The following morning, Callie woke up with a smile. Thank heavens she had the afternoon shift today. She smiled as she turned to find the man she had been dreaming of laying next to her. He was still asleep. Whatever he was dreaming about made him smile. He was a truly amazing man. Callie tried to get out of bed without waking him up. Sonny needed all the rest he could get. As she tried to exit the bed, she felt a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm so sorry Sonny, I didn't mean to wake you up." She said, turning to him. Sonny smiled as he stretched himself. This time, without any visible pain from his injured leg.

"Don't worry, I was already awake. I need little sleep. How about getting segment three done tonight?" He said as he looked at her with a small smile. Callie smiled.

"I would love to. My boss is getting eager to get the story out there for the Galaxy to hear. he is loving this truly amazing series that we are doing" She said. Sonny nodded.

"It's also part of our strategy to smoke out the mastermind within Technoid. They will also be watching. I am getting to the point, the things I say will provoke them as it confronts them with their mistakes and cover ups. Since they can't physically reach me, they will have to take some chances to try and cover their tracks before official invenstigations by independent parties can be launched. This is where my men will hone in on them. I can tell they are highly motivated for the job. Especially with a potensial pardon as a result"he said. Callie smiled.

"A pardon is a great motivation for your entire organization to get the truth out." She said. Sonny shook his head and leaned over on his arm, his very muscular arm.

"I wouldn't call it 'my' organization Callie. I'm part of it just like everyone else that is a pirate is. The Pirates are like a well-oiled machine. We all have our jobs and as long as everyone does their part, things will run like clockwork. The organization is ours, not mine." He explained. Callie nodded. She bent down to kiss Sonny, who took advantage of the situation and pulled her back in bed.

After a little while of cuddling, they both decided it was time to get up. Sonny packed away the clothes from last night's date carefully, and put on his usual clothes. Callie couldn't help but admire him as he got himself ready for the day. He was a good looking man, strong and athletic. Callie noticed the bandage on the wounded leg was gone. A part of her felt sad, as she knew what that meant; He would soon head back to the safety of his ship.

"What's your plan for today?" She asked. Sonny smiled.

"I'm going to look more closely at the information we have from the old Netherball Sphere. Even Duke Maddox knows this is not good news for the galaxy. I'll to find out who is behind this and where any flux devices have been taken. This used to be my line of work in the past, so I will put my knowledge to good use,to deal with yet another power trip caused by Technoid" He answered. Callie looked at him.

"Could you please explain more about these 'Flux Devices'?I am trying to understand what you found out, and how this is harmful to our galaxy" She asked. Sonny sat down on the bed.

"You Better get comfy. This may take a while…" he said. With that, he started explaining.

Callie was thinking very hard when she headed to work. To learn how flux could work as a weapon had been a real eye-opener. Sonny did not hold back as he told her of his and Clamp's invention and how General Bleylock, a Technoid operative at the time, had planned to use it for war. Callie sensed there was more to the story about Bleylock than Sonny was telling. Something more personal. But she knew better than to press the matter. If she would need to know at any point, Sonny would tell her of his own volition.

The hatred Sonny had for the other man was obvious. Sonny told of how Bleylock had used the Netherball Sphere to mix Fluxes from different players, to create a weapon. As a result, the Multiflux that had been taken from players that had played Netherball, had caused the players, no matter how long they were in there, to suffer from a phenomenon that Sonny called Resonance. Sonny had explained how the players' Flux would feedback on its own echo and how it left the players suffering, weak and unable to move for a while.

Rocket, The Snow Kids' coach was the one exposed the most to this, and his Resonance was the strongest. The syphoned off mixed flux was directly to blame for the mishap that had destroyed the pitch in Genesis that year, and robbed the pirates of their then immunity.

Sonny also explained how he and Clamp had fabricated an anti Multiflux, an antidote that canceled out the effect, as a last ditch attempt to get the upper hand and stop a new war from starting.

Callie had a totally new look on General Bleylock now and as far as Technoid went, if they were hiding these facts from the Galaxy, they had to be put in their place.

Now, there was a third Flux mix at play. Sonny told her he would need to head into a lab with Clamp to deconstruct it, molecule by molecule. and an anti multi flux for the version had to be fabricated, just in case. But once they knew the fluxes, the anti multi flux was the easy part. To find the culprit and deal with him was far more dangerous, and what the pirates had to focus their efforts on.

Callie worried, as being in a lab would make Sonny vulnerable to capture. She was starting to become like Corso. If she could have it her way she would have placed him somewhere he was safe, and locked the door.

As she reached work and parked, she received a text from Sonny.

"Callie, Can you arrange a meeting with your boss for me? I have some questions I need answers to, and I believe he has the answers." it read.

Callie decided instead of texting back to use a holo call instead.

Two rings passed before Sonny picked up. Callie smiled as she saw him.

"Not quite who you expected?" She said as Sonny grinned back.

"No, but I must say it's a pleasant surprise." He smiled. Callie laughed.

"How about I get my boss to come to the apartment before we do todays recording, would that work?It would allow for some more relaxed atmosphere to it as well" Callie asked as she looked at Sonny's hologram. Sonny rubbed his chin for a moment.

"That is a good idea. We will be ready. Thanks. See you when you get back." he said.

Callie grinned.

"Don't work too hard today. You need your rest." She said. Sonny laughed.

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves here? I am not ready for retirement just yet"Sonny raised an eyebrow as he asked this.

"I will tell you about it later. Right now, I have to run." Callie cheered. Before Sonny could respond, she hung up with a laugh.

At Technoid, a meeting was taking place in the underground hallways of the building.

Maurice Miller, a rather plump little man and member of the board was, sweating as he met with a colleague from the board. He wiped his plump face as his nervous green eyes roved the dimly lit room where they've met.

"It won't be long until Duke Maddox will be removed from power. Technoid as a company will be mine. As it should have been." His colleague, looking out a window, eyes gleaming from underneath a hood and dark sunglasses. Mister Miller was sweating at the thought. He had heard of General Bleylock having a similar plan, even Harris had gone down that route, and they had both been stopped by the same man, Sonny Blackbones. Miller knew Sonny was a former employee of Technoid and one of very few that Duke Maddox would publicly regret losing. "No one will stop me." The man in the hood mused. Miller looked at him sceptically.

"Don't you think you are underestimating Sonny Blackbones? Two of our high ranked officials have tried before, and he stopped them is a danger to our plan. We need to neutralize him" He asked carefully. The hooded man nodded.

"Yes, they both underestimated him. I won't make the same mistake. Sonny will not see this coming until it is too late to stop it. Should an opportunity arise, have him captured. That way we will control the Pirates. If we hold Sonny prisoner, they wouldn't dare to go against us." He said. Miller looked worried. This was crazy.

"How would we even find Sonny Blackbones? To my knowledge, he has gone into hiding." He asked. The hooded man smirked.

"He can't hide forever. He will surface. When he does, seize him and bring him to the reservoirs. That would be a good place to hold him captive." He ordered. Miller gasped.

"Where Bleylock tried to drown him last time?" He asked. The hooded man nodded.

"There is a special tank in there now, I will have a few friends of mine deal with Blackbones. He won't survive this."

That evening, Sonny was waiting for Callie to arrive with her boss before the interview would be held. This would be the third, only two after this. Only two more meetings with Callie… Sonny felt a new feeling arise when he thought of how close to the end this also was. This would help with the job they needed to do but a part of him felt sad with the thought of not seeing her every day.

In the last two weeks, something had changed in how he saw himself and where he currently was. Sonny knew that he was still the most wanted man in the Galaxy. It got old.

Meeting Callie Mystic had changed things, made him desire things that just could not happen at this point in time. Sonny forced himself to focus on the upcoming meeting. He would have to deal with his regrets later. Corso looked at had been a lot more silent than normal, and he was clearly preoccupied with things other than pirate matters. Corso decided to get to what was bothering him.

"Sonny, can I have a word with you?" He asked. Sonny nodded as Corso led him into Callies bedroom and closed the door. Corso placed his hand on Sonny's shoulder.

"I can see there's a lot more on your mind than usual. What's troubling you?" He asked. Sonny knew there was no point in trying to lie about things. Corso knew him too well. He Sighed.

"I guess. I'm thinking about how much I'll miss Callie once this is all over." He said. Corso nodded.

"I figured as much. She got through your defensive barriers. This is a new situation for you. But it is one that could hold great benefits for you personally as well." He said as he sighed and gestured Sonny to sit down.

"Sonny, you know how much you mean to me, to the Pirates. But the longer you stay a Pirate, the greater the risk that one day you will either be captured or worse, killed. Pretty much everyone fears this will happen at some point. If there's any way that we could get you away from that, we would do it. Callie may be what you're looking for." he said. Sonny looked at him.

"What do you mean Corso?" He asked. Corso smiled.

"Don't you get it Sonny? You've fallen in love and you haven't done that in so long that you don't know how to handle it." He said. Sonny nodded.

"You're right Corso. I'm struggling with it. There is a possible solution here, but for now, I may use it as motivation to solve the issue Duke Maddox gave us." He said. Corso nodded.

"You're getting a second shot at a normal life with a woman you love.

I don't usually get this personal but if there is any chance this could work and finally get you out of this life, away from the danger, I will try everything in my power to make it happen.I can tell from just looking at you two, You're happy when with her, and seeing you laugh and relax and smile like you do with her is one of the most beautiful sights I could ever imagine.I havent seen you like this in a long while. And I want to see you like this a lot more" Corso admitted. Sonny nodded, deeply touched by his friend's words. He smiled as he placed his hand on Corso's shoulder.

"Thanks Corso, you helped me sort through some mental clutter. I hope that one day you will also find the same thing I did with Callie." He said. Corso smiled.

"I will Sonny, and whoever that will be, you will be just as protective of me, as I am of you." He said. Sonny nodded.

"You can count on that Corso. I promise." He said.

Callie was driving home along with her boss, Aaron. He looked at her. Callie appeared to be in deep thought. He was happy he was driving as she seemed pretty preoccupied.

"Genesis stadium calling Callie Mystic." He said.

"Huh? I'm here." She said while smiling apologetically. Aaron smiled.

"Your thoughts weren't here at all. They're with a man dressed in a red jacket with hazel eyes." Aaron smiled. "You have fallen in love with him, haven't you?" he asked. Callie felt her face turn red.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked. Aaron nodded.

"I don't blame you Callie, Sonny is an extraordinary man.A real gem. The pirates are lucky to have him as their leader. A woman that wins his heart,after all he has been through, has won the biggest treasure in this galaxy" He said. Callie nodded.

"I have met two of his teams. He has been hiding at my house while recovering from a torn muscle." She explained. Aaron smiled.

"I already knew this. I have access to the Pirates' communication frequency. I really hope this ambitious plan he has will help things. If Technoid can be handed back to Duke Maddox, Sonny will have pulled off a miracle. If this is successful, he and his men will be free to rebuild their lives. Your interview plays a huge part in this plan. Getting the truth out there will help Sonny put the next stage into play and if it happens, we will have a news story worth sharing with the Galaxy. Who knows, maybe you will be able to invite Sonny and Corso to the studio to talk to us there." He said.

"The fans would love that. We got the coaches debate to gauge things from. The fans loved Sonny in that debate, they clearly want to hear more from him, and they will. I am sure they will find it mezmerizing to listen to, I know I do" Callie smiled. "Thanks for being so understanding Aaron." she said. Aaron looked at her.

"No Callie, thank you for taking the risk that you do. If all goes well, you will be the one that saves Sonny Blackbones from certain death or prison for life." He said.

At the house, they entered through the normal entrance this time. Callie knew her boss presented no danger and was not going to draw attention to him like the Pirates would. The Pirates always jumped as she entered that way so Callie sent a text to Sonny, telling them they were on their way up.

Sonny responded by letting her know that they made the apartment ready for the next segment while waiting for D'Jok and Mei to arrive. Sonny had even taken some pictures of his own on the date night, as evidence to present to D'Jok and Mei that he kept his end of the deal.

Sonny was relaxed as they entered. As soon as they were inside, he smiled as he laid eyes on her boss.

"Aaron Walters. That explains why you could forward the information. Good to meet you face to face" He said as he took the other man's hand. Aaron smiled.

"I understand you have a few questions of your own, Blackbones. Better get busy before the next interview segment. I will tell you all you want to know" He said. Sonny nodded, and told the man to sit down. The two had a lot to talk about.

Callie's boss was still there when D'Jok and Mei arrived with Artie and Bennett. Sonny had listened to what the man had to say and he realised that this had to be broken into separate missions. Their first priority had to be Technoid and getting power restored to Duke Maddox. Then, the official pardon before they could go after whoever was operating in Bleylock's place. Sonny had wondered many times where Bleylock had gotten the idea to mix Fluxes the way he had with the Multiflux. As a scientist, Sonny was aware of the risk such mixing posed. What Bleylock had done could at best have endangered a lot more than it did. All of that because he wanted revenge on Sonny, for being able to stop him four years earlier. Sonny realised, the immunity the Pirates that was given by Technoid as a token of gratitude for them protecting Genesis stadium made the General tip over the edge. The fall, Sonny knew he was innocent in that matter, but it seemed Bleylock had blamed him for that too. That wasn't the first time General Bleylock had accused him of things he had not done.

As Callie's boss continued to tell what he knew, Sonny realised that even if Bleylock was a pawn in the bigger picture, he held a lot more power and control within Technoid then Sonny realised. That was a grave miscalculation on his end and as a result, another one of Bleylock's accomplices had taken his place, and continued his operation. With dire consequences.

Sonny looked up, as D'Jok and Mei arrived. Mei looked a little cross with D' humoured him. Sonny stood up to greet his son.

"Good to see you, D'Jok." He said. D'Jok smirked.

"Likewise Dad. Held your part of the deal?" He asked.

"D'Jok, stop being rude." Mei said, clearly annoyed with him over this stunt. Sonny couldn't help but be amused. D'Jok didn't worry too much about it.

"Well, did you do it?" He asked again. Sonny handed him a set of polaroid pictures. D'Jok studied them carefully.

"Nice disguise. I could have walked straight past and not known it was you." He said.

"Good enough?" Sonny asked as he raised an eyebrow. D'Jok nodded.

"Yes." He said as Sonny crossed his arms, "Then I expect to hear some news D'Jok." Sonny said, crossing his arms. Mei sided with Sonny.

"Just tell him D'Jok, he has kept his end of this ridiculous deal. Remember who he is, doing this could have ended in him getting captured. I'm not having you put him in danger with stunts like this." She said. Corso chuckled.

"You got some fierce women defending you Sonny." He said. Sonny smirked.

"Comes with the territory of being a Pirate Corso. Especially the leader" He said as he put his arm around Mei.

"And this lioness you better beware of D'Jok. She could eat you alive.I do agree with her on several things, but I also had a great time. But tell me, what news do you have about my grandchild?" Sonny asked. Mei cut D'Jok off.

"A little girl Sonny. All is normal, ten fingers, ten toes. Before Mister 'Let's call her Destiny' over there starts again, I want you to pick the name. And don't agree with him, please, he is driving me crazy." She said. Sonny smiled.

"I agree with Mei here D'Jok, her name won't be Destiny." Sonny stated.

"Why not? It's a great name for a girl." D'Jok argued. Sonny chuckled.

"To my knowledge you have driven your teammates crazy by using that word over and over. Also, the baby is not your Destiny. She's her own person and the name I will choose will reflect that. I also won't name her until she's born. I will wait until I see her, then, I will know what her name is meant to be." Sonny said as D'Jok sighed. He knew he wouldn't win this one.

"Okay Dad, I know when I'm outnumbered." He said with a pout. They all laughed as Callie and Sonny quickly went through the segment and the questions. Her boss looked at them.

"If you don't mind, could we do a follow up to this, after these matters with Duke Maddox and Technoid are resolved?" He asked. Sonny nodded.

"If everything's resolved, we could do a live Q&A in the studio. Corso and I will both be joining." He suggested. Aaron nodded.

"That would make the Galaxy explode in excitement. You're popular, Sonny and people clearly like what you are saying." He said. Sonny smiled.

"We've noticed." he said before he looked at the questions again.

Today's segment was going to take them deep into the heart of the matter. Sonny knew this would cause panic within had thought it over closely, before adding a few things that was sure to make anyone guilty of wrongdoings very nervous. As soon as it aired, the Pirates would have to be out of Callie's apartment. Technoid was sure to come after them at this point, to shut him up. Sonny would not risk her getting caught in the crossfire. He was grateful for her help but that didn't mean he was going to let her get dragged into this. He had to protect her at all costs like he did with other people close to the Pirates.

"Callie?" Sonny looked at her. "We will have to start airing the segments. It's clear that we're dealing with forces more powerful than I suspected."

"That means a strategy change." Corso said while he grinned. "And you are going to crash the party at Technoid that is currently going on. They think themselves safe, and boom, The pirates crash the party" He said and raised an eyebrow. Sonny smiled.

"That's exactly how we'll play it Corso." He said as he looked at Callie and Aaron again. "Is there somewhere you two can go into hiding when this thing airs? We don't know who we are dealing with right now so it's best that you are both out of harm's way. Technoid will repond, that is for certain" he said. Callie nodded.

"I have a place. It is not listed, so its safe. What about you and the Pirates?" She asked.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. We're used to this." Sonny answered. Callie nodded.

"Just promise me one thing Sonny." She said. He looked at her.

"What is it Callie?" He asked. Callie looked at him while touching his arm.

"Just be careful. The Galaxy cannot afford to lose you or the Pirates." She said. Sonny nodded.

"I promise."

Technoid office building, sublevel nine.

The hooded man looked at Miller as he had the new flux capsules made. The liquid inside was dark in color. If Miller didn't know better, he would have thought it was smog. He could see from the computers and gauges that three different kinds of Flux were being mixed.

Miller pulled at his tie. Being down here was extremely uncomfortable.

"May I ask, what do you intend to aim these flux devices at?" He asked. The hooded man smirked.

"I can't let the Pirates get rid of all my issues. That might change them into an issue for myself. I will use these devices, to take out my opponents one by one. Some are more irritating than others, really. I'm guessing that the reason the Pirates have not intervened yet, is because they are observing and keeping an eye on Technoid. I will deal with them in due time, For now, they're perfect scapegoats as always." The hooded man moved towards the computers. "We will need to be smart to make sure they don't target us first. They must be taken out for my plan to work." he said. Miller started to sweat.

"Who do we need to take out?" He asked. The hooded man laughed.

"The Flux Society, for starters. Without them, there is no one to stop my next plan." He said.

Callie prepared for the third segment of the interview. Sonny looked like his thoughts were a million miles away. Callie knew he was trying to think of all the directions that Technoid could strike at the Pirates as he was trying to choose words that would convey their message without allowing himself and his men to become more vulnerable to attack. Callie also knew this would be the last night Sonny and his men stayed at her apartment. Sonny's sixth sense had gone off, telling him that an attack was coming his way. Sonny wanted to make sure his men was out of harm's way.

They would do three segments of a six segment interview to put out on the air, the remaining three would be held off until things calmed down a bit. Sonny was prepared that Technoid would be searching for him after the third segment aired. He had asked Aaron to go into hiding with his relatives in Shiloh. Aaron and Sonny had also discussed Callies case. For the time being, Callie would be safe just switching apartments and continuing her work as a reporter. Sonny made arrangements so she would be guarded, to be on the safe side.

Now it was just a matter of putting things into motion. Mei had finished Sonny's make-up. She smiled as she looked at her father-in-law.

"I don 't know how you did it but I haven't seen you this well-rested since you were sick with pneumonia and hid at our house." She said.

"Well, he's hiding again. And this time not with a bunch of kids,like last time. that's helping in your favour, your did provide him with excelent care back then." Corso answered with a grin.

"Corso, that's a personal matter. Drop the subject, that's an order." Sonny sternly said. Corso saluted Sonny with a glimpse of humor in his eye as the two shared a smile. Clearly it wasnt a big deal, but Sonny didnt feel like sharing that story, just yet. Callie grabbed her datapad.

"Ready to go?" She asked as Sonny nodded. Aaron framed the shot and the recording was started.

This was it, the big night. It was time to air the first segment of her interview with Sonny Blackbones. Callie felt strangely nervous.

Sonny and his men had cleared out a little while earlier. Before they did, Sonny had pulled her into her bedroom. Callie could tell that she was not the only one nervous about this broadcast. Sonny had to calm himself as much as possible. He and Corso and a team from Black Manta were going to do more investigation into the Sphere and try to find out what Fluxes were being used. Callie took his hand.

"Relax, it will all be fine. The nerves are because this is the first time you are going on tv, speaking to the Galaxy." She suggested. "That's enough to make anyone nervous." she said. Sonny nodded.

"Tonight may go easy maybe even segment two, but the third one… " He said. Callie knew what he meant. He was looking through the window, back facing her. Callie went up behind him and embraced him, leaning her head against his back.

"Don't worry about it. You and your men know how to handle this, you'll be fine." She said reassuringly. Sonny sighed.

"It's not me I'm worried about Callie." He said as he turned and pulled her close, giving her a small kiss. There was so much he wanted to say, and he struggled to find the words.

"Callie,I didn't plan for this to happen, to start feeling like this..." He began. Callie nodded, she knew what he was getting at.

"Me neither Sonny, but here we are." She said as Sonny nodded.

"These are feelings that I had buried. You brought them back to life. It puts me in a difficult spot. I don't want this to end. But the other way puts you in the line of fire. They may try to use you to get to me. I cant let that happen, no matter how much it hurts." He confessed. Callie looked at him.

"Me neither. These weeks have been the best in my life but your safety is my number one priority. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." She said. Sonny nodded.

"I feel the same way. While we're laying low, let's keep in contact. If we cant physically be in the same place, then we will work through the obstacles till we find a solution that fits our needs." He said. She smiled. Her eyes stared into his hazels. Callie saw the warm glow, the true Sonny Blackbones, as she looked into them. All too soon, there was a knock on the door.

"We're ready to go Sonny." Corso called. Sonny nodded as he slowly let go of Callie. Before he left the room he took out a small envelope from inside his jacket and handed it to Callie.

"Here's a few memories from an amazing night." He smiled as he winked at her before he left to go with Corso.

Callie was feeling slightly anxious as she sat in the studio with Nork, ready to air the first segment of her three piece interview with Sonny Blackbones. Nork looked at her.

"Callie, I understand you have a surprise interview for all our viewers to see?" He said. Callie snapped back into her professional self.

"Yes I do Nork. After the debate between the team coaches, the lines here was almost red hot, as many had questions for the Pirates Team coach, whom we now know to be none other than the chief of the Pirates himself; Sonny Blackbones. It was a real treat to have him join us, and learn more about the Pirates as a team. But many had other questions. I did not expect that these would be answered, as the Pirates are wanted men, always keeping a low profile. Then I was contacted by the Pirates. Sonny Blackbones himself finally stepped out of the shadows to address the many questions the Galaxy has. With Technoid being our sponsor, it has in many ways been a one sided story we have heard. The Pirates and Sonny have been unable to respond to the many attacks they have been subjected to, or to let us see their side of the story. My first conversation with Sonny Blackbones before doing this interview, which is three pieces, addresses this and many other topics. The interview has been recorded in a secret location, for security. We are about to know who the Shiloh Pirates really are, why they do things the way they do, and why Technoid is their prime target. During these segments, I got to know many very loyal, courageous and truthful people who have fallen victim to circumstances beyond their control. The story we are about to hear is one of loss, grief, being on the run, and wanting the truth. These are the first few hours of my interview with Sonny Blackbones, the leader of the Pirates and the most wanted man in the Galaxy." With that, Callie started to play up the first interview segment.

From the ratings later that night, Sonny was no less popular this time. The interview was breathtaking, and held the Galaxy in a hypnotic grip. When it was over, Nork looked at Callie, knowing they were still live.

"Callie, allow me one question; what was it like to sit next to such a powefull man as Sonny is, hearing all this?" He asked. Callie smiled.

"It was quite an experience. As you can see, Sonny did not come alone. He's always accompanied by a bodyguard. Being the most wanted man in the galaxy does make it necessary for him to protect himself. And his second in command, is always by his side. The level of care and love they have for each other, we could all learn a thing or two from. I must say that the time spent with them, has made me see many things quite differently from before." She said. Nork nodded.

"How do you personally feel about Sonny Blackbones? Do you trust him or would you rather wait to answer that?" Nork asked. Callie laughed.

"I have no reason to doubt Sonny. He came across as the most sincere man I have interviewed yet. I just hope the Galaxy will also see that this feud between the Pirates and Technoid may not be as cut and dry as it is made out to be. Remember; there are two sides to every story." Callie reminded them.

Aboard The Black Manta, Sonny and Corso were watching the interview with Bennett and Artie right behind them. Corso grinned.

"No turning back now Sonny, you're a star. Just look at the comments." Corso pointed as Sonny nodded, a smile forming on his face.

"So far, we have more support than we thought, which is good. But we have not come to the third part is what will be the game changer" He said as Corso nodded.

"Nork was being a jackass, don't you think? He tried to make her slip." He said. Sonny agreed.

"Callie is a professional Corso. You can trust her. She's not going to slip up. Not that easily." He said. Corso nodded.

"How is it like to see her like this? I know you're close to her. Is there something I should know about this?" Corso looked inquisitively at his friend. Sonny didn't answer. He was deep in thought.

"Corso, make sure to have two Pirates are posted to guard her." He said. Corso frowned.

"Are you expecting problems?" He asked.

"I do. Call it instinct." Sonny answered. Corso nodded. He knew what that meant. Sonny was hardly ever wrong on these matters.

"I'll take care of it." He said.

To come back to an empty apartment, felt lonely. Callie felt the shadows on the walls were bigger than usual. This would take some time to adjust to. She picked up the envelope Sonny had given her before he left.

What did he say? Something about memories from an amazing night. Callie opened the envelope, and looked at the pictures; Sonny feeding her a shrimp or teaching her how to eat an oyster. Sonny relaxing and smiling. The way he had ruffled his hair that evening made him have a slightly boyish appearance. There even were images of the two of them dancing. Callie could see her own eyes on a picture taken behind Sonny. The Pirates had been keeping an eye on them all the time. Sonny was wanted for five million standard units so it wasn't a surprise. But it was also clear many knew he was being framed. Callie could see her own eyes sparkling in the light as she looked at him, with her hands on his shoulders. She remembered leaning her head to his chest and just letting him lead her on the dance floor. The next picture was a truly amazing capture; She saw herself in a soft embrace, kissing him. Sonny knew what she was about to do, and he relaxed into it. It had felt so good to just let go for a while, forget she was Callie Mystic, Legendary Field reporter and he was Sonny Blackbones, Pirate leader and the most wanted man in the Galaxy. The time in Genesis forest was their secret. The time when these roles they always played were put aside, when she was just Callie, and he was just Sonny. Callie smiled and put the pictures in her bag. She knew she would see him again when things settled down. Until then, she had to do her job and he had to do whatever he had planned. Callie knew of his hopes for the future. She also hoped it was possible. With a smile on her face, she went to bed, giving the photo where they danced a last glance.

The week that followed became a reconnection with her normal life routine. She went to the gym and kept herself busy with work. In the evenings, she would have time to talk with Sonny, as he had found a routine to get back to his cabin and get some rest at the same time as her. She could see this helped him. The dark rings under his eyes were now pretty much gone and Sonny looked his real age. Callie was surprised to notice how young he really was. With his sense of adventure that shouldn't surprise her at all. They had talked about the first segment and the response to it. The galaxy was talking everywhere about this interview and how sincere and honest Sonny had come across.

Even Technoid had responded, letting know that they would not make any statement on the claims from the Pirates yet, they needed to see the rest of the interview. Callie prepared for the next segment of the interview where Sonny had adressed another set of issues, related to the Technoid feud and what the Pirates truly sought to find.

When it aired, more people seeking lost loved ones had reached out to the channel, hoping to get connected to the Pirates, seeking answers.

This had made Sonny even more sure of what needed to happen; get control of Technoid back to Duke Maddox so the Pirates could establish the company he had meant to build.

This would be the Pirates' operation from then on; to seek answers for those who lost loved ones under mysterious circumstances, help them find answers and if needed, hold operatives from Technoid responsible for their actions. Sonny had not made the plan detailed in any way, just a rough draft. It was still a plan that would work.

However, tonight's segment left Sonny feeling anxious and uneasy. Red warning signs were hitting him at full speed. Something would happen, either during this segment airing or immediately afterward. This made him post guards to watch all possible targets Technoid could go after in order to get him. Sonny couldn't explain why but he also ordered extra guarding at Callie's apartment. Corso looked at him.

"Why is it that you put extra men to look after her?" He asked. Sonny turned away.

"Maybe it's nothing but I feel that if they will strike, they will target Callie." He answered. Corso looked confused.

"Why do you think that? Callie's a reporter. Reporting the facts." He said as Sonny sighed.

"By attacking her they will send a message; anyone that tries to help us will suffer for it." He said. Corso nodded.

"So, who do we send to her apartment? Everyone's busy." He asked. Sonny turned to face Corso as a sly grin formed on his face.

"Everyone but the two of us. We will be looking after Callie tonight. I got a feeling it will be needed."

Callie felt like she was falling apart. The channel lines had been calling all the time tonight just like Sonny predicted. Maybe she needed to get him online through a screen to reply to the questions. She shook her head. The neighborhood was very quiet as she got out of her car. It had felt too quiet after the Pirates left. Callie took her keys and walked towards the door of her she was tired, She did not see the robot cat that silently dropped a bomb in front of her apartment door. Luckily for her, someone else did. Sonny and Corso had been close by all the time. When Sonny saw the cat, he knew they had to act quickly.

"Corso, secure the area. I'll get Callie." He said. Before Corso could answer, Sonny stormed towards the apartment and Callie. To Sonny, it felt like he was running in slow motion. He was reliving the last time he saw his wife Helena. The way events repeated themselves was enough to make him extremely scared. Sonny made a leap forward, grabbing an unsuspecting Callie and ran away with all he had in him. Callie screamed as she saw the bomb go off. Before her eyes, her apartment, her home, was torn to pieces. She felt herself being thrown through the air, along with her savior. As debris started falling, Callie could see who it was.

"Sonny?" She said as she looked up at him.

"I had a feeling something like this would happen. They mean business, and tried to make an example out of you" Sonny said, as he slowly got up. Callie's ears rang from the blast and so did Sonny's. None of them heard Corso yell for them to get cover but Sonny did not depend on hearing alone. He could read body language and he could tell Corso, whom came into view, was stressed. He saw searchlights began to close in and sirens in the distance, indicating a fire crew was on the way. Callie was in a state of shock as she saw the burning apartment. More people were coming out to try to save themselves. The Pirates used the confusion to sneak away into the night.

As soon as Corso noticed Sonny could hear him again, he had to ask.

"Now what Sonny? We knew Technoid would do something, but this is far even for them." He said. Sonny agreed.

"There are higher stakes involved now Corso. This is not Duke Maddox, but the real mastermind behind the take over behind his back. I'm not going to confront Duke Maddox with this but I will find out who is behind it. This goes too far." Corso agreed. "What do we do about Callie? This is turning dangerous real fast." He said as Sonny agreed. He looked at Callie, who was still shaking from shock and holding him tightly. There was only one way to protect her now.

"Callie?" Sonny asked, carefully lifting her face to look at her. She was scared and unable to move. "I'm here Callie. You're safe." Sonny could feel her silent sobs, as the numbness gave way for despair and fear. "That's it, Callie, let it all out. I got you." he said calmly, while holding her other men joined them as they all got in the car to go back to The Black Manta.

"Sonny… " Callie whispered. Sonny pulled her close to his chest. Callie could feel his heart was slowly settling down from the adrenaline.

"I got you." Sonny repeated in a calm, soothing voice.

"I have nothing left and they...they tried to kill me." Callie's voice was one of utter disbelief. This was new and showed desperation. Sonny looked at Corso.

"Where do we go from here Sonny?" Corso asked as Sonny looked at him.

"She's coming with us. Genesis stadium is no longer a safe place for her to be. She'll come with us to Shiloh while we plan a new strategy for how to get Duke Maddox back in power." He said. Callie hid her face to Sonny's chest. Sonny didn't say anything. He just looked at Corso.

"To the Black Manta. We are leaving Genesis stadium. Call everyone back to the ship except for the guards watching Clamp, D'Jok and Mei. We will return soon but for now, Callie needs to be somewhere safe." He said. Corso nodded.

"Where in Shiloh do you want to go?" He asked. Sonny looked at him.

"The safest place there is; The Pirates' hidden lair."

A/N: That's right, the stakes are getting higher. With hidden enemies, risks will have to be taken. Going against Technoid won't be a cakewalk.

Are Sonny and his men able to handle this hidden enemy, and stay safe? How will Callie fare on Shiloh? Is there any danger posed to D'Jok and Mei and their unborn baby? The answers will be surprising as a new, darker side to Technoid will rise. Is Duke Maddox really innocent and unknowing or is it going to take The Pirates coming down hard on him, to finally hear the truth about Technoid? Who is the real menace in Technoid that has taken Bleylock's place, who are the teams he has collected flux from and what is his plan? Are Sonny and his men going to get ahead of him to stop his plans or is the Galaxy facing a new Flux war? The answers to this and many other things will be coming soon.