<USS Avalon> "Five Basic Techniques"

Five Basic Techniques

by Colonel Soliel, Lt. Vevay Davis and Elijah Dareth (used with permission)

Dim light flickered through her eyelashes. Vevay groaned and rolled over, a
warm body next to her held her tight. Tight. Strangling. AIR! She gasped and
jumped up, the sudden change making the room spin and she slipped to her
knees on the floor.

Soliel had slept lightly though the night as she tried to keep Vevay's
nightmares away. The sudden movement next to her woke her up with little
effort. Sitting up slowly, Soliel spoke gently, so she wouldn't scare the
girl. "You're safe, Dear One."

Voices in her mind, all twisted and screaming. "Where am I?"

"You're in my quarters, Pet." Soliel moved to the edge of her bed. She
projected a sense of safety and calm and clarity to the woman huddled on her
floor. "You slept in my bed last night while your wounds healed."

Rationality crept through Vevay's mind and she looked up into Soliel's eyes.
"Is he dead?" I want him dead.

Soliel reached down and took hold of the girl, pulling her up so she was
sitting on the edge of the bed. She tenderly caressed Vevay's face where the
bruises and split lip had been. "No Pet he's not dead, though I'm sure he
wishes he were. I know you wish him dead, but that would be far too simple a
price to pay for what he did."

"I... I've done things..." horrible things, mindless things, "in the name of
his love. I didn't think... I thought I would be safe." She searched her
mentor's face. "I've been a fool."

"I know, Pet. I've seen for myself." There was an edge of disappointment in
Soliel's voice. The way Vevay had treated Jayden Cross had just been cruel.
It had been as if for that moment, Mister Dareth's heartlessness had been
contagious.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Choking, Vevay turned away, tears sliding down her
cheeks. Curling into a ball, she started to rock back and forth. Pride, too
much of it had poisoned her. "What can I do?"

Soliel reached over and pulled Vevay back into a sitting position. She wiped
away the tears from her cheeks, and then ran her hand through the girl's
hair. "We will make things better when you are stronger, Pet. I think we
shall review that in order to have the power you crave, you must remember to
be compassionate." Her words were only slightly scolding. After the night
the girl had had, it would be a disservice to be to harsh with her.

"Yes Lady." Her voice was tinged with awe but there was a bitterness in her
eyes. That man... He should die. He should feel pain. Her focus blurred,
eyes seeing a distant place and time when her hands had crippled in so many
inventive ways a man who had deserved it. "I want to cause him pain."

"I know you do, Pet, but you must control you anger, your hate, and the
burning need for revenge. You'll find that there is far more satisfaction
when you have a clear mind." Standing, Soliel pulled Vevay to her feet. In
the living room she could hear the hiss of her doors opening. "Eva has come.
She'll check to make sure your wounds have healed. After you have showered
and have been fed we'll see to your farewell visit with Mister Dareth."

Nodding, Vevay allowed herself to be directed wherever her mentor led.
Within an hour, she was clean and changed. Fury still burned in her mind but
it was tempered by cold reason. The food was a simple meal of rice and
chicken. She ate in virtual silence, not rushing it because her throat still
hurt. Every-so-often she felt Soliel's eyes on her but kept her own on her
meal. When done, she took the dishes from the table and recycled them.

"May we go to him now, Lady?"

While Vevay had been in the bathroom, Soliel had called Thomas. She'd
ordered him to have the program running once again, and to have Mister
Dareth waiting for them. The sweet boy had asked how Vevay was, and the
answer made fire burn in Soliel's eyes. She should have protected the girl
from this, she should have seen Dareth as a danger, but she hadn't known
about him. Unlike the others, Soliel hadn't required Vevay to inform her of
who her lovers were. Perhaps that should change. The girl wouldn't even look
at her during their meal, she was still in some discomfort when it came to
her throat, and her rage was so strong that it washed over Soliel like a icy
ocean wave.

"Yes, Pet. We can go now."

"Where do we go?" Vevay said as she stood to the side of the door, waiting
for Soliel to show her the way.

Soliel smiled at Vevay as she walked past her and out into the corridor. "Do
you remember the program we used when you first became mine?" She waited for
Vevay to take up a stride next to her, and for her nod in answer to her
question. A wicked smile danced at Soliel's lips as she recalled those
sessions herself, and she had to shake the images of Vevay naked,
blindfolded, and strung from the ceiling of the bedroom that overlooked the
Mediterranean from her mind. "There are other rooms in the main house we did
not use. Mister Dareth will be waiting for us there."

With a curt nod, Vevay matched pace. The holodeck's doors were soon upon
them and Soliel simply walked into the warm summer's evening. It still took
much for Vevay to follow the woman in, sudden flashes of being prone and
helpless washed over her. Reminding herself that she would be the one in
control this time was the only thing that got her over the threshold.

"He will not ever harm you or anyone else, my Dear One." Soliel said over
her shoulder when she noticed Vevay's hesitation. "So come along, Pet. Do
not allow him such power over you."

"Yes Lady." Still not looking at Soliel, Vevay followed her up the path and
into the room where Elijah was hanging from the ceiling. Sick satisfaction
rushed through her as he looked up and she saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Hello, sweetness," she said as she stalked toward him. Her whole world
narrowed down to his eyes. When she reached him, she ran a finger over his
achingly familiar form. "You are such a beautiful man, Elijah."

Except for three long thin scars on Dareth's chest, he didn't look any worse
for wear. Looks, however, were more often then not very deceiving. Soliel
knew that every part of that man that she had beaten the night before was
still sore. "He is, isn't he?" Soliel said with a smile as she stood behind
Vevay. Snaking her arm around Vevay, Soliel pulled the other woman into her,
holding her closely. "You didn't think last night would be it did you,
Mister Dareth? See last night was about you and I and what you tried to take
from me, and my feelings about what you did to her." She smiled at him.
"This morning is about my Dear One's needs."

Soliel kissed the side of Vevay's cheek and whispered in her ear. "Act with
a clear mind and remember you are in control. He cannot hurt you ever
again." She then made her way over to the throne-like chair in the middle of
the room and accepted the glass of juice that Thomas had waiting for her.

Reaching up, Vevay undid the gag around his mouth. "I want to hear you
scream." Turning her back on him, she walked slowly to the table which
contained Soliel's implements. Her eyes passed over the whips and crops,
landing finally on a knife. It was long, thin-bladed and the handle was
ornately carved. She returned to stand before Elijah and showed him the
knife. Easing it out of its leather sheath, she ran the flat of the blade
down his cheek.

"I see my Lady has shown you how inventive she can be. She is of a school
that values a fitting punishment for crimes committed. I am more interested
in seeing how much the human body can take before it gives out." With a
wicked smile, she added, "That's why I'm so very good at my job, love."

"Now, when it comes to getting information, there are five basic torture
techniques: blunt, sharp, hot, cold and, your personal favorite,
psychological. Shall we start with sharp?" she said as she sliced a shallow
line across his belly.

He screamed. "Wh-what do you want to know?"

"Who said I wanted to know anything, my love?" Her next line ran from the
center of his collar bone to his naval. Her slashes began to speed up, one
for each rib, then down each cheek and round the back to follow his spine.
Every cut was shallow but by the time she tired, tears of frustration and
pain ran down his cheeks.

Small rivers of blood trickled down his body. Stepping back, she smiled at
her art. "You look so pretty in red, Elijah."

"What the fuck do you want, bitch?" he said through gritted teeth.

"For you to hurt." Cold eyes glared at him as she turned away. "What shall
we try now? Blunt? Hot? Cold? I think it's getting a little warm in here,
don't you?" she said as she called for a bucket of ice and a bowl of salt.
With careful hands, she applied the grains to each of his cuts, cleaning him
after with the cubes of ice. "Now where else can I apply these?" she said in
a sing-songy voice.

She worked on. Every time he thought he would pass-out, she brought him
back. Hot was fire and electricity. Blunt was a staff to beat him with.
Finally she looked at his broken body and knew his mind was soon to follow.
"Who are you, Elijah Dareth?" she whispered as she stroked the sweat from
his forehead and kissed him tenderly on his lips. She stood back and bowed
to him and then turned to her Lady. "I am done, Lady. He is not broken but
he is close."

Soliel had sat silently in her chair with her legs draped over one of it's
arms. She hadn't seen such work done to another person since her last visit
to Deanna's club on Mars. It was brutal yet surprising skillful. "We'll
leave the rest up to Deanna. She specializes in males like him." She called
Vevay to her lifting her chin so she would finally look her in the eyes.
"How do you feel, Pet?"

"Tired," she admitted, "and I ache. May I go now?" Silent tears began to
gather in her eyes and she tried to look away.

"Thomas, clean the bastard up. Leave the scar on his collar bone as a
reminder of my girl. Then get him on his way." Thomas stepped out from
behind Soliel's chair and called over two holographic attendants who cut
Dareth lose and carried him away. When they were alone, Soliel looked down
at Vevay. "Look a me girl."

Forcing her eyes up to meet Soliel's, Vevay said, "Yes, Lady?"

"Learn well from this, Pet," Soliel told her as she cupped Vevay's face.
"Mistakes such as these are always the hardest lessons to learn from."
Leaning down, Soliel kissed Vevay softly on the lips. "Go back to my
quarters and rest. Eva will attend you and Mister Quinn will be informed
that you require a personal day."

"Thank you, Lady," she whispered. Slipping away, Vevay knew she would dream
of her father that night. Now that had been artwork, even her morning with
Elijah paled in comparison. But the memory was tainted by what he had done
and she shoved it away. Almost running now, she fled to Soliel's quarters
and the relative safety they represented.

Soliel watched as Vevay fled. She knew they would have to start over when it
came with the girl's memories of feeling like a victim, but she had no doubt
the girl would come out of this stronger. When Thomas came back into the
room he reported that Dareth would be off the ship within the hour. "Very
good Pet. Finish seeing to his departure then meet me here after our shifts.
I'm afraid my Dear One's performance this afternoon has left me in quite a
state and is in no shape to deal with it herself."

Soliel sighed as she got up and headed for her office. She did so hate going
to work with such primal things on her mind.

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