It took some time to calm herself properly after the shock of seeing her husband and their chief captured. Corso and the pirates had been vigilantly watching the news, along with the Obia Ambassadors and Tia since they flew off. If there was going to be any reports on what had happened to Sonny, it would be on the first available news broadcast. Helena saw Corso and the others brace themselves, as Callie Mystics face appeared. But so far, there was no news on Sonny. It seemed that the wanted poster for his arrest, had also not been taken down. And that concerned Corso. It seemed Duke Maddox wasn't done making arrestsyet. They already had Sonny captured, so why was this not being anounced? Corso could only think of one thing.
"I am not sure, but if old Maddox is playing some kind of game here, he is up against a more skilful player than himself. Sonny might go along with some aspects he might suggest to him, and others, he will flat out reject. Maddox lacks something to put pressure on him with. And I get why he was so taken with you being made safe Helena. What Duke Maddox needs to force Sonny, is you. Sonny is tough. He will withstand any kind of torture,brainwash, the works, for far longer than Technoid is prepared to deal with. He was trained that way, by our former leader, when he joined us. Our manuals aim high. Sonny was the only one that nearly aced all of it. This will work in his advantage now. I hope we can get things moving, and fast. I don't want him held captive for long. We need him here" Corso said.
Helena nodded.
"They are sure to announce his capture in the next broadcast. Corso, I need to inform D'Jok of his fathers capture before that happens. He will loose his mind if he hears of this on the news first" Helena managed.
Corso nodded in agreeance. This was the worst possible scenario for him too. But he had acted as the captain in Sonnys absence before. All they could do, was hope that Sonny wasnt injured while he was arrested. Technoid had a bad reputation for that when it came to their droids arresting humans or any creature that was flesh and bone. Corso hoped Sonny would be careful and not make any sudden moves that could lead to things getting worse. But for now, any associates that needed to know, had to be notified of his arrest. As hard as this was on them, Corso was far from sure as to how the galaxy would react to such news. Bleylock, if alive, would be happy, while the ones out there that supported the pirates, would find themselves rattled. Now, they had to wait and see how this would be framed to the galaxy. Corso nodded to Bennett, to set up a scrambled call from the captains cabin to Sonnys son.
Tia looked shameful. D'Jok was her team mate, and in her joy of her parents being free again, she had forgotten the fact that for her benefit, one of her own team mates, was made to suffer a loss. Her team captain of all people, had just had his father captured by his number one enemy. And as his team mate, Tia knew how much D'Jok admired his father. Sonny was the one he looked up to, the rolemodel he looked to, everytime life got hard, and he found himself with his back against the wall. D'Jok even had shown several of his fathers more prominent personality traits himself. To rejoice over her own fortune when he would be in for this horrible news..even Tia had to admit, this was selfish on her part. Now, her team mate needed her to be supportive to him, until Sonny could be released or in other ways, freed from captivity.
"I cant say I look forwards to meeting him when we get back. He just might blame this on me. I left my team high and dry the night before an important match. If not for the fact that we are without any reserves at the moment, Aarch would kick me off the team, and who knows what my team mates thinks. Mei may be the only one that gets me" she said.
Helena nodded. Tia had given a very accurate description of her sons normal behaviour under stress. The sooner they could notify him of this, the better.
"Then, how about you and I speak to my son together Tia? If you like, you can explain your actions to him this way. I know my son is far more likely to listen to you in a private setting, than in one where the entire team is around him. Also, I think this is news best served to D'Jok in private. To inform him, might be what I need to shake this shock too, and accpet that for now, Sonny is captive, and that I need to rely on others to help set him free. I will call Clamp and have him and Dame Simbai informed of what happened to Sonny. I don't know if Sonny has any legal protection through the flux society, but if he does, we will activate it now. Sonny and his men do take on a lot of investigations for the flux society, I hope they can help us in return at this time" Helena said.
Corso nodded as he heard that. Helena was maybe fragile bodywise because of the pregnancy, but there sure was nothing wrong with her head. She worked in the same frame of mind that Sonny would in a simmilar situation. He might not know whom Sonny was before he joined the pirates, but if Helenas behaviour could be usd to measure things, that part of his personality was already in place, all the pirates had to do, was chip away at the insecurities he came with, to solidify the strong leader that had hid, just under the surface of the griefstruck and angry scientist they took in. Just like Sonny never quit seeking justice for the pirates, and for all he knew of, whom at some point had lost someone to Technoids way of doing things, Helena would now work the same way, to have him released, and focus on the ones that needed to know, before her own needs. Corso had to admit, that looked mighty familiar, since he had seen her husband do the same, year after year, until they were united again. With how things progressed, once this was settled, Corso decided to see to it, Sonny would have to prioritize differently. The days where he would be risking his life in the never ending fight against Technoid, had to come to an end. Sonny was given a second chance, and he would do anything in his power, to make sure, Sonny stayed safe. His family needed him. And Sonny could still be their leader, just from the safety of the shadows. Now that Helena was one of them, he finally stood a chance to persuade Sonny to do just that. If not, there was every risk that at some point, they would loose him. Now that Sonny had every reason under the sun to go the other way, Corso had set his mind, to make that happen. And now, he had an idea to help Helena and Tia reach through to her son, with some diplomatic help. Corso smiled at Tias mother.
"Madam Ambassador, if you don't mind, it would help D'Jok to see you there alongside his mother and team mate. Mr Ambassador, if you have a name for a lawyer that can help solve this and have Sonny released, we better get in contact with them. The sooner we can have him released, the better. As you can see, Helena is pregnant. Being apart from her husband, whom she has already sacrificed so much to be with full time, is causing her and the unborn child a great deal of stress. I know Sonny would not want anything to happen to the baby, or the mother. So if we can get the legal process started, that would be fantastic" he said.
The Ambassador nodded. He too had noticed Helenas stress, and it seemed clear to him, Sonny made the choices he did, to benefit her. That man had a courage like he had never seen before. A man like that was not a criminal. The word he would use, was closer to vigilante at best. But in truth, knowing what Sonny had done before, the true description of Sonny Blackbones, would be a Hero. A Hero that deserved recognition for his work to save others, and most of all, help, to deal with a difficult situation. He was not to remain a prisoner. Whatever it took to have him released from Technoids custody, The obia ambassador would pull the strings to make it happen. He would still be imprisoned himself, along with his wife, if not for this heros intervention. Tia had told him what Sonny asked for in return for taking this risk. That was one of the most humble requests he had ever heard. No, he would do more for this pirate, whom not only had saved him and his family, but earned his deepst respect along the way. And to assure he would be released, The ambassador knew just what kind of legal shark he would need, to make sure Sonny could be reunited with his men and wife, the sooner the better.
"I got a name Mr Takashi. Don't you worry about the cost. I will make sure to pay his fees. This lawyer is a shark. If anyone can have Sonny released, it is him. He is thorough. He will see to it, either Technoid has to tell the truth, or they have to let Sonny walk. I owe him than much now. I will also use my influence as a diplomat in any way I can, to secure Sonnys release. Once he is free, we will make sure you are reunited with him. I will also see if anything else can be done to help your organization. You are certainly not criminals. " he said.
Corso nodded. It gave him a good feeling to for once be recognized in positive ways for the work they did. And who knew, to have close connections with an ambassador, could become a very helpful allied to their cause. Corso knew what Sonny hoped for, but as of today, that goal was still far away. But like Sonny would have told him. A seemingly bad situation, could always turn into a positive, if you would use the right words, combined with the right actions. Never had that saying sounded more true than it did now. Corso nodded. This call was best made, in the privacy of his cabin.
"Lets head to my personal cabin. It is more private to call from there" he said.
Then, the two groups split, to take care of business.
Duke Maddox viewed the footage from when the pirates tried to run. Helena was actually the reason they finally had caught Sonny from what he could see. Due to her pregnancy, she moved slower than normal. Sonny seemed to half jog and continued to encourage her to do her best, despite the pain she seemed to have, still going for a clean get away. Duke Maddox frowned when he saw this. Normally, being pregnant should not affect a pregnant woman to this level he now witnessed, but Helena had a complicated medical history after birthing her son. He knew what risk this second pregnancy was to her, and she still seemed to want to carry through with it. He sighed. She was doing this, despite the doctors advice. And he didnt need to be a rocket scientist to figure why. She was carrying Sonnys child. Her love for him went deeper than he had ever imagined. She even abandoned Technoid, to be with him, full time. Helena was trying to recreate what had been stolen from them with her son. She was starting over, with him. And in a sense, he could understand her need to do the surgeries she had back then, the doctors could not safely guarantee that she would be able to bear children again, not without considerable risk to her health. Her medical file was blocked, he could not access it, not through the Technoid system, since she used a doctor no longer working for them. He suspected Sonny could open it though, nothing really seemed closed to them, and as their chief, Sonny would have an all access entry code for their was sure to have a copy of his wifes medical history, and recent updates to her case included. And now, having seen how she stuggled to move, he wanted a look at it. As a prisoner, he could order Sonny to open up the file.
"Bring Sonny to the command center. I have a few things I need to speak to him about. If he is smart, he will understand, now is the time to cooperate, not be stubborn, not when it comes to the health of his wife".
D'Jok and Mark were regulars at the nether ball sphere. They watched Rockets development as a player, a solo player in the most negative context of the word.
D'Jok worried that Rocket would at some point hurt himself playing in there. The game had absolutely no rules for what was allowed to do to one another, from what he could see at least. And Rocket seemed to grow positively even colder. More selfabsorbed than ever. And with that change, team play was even more distant than ever. Normally, he would have been impressed by his moves. In a team setting, this could secure a second win. But now, he was not so much impressed anymore. He could be somewhat of an ego solo player himself too, but at this point, Rocket far surpassed him at even his worst preformance. The way he played, D'Jok was not sure Rocket would ever come back as who he once were. To be honest, he was not even sure if Tia would come back either. If his father failed in freeing her parents.. no, best not think that thought. If so, they would be two players on the team, without their parents to cheer them on. Except, Tia would be imprisoned with hers. He, would not even know, unless the pirates found a way to contact him and inform him. He had so many thoughts going through his mind, he almost missed the conversation that was incoming in on his holo phone. Then, he noticed the ticking of the signal. He looked at it.
That was odd. It was a concealed contact code. No one did that to him, unless..D'Jok felt his heart race.
It could be Sonny calling him with an update. His contact code was always concealed.
Quickly, he opened the call. But it wasnt Sonny this time.
"Mom? With the call being concealed, I thought for sure it was Dad calling" D'Jok said.
He was happy to hear from his mother. He had not heard much from her, since his father was framed and had to become a pirate again. As he studied her, he noticed that Helena looked stressed. That could not be good.
"Mom, you look worried. Is something wrong?" he asked, all of a sudden, feeling very anxious.
Helena sighed heavily. Before she could say a word, Tias mother sat down next to her. She placed a hand gently on top of Helenas hand. She was under enough stress as it was. As a woman, she could understand her. And what needed be said to her son, was best presented, by someone not having the emotional ties a mother always has to her son. Tias mother looked at D'Jok. The young man started to get anxious. Well, she was used to this. Time to put her skills to the test.
"I am afraid we have some upsetting news to share regarding your father, young man. During the rescue mission, it turned out, your mother got into trouble, and as a result, Mr Blackbones sacrificed his own freedom, to assure we all got away safely. Your father is a true hero" she informed him.
D'Jok was having a hard time grasping what she had just shared.
His father had given up his own freedom, to secure their escape? Then tit dawned on him, why his mother looked so worried. She had caused this to happen in her mind, and now, Sonny was in trouble. He had no idea what kind of trouble, but he had a sneaking suspicion, he was about to find out.
"Mom, please, tell me what happened to dad" he begged, on the verge of tears.
Mr Gaetz was the galaxys number one criminal lawyer. If there ever was a high profile case to bring to trial, where evidence did not conclusively convict his client, he would make sure his client was released, and compensated for any emotional distress they were subjected to in captivity, he would defend his clients fiercely. As long as it was the right thing to do.
And now, he had a real gem of a case on his desk. Any lawyer would have loved to get their hands on this. Technoid finally got Sonny Blackbones. Such a shame. The pirate chief seemed honest and a fierce defender of justice. Though it had not been announced yet,The Obia Moon Ambassador had assured him, Duke Maddox and Technoid had arrested Sonny Blackbones, on false charges. There was a genuine concern for his well being, given he was a former employee of the company, and Technoid had a bad reputation for how former employees were treated.
The Obia Ambassador also provided editional information as to his own and his wifes connection to the case,and what they knew. Mr Gaetz had his secretary take their statements, and the pirates witness accounts,to build the legal case. It didn't take long, before he understood that he had a real chance of winning this. Sonny had not done something crimminal, except helping the ambassador leave an unlawful imprisonment. And from the sound of things, he was now the one imprisoned. And Technoids continued silence, scared the living daylights out of the pirates. They feared the worst, since no one know what lay in store for Sonny if he was ever captured. He needed to make sure he had it all written down before he started to look into this.
"Are the pirates also seeking compensation, for emotional distress, in edition to Mr Blackbones release? From what I can see, Sonnys case is very strong. There is no charges they can hold him on for long. Technoid would be forced to release him." he informed.
The Obia Ambassador looked to Corso.
Corso made a quick call. Sonny and Helena was having a baby in just a few months. To provide for a child did not come cheap and the pirates was not exactly loaded with cash as it was. Any kind of money that they could get, would go to them, and the baby. And Corso wanted to make sure, they had a suitable family home built in Shiloh. Sonny deserved that, and to finally relax with his family in safe surroundings.
"Yes we do. The sooner the matter can be resolved, the better. Sonnys wife is pregnant, with their second child. I don't think I need to tell you, this situation is very stressful for her, and that is not good, considering she has a complicated medical history. The quicker and more painless this can be done, the better, especially for her" Corso explained.
Mr Gaetz agreed.
"I will take the case Mr Takashi. I happen to be quite a fan of Mr Blackbones. I wouldnt know for sure off course, but my gut feeling tells me, he is being wrongfully accused of many things. I think, the first order of business, is to demand a welfare check carried out on Mr Blackbones. I will demand to be allowed to speak with him in private. Then, I will report back to you on how he is faring" he promised.
Corso nodded.
"They are going to bring charges against him, for sure. That sets the scene for a trial, where they will put him on display in the most humiliating way they can think of. Sonny is used to it, he can handle this well.I worry more for his wife and son. This will be hard on them to see him treated like that" he said.
Mr Gaetz nodded.
"I will have medical experts pulled in, to demand he is examined physically. As a high profile prisoner, Sonny is entitled to a certain standard of treatment. One Technoid is not known to uphold. It seems, they also have some grudges against you, Mr Ambassador, for escaping their grasp. That may lead to them taking their frustration over this out on Mr Blackbones. If he comes up as injured, I will make arrangements to have him placed in custody outside of Technoids grasp. Sadly,I cant let him go to you, not while this case is going on. Even if that would have been to prefer" he said, sounding rather unhappy with that.
Corso was not worried.
"Sonny will be just fine once he is out of Technoids grasp. Physically, I don't think they will even consider hurting him. I happen to know, from very recently, when we lost our immunity, how Duke Maddox sees him. Sonny is valuable to Technoid. They would welcome him back at any time, and I know Sonny wont do that, he knows too much about them. It goes against his sense of justice. If he is negotiating with them, wich is not unlikely,my guess is, Sonny will give some, and also, take some. But he wont commit to a deal they put forth just like that. What will be of concern to him will determine what he will accept and what he will reject. As I see it, the only way they can put pressure on him in any way, is through his wife and son. They would seek to hunt them. His son has extra protection as it is, His son is being informed of the situation as we speak. He will be fine, as they wont touch a football star like him. If anything, they wiill seek to go for his wife, making her their main target. For now, she stays with us, in hiding. His wife, unfortunately bore witness to his arrest. How this affects her, I am not sure. She has not been with us for long. But I promised Sonny, to keep her safe until he returns. And that is what I will do. I owe him that, and so much more" Corso explained.
Mr Gaetz nodded. He understood, if it had to come to negotiations, Sonnys wife, Helena, was their best bargaining chip. As long as she stayed safe and out of technoids reach, the pirates and Sonny would stand a chance at landing this safely.
Sonny was rather silent when he was led to the command center of Duke Maddox personal ship. He had figured, since he was a prisoner, he might as well kill the time he had to wait for a rescue attempt by his friends, to get rested. The bed in the guest cabin had felt rather comfortable for a pirate not used to luxury. Perhaps the adrenaline from the rescue mission has already worn of, or maybe it was the fact that his body knew he was now a prisoner, that caused him to change his pace. Sonny wasn't sure, but he had fallen into deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Only to be woken up by his droids a few hours later. Well, no problem. He didnt need much sleep. the hours he got, was sufficient for him to stay levelheaded. Now, he was taking it all in. Duke Maddox had not yet had the time to report his capture to the galaxy. And since it sounded like he was going for a two for the price of one deal with him and Helena,trying to have her seized too,Sonny knew that was sure to slow things down further as far as a rescue went. Corso would understand this tactic they tried to pull too, and in his absence, Corso was now the functioning captain of The Black Manta. If there was anyone Sonny would fully trust to keep Helena safe during all this, it was Corso. He still remembered her frightened expression, when she saw the laser bars cut him off from making it to the ship. That expression was going to haunt him in his dreams, if he had any. Soft darkness was to prefer to that while he a pirate, dreams could either be your friend, or your worst enemy, depending on your traumas. And traumas, he had in the plenties. How would his son fare when he was informed of his capture? And how would this affect Helena? Sonny knew he had to keep her hidden from Duke Maddox for now. Helena needed rest, if there was even a possibility of her having that, for the babys sake as much as her own. As for himself, the pirates had trained him to withstand anything Technoid could throw his way.
He wasn't even surprised when they came for him. Duke Maddox had to have discovered something while he slept, or maybe he wanted to talk about the Obscurantis attack. Well, on that part, Sonny couldnt help him. He was not there, and had no hand in that horrible incident. What else The Duke could be wanting to speak to him about, he was about to find out.
Now, he stood before Duke Maddox. He held a tracker in his hand.
"Strap the tracker to his right arm, and then, get the handcuff off of him! There is no need to keep him in chains. Then, leave us alone. I have matters I want to talk to him about..in private" Duke Maddox ordered.
Sonny chose to say nothing, he felt the tracker strapped in place and then, the handcuffs was removed. Sonny gently rubbed his wrists some, to make sure to have the circulation of his blood flow at maximum.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of this generous treatment, Your Excellency? I am mildly surprised you wanted to give me any freedom of movement at all" Sonny asked, making sure to keep a neutral tone.
Duke Maddox was easy to anger. And he was curious as to why the head of Technoid wanted to speak to him so soon.
Duke Maddox showed Sonny to a sofa in the room and bade him sit down.
Sonny did, and noticed the small laptop on the metal coffetable. This could mean he would be asked to divert his men back to the prison. Well, then Duke Maddox set himself up for disappointment if he hoped for that.
"If this is an attempt to make me call the pirates, and have them return to the prison with the ambassadors, you know I cant do that Your Excellency. I may be a pirate now, and that also was a choice Technoid in some essence made for me, but I am not going to lead innocent parties into imprisonment. Surely, you understand my view on this. We would not even have had to be here, in this position, if not for the wheelings and dealings of your General in the past. Personally,I would have prefered minding my own business and immerse myself in my studies, over everything that went down later" he said.
Duke Maddox sighed.
"I know all about what happened back then Sonny. I know of Bleylocks involvement. He tricked you, and Clamp, into doing his bidding. Although, I do like the idea of droids playing like humans, I don't see it as something that is likely to happen. I wish I would have known of what was going on earlier, so I could have pulled the plug before you managed to conclude the meta flux" Duke Maddox said, to get the conversation started.
Sonny nodded slowly. With Duke Maddox being this friendly, he was fishing for something, and that caused him to be on guard.
"A machine can not replicate what a human can do Your Excellency, even with flux. Flux can only exsist in a biological organism, wich the droids never were. And if not Clamp and I, then he would have found someone else. It just happened, Clamp and I had the knowledge between us, and he took advantage of that. The consequenses, we all know. But that is not the reason you wanted to speak to me. I can make a guess. Either, it is an attempt to cover up what the Obia ambassadors really said,I know the recording was altered, that,or this is about someone very dear to me" Sonny concluded.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"You would be right Sonny. Its about Helena, or rather, her medical condition" he said.
That made Sonny tense, ever so slightly. He had to protect her, even if it meant at the risk of his own life and freedom.
"You know I wont let you get to her. She is pregnant again, with my unborn child number two. I refuse to contribute to anything that will lead to her being stressed more than she already is" Sonny stated.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"The two of you also have a son. And since she also turned pirate,it leaves me with no choice Sonny. Her health is suffering under what is going on. and the only way to make you cooperate, is through her. I will have to start circulating her wanted poster too. For now, I will put her bounty at three million standard units. I know, as much as you may try to give the impression that you will cooperate willingly, your son and her captured,will assure you to be more cooperative" he mused.
Sonny struggled to remain calm.
"Leave them be Your Excellency. I am the one you wanted all along. Now, you got me, right where you want me. If my cooperation is what it takes to keep my son and wife safe and your droids away from them, then fine. I will even put it in writing. But touch any of them, and you will see what the legendary Blackbones fury looks like, up close and personal" he warned.
Duke Maddox remained calm, wich Sonny had not planned for. Sonny was protective of his family, that he could understand. But that was not the real reason he wanted to see Helenas full current medical file.
Duke Maddox pulled up the old medical file he had on Helena, from when she birthed D'Jok, and put it in front of him.
"Sonny, this isnt about control of you or your family. I need to see Helenas recent medical updates, to assure she can have needed health care should the need arrise. You can choose a drop of site and have your men take it from there if you wish. I dont want the baby injured or Helena to get sick. This is about reducing Helenas stress levels as much as possible. There is things..things that was left out of her official medical file,after your sons birth,that could become a health risk for her right now. We may be sworn enemies, but we both care about this woman. I.. care about her because she was the most gentle and honest perosn I have ever worked with, in years. For you, she is your wife, I can imagine, being apart for so many years, makes you even more protective of her than ever. I am not asking you to make her come back to Technoid, what I am asking, is for you, as her husband, to take the stress off of her. I am willing to offer the needed medical supplies, even needed doctors to help her if this drags out, to make sure Helena doesnt die from birthing this child. And because I know how important you are to her,I am willing to offer you a deal Sonny,an immunity that cant be revoked. Not because you are innocent, but because you have a family. They need you. I wish I could persuade you to come back on your own free will, but, I can see how your men would have an issue with that. This deal is valid for you and your wife only though, not the rest of your men. I am offering you a chance Sonny, to have your old life back. But, I do insist,this be done my way. The immunity is yours, but in return, you and Helena have to give something in return. And you will only have this deal, By leaving the pirates,and becoming an honest scientist again. The choice is yours and yours alone" he said.
Sonny was not sure how to respond. This was all he had ever wanted for himself. But the price he had to pay for it, to abandon his family, the pirates for it, it was too high. When he had no one, the pirates was the family that took him in, and saved him. He could not do this to them.
"Is there any room for negotiations on this deal your Excellency? Certain aspects, I could readily agree with on the spot. But then, there is the issue, with the pirates. I was once part of the grand Technoid family. I am grateful for what I was allowed to learn and how I was helped to develop my skills as a scientist. But the pirates saved my life when I had no one. I cant and wont betray them like this. If this is all you got to offer, I am afraid, I cant accept the offer as it stands" Sonny said.
Duke Maddox nodded. What Sonny said, was not unexpected. There was room for negotiations to this. He wanted Helena safe, and to do so, she needed Sonny by her side. The pirates would surely be looking to rescue him. And if they got to the middle of it, this was about more than Sonny being the most wanted man in the galaxy. This was about saving the life of a woman they both cared about, and her unborn child. He could be reasonable enough to hear Sonny out.
"Tell me what you are thinking of the matter Sonny, What kind of changes will make this deal more acceptable for you, and I will see if I can help you in any way" he said.
Sonny looked a little more relieved when he heard that.
"Now we are getting somewhere Your Excellency. And as a gesture of good will, I will share information on the obscurantis attack. The pirates and I did not attack Obscurantis, but we know whom it may be. It may come as a shock to you though, as he is a former emplyee of yours" he said.
Duke Maddox leaned forwards.
"I figured you acted on old habits with you and Corso leaving so fast Sonny. No one wants to win a football match so bad that they resort to this kind of move, not even I. You are much to smart to do a foolish move like that" he said.
Sonny nodded. It seemed that old enemies could talk things out after all. He decided to share as much as he felt was safe.
"The person behind this, is someone we both know Your Excellency, for better and for worse. I thought he fell to his death four years ago, but recently, I have come across information that indicates that I may have been wrong about that" he said.
Duke Maddox eyes widened.
"I hope you got some proof to show me for this Sonny. I admit, there was never an obituary for Bleylock, and we never found a body. Come to think of it, the attack on Obscurantis..that could well be his doing, if he sought revenge" he mused.
Sonny agreed.
"That is my thoughts too, Your Excellency. And if he is seeking revenge, he is sure to go after my family and the pirates. Me, he wont dare get close to. He had his shot, and decided to flee. He would have to expose himself to get near. If you are willing to hear me out,we need to work together, Technoid and the pirates, to smoke him out of hiding. For this to happen, I must remain in a role as a prisoner for the time being, but I also need to contact my men. They will do the ground work in locating him. If we want to find Bleylock, I might have an idea of where he is hiding, we need to get him taken out, without the risk of anyone getting will need help with that. The pirates are excellent trackers, we have some of the galaxys very best military veterans to help us with it. We could use some help in arresting him though, its a big area he hides in, it takes time to search it all." Sonny suggested.
Duke Maddox rubbed his beard. Bleylock had nearly killed Sonny four years ago, and he wanted to cause a hell of a lot more harm. He could put Bleylock away for good, if he used the attempted murder on Sonny as basis for a legal case. Sonny certainly had not intended to kill anyone, he had, if anything, put his own life at risk, to save Genesis and millions of lives across the galaxy. If Sonny was right, the galaxy was still in danger. But if he could actually work together with the pirates on this, simply by pretending to hold Sonny prisoner, there was a chance, if it was really him and not a copy cat, that Bleylock could be put to justice for his wrong doings, wich made a long list.
Duke Maddox smirked.
"Let me hear what you know about all this Sonny. You may just have gotten yourself a far better deal, for both your families, by going this way. You are clearly well versed in the art of negotiation" he said.
Sonny nodded, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. It would take some effort to convince his pirates of this cooperation being necessary, but if he could talk to Helena, he had a feeling, she would be able to put it forth right to them. And he got to use a skillset that had collected dust for a long time. This could actually be quite fun for him, and with the galaxys safety as the grand price. Somehow, he found it in him, to thank his old mentor and leader prior to him, for teaching him all this. Now those skills would serve the galaxy, on a grand scale.
"Now, we can move forwards Your Excellency, and finally, work together to eliminate the biggest threat the galaxy has ever faced"..