Stardate:2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Cell - COUNS Winters - 0730) Vanyssa, after examining the room to make sure that there was no way out, not that there would be one, considering where she thought she was; curled up in a little ball on the floor, her head in her hands. She was never going to get back home to see Jennah or Kat.... there was no way she would ever see David again. She'd remembered the transporter beam, then being held down by 4 burly security officers while an evil looking Fickett had shot her full of something. Then everything had went numb, and she couldn't sense anything. "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised to see you in tears. The Suppressant acts also like a depressant - and affects different telepaths differently." Vanyssa looked up in shock to see herself standing there, hair longer, face crueler, and dressed in a skintight leather version of the uniform others had worn, including heels. Vanyssa gaped at the sensual woman standing in front of her. Everything about her was sex, from the way she carried herself to the aura that she projected. "I want to tell you some things, before they take you off to be tortured, and they will. There are telepaths in your universe, and you are quite a strong one. I am, however, stronger. So is every telepath on this ship. We are taken from our parents at a very young age and taught to be the strongest we can be. There was a war, not long ago, where telepaths fought telepaths, and many died; so true, strong, telepaths are a rarity to be prized. When I killed my mother I was given the FO position of this ship and my choice of rewards." The evil Vanyssa leaned down and softly stroked the good Vanyssa's face. "I chose Falthgood." She whispered, leaning in to kiss the tears out of Vanyssa's eyes, being very soft and tender. The good Vanyssa almost jumped back in revulsion, disgust dominant in her thoughts. "Good girl." The evil Vanyssa whispered. "I feed on emotions, you know..we are taught to from an early age, so that we will have the proper incentives to do our job." The evil Vanyssa pressed the good Vanyssa against the wall and straddled the good Vanyssa's body, hands lightly touching the good Vanyssa's face, one on each side of her temple. She turned back to her guards and told them to not let anyone interrupt. One of her guards was a medium level telepath and nodded, leaving the room with the other. "Lets see what we have here..." the evil Vanyssa whispered, and pressed into her mind, ripping through her barriers as the good Vanyssa began to scream in pain. The evil Vanyssa stopped about 15 minutes later, and got up, relishing in the emotions that she had caused her counterpart. She summoned her guards in. "I want her stripped, and have her uniform delivered to my Quarters. I'll be going to help Sevant take over the other ship. Tell the doctor to keep her doped up on the usual course of drugs, and give her over to the trainees. It will be good for them to have someone relatively unbroken to practice on." The one guard nodded and went off to carry out her orders. The evil Vanyssa turned and looked down at her pitiful counterpart. The evil Vanyssa leaned down and grabbed Winters by the hair, pulling her head back and forcing her to look eye to eye. "The strong ALWAYS win, Vanyssa. ALWAYS." And the evil Vanyssa seared those words into Ness's mind, burning them in. they would haunt her for the rest of her days...however long that might be. And then Vanyssa was left alone, in the Darkness, with no one to hold her, until 2 rough hands came and dragged her into a room. She was left in the middle of the floor a spotlight shining right into her eyes, too weak to move from the drugs. If she could have moved, she would have fought her counterpart. "Class, this is Vanyssa Winters, who is from the other side." A voice spoke, a voice that Vanyssa knew. It was Kestra. "She's a telepath, but has been shot full of suppressant. She is relatively unbroken, only having been deep-scanned by Commander Winters. Each of you will take turns scanning her, and causing and evoking pain and hurt. The goal here is not to leave any marks, but to cause the maximum amount of pain possible. Each of you will take turns monitoring the subject so that you will know how to recognize the signs. The goal is not to kill your subject, just to torture them. Everyone in the Fleet has cost the Fleet much in man-hours and training. Killing your subject could be cause to be executed yourself, depending on your record." And with that Vanyssa's torment began, her mind slowly being peeled away as Kestra refined each of the student's techniques on her. After about a half hour she wasn't capable of screaming anymore. After two hours, she retreated inside her head and knew that she wouldn't be able to come back out. They already knew what they wanted to know about her... The evil Vanyssa had been able to extract the details from her mind. Now they just wanted to hurt her. (reply none yet :-) (pb melinda) Stardate:2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Cmdr Sevant - 0930) Sevant pushed himself up against the bulkhead, his eyes tight shut as he steeled himself against the fire that his nerves had become. Slowly be turned his mind inward, taking a mental look about to see if he had any serious problems. He hadn't been able to discover any, so far, they hadn't so much as put a finger on him during the entire process. But he had never felt such residual pain before, not without having something physically wrong. The theory of nerve induction torture wasn't a new one for him, someone with enough knowledge of physiology and nerve structure could make a person feel just about anything. But he had never before experienced it, and never had he heard of a system that worked just so well as this had. After several long minutes, he abandoned his attempt to find physical damage, there was just none to be had. Rather, he tried to fight past the memories of pain, and remember just what he had been asked. And worse, if he had answered when the pain-induction devices had been engaged. Sevant took a very long, slow breath... And began putting himself into a trace state. (Alter Nimitz - Counseling Section - Cmdr Sevant - Earlier) "Name and position?" The Vulcan quirked an eyebrow, and just looked at the woman who was questioning him. He couldn't move much of anything else, he was strapped down to a chair with straps strong enough to hold a raging Klingon. He had given them a quick test, but little else, he was certain that his captors were competent at their business. Besides, he was already physically weak from being zapped by some sort of stun device in the cell. The woman smiled at him for a few moments, then pulled out a small device that vaguely resembled his own communicator. It had the same general shape, though it had a much more wicked design. She put it on his chest, right about in the 'correct' place for a communicator, then stepped back to her seat. "I will ask you again, Vulcan, what is your name and position?" Without waiting for an answer, she pushed a button on a small controller she was holding. Sevant's eyes immediately bugged out, and he convulsed against the straps as excruciating pain filled every place on his body at once. After just a moment, the pain disappeared, leaving a small tingling in the tips of his fingers and toes, and a painful memory of the jolt. "I only ask my first question, more then once. I've given you a taste of our techniques now, but just a taste." She smiled as she stood once again, "I can make pain explode behind your eyes, I can make it flow in waves up and down your body, I can just about do anything. So..." she put a finger under the Vulcan's chin, and ran it lightly up to the scar of his face. "I will ask you one. last. time. Name, and position?" The Vulcan shifted his eyes to look at her. "Caladryll Sevant, First Officer USS Nimitz." "Ahhhhh, better." she said Sevant snorted. "Now," she said, apparently taking no notice of his snort. "What are you doing here?" Sevant quirked an eyebrow as his mouth quirked into a nasty grin. "Caladryll Sevant, First Officer, USS Nimitz." The woman shook her head, "I hate slow learners." She pushed a button, and held it. Sevant jerked against the bonds and straps, his body completely out of his control. He tried biting his tongue, to prevent the screams he knew where coming.. But he found he was already too late, his voice rang high and loud in the closed room. His painful bellow filled every corner of the room. Without warning, the pain suddenly stopped, and Sevant was left with fresh pain in his body.. Something he knew would take longer to dissipate this time. He couldn't handle much more of this, he purposely closed his eyes and retreated into his own private world... (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Cmdr Sevant - 1025) Sevant came out of his self-induced meditation with a deep gasp of remembered pain. His body still twitched from the nerve induction, it didn't take much to recall the absolute penalization that he had been through. He couldn't remember anything after his own self-induced hypnosis in the torture room, but he could only assume he said nothing there... His body was nothing but a shell by that point. He had only come 'out' of it once he noticed that he was no longer being shocked. He took another deep breath and shuddered, this was NOT a good situation. He couldn't go through many sessions like that, without either permanently withdrawing into his mind, or giving away some sort of vital evidence. It was only a matter of time... Caladryll closed his eyes and sighed as guards stepped in front of his cell, and the force field was dropped. He had no good idea of how long it had been since their last session, but it seems a bit soon for them to be dragging him up again... Unless they had no intention of letting him rest up. The Vulcan looked up, and immediately frowned when he noticed one of the jailers had a woman over his shoulder. The guard tossed the woman onto his cot, and said "Here's a little present for you Vulcan," A gasp of breath forced Sevant to turn his attention to the door. "It's him! The one from..." Sevant was in his feet in an instant, both guards started pulling weapons, but whomever had just dropped off the Counselor took a single shot and knocked one of them over. Sevant reached out with all his strength, and snapped the neck of the second. The guard slowly slid down, his face a mask of horror. "I'm Captain Devan Sash, of the USS Endeavor." Sevant nodded to the man, briefly, and limped his way over to the side of Winters. (reply: none) (posted by Trout) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Mission Day: 1 Stardate 04.19.2406 (Mirror Universe- Prison deck- Captain Devan Sash & Cmndr Sevant-1030) Sash looked at the Vulcan, who seemed a little unsteady on his feet. He helped him to sit on the side of the cot beside Vanyssa Winters. "You don't seem to be in much better shape than her," he commented plainly. "I would guess I'm not." Sevant said, quietly. "Obviously, it's not going to work for us to get out of here and have to carry her," he said touching her face softly. ~Was it really her?~ "Do you have any suggestions?" Sevant closed his eyes for a moment, but rather then just shaking his head, he looked over at her. "Is this recent?" he eventually asked. "When I found her she was alreaddy like this. They were torturing her, I believe telepathically." "Hmmmm, then she might have withdrawn, or might have been pushed into a quiet corner of her mind. She might not come back out until someone friendly links with her." "Are you sure you're up to it?" Sash looked worried. The Vulcan snorted, "Not likely, but I don't see we have much of a choice." He looked back up, "But who are you?" he asked. "As I said," Sash replied, "I'm Captain Devan Sash. I was the CO of the USS Endeavor. My ship was drawn over to this side of the dimensional rift and was subsequently destroyed." He figured there was no point in giving all the details right now. he would have to answer for that once he was back in his own universe. "I can't say how long I've been here, but most likely it's been a a couple of months. I'm ready to go home now, and I'd like to have your help. If you are willing to trust me." Sevant considered that for a few minutes, then nodded gruffly. If he was other then what he said, it really wouldnt matter. He slowly put Vanyssa on the floor, and reached out to put his fingers lightly on her face. Sash moved out of the way in order to let the Vulcan get at Nessa. He watched in awe as the Vulcan touched her and began to mold her mind, to wade through the destruction that had been laid in her mind. To say the least, he was impressed. (reply Sevant and Winters) (posted by Al Muir) Stardate:2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Sevant & Winters - 1040) When the telepaths had attempted to break her, Vanyssa did the only thing that she knew how to do in such a situation, retreat into the inner corners of her mind, build some defenses and hunker down. it was a much better solution that allowing them to see how easily they could hurt her. And truth be told, sometimes Vanyssa wasn't the strongest person , especially since she had broken the bond with David that kept her whole. A piece of her was missing, and without that piece she wouldn't be able to survive. With the thought that she had failed her colleagues, she retreated to a happier time. Sevant, his face a tight mask of pain, entered slowly into a complete meld, melting himself into whatever reality Winters had created for herself, if there was one at all. (reply: any) (Dreamscape - Sevant & Winters - Time has no meaning) When the Nimitz had passed through some temporal distortions, the telepaths on the ship had gotten visions of alternate futures, and it was that vision that Vanyssa clung to. She found herself in a house, with children running about, and David standing there, welcoming her with open arms. She joyfully surrendered herself to those arms, knowing that he was not only strong, but would protect her. With his very life if need be. The Vulcan slowly blinked, once he was connected to her, and looked 'around' him. He took a few moments to consider his surroundings and what they meant, then decided she had buried herself deep into either a memory of home, or a fantasy of home. Either way, it wasn't unexpected, as long as this was a place of relative comfort. He took a deep 'breath', prepared himself mentally for any dozens of possible reactions, then bellowed "Counselor Winters!" Vanyssa turned out of the loving arms of David enough to see Caladryll standing there, amongst her children. "Cal, did you bring Jayne and T'loren to play? Jennah will be so excited. We haven't seen you in so long, how are Vicki and the twins doing?" David went to welcome his friend and fellow warrior. "Hello, Sevant. How does being right hand to the Admiral treat you these days?" He asked, reaching his hand out in welcome. Sevant went slack-jawed, this was FAR from what he had expected. He shook his head, closed his eyes, and fought the waves of feeling that came. "Vanyssa!" he finally said, "Come back to reality, we need you on your feet..." He looked back up, "Look around you! This isn't real, this isn't.. anything like real. My Family is dead, your David is dead... lock onto that, remember it." His eyes crossed with tension as he fought Vanyssa's mind for just a moment, and brought an image of David Dark, lying against a forested tree, his BDU snapped nearly in half. It was David as Sevant had seen him, during their last mission. He desperately hoped he wouldn't have to give her images of his family, as he had seen them from pictures. "We can't go anywhere, unless you come back to us." he finally managed. "Come back to you? But you are right here, Caladryll. And David is right here too. He isn't dead." She looked at him in concern. "Are you sure you haven't been working too hard from all that stress? Admiral Doenitz? sure has been working you hard with the trial of that traitor LoDona." She held out her hand in concern. "Is that why you came to see me? Since you don't want any of the Counselors to know?" She asked, softly. "I won't tell, I promise." Sevant grit his teeth, "You are a betazoid, tell me how I should be able to do this." It was painful, and Vanyssa's subconscious defenses were fighting him all the way, but Sevant managed to form an image of Vicki and the dead children right before Vanyssa's feet. He noticed her gasp, but left the image there for several moments before letting it slip away. "The only time either of us has been able to do anything like that, Vanyssa, was when we were melded." His face was grim, "I'm melded to you, right now. If you have the courage, take note of yourself.. find me in your mind." Vanyssa looked at him strangely, and then David stepped in front of her. "You are hurting her, Caladryll. You must be evil." And with that David drew his Katana. "Defend yourself, if you dare." Sevant looked at David and shook his head, he couldn't fight a full betazoid in her own mind. He would have to break the meld before that. Rather, he turned back to her. "I'm trying to save you, Vanyssa. You will die if you do NOT come out, we need to escape, we can't carry you. I won't leave you, so if you don't come out, we BOTH die." he said, flatly. She looked uncertain, almost as if something he was saying was beginning to break through her carefully constructed world. "How can we die here, Caladryll? It's so perfect." She asked uncertainly. "YOU ARE WITHIN YOUR OWN MIND!" he finally bellowed. His strength was finally fading, he didn't have much time left. "YOU RETREATED HERE!" he ducked a swing of the Katana, then put most of his strength behind one last ditch effort to get through to her. He punched David, with every ounce of 'strength' he had, to buy himself a few more seconds. "We can escape, if we hurry, if you come back... if you see what you have done to yourself in order to protect yourself. I can't help you any more then this..." Sevant was beginning to fade, his physical strength was nearly finished... he would be sweating and shaking by now, in the real world. He looked at Vanyssa's mental projection for a second longer. "Follow me... and we can make ourselves safe again..." Vanyssa cried out as the image in front of her began to waver and she ran and hugged him tight to herself. "Oh, god." She cried, tears streaming down her face physically though her eyes were still shut and she was locked in the meld. Sevant, his mental grasp as tight around Vanyssa as he could, pulled.. and attempted to break the meld. If he could succeed, then odds were she would pull herself out with him. He was meeting resistance though, lots of it, both from Vanyssa's subconscious and his own exhausted body. He mentally growled at himself and the whole situation, and YANKED with everything he had left. (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Sevant & Winters - 1045) Sevant stifled a groan of pain, as he pulled his fingers away from Vanyssa's face, and fell backwards onto his hind end. Vanyssa sat up, blinking in the darkness to see Sash standing over her with a phaser pointed at the door. "Oh my God." She whispered softly, and saw Sash whirl at her familiar voice. She looked down at Caladryll, and slid off the cot, trying not to move too fast. She looked into his eyes and asked quietly, "Are you ok?" She whispered. She didn't remember him being in the alternate reality of her mind with her, only that Kestra and the telepaths had been hurting her and she had withdrawn. It was obvious then that Cal had saved her by melding. "I will live," he said after a few moments. "We haven't much time." Vanyssa nodded. "Caladryll, why is Sash here?" She asked quietly, seeing Sash's eyes widen. Sevant looked up at the officer he had just met, "To escape with us," he said. He put his hands down, and pushed himself to wobbly feet. "And we had best get to it, or we will never make it." "Wait a second." Vanyssa said softly, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug, attempting to make her telepathic contact closer. She drew away and stared into Sash's eyes. "Oh my God, it is you." She threw herself back into his arms and hugged him close. She turned back to Cal. "This is Sash!" She replied with a huge grin, totally out of character for the present circumstances. She then looked at Cal, more seriously. "Where are the others? Nishi and Zach and Fickett?" Sevant shook his head, and gestured to Sash. "He would know better." (reply: sash) Vanyssa reached out with her mind, even though it hurt, hurt like reaching into flame to do it. She would need to spend some time with a betazoid or Vulcan mind-healer when this was all over, recovering. "Nishi and Zach are that way. There are 4 minds between us and Zach, more between Zach and Nishi. I can't sense Fickett." She replied, slumping against Sash's strong arms. Sevant nodded, "Let's go, then." (reply: Sash, any) (posted by Trout) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Mirror Universe - Detention Cell - Lt.Cmdr. Nakamura - 10:41) The forcefield beeped to indicate that it had been shut off and Nishi heard movement, sheer panic set in, an uncontrollable jerking began in his limbs - the need to escape from Kestra and the pain she brought took control of is body, he was trying to flee, to back away - the shackles and cables kept him where he was, thrashing like a fish on a line. "My god, what did she do to this guy?" spoke a male voice, Nishi focused on them, two men in uniforms walking toward him. It didn't matter that it wasn't Kestra. His mind was working on a single primitive need for self preservation. "Hey calm down, we've been sent to get you down" said one of the men. Nishi continued to thrash, until one of the men punched him in the face, then he went limp. He heard their voices, as he verged on the edge of unconsciousness, but didn't understand what they were saying. He longed for the comfort of unconsciousness, like a dark comfortable body of water where he could float weightlessly and escape. Suddenly he was falling, his legs weren't ready to support him and he fell face first on to the floor. He weakly got his arms into position, trying to get to his feet, or even knees, but as he lifted himself from the ground, one of his hands slipped in the blood on the floor, and he hit the ground again. The world span, and the dark pool of unconsciousness came tauntingly close, but was denied to him, he threw up, then just lay there on the ground. The men spoke, their was disgust in their voices, then he was lifted and dropped onto the bunk, and they left. Nishi curled up, the smell of blood and vomit strong in his nostrils and mouth, forcing their way into his senses, keeping him from the comfort of unconsciousness. (Reply: Sash, Sevant, Winters) (Posted: Alister) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Captain Devan Sash- 1050) Sash watched carefully at the telepathic confrontation going on before him. He knew that a mind meld was rough even if you were oin your best condition. But what Sevant was doing now could only be described as heroic. He watched as sweat began to drip from his face and patches of sweat began to appear on his tunic. He could literally feel the tension in the air. He had no telepathic abilities, latent or otherwise, but he knew there was a hell of a battle going on in Nessa's head. Suddenly Sevant moved. His fingers stiffly removed themselves from Vanyssa's head and he groaned. He fell backwards and Sash caught him. He helped him to lean against the wall, and then went to check if anyone was coming yet. Vanyssa sat up, blinking in the darkness to see Sash standing over her with a phaser pointed at the door. "Oh my God." She whispered softly, and saw Sash whirl at her familiar voice. She looked down at Caladryll, and slid off the cot, trying not to move too fast. She looked into his eyes and asked quietly, "Are you ok?" She whispered. "I will live," Sevant replied. "We haven't much time." Vanyssa nodded. "Caladryll, why is Sash here?" She asked quietly, seeing Sash's eyes widen. Sevant looked up at the officer he had just met, "To escape with us," he said. "And we had best get to it, or we will never make it." "Wait a second." Vanyssa said softly, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug, attempting to make her telepathic contact closer. She drew away and stared into Sash's eyes. "Oh my God, it is you." She threw herself back into his arms and hugged him close. She turned back to Cal. "This is Sash!" She replied with a huge grin, totally out of character for the present circumstances. She then looked at Cal, more seriously. "Where are the others? Nishi and Zach and Fickett?" Sevant shook his head, and gestured to Sash. "He would know better." Sash returned the hug, happy and not happy that it was her, and that she appeared to be alright. Vanyssa looked into his eyes, expecting an answer. "To be honest, I don't know where your friends are," Sash admitted. "In fact I didn't know you were here until I actually saw you. They will be around this section of the ship, but I can't be sure where exactly." Vanyssa reached out with her mind, even though it hurt, hurt like reaching into flame to do it. She would need to spend some time with a betazoid or Vulcan mind-healer when this was all over, recovering. "Nishi and Zach are that way. There are 4 minds between us and Zach, more between Zach and Nishi. I can't sense Fickett." She replied, slumping against Sash's strong arms. Sevant nodded, "Let's go, then." Sash nodded in agreement. "You two stay here for just a moment. Neither of you look like your ready for a fight, and I have a bad feeling about it being so quiet." He went over to the door and opened it. There was still nobody there. It wasn't until he stepped out into the corridor that he saw the security team. They were standing there with what appeared to be tazered clubs. The front row were tapping the clubs in the palms of their hands, smiling. Sash looked inside for a moment, and said, "Stay here. This shouldn't take long." He closed the door. There sounds of thuds and grunts through the wall. Then some, what sounded like electric shocks and screams. After a short time Sash opened the door again and walked in. He was straightening his tunic and fixing his hair. "Ready?" he said, breathing a little heavy. "Let's go." They stepped into the hall to find about a half dozen security officers laying on the floor. Sash smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I think I'm getting to old for this." He stepped on top of the guards as they moved down the hallway. He looked to Vanyssa to get directions to the cells. She finally pointed to a cell. Sash hit the door button and it slid open. Inside was a man lying on the cot. He was curled into a fetal postition and the sound of sobs were coming from him. (reply Nakamura, Winters, Sevant) (posted by Al Muir) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Captain Devan Sash- 1052) Sash the reunion of the three crewmen and felt a momentary pang of sadness and guilt. He would not have such a reunion with his crew. They were all gone and that was all there was to it. He had learned a long time ago, in times of war people die. And they were at war here. There were still two others to find. And Sash was sure that those security officers would not be go long unmissed. He didn't really want to hasten things up too much but time was of the essence here and they had to get moving. "I'm sorry people," Sash said, "but we really need to get moving. Somebody could be here anytime now." Sash heard footsteps coming and stopped. The door opened and a woman stepped in. Sash recognized her, as did Vanyssa, as she caught her breath. The woman looked a little disshevled, her hair a bit amiss and her face nearly red with fury. He wasn't sure who said it, but a voice behind his whispered a name, "Kestra." With the most evil look that sash had seen in his long life, Sash realized that it was the woman he had phasered not that long ago. And she definitely looked the type to hold a grudge. (reply Evil Kestra, Winters, Sevant, Nakamura) (posted by Al Muir) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Evil Kestra Troi, Catain Sash, Vanyssa Winters - 1058) Kestra finally woke up from the stun blast and was not in a very good mood. Not only had she let a prisoner get into her room, fool her, stun her, the prisoner had taken her test subject. The prisoner was the one they had found out to be the other Capt Sash and he had fooled her. That would not do, would not do at all. Now Kestra would show this captain why her students feared getting her angry. She searched for him with her mind and found exactly where he was then smiled a very evil smile that made the waking students cringe hoping it was not aimed at them. Kestra started in the direction where she felt Captain Sash was at. She thought about getting security to meet up with her where the prisoners were, but, she knew she could handle them herself. She had done this before and one more time would not matter. As she closed in on their position she heard the one called Captain Sash say, "I'm sorry people, but, we really need to get moving. Somebody could be here anytime now." Kestra opened the door and stepped in. She could feel the fear that she genorated from them that was in the room which made her smile an evil smile. Kestra did not care that she looked a little disshevled, her hair a bit amiss and her face nearly red with fury, all she wanted was to show Sash who he messed with. As she leveled her eyes on Sash, a voice behind his whispered a name, "Kestra." At that Kestra leveled a mental blast of pain at everyone in the room but Sash, she wanted him to watch as she would torture the rest in front of him. At him she told his mind that he could not control the muscles in his arms or legs. She watched him slump down as his legs gave way then she walked over to him. "You would dare my wrath by shooting me?" Kestra asked in a sneer as she wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his face up to look at her. "You are going to feel pain as you have never felt pain before and you will come to beg for me to kill you, which I will not do but give you more pain." Kestra then let him go to sink to the ground once again. She watched the others as they were coming out of her pain suggestion. She wanted to do nothing with them at the time so she pressed on their minds a very strong suggestion of sleep and watched as they started to drop to the floor. She knew that the torture she had inflicted on them earlier was just too much for them to recover too soon then she returned to Sash. "Haven't you learned while you have been here that we have been doing this sort of thing for a very long time. We have developed our minds past what the telepaths of your universe have. We have won wars with our minds alone and you think that you can come here to beat us?" Kestra laughed an evil laugh as she shot down into Sash's mind to place the memories of the horrid tortures of his crew and their deaths. She then destorted them to make them worse and made them his memories. She laughed at the horrid scream that emitted from Sash. Sash grited his teeth against the images that he was seeing in his minds eye. The vision of his CMO having his fingers emoved one at a time. The screams and the blood were so real in his mind. The continual rape of the young ensign that he had just brought on board to work at the conn. He could hear her screams to stop until she begged them to let her die. Then there was the intense feelings of guilt that seemed a lot stronger than he remembered them being. His training should have helped him deal with this. He had seen death and mutilation in his life. Some of it worse than he was envisioning now. But still, the thoughts that were being accessed were surface memeories. But he could feel the pressure of her mental probe, cutting through his mind. It wasn't a nice clean cut through his mind. It was like a three hundred pound man pushing a dull knife through his mind, causing ragged and ugly tears in the fabric of his reality. Then he realized that everything he was seeing, was the negative side of his thoughts. He was protecting his pleasant memories. The memories that he did not want Kestra to see. If he were to act he needed to act fast, or he would not be able to save himself. He accessed his memories of the Angossian Wars. He pulled up the images of the horrors of the war he'd experienced. Small children that had been burned alive, men who had been litterally torn to shreds by weapons fire. He called on these memories and sent them in a stream back at Troi. He made them the most intense memories that he had ever experienced. He opened his eyes in time to see the look on the telepaths face. It was a look of shock and surprise. In a manner of speaking, he was giving her back what she had been giving him. Kestra took in what Sash had sent her and it surprised her that he had the ability at this time. She had been sending him some memories that she had thought would decimate him but even after the screams, he sent her this. She noticed that the shock and surprise had made it to her face which she hid quickly, but, she could feel from him that he saw it. Now he had hope that he could beat her and that would just not do. "You measly little piss ant! You think that you have the power to overcome me? Me, a more powerful telepath than you have met in your measly universe? Well, mister now you will know true pain!" Kestra said as she started back into his mind. She started back in and noticed this time that he was guarding something important to him. She saw that he had a protective shield that caused her to slide past it if she was not actively seeking things that were protect like pleasure memories. She thought that it was a very clever barrier, but, once it was found, it was week. It was never meant to bar but to hide the thoughts by making the area look empty so the telepath would just slide on past them. "Very clever little man, I have never seen anything like that before. I will have to put that to memory and use it at a later date. Now that it has been found, though, it will be used against you." Kestra said with an evil laugh as she started to plunged through his barrier into those pleasant thoughts. Once there she started to distort everything to make them turn bad and commit them to his long term memory. As she was doing that she was laughing her little evil chuckle, leaving it in stamped on every memory that she touched. There was no fighting it. He knew he couldn't keep her out. he had no telepathic abilities. He had nothing in his repertory to even come close. All he could do is let it happen. Agaian the power of Kestra Troi dug into his mind, now plowing into his more personal thoughts. Thoughts of his life, of his youth, of Vanyssa. Suddenly they turned ugly. Every pleasant moment he had, twisted to a sick, dark nightmare. Sash bit into his cheeks antil they bled, but he couldn't keep the scream from coming. He fell back onto the floor digging his fingers into his head, trying to physically pull the twisted memories from his head. Kestra leaned over him to get a good luck at his broken spirit on his face. Vanyssa had frozen by Nishi's side when Kestra had walked into the room. The woman didn't have a phaser, didn't have anything but her mind. Vanyssa screamed as the pain flowed over her and threw her, and from somewhere she felt pain flowing through her. However, she was no longer under the suppressant and shielded it out in a supreme effort of will. Vanyssa slowly rose, hugging the wall behind her, trembling against the effort of keeping Kestra out. When she saw Kestra focusing solely on Sash, and Sash collapsed on the floor, Vanyssa moved over to Sevant, and took the phaser out of his unresponsive hand. She levelled it at Kestra and hit the button, her shot going wildly off mark due to her trembling, and Kestra's attention turned to Vanyssa. What very few people knew about Vanyssa was that when she was 14 and vacationing on Risa with her father, she had been attacked by an assassin sent to kill her father and had killed him with her mind. The incident was buried and forgotten by most, including Vanyssa but somehow the memory came bounding forth, giving Vanyssa energy that she didn't know that she had. Sash was one of the few last living links to her childhood and so Vanyssa launched herself at Kestra, Vanyssa slammed into Kestra and ended up straddling her on the floor pinning her down, looking into her eye. ~I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT HIM~ She seared into Kestra's mind, and saw the other telepath wince, but remain awake. Vanyssa used every iota of her telepathic ability to rip through Kestra's shielding and expose her mind bare. ~You know what, Kestra Troi of the fifth House, in my universe you aren't stronger than me, and you aren't here, either.~ And with that Vanyssa reached deep and down to that place where all life force lived and snuffed it out, almost like she was blowing out a candle. Kestra Trois's eyes rolled to the back of her head and her light was gone. By the time she hit the floor the blood had ceased to flow and her heart had stopped pumping. but that was just as well, since her brain had already stopped functioning. As the light went out on Kestra's mind she sent her last malevolent thought into Sash's mind. ~You think you've won, but I will have my revenge.~ Sash's head spun as some thought implanted into his head, then his head cleared. He decided it was just the fact of her mind being so violently pulled from his own. (reply none) (posted by Al Muir, Frank Rogers and Melinda Martin) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Cell - Catain Sash, Vanyssa Winters - 1104) Sash could feel his energy restore already, and the damaged cells in his brain were already repairing themselves. The product of genetic and biochemical engineering. He looked down at Vanyssa. He had seen that look before. He offered her a hand. Vanyssa looked up into Sash's blue, concerned eyes and resisted the urge to throw up. She took his hand and rose unsteadily to her feet. She walked over to Nishi and touched his head with one hand and pulled him back to consciousness, and rather roughly too. She looked down at him in sympathy. "You are going to have one hell of a headache, and I'm sorry about that." She spoke softly. "We have to find Falthgood and Fickett and get out of here as soon as possible." Vanyssa started to sway a little. Sash moved over and put his arms around her. To steady her of course. ~Just like the old days.~ Vanyssa looked over at the body of Kestra Troi and whispered. "I never want to have to do that again." She began to shake and felt Sash's arms around her, holding her. She bit her lip, causing a trickle of blood to flow down the left side of her mouth, which she wiped away determinedly. The pain gave her a focus and she calmed down, using it. She would pay for all of this, and most likely pay for it in sedation. But for now she needed to be strong. "Falthgood is that way." And she pointed. "Let's go find him." She handed Sevant back his phaser, and shrugged out of Sash's embrace. When she was 14 she had wanted him. When she was 18 she had desired him. Now, at 30, she craved him. His touching her was almost too much to bear. Never before had she felt this way, about anyone. She knew that what she had been searching for in her marine lovers was Sash, but that wasn't important right now. David was dead, the part of her that loved David for being him had died with her that day on earth when she had broken her bond with him. She saw the others looking at her in concern. Vanyssa stopped in the door way and realized something. "I know how we can get home. It was in her head. We have to find Zach and Fickett fast. In less than an hour the occupation troops are going to pass over to our universe." Vanyssa's eyes glazed over as she sifted through the mess of information that she had found in Kestra's mind. "Fickett is that way. Three doors down." She pointed. "And Zach is that way..... in room 3413. It's a torture chamber of the more mundane variety." She frowned and turned down a hallway, the others following her. She stopped outside a room that said "Supplies" and walked into it, more confidently than she felt. She walked over to a wall and punched it, where there was a slight indentation. The wall shivered and opened a doorway into a room, complete with bed, torture devices and a dressing table. "This is Kestra's personal office, although my counterpart shares it." Vanyssa whispered. She walked over to the shelves and took down a medical kit, handing it to Sevant. She sorted through the stacks of clothing, pulling out uniforms for them, in what she hoped were their sizes. "We will elicit less comments cleaned up and in uniform." She spoke quietly, hardly feeling like herself. She walked behind the screen and walked out in skintight pseudo-leather that shimmered in a variety of blues. It was loosely based on the starfleet counsellor jumpsuit design. She nodded to herself as she cleaned the last traces of blood away and picked up a dagger and a phaser. She looked back at the others and noticed that they were dressed. Sash looked at Vanyssa in her new uniform. For a moment he thought he might institute that uniform on his next ship. a little evil laugh ran through his mind. ~Damn that woman, her laugh will be there for a long time.~ "Everyone ready?" She asked, in a voice that was decidedly unlike Vanyssa Winters. Sash was impressed with Nessa's ability to take charge. He could see with her body language that she was not as confident in her decisions as was trying to sound. It impressed him even more. She had definitely grown up since their last encounter. And he was glasd of it. (reply none) (posted by Al Muir and Melinda Martin) Stardate:2406.04.19 Mission: Beyond the Looking Glass Day 1 Stardate: 2406.04.19 (Alter-Nimitz - Detention Center - Catain Sash- 1110) Finding the other two comrades was realativly easy now. Nobody really wanted to question Vanyssa's authority as she wore the uniform of the telephath. Most of the guards just stood aside and shook their heads afterwards, feeling sorry for the two prisoners. As they left the detention area Sash stopped. "Nessa, Sevant I want you to take the others to the shuttlebay. Get there safely, and secure the shuttle. I have something that needs to be taken care of." He could see the signs of worry on Nessa's face and he smiled. He knew that he couldn't hide what he was about to do from her. It was best to just be honest with her. "As far as I know, this shiop is the only one equipped with the technology to open the anomoly to slide between the two universes. I need to put an end to this insanity, here and now." He could tell that she was about to protest and he silenced her. "No, if I can, I'll meet you at the shuttlebay. If not, then it's for the best. My ship is lost, I am responsible for the deaths of my entire crew." The laugh of Kestra Troi rang through his mind. "I'm going to stop them before they can do anything more. And I 'm going to save you and you're friends here." At that he turned his back and ran down a corridor before anything else could be said. But his mind tingled with the sensation of her thoughts in his head. There was a feeling he hadn't had in a while. He hoped he'd feel it again. (Alter-Nimitz - Main Engineering- Catain Sash- 1200) It had taken him nearly an hour to make his way to the only logical place that they would put such a device. It would require a lot of power, that would have to come from them main engines. Perhaps even a direct connection to the warp core. Once on the right deck it didn't take long at all to find the right room. it was the one that was most heavily guarded. It was a moment like this tht he was glad to be alone. Nobody else could see what he was about to do. With an air of authority he walked up to the security check point. The first guard stopped him. "Security pass?" Sash searched himself and took a step inside the security perimeter. He saw the flash of motion as the second guard moved for his phaser. The first guard's eyes wavered and then Sash began his assault. Two minutes later, with a severe phaser burn on his left shoulder, and sweat pour down his face, the security team lay either dead or unconscious. ~Those guys were good.~ He knew that his time was even more limited thatn before. The entry way had a DNA scanner to permit entry. He picked up the severed hand of the the Lt. Commander that had been there and placed it on the DNA scanner. The door beeped and access was granted. The door slid open and closed. Inside he was faced by two more security officers aswell as the technicians. This was, perhaps, the most heavily gurded thing Sash had ever seen. His war trained muscles moved without thought as he disposed of the the men. He managed to keep one of the technicians conscious to show him how to stop the field generator. It seemed fairly simple, to cause a low level power grid feedback in a centralized area so that the internal sensors wouldn't be able to detect it until the there was a cascade failure in the shut of relays. When that happens, no matter what, the generator would implode, unfortuantely taking most of the engineering section with it. The remaining ship, would most likely experience some form of uncontrolled matter/anti-matter reaction. One way or the other, Sash figured he would not be around to see it. There were noises coming from outside the room. Sash quickly made his adjustments, and then disconected the relay interface. He programed the sensors to show normal operations. It would only survive a cursory investigation. But he hoped that was all they would have time to give it. He found the access panel and was inside and pulling closed before they entered the chamber. Now he had to find his way to the shuttle bay. he hoped that Vanyssa and the others were alright. (Alter-Nimitz - Shuttle bay 1- Catain Sash- 1330) The alert that was sent out must have roused every mobile person on the ship. The idea of making it through to the shuttle bay without running into anyone was just foolishness. His hope was that his trail of bodies did not lead them directly to where he wa heading. So he had to take a very round about path. There was no chance of him not being noticed. His uniform was ripped in several areas. There was no hiding the bruises and contusions. His only hope of making it to a shuttle was complete surprise. He managed to find the shuttle that had been designate for the trip to the other side. He could only hope that everyone was already on board. He managed to get about half way there, being hidden behind objests, before someone noticed him. They called out to him. Sash took a skip and then hit a full run to the shuttle. All he could think was, they'd better be there. As he got there the door opened and phaser fire hit all around him. he dove through the entry and the door closed behind him. He looked up to see the smiling faces of his new companions. He didn't stop to smile back. Seeing Sevantat the helm he called tohim. "We need to get out of here and now. Head for the anomoly. I don't know how much longer it's going to be there." As the shuttle cleared the bay Sash sent phaser fire back into the shuttle bay. The bay burst into flames sending up a level 10 force field, preventing any other ships from following them from that bay. This day had been made on hopes. So far they had been lucky. ~Let's hope that we can get to that anomoly in time.~ (reply any) (posted by Al Muir)