JP Lieutenant Commanders Toryn Raga & Lael Rosek - Shatter Me

[Lael Rosek]

((ooc: Something to listen to for effect))

((ooc2: The song Lael sings to Toryn))

((ooc3: For Lael, this takes place just after her visit to Sickbay and discussion with Solok. But before the 3-D chess match with Sotak.))

((Beta Quadrant, Par'tha Expanse, outskirts of the Karna system , TRS Torment/The Arquese, Holding Cell))

((2 Days into rescue mission))

:: The abrupt return to consciousness due to the electrical discharge of the torturous wall of his holding cell had been as startling as it had been painful. With all semblance of the passage of time long out of his grasp he could only endure the pain that coursed through him. It was brief, and the glimpse he had of the cell it had been empty. His torturer had remotely triggered the wall he was being held to by the metal bands on his limbs and gravitic field keeping them against the wall despite his mega strength. When he slumped limply against his restraints once more the

void of unconsciousness took him into its bosom. ::

((Chaotic Dreamscape))

:: For the first time since his incarceration his subconscious mind retreated beyond the psychic cage and prison for ART and into the strange psychic realm that he’d only discovered a year ago when he’d first fallen in love with someone he had no right to be with. ::

:: The Dreamscape however was not as it should be. Whether due to being a construct of his altered telepathic mind, or because he was so strongly attached and linked to this place, it was a reflection of his reality. Where fields of Kaizuri bloomed vibrantly and like a sea of beauty of nature, charred strands of dead flowers swayed in the violent storm wracked winds kicked up by the maelstrom of dark, black, and green tinged clouds that raged on above. Were the chaotic affliction to this otherwise serene place not bad enough, even his psychic self was not free of the torments of the real world. His form was somewhat translucent as the connection to the Dreamscape was not as strong as it should be. His body held aloft by unseen forces to hang in mid air above the dead Kazuri. ::

::Lael was confused at first about the scene before her. When she’d entered the field of Kazuri every time before this, it had been so calm and full of life. Now she was caught in a storm the chaotic winds causing her heart to thud hard against the walls of her chest. It was almost frightening to see the transformation her peaceful place had undergone.::

::Could this be a manifestation of her own stress and emotional reaction to the antidepressants? Was this her mind’s way of rebellion against the calm the antidepressants forced on it? It was disconcerting to say the least. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and froze. Toryn. She wanted to cry and yell at him both at once. She’d lived in panic mode for days waiting for him to return her messages and yet here he was in front of her.::

::It took all she had not to run to him, moving across the dying grasses beneath her feet at a cautious pace. She didn’t know what to expect from him given that their last interaction had been less than positive.::

Rosek: ::whispers:: T-Toryn? Wh-what--?

:: Toryn looked up at the familiar voice, his avatar reflecting the weakness in his body from weeks of torture, when he saw Lael his eyes widened and teared up instantly. Despite the painful parting of ways between them she was the first friendly face he’d seen since his capture and the sight of her broke him. The Atlantis’ Mission Specialist broke down sobbing, his head barely able to move due to the metal band around his neck. The same bands around his wrists and ankles appeared faintly for a moment before fading from view. ::

Raga: L..Lael..? I must...be having a fever dream…

:: Something out of sight to his side pulled his attention and her tilted his head, as if listening to someone else speaking to him. He nodded and glanced around at his surroundings. This wasn’t a dream, this was his safe place. And it wasn’t serene anymore. But why? ::

Raga: I haven’t been able to come here since.. ::He couldn’t bring himself to say since they had broken things off between them::

::She remembered well how she’d had to end things between them. It had been one of the most painful things she’d ever done and she was still living with the guilt of how that had hurt him. Despite putting a stop to anything non-platonic between them, she still cared about him a great deal. It hurt her heart to see him like this.::

::She imagined it would provide her already distraught mind with ammunition to torture her with when she was asleep and most vulnerable for months, if not years, to come. What she did next would either fuel the fires or quench them. Choosing to be brave, she approached him and caressed the side of his face, brushing a kiss against his temple in an effort to comfort him. Still unsure of why he was appearing to her like this, she didn’t dare consider just yet how to free him.::

:: Feeling the caress of her hand on his cheek and the kiss to his temple was like dipping a toe into a cool pool of water after touching a flame too long. A pathetic whine escaped his parched and cracked lips at the contact. Those usually vibrant cerulean eyes of his were darkened by the bags under them. Lack of sleep and the torment he’d been coping with had taken its toll on the Al-Leyan. ::

Raga: Lael...I can’t..I can’t take this anymore...torture. ::His voice was raspy and he coughed for a moment:: Weeks..they’ve had me..I can’t take any more.

::Her heart sank. Torture. Someone was torturing him. Had been for weeks and she was God only knew how many lightyears away, powerless to help him. She’d have run to his rescue in the blink of an eye. It destroyed her thinking of how much he’d been through in such a short time and here he was enduring more.::

::Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back, focusing on staying calm for him. All she could do was comfort him and give him hope, praying that his colleagues aboard the Atlantis would find him in time. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. Never had she been more grateful for her gifts than in this moment as she focused on projecting calm and comfort to a man literally enduring hell.::

Rosek: ~ You’re strong, Toryn. You can handle anything. Your friends and colleagues are looking for you and they’ll find you. Hold on and have faith. ~

:: Toryn felt the familiar brush against his mind it was like ice against a sunburn, he visibly jerked a moment from the psychic contact. But he relaxed a moment as she imposed her emotional control on him. His own mental capabilities were strained heavily, from the trauma of the torture and more he was unable to properly restrain his mind as he thought to her. ::

Raga: ~ I’m not strong...they took that away from me...my strength doesn’t mean anything in this cell… ~

:: As the telepathic communication transpired his mind opened up to her, like a breaking dam unable to hold back the river any longer. With it came the rush of his most recent memories. The encounter with the cloaked asteroid where the Consortium agents abducted Captain Brell and replaced him with a fake. Their discovery of the clone. The torpedos being fired by the still cloaked asteroid. The port warp nacelle being blown apart. Multiple hull breaches.

Toryn standing on the bridge in Tel-ar’s old spot just behind the command chairs. A quick, impulsive idea as the Consortium Commander gloated over his victory. Toryn using the Elysium’s transporter to beam himself off the bridge with a site to site transport. Using the modified scanner to pinpoint the location of the torpedos launched. Beaming himself onto the asteroid.

Appearing beside Brell and slapping his comm badge on the Bolian’s chest before tapping it and watching his Captain beamed away to safety while he was left alone. All so Serala wouldn’t have to use her honor blade on herself for failing to protect Brell. To save the man he admired most in this world but had never told. The disruptor blast that rendered him unconscious. The interrogator RoLF showing him the images and reports of his ship being destroyed and all of his friends dead. Leaving him alone. ::

:: It all came like a flood despite his best efforts to spare her from seeing the torture. Of him being held by metal bands being pulled back in a gravitic field. The Romulan mind probe being stabbed into his head. His many attempts to break free only to be electrocuted for his efforts. As he thought of that the storm above them both churned. The winds kicked up and it loosed a vibrant bolt of lightning that streaked down and struck Toryn hard, drawn to the metal bands restraining him. He let loose a nearly blood curdling scream and he became slightly more translucent. ::

Raga: Make it stop….please.. ::He whimpered::

::Lael jumped back in surprise and felt her chest literally constrict as she watched, helpless to stop it. Her lungs refused to take in oxygen for long moments as his scream nearly brought her to her knees. When the electricity torturing him had seemingly dissipated, she rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck.::

Rosek: ~ Oh, Toryn. You stubborn, reckless, honorable idiot. ~

::She couldn’t free him. She was at a complete loss. It was as though she’d lost all ability to reason. All she could think to do was distract him from the torture he was being put through and to give him even a glimmer of hope. A song popped into her mind and she began to sing it in Esperanto, their language, in hopes that it would bring him peace.::

Rosek: ~ I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go; When all those shadows almost killed your light; I remember you said don't leave me here alone; But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight. Just close your eyes, the sun is going down; You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now; Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. ~

:: It was a strange thing to hear a song being sung in one’s mind. Toryn had little experience with telepathic communication. Back on Leya-I, surrounded by millions of people with whom he could hear their thoughts at any given time if he permitted himself to was different from having someone else communicate directly to you. Lael had been the first person he’d shared such an experience with. As she psychically sang the song in their native tongue to his mind he smiled, it was a weak, fragile thing but a smile nonetheless. ::

Raga: ~ Thank you...I…~

:: The greenish clouds above raged and another crackle of lightning shot down to strike him, though it seemed to only harm him, not her, being a construct of his own torment. His image faded slightly and another form briefly, if vaguely appeared standing beside him. It was a spitting image of Toryn, but unharmed and un-tortured. The eyes were cold and dark black, unlike the cerulean blue. ART stared at Lael a moment but stared through her. As if he couldn’t see her directly, only knowing she was there because Toryn was. ART himself would appear as if he were being viewed through a monitor, or viewscreen rather than being present. A ghost merely there in passing. ::

::She saw ART and her heart missed a beat. She was familiar with how brutal and cruel the construct of Toryn’s mind could be, but she held tighter, refusing to let go as she continued to sing.::

Rosek: ~ Don't you dare look out your window, everything's on fire; The war outside our door keeps raging on; Hold onto this lullaby even when the music’s gone, gone. Just close your eyes, the sun is going down; You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now; Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. Just close your eyes, you'll be alright. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. ~

:: Toryn’s eyes closed shut tightly as he listened to her angelic psionic voice sing in his head. A visible tremble rolled through his being as the Al-Leyan whimpered in agony. His body shook violently and for a brief moment became nearly completely intangible as something in the real world was trying to draw him back. ::

Raga: ~ No..by the branch...no more...I can’t take any more. ~

:: He looked her in the eyes as he felt his psychic presence begin to fade. ::

Raga: They aren’t even asking me questions anymore…::He whined weakly::

Rosek: ::cradles his cheek:: ~ Don’t give up, Toryn. Whatever happens, don’t give up. The Atlantis will find you. Keep fighting. Show these bastards who they’re messing with. ~

Raga: ::His head shook sluggishly:: Atlantis….gone...they showed me….they’re all dead…::He whispered in a half whimper::

Rosek: ::firmly:: ~ No. They’re messing with your head. They want you to believe that so you’ll break. Don’t give up, Toryn. Help is on the way. ~

Raga: ~ Winds...save me….~

:: There was a loud pop and Toryn vanished as abruptly as he’d appeared. The storm clouds overhead roiled in a violent tumult of green lightning that burst forth in the sky like a plasma storm the size of a Odyssey class starship. The Kazuri plants beneath where he’d been turned to ash and blew away in the wind save for a lone flower that still held some semblance of color to its petals. A tiny plant fighting for dear life in a hurricane. ::

((Rosek’s Quarters, USS Montreal))

::Lael sat up abruptly, gasping for air as she attempted to overcome the disorientation assaulting her mind, keeping her in a mental fog as she tried to process what had just happened. She collapsed back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling for long moments, numb. Suddenly, tears broke free and sobs wretched from her chest as the magnitude of what she’d just experienced hit her hard. She had no idea how long she laid there as each sob made her chest constrict more and more until she was almost certain it would suffocate her.::

((Beta Quadrant, Par'tha Expanse, outskirts of the Karna system , TRS Torment/The Arquese, Holding cell))

:: Toryn regained consciousness violently from the electrical discharge of the wall he was restrained to coursing through him, screaming hoarsely. Once more the Al-Leyan whined in protest of the pain and glanced up to see the lithe, metallic frame of the Interrogator RoLF standing in front of him. ::

Interrogator_C: Ah good, for a moment I was worried I’d pushed you too hard. Can’t have you dying just yet. No, not yet.

---

Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek

Executive Officer

USS Montreal, NCC-64927

I238110RH0

&

Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga

Mission Specialist

USS Atlantis NCC-74682

PodCast Team

Atlantis Staff Member

Writer ID: A239410TR0

https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga