Sonny looked at all his men as he got ready to give testimony about a grim past. Duke Maddox had stuck to his promise to only go by the things Sonny was guilty of when the charges was read. This time, there was no false charges thrown at him. All he was accused of, was things he had actually done, or there was reason for Technoid to suspect him and his men of doing. Duke Maddox had been truthful in wanting to settle this matter. It seemed the vague memories he had from being imprisoned was true. Duke Maddox didnt want him in jail at all, he felt a genuine loss at his departure from Technoid. With what they now knew, he had gotten out in the 11th hour. Corso had mentioned it, but he was not convinced it was true. He could not blame him for that. Technoid had never really proven trustworthy before, it was understandable that Corso would be sceptical. Sonny knew this testimony would be hard, there was issues he needed to speak of, issues that would hurt some families to learn the truth of, some issues that would be damning to the way Technoid was run, and also damage The Maddox name. That was the sad part. Sonny never saw Duke Maddox as the real enemy. He had lost control over technoid long before he had joined them as a young man. The real enemy was the sneaky Abraxian General, whom had tricked him into it by the promise of career advancement, tricked him to do his bidding, then sold him to his own father, and a future unknown. There was more to his story with the General, but Sonny planned not to speak of it, if it could be avoided. He wished no one had to get hurt if it could be avoided. But that could not be avoided as things stood. As Sonny carefully chose his words, the faces of many lost souls, friends whom he did not know the fate of, his beloved wife, his men, faces of those that suffered the consequenses of Technoids wheeling and dealing flashed before his inner eye. He wasnt doing this for himself. If it was only for him, he could do the time, and take life from there, after time was served. But that was not why he was here,he was giving a voice to the ones whos voices were silenced. He could make a difference by bringing the truth to the galaxy. And that was exactly what he was going to do. Sonny cleared his voice, before he began telling the story that Callies report backed up.
The Abraxians had also followed the trial. To hear the evidence against Bleylock, one of their own, had made Sonnys testimony become the talk of the galaxy. Sonny had an expression without emotion when he described Bleylock, and his ways. As if he wanted to distance himself from that past. The story had made some cry tears of pain, feeling the loss of loved ones, losses Sonny had stated clearly that he had intentions to investigate to the fullest extent that he and his pirates could. It became clear to the galaxy, The pirates were not too had lost loved ones, and many of them had family or close friends that suffered at the companys hands. They could see how Sonny seemed to harden slightly when he spoke of that, how quickly he had become aware he wasnt the only one among them with a grudge against Technoid. As much as it felt good to know he was not alone, it also spured him into taking action, to start uncovering the buried truth. Much of what he himself had seen, he hid, trying to protect his new family from the brutality of it all. And the galaxy at large saw a new side to the ones always painted as the crimminals, They were the ones with the tools to find the answers that Technoid had covered up, The pirates would find the truth, no matter how long it took. And it didnt seem The pirates targeted Duke Maddox directly. What surprised them even more, was to see how Sonny deliberately aimed his testimony at Technoids board of directors as the culprits, not the head of the company. It seemed Sonny tried to protect the Duke. And the galaxy was wondering why he would do that. Duke Maddox had surely thrown enough punches over the years in Sonnys direction, accusing him of a lot of things. It seemed Sonny was not just an honest pirate, he also came across as a compassionate one. For a full day, Sonny gave testimony about his past with the company, endured a tense cross examination from Technoids lawyer, before he was allowed to step down. As soon as that was done, he and his pirates left the courtroom to head back to their ship.
The Abraxians that had followed the trial was furious. To hear the evidence against Bleylock,a generals son and one of their own,and also his accomplices, had made the anger boil in them. Sonnys testimony was damning to them, and their fellow men. At this rate, their planet and military was sure to be blocked from trade deals and other essentials they needed from other planets. Something had to be done. Sonny had caused their planets reputation a lot of harm, naming them as buyers to this trafficking business, and also listing other planets and major buyers by name as co accomplices. It seemed it was only one way to deal with this. Sonny had to be taken out, and this time, for good. The team leader for the group was making calls to the other named buyers. They would all work together, to take out the leader of the pirates, when a call came through, after a short talk, they continued to wasnt over yet.
Judge Allegri made ready for the next testimony. The name listed was Flint Corso. An elite military from Chissias special forces. His military record was impressive to say the least. But this was not about him. This was about a man whom he seemed very close with. His testimony would be about what Technoid listed as kidnapping an injured man in their custody. Corso would explain why they had acted so swiftly and defend this action. As Corso was sworn in, she could notice that he sent a nodd to Sonny. Sonny nodded silently back, there seemed to be a deep respect for the other between Corso and his boss, Sonny Blackbones. Then, Corso began his testimony. It gripped the galaxy. Corso would speak of the struggles the pirates went through, Sonnys recovery, and how drugged up he had been when they came to get him. Corso did admit to following Callie Mystic without her knowing, fearing for Sonnys life. The pirates was grateful for the medical treatment Sonny had been given, but felt it had been a bit more than needed. Corso made a point out of Sonny being a very reasonable person. If someone explained to him that he needed to rest due to a medical problem, Sonny would do so, without questioning it, even if it was at the mercy of his sworn enemy. Technoids lawyer was not all playing along with it.
"Technoid understands that the pirates dont trust us, but in this matter, taking Sonny out of our care that soon, could have resulted in Sonny taking a turn for the worse. At worst, he could have experienced internal and undetectable bleeds that could have killed him. Does Mr Corso understand that he put the man he claims to see as his brother in arms and best friend, in danger with his actions?" he asked.
Corso nodded.
"I understand why you would say that. But I will assure the court, Sonny was never in any danger from the pirates when he was freed.I will be honest about our reasons. We did follow Callie from a distance. We found out through hacking Technoid databases, she was set to do the welfare check on Sonny, wich we hoped would give us eyes on him. Pirates have a well developed 6th sense, Sonny happens to have the best developed one. As for why we decided to take him with us, it is in part because of our past with Technoid. And also, because of the bounty on Sonnys head. I will not talk too much about the way we kept an eye on him, but Sonny has a special system in his body, that allows us to keep an eye on him, even when imprisoned. We cant track him per se, but we can check his vitals. That was the reason we acted when we did, Sonnys vitals was not at the normal level, and we got worried about him. There was also the fact that five days passed before it was revealed that he had been captured. We, as pirates, did not trust that Sonny would be safe in their care because of this time not being accounted for. We are, unfortunately, aware of how former employees of Technoid has been treated in the past. And Sonny is one of those former employees. Those factors combined, made us make the call to relocate Sonny to a safe house for the pirates, where we could tend to him ourselves. As for wheter this was safe, true, there was an element of uncertainty about his health, but not from the pirates. We did view the security footage from where he was held, and noted down the heavy duty medication he was put on. I myself have had extensive medical training in the military. And Sonny is someone that means more than words can express to me, and all of us pirates. He was completely safe while we transported him to the safe house. What was a concern for us, was that he was heavily sedated for hours after we freed him. He woke up for a few seconds when we entered the room,then he fell asleep again. Since we did not know what they had given him, we had our own doctor give him a check up as soon as he was awake, and some bloodwork. I deemed it safe to transport him like things was. Sonny slept for 10 hours before he woke up after being freed. In that time, I checked the wound and made arrangements to have a doctor of our choosing come see him. Sonny received medical care up to standard issue for his injury, and has been recovering well since. What we found was the sedatives he was given while in Technoids care, clearly had a secondary reason. They were stronger than needed. Sonny is strong, and that helped him get to this point. Sonny will still need time to reach full recovery, but he has recovered remarkably. I am not regretting getting him out when we did" Corso said, nodding to Sonny.
The judge could see how Sonny smiled at him and gave a nodd. Corso was maybe this tough soldier, following his captains orders, but he was not going to reveal anything Sonny had not agreed to. The judge looked at Technoids lawyer.
"I will give Technoid a chance to respond to this allegation of over medicating Sonny. You seem to know your medical profession Mr Corso" she commented.
Corso nodded.
"Your Honour,I have fought in the flux wars. I have seen sights that would give most nightmares for decades. I myself have suffered from it. Sonny has been there, through the worst of it. He was the one that helped me find coping strategies that worked. being in active combat makes you learn the medical trade, and then some, as a means of survival. I am glad it can be used to help my fellow pirates out" Corso said, and then, as if he came to think of something, he looked at Sonny.
"Sonny, I am sorry, but I am going to have to reveal something about you that you regard as private matters, but I feel it will shed a light on this entire situation, and explain things that the judge and everyone else needs to hear. If we can use this trial, to increase the understanding of whom the pirates are, and what so many of us have experienced, I think our own pain and suffering may serve the galaxy in a good way. Hopefully to bring about needed changes for the better" Corso said.
Sonny nodded. Corso didnt like having to initiate this, he could tell by looking at him, but he would do it anyway, using the fact that they now had the galaxy as an audience to the trial, to let them know why the pirates were as they were, and why they did the work they did. To explain their motivations, his past had to be shared, his role in certain events, to explain how he knew the things he did, and why Technoid was not the only enemy he had on his tail.
"No worries Corso, I get it. You share what you feel is needed for the galaxy to hear, to understand the pirates and what we are really trying to do here".
Corso had stunned them all, by telling of the nightmares Sonny had suffered, and how he had come to realise what Sonny had seen when with Technoid. Corso painted a picture of Technoid intensifying the hunt for Sonny, the numerous attempts to capture him, and increasing Sonnys bounty as a two headed beast. Sure, it kept things interesting, but there was a dark side to it side was Technoid wanting to rid themselves of someone that knew too much, the other side was the very secret side business many of Technoids board members had participated in. Corso could tell Sonny closed his eyes for a sec when he touched on the many of his friends lost under suspicious circumstances. As Corso was done, he nodded to Sonny. He had laid the ground for him, now, it was up to Sonny to open up about what he knew, what drove him to do the things he did. Corso was dismissed from the witness stand. Thats when Sonny cleared his voice.
"Your Honour, may I aproach the bench to further explain what Corso meant? Corso is usually not the one to say things like this, he did this time, because elements of my own past is going to explain his actions and the pirates, in a way that will make sense to the entire galaxy" he asked.
Judge Allegri nodded.
"I will allow it Mr Blackbones. I am looking to make a fair ruling in this matter. And I understand you would not do this, if it wasnt needed. Mr Corso, I will dismiss you for now, to allow Mr Blackbones to take the stand again. I dont need to remind you Mr Blackbones, you are still under oath to tell the truth do I?" she asked.
Sonny sent her a grateful smile. As Corso rose to leave the witness stand, he walked past Sonny. It only took a split second for Sonny to see the emotions. Sonny stopped him, and pulled him close. The galaxy saw the brave soldier from the flux wars, the proud chissian, embrace his captain, clearly having an emotional moment. Sonny responded by putting his arms around him, just holding him for a second.
"Im sorry Sonny, but I had to tell them this.I know you are a private person, but I get the feeling that your past is something that holds answers for many. I dont like to pressure you, but, its time Sonny. Tell the galaxy of the things you have been plagued by. Let them know there is still hope for answers to come forth, that will make the pain you suffered worth while,I should know, I live it every day" he said.
Sonny smiled.
"No hard feelings on my end Corso. You are right. You have helped me deal with it for years. Now, I can finally pay it forwards, by helping others" he said.
Corso nodded, and patted his shoulder, as Sonny once again took the stand, this time, to speak of a past of pain, and one that revealed the truth about how some had ended their lives, and how there was hopes of answers for others.
Sonny took the stand again, taking a moment before he started. His eyes met Callies. She had been so brave, as a civilian, fighting with them in all this. She suffered at the hands of the Abraxians and the board members that aided them. Callie was as much a victim in this as he and the pirates was. She was one of those he tried to ensure her safety, and the safety of others, this was what he needed to attack. How innocent civilians was victimized by the way the company was run. There was no personal vendetta here, not really. It was about holding them accountable. It had maybe started as a revenge, but over the years, it grew to mean so much more. To become bigger. And now, they had the chance to bring abou the change, through being honest and stick to provable facts. Sonny was about to start when the door to the courtroom was busted open. He could see Corso and the other pirates reach for their concealed weapons. Sonny looked at the military dressed men that was entering the room. Then,even Sonny felt the shock wash over him. In the doorway, stood a man, with glowing eyes, an unreadable face with streaks of grey in his hair. The eyes spoke volumes of his heritage. He had seen those eyes daily for years, some of the worst years of his life. General Alistair G Bleylock stepped into the room, locking his eyes with Sonnys.
"You are truly an ungrateful man Blackbones. It was thanks to my son you had a career at all within Technoid. A tailor made career, You got to work with professors way out of your league,learning skills way above your abilities, It takes eight years to do what you did in four. That alone should have given you an idea that my son fast tracked you. And nothing comes for free, even you had to know there would be a price to all this. You were allowed benefits most others never had, and this is how you repay all he did for you? By smearing his name?" roared the General.
"This is a closed hearing General, I will ask you to leave" said Judge Allegri, slamming her club in the desk.
The General looked at her.
"This man, this pirate, is to come with us Your Honour. Technoid was paid to train him, spesifically to our spesifications, he is bound by contract to come with us, willingly, or we will force him" he stated coldly.
Sonny saw Corso pull his laser, moving from the bench where he sat, to stand directly between him and the General.
"Lay a hand on Sonny, and you are as dead as your scumbag son. Sonny does not belong to you, and he is not going anywhere with you" he snarled.
The General jolted by Corsos words.
Corso sighed.
"You really didnt know why he delayed the delivery, General? Well,me neither, till late last night. I have been wanting to know the truth behind the rumours for some time, rumours spread like wildfire in the military, not just Abraxor. I have dealt with men that became his victims before. You can imagine what I found when I decided to do a little digging cant you? What I didnt see, was a few names on that list, that I wish I could have shielded from that" Corso asked.
The General gritted teeth.
"My son was not like that. He knows what that entails on our planet. As would you know, being from chissias elite forces" he said.
"Corso, do you have the evidence for this claim? If not, please drop it" sounded Sonnys soft voice behind him.
Corso nodded, not taking his eye of the general.
"I do Sonny. It is horrible to see, and the list of victims is long. Some of them, even happen to be friends of yours. Either, he used you as leverage against them, threatening them, or threatening to harm you, or..." Corso went silent for a moment.
"Or what Corso? Tell me" Sonny asked.
He had a suspicion to what Corso had come across. He had hoped to keep this out of things, not that it bothered him, but to have Maddox and others hear it, and the galaxy, to learn the true side of Bleylock, he did not feel ready, not to mention, Callie was sure to have questions as well. But here, Corso had cornered him, back against the wall. And since the galaxy had already heard his words, he needed be honest.
Corso sighed.
"Or, you might be one of his victims Sonny. I am speaking emotional torture, abuse in very damaging form. I checked the dates Sonny. You know what I found. I only got one question Sonny, whom were you protecting, through taking all that abuse upon yourself?" Corso asked.
Sonny sighed.
"I will reveal it Corso, in my testimony"...