While Corso, Bennett and Artie joined forces with the other pirates to make their case with the evidence they had gathered, Sonny focused on Callie.
She had been remarkably calm so far, but something told him, once the adrenaline wore off and she relaxed more, the reactions would come. She was tough, but not used to the dangers the pirates lived with. Abduction management was not a training she had taken, for pirates, it was mandatory, as this was something that could happen at any minute. Sonny had made it a habit to refresh his training in the field every time it was updated. At times, Corso would be on the abductor team, other times, the rescue team. During these trainings,Sonny pushed aside seeing anyone as a friend, he made it as realistic as possible, by being silent, accepting being tied up, locked up or worse, drugged. Ropes and gags he had also learned to endure, even blindfolds. But Callie had not done would need someone to be there with her when the adrenaline left and the shakes happened. And at the moment it did, that someone was going to be him. Corso could probably assist with some herbal remedies should it be needed, but Sonny had a few tricks of his own. Not everyone had the same effect with herbs, as they could be too mild. Sonny suspected she could be that type,knowing what kind of work she sometimes did. Mandated reporters were chosen because of their ability to stay calm and focused, even in threatening situations. And from what he had seen, in the video for them, Callie had seemed scared, and near tears. It caused him to worry for a close friend. A friend whom he felt very comfortable with and whom was rapidly becoming a far closer female friend than he had in years. Sonny decided to do a few simple tests to determine what kind of help she would need. Sometimes, it could be as simple as talking through it with a friend. He and Corso had done this millons of times. To them, it was second nature.
But first, he needed to clarify where she was at. Callie seemed to hold it together for now, Sonny had taken small peeks at her fists since they arrived. She opened and clenched them ever so often, a common way he knew many used for stress relieves. Maybe she fooled everyone else to believe she was fine, but not him. Sonny knew what to look for, it was part of his medical training, a needed study to be allowed in with the professors Bleylock needed him to work with. This time, the knowledge he had learned, would serve a good purpose. Sonny held her lightly by the arm, as he addressed her.
"Callie, at the moment, your home is not a safe place for you to be. I talked to your boss about it and he agrees. Until further notice, you wont need to come in and report to the channel. Your boss will cover for you and the pirates and I got your back when it comes to your pay check. For the moment, and in the coming days, The Black Manta will be your home, as she is to us. You opened your home for us when we needed somewhere to hide. Now, we return the favour by opening our home to you. The accomodations may not be luxurious, but it is prepared with love. While we are here, let me give you the tour of our home" Sonny said with a smile and offered her his arm.
Callie accepted it with gratitude. She had to admit, her legs had started to feel slightly wobbly as the adrenaline rush started to die down. And with what she now knew about Sonnys past, and his education, she suspected that he had seen it coming, and was taking steps to make sure she was feeling good when the rush wore off. His arm felt very strong, not surprisingly really. She had seen his torso while she massaged him. Sonny body was toned, but under the skin, she knew there was rock hard was a man that stayed fit and trained hard to be on top of the game.
Callie shook those images from her mind. Sonny was a friend, he had offered to show her around, not show her his private cabin or collection of tattos, if he even had any. Callie was embarrased of herself. She was objectifying him, and she should not,Sonny had not made any moves that suggested he would be into something else than a friend would. He offered friendship, and someone to talk to, to get through a traumatizing experience. For him to get involved on a deeper level would not be safe. Who knew what kind of ammunition that would give his enemies to fire at him. Callie slightly shook her head.
"Get a hold of yourself Callie, he is your friend. And he is concerned for your well being, not asking you on a date" she reminded herself.
She managed to focus as Sonny led her through the ship, and showed her where the galley was, the dorm where the pirates slept,the mess where they had their meals, the showers and the knew this all served a purpose. For now, she had to hide here, with them, till Sonny and Corso could get things going with Technoid and settle matters. Callie forced herself to focus on where they were. This was a first ever for a reporter to see their home,as the pirates kept a low profile and hid their home well. Until now. They had opened their home to her. From what she could see, The Black Manta came across as a gigantic ship. Still, despite her size, Sonny claimed they could easily out fly Technoids more heavy ships if need should rise. The ship had state of the art computer systems, and a cloaking device that would make them invisible to both sight and radar. Sonny called this function stealth mode. They often used it to avoid detection from Technoid.
As the tour of the ship ended, Callie noticed some doors was closed. She asked him what they were.
"These would be the ships private cabins Callie. Its reserved for the ships crew that is ranked captains and above. To be in charge all the time takes its toll on a pirate, so we have these private spaces to withdraw to,to gather our thoughts, or just get some sleep" Sonny told her.
Callie looked at him.
"Do you mind if I ask wich one of them belongs to you?You being the leader would earn you the right to your own cabin." she asked.
Sonny smiled.
"Not at all Callie. The one dead ahead would be my private cabin. As a matter of fact, how about we step inside and sit down for a cup of tea? You had a rough day and night,let me, as the ships captain, invite you to a sit down and just relax a bit. Let the pirates take care of you the way you took care of us. I also figure you may need to speak of your experience while its still fresh. So allow me to help you with that. The pirates do say I have a special way of handling matters like this that helps them get through faster. And I owe you for the help you gave me" he smiled.
Callie smiled back. This was an offer that she was not going to pass up.
Corso had all the information together, and now,he was ready to call Duke Maddox. It took some time to get through, since the pirates never showed their contact codes. This was a safety measure on their part. Finally, he got through. It was late evening, but not so late that the Duke had left his Technoid office.
Corso struggled not to growl as he saw the mans face appear. The way Callie had just been treated by a member of his board, had royally pissed Corso off. He suspected the only one more dangerous than him right now, was Sonny himself. You went after Sonnys personal contacts and friends, you really made a problem for yourself.
"What are you doing, runining my dinner like that?" The Duke growled.
"Well, you might want to ask your board members about that. I am not at all sure its a good thing for Technoid that your people abducted Callie Mystic this evening. We got a video she was forced to make, threatening to kill her, if Sonny didnt come out of hiding. I dont think I need to tell you what Sonny thinks about that. Going after him is one thing, you are equals in some regards, but use other people he cares about, whom has tried to honestly just do their job, that is going to anger him. Sonny may be friendly most the time, but he is no saint. This one got him mad. So for now, you have to talk to me. Sonny is busy, tending to Callie. I can think of no one better to calm her down" Corso replied, calmer than he felt.
Something told him, he needed to separate The Duke and the rest of his board on this. It would not surprise him one bit if Maddox knew next to nothing about all this.
Duke Maddox gritted teeth.
"What are you talking about Corso? We all saw Callie just an hour ago, with mr Alderon from the board. She looked safe and sound to me. The message is on the board this time, I didnt agree to it. Want to explain to me what really happened over there?" he said.
Corso nodded.
"We figured that much. You may want to have a look at this" Corso said and played up the video file they had received.
Duke Maddox was in utter shock at what he saw.
"I dont understand. What in the galaxy is going on here?" The Duke asked.
Corso sighed.
"Make yourself comfy and I will try to explain".
At the captains cabin, Sonny had heated some water for the tea. As he took an assortment of tea flavours to choose from, he also took out a little selection of nerve calming pills that they had. All of it was a brand the pirates themselves produced, to avoid anyone being fed something that could potentially be of harm. Sonny decided to give Callie the cup test. By putting a small plate under it, he would be able to observe if she was really doing as good as she pretended. He had sensed she leaned a bit heavier on his arm than she let on. A sign her feets was wobbly, and his main reason for bringing her to his own cabin. He handed Callie the cup with the water, and sat down oposite of her. Now, his observation skills started to kick in. Callie seemed to act calm, but he was not convinced it was not an act.
Sonny took his own cup and drank as he continued to observe. There, just a tiny shaking, one she quickly covered up, but the adrenaline was wearing down. The shaking would grow worse.
Callie tried to hide how shaky her hands started to feel. She knew she would likely have some kind of reaction, but this was not what she had hoped for. And from Sonnys gaze, she realised he had seen it too. But he wasnt calling her out on it, just yet.
Instead, Sonny took both her hands, a light grip around her wrists, where he used his thumbs to make a circular movement, atop her pulse. Callie looked at him.
Sonny had a soft smile on his face. It occurred to her, he did this to make the adrenaline slip faster, so she could fall asleep.
"It this a therapeutic grip that the pirates use, or does it come from an actual medical school, since you are holding the title as professor,Sonny?" she asked.
Sonny just smiled.
"Its both. The pirates use this on frightened prisoners, we are sometimes forced to hold some, for their own safety. This method makes it easier on them. We do have other means as well, but we prefer not to use it if we can avoid it. It is very calming. While we are on the subject, how would you feel about telling me more about the abduction and the players that did it? The mind always has the best memory in the first few hours after an incident. So, if you are able, how about you tell me all you can remember about your abductors?Hopefully, we can stop them, before others become their target as well".
Corso was finally done explaining what they knew to Duke Maddox. The head of Technoid was beyond cross with his board members.
"How is this possible? I thought my board had higher standards than this. I may not like the fact that Callie did that report, but I had no pirates must have followed her to be able to free him so soon" he roared.
Corso sighed.
"They have either willingly gone into trafficking, or Bleylock tricked them. That monster has no respect for anyone, or care for whom he hurts. I had hopes maybe Sonny was right,that deep down, there was something that resembled humanity hidden. But with the recent finds,I know that is not the case. Yes, we followed Callie, without her knowing. We werent gonna let you hold Sonny for long. I suspect the meds he was given was far too stong. He was out of it for a long while after we came for him. As soon as it cleared his system,Sonny has rested and stayed in bed while he recovered. He still wont be fully recovered for a while, but he is better than before." Corso said.
Duke Maddox didnt like hearing it, but he still nodded. What Corso described, he had seen in the reports he had about maybe he didnt have much in common with his former scientist, but this was one thing. They had both held hopes that Bleylock was not as bad as he looked. And they were both proven wrong.
"Was Sonny on the list of the scientists meant to be sold off? And if you know, what status his case file has" he asked.
Corso nodded.
"He was, and the buyer has paid Bleylock and Doctor Crawen in full for the work. When we rescued Sonny, we had a doctor we trust come and examine him. Doctor Crawen used Nano Technology to attempt to place a hidden tracker in Sonnys body. The reason being, the buyer in Sonnys case now has decided to pressure your board of directors into forcing the trial, to force Sonny out of hiding before he is well enough. Seems they think it will be easier to catch him if he is not fully recovered. Sonny has enough to defend himself with in a court, but we wont let him be taken. Either, Technoid provides an immunity agreement for Sonny and whomever accompanies him to the trial, or this is done through holo conferance. Unless its safe for Sonny, we wont with the recent activities of his buyers. They involved innocent people when they threatened Callie Mystic. And Sonny is taking care of her right now. He knows how to deal with that kind of shock she suffered. You can trust Callie to be safe with him" Corso explained.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"Did they hurt Callie?" he asked.
Corso shook his head.
"Not physically, but we are still checking what possible trauma she may have. Sonny will take care of it, he is our best man for the job" Corso informed.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"I have to agree with that. Now, how about we figure out how to carry through this court trial?".
Callie felt relaxed, after having told Sonny everything that had happened. Now, she tried to not hold the tea cup at all, knowing her hands would shake too much. Sonny smiled compassionately. Her reactions was all normal.
"Feeling sleepy Callie? I would fully understand. What you went through will give an extreme adrenaline rush, putting your body in a fight or flight mode while the situation is ongoing. But now that you are safe, it wears off, and you do tend to feel sleepier than normal" he said.
Callie nodded.
"Quite observant of you. I thought I did a good job at hiding it" she tried to joke.
Sonny chuckled.
"Not so much observing as it is experience. The pirates are used to this happening every now and again. I even had some of the same reaction when I was captured by Technoid after being shot. I really cant say what happened immediately after I passed out. I only know the story by others other circumstances,I would have had a simmilar reaction. And tying to hide it. The damn heart monitor became a tool that worked against me on that" he said.
Callie nooded.
"I think..the most scary part was being blindfolded in a separate room, hearing them talk about you and what would happen once they got hold of you. I have never heard of such cold hearted people before. Like they lacked humanity" she said.
Sonny nodded.
"That is abraxian nature Callie. They dont see emotions as a strength,to them, its a and I have read up on them,we will try to avoid them as best we can for now. Try to solve the issue with Technoid and the missing scientists, and the trial Duke Maddox is forced to carry out. I am not worried about that though. And as soon as Corso has an answer to when this can happen, I will make a decision on wheter to defend myself through a holo conferrance call or be present" he explained.
Callie looked at him, and her eyes expressed fear.
"Sonny, please, dont go in there. If they can hide, and blend in, that would be serving you on a silver platter. They are sure to use this to track you. They are litterally just waiting for you to come out of hiding to strike. They may even kill you, and keep your brain alive. Please Sonny, dont do choose the safety of the ship over this." she pleaded.
Sonny responded by pulling her to his own chest, stroking her hair. Callie had heard things that truly made her worry for his safety.
"I promise Callie, I will do this in safe way. Now, how about you lie down on the bed, and get some shut eye?" he suggested.
Callie nodded.
"Can I ask you to do something for me Sonny?" she asked.
Sonny smiled.
"Off course" he replied softly.
Callie smiled.
"Corso once told me,to center himself after a hard mission, lying next to you, is the best way for him to calm down. Could I ask you to do that for me as well?" she asked.
Sonny just smiled.
"That would be my pleasure to do for you Callie".
Corso was finally done negotiating with Duke Maddox. They had a date. As he looked up from the screen, he saw Sonny enter.
Sonny looked at him.
"How is Callie Sonny? Is she handling this traumatic experience?I wish she didnt have to experience this. Its so not fair that they did this to her" Corso asked.
"She is sleeping in my cabin Corso,She asked me to do the same for her as I do for you to calm you down" Sonny reported.
Corso nodded.
"She is tough,and I think, she is starting to get close with you. Better watch out, or she might just be the first one since Helena to actually get you interested in more than friendship. On the other thing, that could be a good thing too. Especially for you" he said.
Sonny smiled.
"Playing match maker Corso? You know that going that route would be dangerous, especially for her. As long as things are as they are, I cant do things like that, not with our new enemies on the loose" Sonny pointed out.
Corso nodded.
"We got a date, two weeks and two days from now. The northern court building, room 44, judge Alexa Allegri will be proceeding" Corso informed.
Sonny nodded.
"Call everyone to the briefing room, we got a lot to do before its time" he said.
Corso nodded.
"Not sure you should go personally, the abraxians are just waiting to get eyes on you. Once they do, they will do all in their power to seize you. These boys arent technoid Sonny, they are elite military, just like me. The danger they represent towards you is immense. Do you feel this can be done through holo call?" he asked.
Sonny nodded.
"yes, until the last day of the trial. To lure the Abraxians out of hiding, we need to set a trap. And to make sure they will bite, we will use a bait they are sure to go for" he said.
Corso was shocked, but Sonnys expression told him, this was not debatable.
"I will make you wear protective armour and I will also make a special concoction to enable you to flee if need be".