer her a ring.. Now.. She'll be so near to me.. and so far......"

Arrianna spoke. "Avalon..." She stood.

"Yes Commander" the AI said.

"Record a holomessage for me." Arri wiped her eyes.

"Of course. When you are ready."

Arri started.

"Josie... It is me." She took off her communicator and held it forward. It was the same gesture she gave her when they met, and a simple one she used to discretely identify herself as a Starfleet Officer. If Josie got this message, she would know instantly. Arrianna was free of Flossie.

"They told me you were alive, and you were not her.." Arrianna noted. "It's been beyond difficult for me, Josie.. My mind is so damaged, and I'm believing you have suffered your own share of pain. I want you to know. I am sorry." Arrianna noted. "I put us into this situation, and I was acting stupidly." She noted. "I need you to forgive me, I'm begging your forgiveness." Arrianna noted. "Phoenix saved me, and for the last six to seven months, I have been in a special kind of hell. At some point the grief and obsession with coming for you became so horrible, I almost became as obsessed and treacherous as Cragen. If you need time away from me, I will understand. Take as much time as you require. I will be patient." Arrianna noted. "I need time as well, as I was not gentle with the personality Bishop put into my mind when I learned of the torment she put you through. This has left both and my mind in chaos."

"But know this.. When I first saw you, I was enchanted by you. Your resourcefulness, your intelligence, especially the dogs. Which are currently in my care, and I will send them to you. They managed to help me through the worst of my depression and pain. I have a great deal of pain to deal with right now, and we cannot bond again just yet. I love you to the end of time.. Beyond existence itself. And it left a wound in me every time I heard the screaming. My worst pain was being unable to stop Flossie from hurting you. My shame was being so weak, I put you in great jeopardy." Arrianna noted. "I offer you a choice.. as I always have. But please forgive me. And if you choose not to take me back into your life. I understand. I could never ever hurt you, and your well-being.. Is more important to me.. than my life." Arrianna shed a tear. "I would die for you, my love. I'm doing what Phoenix is asking of me, and giving you time." Arrianna wiped a tear. "I love you... And forgive me. Avalon end recording."

Gary was silent for a moment then he spoke and chose not to comment on Arri's message. "I'll take the dogs back to Josephine, Arri. In addition, I think they will provide much needed therapy for Josephine in her recovery."

Phoenix was silent and took the recording from the desk. "I am sure she will be allowed back here soon Arri."

"Phoenix, forgive me. I betrayed your trust, and that I must earn back as well. I feel a great pain off my shoulders knowing she is free of Bishop, she is safe. I'm sorry what happened with Carrington." Arrianna noted. "Everytime that woman called you a traitor. And the way that deception was carried out. It disgusted me and it all compounded from there." Arri noted. "It shook my faith in starfleet to the core. I know my moral compass may seem naïve to you, but it's what I have to fight for. And if was one of the things driving me mad. I should have known the Federation would never do such things, but the line between liberty and tyranny is thin."

"Arri." You didn't betray Phoenix's trust or my trust in you. You betrayed your own trust in not having enough faith in the federation to act as you thought they did and that is something you will have to forgive yourself for and that will take time." Gary told her.

Phoenix moved back from the conversation and considered and then said "You broke faith with me Arrianna, you are correct. When you tried to kill yourself without consideration of what that would do to those who know you. You broke my faith and while I understand why it happened, and maybe I should have been firmer with you during that time, I wasn't. And that may be my failing. But I am over the pity parties. You will continue your counselling. And If I hear more about rants and such from you, I will ask that you be removed from duty. Josephine has been through months more than you, yet she looks her future in the face. Oh..." she paused "One thing we forgot to mention. She is pregnant."

Gary looked to Phoenix and nodded his approval of what she had said to Arri. Arri needed to be handled this way. Hard ball. "Arri, a piece of advice for you. Grow up. Stop the pity party as Phoenix has already said. Face and accept what happened and move forward."

Arri nodded. "This is going to be more difficult that I thought, but I will work through it, you have my word."