Chapter 4: Confronting the enemy
It was silent for several minutes. No one found a word to speak. Both Corso and Sonny were sitting with their mouths had to be somekind of dream, or rather, a nightmare. «Tell me that I didn't see what I saw..» Corso's was one full of disbelief. Before Sonny could speak, the door opened. Clamp came storming in, followed by D'Jok, Micro- Ice, Mei and Tia. «Dad, I can't believe this» puffed D'Jok. Inspite the pain he still felt in his abdominal region, Sonny turned over to the side to hug his son. Sometimes, D'Jok and his family was the only thing that made life bareable for him. Sonny had on occassion brought up the question of marrige to his son. D'Jok was getting too old for football, most of the snowkids had hung in there and fought for Aarch for years, It was time they stoped and became adults, seeing their own offspring grow and become footballers, persuing the dream they once had. Dreams.. there was a time when he had that too. Dreams of a happy family, more children. D'Jok was supposed to be the first. But because of Technoid, he also became the only one. «D'Jok, so good to see you» he smiled. Dame Simbai looked at them. As soon as Sonny freed himself from the hug, she helped him back down on the bed. «You shouldn't be here D'Jok» Sonny coughed. Dame Simbai imideately handed him a cup of a warm drink. «Drink slowly Sonny, it helps more that way». He gave her a quick nodd. Corso was starring at the screen, as if he was in a trance. « the outer perrimeter, there was a colony on that rock, people..» his voice chocked up. As he turned to Sonny, one could see his one eye was in tears. «Sonny..», «I know Corso.. 50 lives, just wiped out right in front of our eyes..», «Now what do we do Sonny? The people on the Nebula could be next..». «Evaccuate the nebula and all surrounding rocks, you know where to send them, they'll be safe there. Then, wait for my call, I'll tell you what to do then.» Corso nodded. They were in the process of saying goodbye, Corso telling Sonny to get some much needed rest, to get well soon, when the computer of Dame Simbai's started ringing. Corso nearly jumped out of his skin. If this was what it was like to be Sonny, he was glad he was who he was. Dame Simbai opened the conversation. Judge Xandra Allegi appeared on screen. «Dame Simbai, it is urgent I speak to Sonny» she started before she noticed him in the background. «Oh». Sonny wasn't shy, Dame Simbai had removed his jacket and sweater to examine him, and he had no time to put them back on. «Your honor» he said. «Sonny, I just heard the news of Technoid's attack on Shiloh. How are you and your men holding up on this?». Corso tried to remain unseen, but judge Allegi's sharp eye cought him. «Ah, Mr Takashi, I will require your testimony in defense later on» she said. «That is problematic your honor. I got a huge wanted poster up for my arrest and..». «All the pirates are immune now, during the trial Mr. Takashi,and your testimony is required on the witness stand, or do you not wish to help your leader?». Sonny hid a smile. Despite the serious situation at hand, Corso was being sidetracked by the judge, and it was a hillarious sight. As soon as Corso had agreed to make an appearance, judge Allegi proceeded to turn back to sonny. «How many lost their lives Sonny?». «The numbers are not confirmed, but about 50 people lived there, so unless they were away, we could be talking 50 innocent people here» he responded. Judge Allegi nodded. «I've read your testimony Sonny, concidering what happened tonight, you are being too nice to technoid. I will grant you the chance to speak freely on the witnesstand, as soon as you feel well enough. I'd advice you to tell us all you can prove about technoid and their ways». Sonny felt his heart race. This was it, the golden opourtunity he had spent years waiting for. The chance to let the truth about the powerhungry beast Technoid had become, shine. «Thank you your honor. I will need some time to get trough it all, there is alot» he warned her. «You'll have all the time you need Sonny, technoid showing this side of themselves to the world will increase the people's need to know more about them. Your credibillity will increase by more than double, it's the opourtunity of a lifetime Sonny, I am glad you made the call to do this» Sonny just nodded, he was starting to feel faint. Dame Simbai noticed. She had Clamp help her lay him down. Dame Simbai looked at his bloodpressure. «Sonny, have you been bleeding internally before? Your bloodpressure is low. I need to do a new scan on you, you don't look good». Judge Allegi understood that Sonny needed to rest. «Mr Takashi, I expect your testimony to be delivered to my office by tomorrow» she said, before the call ended. Sonny curled up as he lay down, the stomachcramps was really hitting him hard this time. «Dad? What's the matter with him?» D'Jok sounded frightened. «We don't know yet D'Jok, I will examine him more thorougly» said Dame Simbai, as she prepared a syringe. D'Jok looked down. He was holding on to Mei's hand. Mei didn't look so good either, in fact, her face looked kind of greenish. «D'Jok, take Mei to her room, i'll come see you afterwards». «Eh, you mean our room right?» said D'Jok. He and Mei had recently moved in together, to see if they could stand living together before they concidered a marrige. «Off course, make sure she rests, and I'll come have a look later, as soon as Sonny is stabile» she said. Sonny was breating with a special breathingteqnique that the pirates used to reduce pain, it worked like a charm for an injured pirate in great pain, it would work for him too. «D'Jok..» D'Jok turned to his father. Sweat was dripping from Sonny's forehead, but he was still deadset on telling his son what was on his mind. «You and Mei come see me in the morning, I'll fell better then, then you can let your little secret out ok?». D'Jok looked surprised at him. «You knew already?» he said. «Artie and Bennet reported you came from the clinic, so, how far till I'm a grandfather?» Sonny tired to smile. «About 6 months, get some rest Dad, we'll come see you in the morning» he said. Holding Mei's hand, he left the room. Dame Simbai focused on tending to him again. «This syringe will help you relax Sonny, then, i'll check your abdomin again» she said. By now, Sonny couldn't reply, the pain was excrusiating. «Probobly..shouldn't let them stay so long..» he said. «No, you shouldn't, but off course, you'd be too stubborn to listen» she teased, knowing Sonny would get her back at first chance. She carefully injected his arm, and emptied the syringe. Sonny felt dizzy, his entire body felt heavy, as if it desperately needed to rest, come to think of it, it was probobly the case. Seconds later, Sonny was sound asleep...
Duke maddox was walking back and forth in his office. So far, it seemed Sonny had gotten away. The move to destroy one of the outer perrimeters of Shiloh, using Sonny's modified transmitter, was a risky move. It was meant to provoke him. Make him make a wrong move. He should have known, Sonny wouldn't fall into that trap so easy. Duke Maddox had raised the threatlevel at all Technoidfacilities. Even though the rock they had blown up was small,there had been people living was bound to retalliate over their losses. But Sonny was no common man. He was far too intelligent to act on pure emotions. Duke Maddox had to try to think like a pirate, if he was to anticipate Sonny's next move. He sat down on his chair. Sonny had been one of their best men when he worked for him, on certain levels, Duke Maddox felt it would be fair to rate him as the best. All progressreports, diagnostics and other paperwork was on time, always. You could count on Sonny to have been thorough in his work. Then, that cursed general Bleylock had managed to pull him into the metaflux project, a topsecret project. General Bleylock had been insane, but noone had seen it. Sure, most of them knew that Sonny and Bleylock had a past, but none of the two men ever spoke of what the past hid. Sonny had steared clear of him since he arrived in Akillian, minding his own life and his newlywedded wife. She too an employee to Technoid, and a skilled one as such. They had been a remarkable couple. Duke maddox had seen them on several social occassions. Always these little smiles, a look, or a hug, but there was a deep respect and love for one another flying between them. Then, as Sonny had realised the danger that followed the metaflux, he had tried to steal the invention, to have it destroyed. Bleylock had seen it as a weapon, and given chase, it had ended in Sonny's wife loosing her life. It had changed him. Duke maddox had thought he knew him, but he didn't, not anymore. He knew I'Son, Sonny's other half, the technoid scientist. Sonny Blackbones the pirate, he knew little about. Sonny and his men would loot him, steal cargo transported by technoid to sell for money. Duke maddox knew this was the pirates way to stay alive. They couldn't hold regular jobs, not being wanted men. So, technoid had forced them into becominh thieves. Duke Maddox knew it wouldn't be fair to go after Sonny for that, but it was the only thing they had on him. All the more serious charges against him, were fictive. All created to give them a reason to claim custody over him. And if they got custody of him, they would force him back into the company wich he hated. Had he really become this monster this made him sound like? Duke maddox sighed. He locked his office, and set the alarm. Now, it was all a waiting game..
Artie and Bennet were ready to go into Duke Maddox office to look for Sonny's missing transmitter. Corso had ordered it to be destroyed afterwards, as Sonny would have a new one. This had shown a need to add a couple of things to Sonny's transmitter. Corso had asked Clamp for help to build it. It needed to be able to respond to Sonny's command alone, not anyone else's. Corso had given Clamp the speciffications to an upgraded model. Clamp had gone straight to work. This was his field of expertise. Now, Bennet and Artie, were in the prosess of executing stage two. Recoved the modified model, to have it disposed of. «Be carefull Artie, this office is wired with alarms all over the place» warned Bennet. Artie punched in a series of codes on his computerscreen. «There's a gridpattern, we need to use our googles to see it» he said. Bennet looked at the pattern. «It's going to be tough to get through» he said. Artie agreed. «But we have to Bennet, we can't let Technoid hold on to a device that is of such harm to us». Bennet nodded. «Then, how are we to do this?» he asked. Artie smiled a sly smile. «I've got a plan» he said...
Corso was talking to the families of the killed members of the pirates. He was furious when he realised full extend of the cowardly act Technoid had pulled this time. 50 innocent people, murdered in their sleep. Some of them were just babies. Corso felt powerless. What could he say to these people? What could he do? Nothing he could do, would bring the ones they had lost back. The families asked for retalliation, but they were more concerned for Sonny's wellbeing. Seeing him fall ill like he had, on holotv, had made many pirates worried. Was it the pirates themselves that had brought this upon Sonny? Or was technoid to blame? No one knew for sure. All they knew, was that Sonny had been placed in Dame Simbai's care on Genesis, and that he was safe for now. Corso was frustrated. The attack on the pirates made him want to strike back at Technoid immidiately, but Sonny had told him to wait. Corso knew better than to go against Sonny. He was still the pirates leader, and had the last say in this matter. But Sonny had left him in charge of things temporarily, while he recovered and focused on the trial. Corso still feared that the pill he had given him, had something to do with Sonny getting so sick. But, it was not to have that effect. Sonny had grown three times sicker than the expected effect, and it worried Corso. He returned to the cabin wich he shared with Sonny. Seeing Sonny's bed empty, knowing that he might not return at all, was a devestating sight to Corso. Sure, he and Sonny had discussed the possibillity of one of them loosing his life before, but it had always been just theorethical, they were both still there and alive. Now, no one knew what would happen to Sonny. And Corso had to admit, it was frightening him. «Sonny..there must be away to make all this go away..» he sighed, as he lay down to try to get the sleep he needed, but knew he wouldn't. To corso, this would prove another night deprived of sleep...
At the Aarch academy, Dame Simbai was checking the results of Sonny's recent scanning. He slept soundly now, seemingly, it was the stress that triggered the pains, but Dame Simbai was not convinced. Sonny had been Technoid's prisoner for weeks, they would have had plenty of chances to drug him. Dame Simbai looked carefully through all the data. There. It seemed innocent enough, but Dame Simbai checked her medical book just the same. She gasped. She had been right. Sonny had a high level of a substance in his body that in most cases would be natural, but mixing with drugs, such as the one the pirates had admitted to giving him, would produce massive internal bleeding. Sonny was lucky to still be alive. That bleeding could easily have killed him. Dame Simbai looked at him. Then, before she changed her mind, she brought the equippment for bloodtests over to the side of his bed. She carefully pulled the covers down, so she could access his abdominal area. Sonny moved a little, before he fell asleep. Dame Simbai carefully washed his abdomin with a special soap. «You should be feeling a lot better, and be back to normal in a day or two after this Sonny. The galaxy needs you, and so does the pirates» she said. Then, she carefully put on gloves and took out a scalpell. This proceedure was harmless. And it would heal Sonny. Carefully, she made the insicion. Dark blood pumped from the wound. She cleaned the wound carefully, drained all the acess blood and then gently, seewed the wound, before she bandaged it. «It will sting for a few days, but, it also saved your life Sonny, you're too valuable to us». She carefully put on an electrode that would allow her to watch him, before she silently left the room...
D'Jok lay in bed and thought of the future. To have a baby was scary, but seeing Mei this sick, was even worse. She could barely eat any food without growing nauseous. D'Jok wanted to help, but he didn't know what to do. And now, all of this was happening to his father. D'Jok had so many questions to ask him. How come Technoid had captured him at all? He knew how to get out of even the tightest of traps they could set up for him, so why had technoid succeded in capturing him now? D'jok knew there was a ryhme and reason to all this, somewhere. Maybe Sonny would tell him in the morning? He had looked pretty bad when they rushed in to see him. D'Jok sighed. He was terrified of the task of becoming a father, he didn't feel ready. And everytime something troubled him, it seemed Sonny had a sixth sense for knowing when he needed to talk to him. Sonny had promised D'Jok to always be there for him, and if he couldn't, some of the other pirates would come inform him, and take his place as best they could. This time, D'jok felt more in need of Sonny's comforting warmth and strenght than ever before. Knowing his father was so close, made D'Jok feel safer. Slowly, his body gave way for the sleep, and he drifted into the dreamworld...
Clamp had finished the new transmitter of Sonny's. He knew Sonny was probobly asleep, but still, he wanted to give it too him as fast as possible. Gently, he opened the door to Sonny's room. «Come in Clamp». Sonny sat on the bed, he had gotten dressed, and looked as if he was about to leave. «I got your transmitter Sonny» said Clamp and handed it to him. «Thanks Clamp,I hope it didn't cause you too much trouble to put it together?». «No not at all». Clamp looked at his friend.
«Where are you going Sonny?». Sonny looked at him, his eyes were sad. «Clamp, innocent people died tonight because of me. There is only one way to prevent this from happening again. I'm surrendering to technoid. I'll stand a better chance to get to see my grandchild if I do, perhaps this is what was meant to be all the time». «Sonny, no, you can't do this..» Clamp was in shock. Sonny shook his head. «If we're to put the final nail in their coffin, we need someone on the inside. That someone can only be me Clamp. Tell D'Jok I'm sorry, and tell him not to worry. I'll pull through». «No, Sonny, don't do this..I'm begging you..» Sonny looked at Clamp. «Then, I'll ask you something I've never asked before Clamp». «What is that Sonny?» the old man was confused. Sonny looked sad at him. «Do you have a better plan as to how to solve this problem?». To Sonny's surprise, the old man smiled. «As a matter of fact, i have a plan for you Sonny...»...
Let's see what professor clamp's plan in this is. I am excited to see what comes poping into my head myself. Good chapter? Bad chapter? Can I please ask for a rewiew?