It was night at Genesis hospital. A silent night so far. The humanoid guard outside the room where the imprisoned pirate chief Sonny Blackbones was held captive, was choking a yawn. This night was boring. No holo tv to watch. A sound made him turn towards the corner. An empty soda can. The cleaning staff here was not doing their job right. He picked up the can, and found he had to turn a corner to find a trash can to toss it. Not for one second did he think to check the top of the elevator where three pirates made their way into the ducts...
Stevens was disguised as a nursing assistant again. His wife, bless her heart, had scheduled him to the room where Sonny was held. Stevens was a bit nervous about the injury Sonny had to his chest. To get him safely out, they would still need to use the air vents. And because of Technoid, the doctor had no chance to speak to Sonny alone and inform him on what was going on. This would be an improvised mission. Stevens decided to stop by Tommys room, it was on his way to Sonnys room, and he had to wait for Corso to message him before he entered. As he peeked in, he saw that Tommy was still a bit drouzy, but awake. His mother sat next to him. When she saw him, she smiled.
"Derek. It is wonderful to see you again" she exclaimed.
Stevens had to smile, despite the seriousness of the situation.
"How is our future football champ doing?" he asked.
"Better, when can I start to play again? I want to show D'Jok and Warren just how good I got with the slide tackles" Tommy said.
Stevens smiled. The kid had not recognized him, wich allowed him to stay in hiding for now.
"Ma'am, can I have a word..in private?" he asked.
Tommys mother got up. Stevens took her into a small empty room and shut the door.
"My wife told me, you managed to persuade the guard at Sonnys room, to see him alone last night. Corso, Sonnys right hand man asked me to talk to you. We need to know, how bad is his injury? His doctor could not speak to him alone. Technoid is keeping close eye on him. As soon as he is declared fit, they will forcefully remove him from here, to an undisclosed location. We know where this is, but we also know, the facility has been reinforced with a kind of metal alloy that the pirates has not yet figured how to breach. If Sonny is successfully transfered to this facility, we have no idea what will happen to him. Technoid wont kill him, that much we know, but they have a reputation for using former employees that escaped them as guinea pigs for mind control experiements. We fear this is what is in store for Sonny." Stevens said.
Tommys mother nodded.
"It is true, I saw him in the room. They keep him handcuffed to the bed, arms and legs. His gear is in there, but out of reach for him. I feel almost like they are taunting him with it. The handcuffs is made of a new kind of metal. He told me, Corso could not blast it. It has him a bit worried" she said.
Stevens nodded.
"Is there any chance you can help us with a lay out of the room? We have a limited time. I need as much information as possible. My wife set me to serve the meal to Sonnys room. I may only have a few minutes. And I will surely be escorted by the guard too. I wont be able to talk to him. Technoid is on edge now that they finally have him. Freeing him wont be easy. They must have something big planned for him. And whatever that is, we are going to foil it" Stevens said.
Tommys mother smiled. And then, she handed him a note.
"It seems Sonny knows you all well. This is a map of the room that he drew in a matter of minutes. Even with handcuffs on both hands, Technoid cant seem to stop him" she said with a smile.
Stevens looked at the map, then he looked at her. A smile formed on his face.
"I am glad you got to see him. We will get him out. You will see him on Akillian, when he is back to his old self, and not in chains."
Stevens called Corso and spoke in ancient Shiloh in a whispering voice. As soon as he ended the call, he looked at Tommys mother.
"On behalf of the pirates, please accept our most sincere thank you. Thanks to your bravery, we will be able to free Sonny and bring him to a safe place to recover"...
As the snow kids arrived at the Aarch Academy, Mei noticed how D'Jok withdrew. The news of his fathers arrest had really shook him. Then, again, he had just been in technoid arrest himself. And he did not want to talk about that experience. All she knew was, Micro Ice had told her, Sonny had sat down with him, and talked it out, and the following day, Sonny had taken D'Jok for a father and son day, they had been away for hours, with a snow mobile, before they returned. D'Jok had seemed relieved in a way that was hard to explain after that. And Sonny had been very secretive after they returned. But what mattered was, D'Jok had time alone with his father, several hours, just the two of them. For that to even happen was rare, Sonny always being wanted allowed for little of this happen. Mei knocked on the door.
"Its open" D'Jok called out. Mei went in.
"I saw it on the news D'Jok. I cant believe they actually captured him. Have you heard anything back from Corso? Do they know if he is badly injured?" Mei asked, looking at him.
D'Jok smiled.
" The doctor treating him, is a secret pirate agent. He had dad admitted, till Corso can come in and get him out. I dont know what they are planning, but Corso said not to worry. He sounded confident I will see dad soon. They will return to Akillian as soon as Dad is free" D'Jok said.
Mei nodded.
"Trust Corso D'Jok. Sonny will be free and safe before the end of the night. They will bring him safely back here. If Corso makes a promise, I know for sure he will keep it"...
Stevens was feeling nervous. He approached Sonnys hospital room slowly. The humanoid guard stopped him.
"You cant refuse him food. Prisoner or not, Sonny Blackbones has the right to three meals a day. And for someone with an injury, it is important he gets nourishment, so he can heal faster" he said.
The humanoid guard looked at him.
"I am not allowed to leave anyone inside with him alone" he said.
That figured. Stevens nodded. This would be trickier than he had thought. But he needed to get in, and activate his small camera. He could leave the pen in there, out of reach for Sonny off course, since they had him in chains, but Corso needed a visual on him, from inside. Stevens complied with the guards demands. As he entered. He looked straight into Sonnys hazel eyes.
A quick little second, he froze, seeing Sonny handcuffed like this was horrible. But Sonny sent him a gaze that told him to no expose his cover.
Stevens slowly approached his bed after the guard said to leave the trolley he pushed at a safe distance from the prisoner. Stevens took the things he needed to take the samples Sonnys doctor had asked, and the tray of food.
"Good evening Mr Blackbones. I am here to collect the samples requested by your treating doctor, and to give you the prescribed sedatives, to ensure you have a peaceful night. And also, I brought your supper. Do you want to eat first, or have the samples drawn first?" he managed, surprising himself with his calm.
Sonny looked at , the nametag he was carrying.
"Do the medical work first Derek. I believe the bandages needs change too. They feel a bit more wet to the skin than they should. I dont think Technoid would want me to grow worse from an infection now" he said.
Stevens nodded that. The pirates also did not want that. Stevens opened Sonnys hospital gown and pulled it down. He could see how blood had seeped through the bandages. This wound was clearly not well stitched. Corso would have to do his magic as soon as Sonny was brought to safety.
"I got sutures here. It seems the wound is either bleeding or the stitches has come undone. Do you want me to call the doctor?" he asked.
Sonny shook his head, he had noticed the humanoid guard looking faint. The sight of blood was clearly his weakness. Maybe this opened for some chance to communicate.
"You do it Derek. No need to stall things, and others will also be waiting for their meals. This should be a quick fix" he said.
Stevens opened up the necessary packs he needed, and pulled a chair close to Sonnys bed. He took a pair of sissors, and cut the bandages loose. There was a sound that indicated a small infection at least. Sonny tried to stay calm, but when Stevens pulled the bandage off, he let out a small sound of pain. Stevens looked over at the guard, whom was now slightly green in the face. This humanoid would not last, that much was certain. A quick look at Sonny told him Sonny saw the same. If need be, they would provoke vomit in this guard. But Sonny needed be updated.
Stevens started his procedure. Within minutes, the guard ran to the bathroom connected to the hospital room. Sonny grabbed his hand.
" Tend to the guard, he has the key to my handcuffs. See if you can sneak it from him" Sonny whispered in Ancient Shiloh. Stevens nodded.
He approached the guard.
"Are you ok Sir?" he asked calmly.
The sounds of vomit spoke for themselves.
"I got some anti vomit medication here. It should enable you to keep an eye on me, and do your job, while I treat the prisoner" he said.
The guard tried to push himself up, but slipped and hit his head. Stevens actually did feel compassion this time, as he now bled from his head. He helped the guard back into the room, and sat him down. As he did, The guard was too hazy to notice Stevens slipped the said key from his uniform pocket. Sonny did notice. As soon as Stevens had given the guard the pill, wich would allow for at least 15 minutes that he was out, Stevens turned to Sonny.
"Corso and the others are nearby, in the vents" he said.
Sonny nodded.
"That figures, can you stitch up this wound real quick?" he asked.
Before Stevens could answer, the decoration in front of the air vent was kicked out, and Corso, Bennett and Artie joined. Corso only needed a second to get an overview.
"Lets get you out of these handcuffs Sonny, I am starting to have an allergic reaction to it" he joked.
Bennett made Artie do the hacking work to make sure no one could see them. Then, he found a small vial in the medkit the pirates brought.
"This mix will leave him out of it, until we are ready to leave. What is the plan Corso?" he asked.
Corso looked at him.
"Keep an eye on the door. I will make sure Sonny is taken care of and ready. We will have to stage things Sonny. This messed my plan up, so how are you for improvisation?" he asked.
Sonny grinned.
"That way, Duke Maddox will not be able to blame any hospital staff for my escape. His guard was ambushed, his nursing assistant was held at gun point. No one can be blamed for my escape..but the pirates. And that, is something he should foresee" Sonny mused.
Corso nodded as he started his stitching. Sonny bit his teeth together from the small stings. Corso tied up the stitches as good as he could. The experience he had was, the tighter the stitches, the faster the wound healed. As soon as he was done, Corso put on a clean bandage, before he reached into the backpack he had brought, and took out a fresh t shirt.
"Need some help Sonny? The stitches are still fresh, you may need some help to get dressed the next days." he said.
Sonny did the best he could, but in fear of opening the stitches, he allowed Corso to help him get dressed. As soon as Sonny set feet on the floor, it was evident, they needed to rethink their plan. Sonny could barely walk without feeling dizzy. That was when Stevens had a plan.
"Use the Trolley to hide him. One of you, act as a lunatic, or drugged up person, take me hostage, and the others use the cloaker the pirates team use, to stay invisible. This is our best bet to get out. And Sonny really needs to rest. I am not sure what they gave him, but find out aboard Corso. Do a tox screen, and make sure he gets to rest. I will join you later. But we need to get Sonny out. Tomorrow will be too late. They are scheduled to move him then" he reported.
Corso nodded, and quickly emptied the trolley, before he helped Sonny hide inside it. Bennett and Artie was given a cloaker each. Before they put the plan in motion, Bennett securely tied up and gagged the humanoid guard. Then, the pirates made ready for their escape...
Duke Maddox did one final inspection on the new facility. Tomorrow, Sonny would be placed in here. Finally in a safe enviroment. Here, they could start unravelling what Bleylock had done in the past, what the pirates had done to this scientist. The best he ever had. Whatever had made him run, from Bleylock, Technoid, all that he knew. And better yet, what kind of lies had he been fed, to make him turn on them. Duke Maddox did not want the pirate chief hurt. But he wanted to make sure Sonny Blackbones had been told the truth. And if possible, convince him to come back. As skilled as he was, they needed him on the science team. It had taken years, and countless failed attempts, but now, they finally had him. Injured, but he would be fine. They just needed to tend to him. If need be, a small collar around his neck, until he realised they only wanted to help him. The cell area had been arranged to be comfortable. A luxury standard Technoid apartment. A genius like Sonny deserved a comfortable prison. Off course, he would also bring him to the matches, to see his team, and Technoids. That way, the pirates would know Sonny was fine, that he was there of his own choosing. And since they could not break in, the marks in the ducts had shown, their blast power was not strong enough, Sonny would finally make peace with his imprisonment. It would be a glorious day, when finally things was restored to order...
Stevens faked being afraid as Corso held his gun to his head, and acted all crazed up. If Corso ever wanted a second career, he should take up on acting.
No one dared make an attempt to stop him. The trip was made without hinderance, and Corso demanded painmeds and stronger forms of drugs be made ready, so the nursing assistant would not get injured. The request was followed up on, and a get away car. Bennett and Artie were still cloaked, as they helped Sonny out.
"That is Sonny Blackbones. Stop him! He is getting away!" yelled a bystander.
Corso did not think. He pulled Stevens with them into the get away car, and had Bennett hit the gas.
As soon as they were moving, Corso turned to Sonny. He seemed a bit pale.
"Sonny, are you feeling ok?" he asked.
Sonny looked at him. A faint smile formed on his face.
"Im fine Corso. Just feeling a bit weak, and more so, relieved that Technoid hospitality is over" he said.
Corso nodded.
"Lets get you back to the ship. Your son waits for you at Akillian" he said.
Sonny smiled softly as he leaned back in the seats. Corso smiled as he saw his friend fall asleep. He fastened the seatbelt around him.
"To The Black Manta Bennett. And then, head for Akillian. Sonny will be resting through the trip."...
Duke Maddox was furious as he heard what had happened. Once again, Sonny seemed to have sensed what was going on. And somehow, his men had come for him, undetected. Either, Sonny had more luck than anyone else he knew, or he had insiders in the hospital. Duke Maddox ordered all security tapes gone through to see what had happened. And it came as no surprise, the videos from his room,all things relevant to the escape, had been erased. The pirates had professional hackers on their team. Someone really clever had done this job.
Despite his frustration, he had to prepare for Callie Mystics arrival. She would spread the news into the galaxy, to let them know, Sonny Blackbones was again at large. And with his injury, sure to stay in hiding for the time being while he recovered. Maybe getting an eye on his son could lead to answers. Duke Maddox made a call. He would use D'Jok to hunt down Sonny. That was Sonnys one and only weakspot...
On board The Black Manta, Corso smiled as he watched Sonny sleep soundly in his bed. The bandages had not bled through this time, and a quick check revealed that what Sonny really needed, was rest. Now that he was on board, peace was restored. Corso could drop back into his role as the ships second in command. As he rose, he pulled the blankets better around Sonny, making sure he was ok, before he headed back to the ships command center. As Corso sank down into the seat, he smiled. He then found his communicator and sent a message to D'Jok.
"On our way back, Sonny is safe and sound asleep as we speak. We will be there early in the morning. Come see him on board. He will appreciate that"...
Magnus roared as he saw the news. Technoid was incompetent. Here, he set up the one trap for them, that Sonny could not escape, he served him to them on a silver platter, and he still managed to get free. For Magnus, this meant trouble. By the look of things, Sonny had caught on to his plan, and he would not allow for that to happen. And when Sonny got into things, it could get dangerous for him. Now, he risked a complete role reversal. Good thing, Sonny did not have Corso by his side anymore. Although, he was not yet sure he could trust Sonnys former right hand man, he had still stolen Sonnys emotional support. He knew well how close the two were back in the days, and it seemed when Sonny took his place, Corso had become his right hand as the most logical choice.
Magnus stopped his trail of thoughts, as Callie showed the video from the lobby of the hospital. A terrified nursing assistant...wait a minute..it looked like..Magnus looked closer. And then, he realised why he did not trust Corso. Behind the nursing assistant, that looked suspiciously much like Stevens, the footballer, stood none other than... CORSO!...
Yes, Magnus now realised he has a clone on board. And with the latest development, be sure that Sonny and his men will retaliate, and fast. But yes, first, Sonny needs to heal some from his injury. Ad where is a better place than under the care of Dame Simbai, and also, as a bonus, spend time with his son. And yes, there will be a show down between the ex pirate leader and the current leader. Who will be the victorer. And will the galactik kids be ok, and Mei and Micro Ice too. All this is soon to be revealed