Solaris was used to the lights inside The Black Manta by now and her visor did not have to have the darkest shade to shield her eyes. She didn't attempt to reach Coran or Zoonia at Stellar Unix, as she needed to speak to Sonny Blackbones first. It seemed a lot had changed for the pirates since last time they were in contact with them. Especially with Sonnys situation. Corso told her that Sonny had a private conversation with them while she slept. and that he would sit down with her as soon as he was done on holo tv with Duke Maddox. She listened to the interview and the details shared. Duke Maddox was tense and for good reasons. And Sonny had a stone faced expression when he spoke. Maurice Miller was very dangerous, and for now, a fugitive at caution was adviced. Sonny explained how Flux worked, using a whiteboard, explaining how Flux that was mixed was the strongest Flux and extremely dangerous. The cocktail used on Stellar Unix was very potent,and Sonny said it looked like it possibly also had been strenghtened compared to the one he and Clamp had dealt with. Sonny also had further video images to show, of the flux mix that had been had been tested in a lab as Sonny showed video footage of Brim Balarius, Sonny, Duke Maddox and others behind protective glass walls as it went off in a massive explosion and most present only survived because of Sonny's Flux and quick reaction. upon watching this, Solaris could tell he had burned all his reserves holding the shield. Apart from that, Sonnys flux appeared strong and solid. The only thing she could think of him needing, was to delevop his capacity to store loads within the body, and strenghtening it to the highest level. Sonny had indeed eaned his rank as a flux master, and with a little more focused help, he was set to reach the levels that some old scriptures had spoken off. It seemed that an old phrophesy, houndreds of years old, was starting to take form, and Sonny Blackbones appeared to be the chosen one. Solaris sighed. She needed to focus on why she was here, she had to find out what was happening at Stellar Unix and why they were targeted by Miller. They had lived in peace for a long time now, and their planet prospered as a result. Until this madman attacked them, for no good reason. Why was this Maurice Miller after King Aldoor and Queen Marcia? It made no sense. Solaris knew that until she had spoken with Sonny, she would not be able to get anymore done. She sighed as she disengaged her armor from her uniform.
Corso looked at Sonny as they excited Arcadia News office after the broadcast. Sonny was worried, as was Duke Maddox. As they got closer to where he had parked, he could hear what they were talking about. Duke Maddox was very concerned about this attack, and wanted to act imidiately.
"We have no choice Sonny, we have to form an attack force and head to Stellar Unix as soon as possible. Miller is a military expert, he was trained by Technoid and his homeplanet. He listed a place that does not excist as his origin, but I suspect the truth looks very different. I would prefer it if you stay away from the line of fire on this mission. We still need you for the trial. I am sure you have able bodied men to take your place for this occassion" Duke Maddox said, slightly worried. Sonny nodded.
"I'm working on doing both Your Excellency. For the trip to Stellar Unix, I'm going with the Pirates. There is good reasons why my presence is required there.I may be able to lure Miller out of hiding, and get us the upper hand to catch him" Sonny said, making his intentions clear. Duke Maddox nodded resigned.
"I know I can't stop you Sonny. I know you will go about this as you find to be best. Just don't get hurt.I need you back in time for the trial" He said. Sonny nodded. What Duke Maddox asked was fair. Corso smirked as he had overheard the conversation.
" Finally something we agree on. I would prefeer him to stay here, but I cant stop him either. Lord knows I have tried in the past" Corso couldn't help but say. Duke Maddox nodded.
" We'll see what happens then, You keep a close eye on him." he said. Corso nodded in silent agreement as Sonny said goodbye to Duke Maddox and promised Callie to be home in a little while. Callie smiled. She knew this would take all night, better not have any hopes he would be home soon.
"If it gets too late Sonny, sleep at the ship. I'll see you tomorrow.I know how this works by now" She smiled as she kissed him. Sonny smiled and got into the car and drove off with Corso.
Solaris looked serious as Sonny explained to her what Coran and Zoonia had told him about the situation on Stellar Unix. She nodded slowly, face unreadable behind the visor.
"I have to get back to Stellar Unix. The Paladins need my leadership to get through this. Its my responsibillity" She said as Sonny was done explaining. Sonny shook his head.
"Coran's order is very clear Solaris. You have an injured shoulder. it needs to heal, like this, you are no good for them in a battle situation. They got this for now. I trust Corso when he says it will need to be in a sling for a few weeks. Until that injury heals, you'll be the guest of the Pirates. We'll make sure you're safe from harm. We'll also come up with a strategy on how to free King Aldoor and Queen Marcia from Maurice Miller's imprisonment. But untill that shoulder heals, you are sidelined. If it was me, Corso would act the same, possibly even worse" Sonny smirked. "And regarding Miller,If his previous behavior is anything to go by, that shouldn't be difficult." Sonny mused. Corso looked at him with a smirk.
" If he is that easy to deal with Sonny,Then why were you imprisoned by him for three weeks? You could have escaped far earlier. I dont buy the story that they were that much entertainment. Your standards in that department are far higher" He said. Sonny nodded, hiding a smile.
"True Corso, but you know what protocol applies when the leader is imprisoned. We didnt know who we were dealing with or what their endgane was. I was told the purpose for my captivity was one thing, but shown that it had another purpose altogether. I made the call not to flee, as it would keep them calm, and not force them to act. Remember, they still had the flux from the old sphere then. I didnt know how much, but I had a feeling of the potential damage it could cause. I chose to remain captive, to avoid them using it to hurt others. And as a leader in my place back then, You did great Corso, I would not panic with you running the show" He said, raising his eyebrow slightly to see if Corso got what he meant. Corso nodded, taking in Sonnys showing it, it warmed him from inside to know Sonny thought this highly of his work. And he knew what Sonny had done.
"During capture, you tried to avoid making a bigger mess of things than they already were, and at the same time, to get ahead in the game, you would Gather as much information as you could. Sonny Blackbones, the infoseeker extraordinaire" He said smiled. Sonny nodded.
"That's exactly what I did Corso. and that stone walled them both during interrogation. They thought we pirates are sentimental and always react on emotions, they thought us incapable of acting rational and actually have a plan. Seems they either didnt pay attention to Bleylock or they just didnt study our ways like they should have. A big mistake when dealing with pirates" Sonny smiled. Corso nodded.
"I thought Montague was the mastermind behind the abduction of you Sonny. and here You are saying he is not. I wonder who it is then." He said. Sonny looked at him.
"It wasn't Miller either Corso. Monteague acted alone when they made the call to abduct me. I dont think their boss agreed to that stunt. The real mastermind slipped into hiding, letting them take the fall for their own actions. So we got a third loose canon in this. And I think we need to get to Miller before we can hone in on the true mastermind in all this" He said. Corso looked at Sonny.
"How do you know Sonny? What tipped you off to this being the case?" He asked. Sonny looked at him.
"I've seen this tactic before Corso. I just can't remember where at the moment. It will come to me, I just need some time. Someone is working behind the scenes. I have encountered him before, or someone with his way of doing things. The minute I remember whom, I will know exactly how to counter him. And I feel like whomever it is, is not going to be to your liking" Sonny stated. Corso nodded, slightly pale when he realized whom Sonny meant.
"Sonny, I know whom you speak of, and he's dead. We both saw his ship blow up. He cant return from the dead again, that is have to be mistaken about this" He said. Sonny nodded.
"Yet, the pattern is so familiar Corso. It is either him, or he trained someone to act like him, to the tiniest of details, as if one monster wasnt enough" He mused. Corso nodded but he also knew this meant Sonny would be in danger if he went to Stellar Unix. If this had anything to do with Bleylock, he didnt want Sonny anywhere near it. Corso had seen what he found after the pardon, with Callie, and now being a grandfather. This was the life Sonny was meant to live, not a life of being in constant danger. He knew this would hurt himself as well as Sonny but he had to say it. He had to make one last effort to protect him.
"Sonny, if this is the fact, you're not coming with us when we go to Stellar Unix. It's far too dangerous. You stay here, where I know you are safely out of harms way" Corso said. Sonny looked like he had hit him. Corso could be overprotective, but this was challenging his role as his superior and commander.
"Corso, I'm still the chief." He tried, looking at his best friend, feeling strangely angry with Corsos move. Corso nodded, that was not in dispute. This was about Sonnys personal safety, and he was falling back into old hapbits.
"I know that Sonny. I'm trying to save your life. You have too much to live for. Everything is lining up for you to have a second chance at a normal life. Me, I'm a soldier. If anyone is going to war, it's me. Not you." He said. Sonny became white as a ghost as Corso spoke.
"What are you saying Corso? You know I would never ask anyone to do what you're suggesting, least of all you. I am not sending you into the lions den like that" He said, voice filled with emotion. Corso nodded. Sonnys reaction did not come as a surprise.
"You won't need to Sonny, I'm doing it of my own free will. If it means you stay safe, I am confident its the right call" He said softly. Sonny looked at Corso, in a state of shock at this declaration, and all of a sudden, anger took him over.
"Not a chance in hell! I need you here. You are not doing this Corso!" He said angrily. Corso looked at him.
"This time, I won't listen Sonny. You're far too valuable to be put at risk. I won't allow it. I have seen you injured too many times. It has to be it is not going to be you " he said. With that, Corso turned to leave.
"Corso, you get back here this instant! We are not through debating this!" Sonny yelled furiously. Corso ignored him and kept walking. He didn't expect Sonny to tackle him from behind.
"This isn't over until you tell me what has gotten into you. I am not letting you do this" Sonny snarled. Corso knew he had no choice. Sonny was not gonna let this go, and he was not going to elaborate further. Things escalated in a fistfight between him and Sonny,and Corso felt pushed into a corner, as the last one he wanted to hurt was Sonny. He recalled the moment of doubt he had when Sonny didn't inform him of Lord Phoenix's true identity on Paradisia, years earlier. It was Magnus Blade, whom he had replaced. The very fact that Sonny had been poisoned in his office because he had let him go alone made Corso doubt Sonny at that time. Because he had withheld important information. He had let it slide when Clamp had told him about the metaflux Sonny had created and the true danger it posed. Sonny had acted tense when they tried to flee, and refused to let them take the handcuffs off until he could place it in a safe location. That too had been leaving them out of the loop, to protect the ones he loved and saw as his family. Corso also remembered the shame he felt back then, as his timing of confronting Sonny had been timed badly. It could have ended with the two of them having been blown up. He got past it. This time, Corso genuinely feared for Sonny's life. If whoever Sonny referred to as the third party had any connection to Bleylock, that meant Sonny was in grave danger, and Corso was not about to let him walk into a trap again.
Never again. Sonny was frustrated with his decision as the two now battled it out in front of Solaris. As soon as the fight was coming to an end, when Corso managed to pin Sonny down, and hold him in place till he calmed down some, she looked at them.
"You two have much to discuss. Head to the cabin and work this out. I've been trained to lock this kind of emotional turmoil away but I'm not stupid. Talk this out before you do anything else. You wont regret doing that, there is a deep concern and care for one another here, it would be a shame if a friendship forged to be this strong through tribulations, was to come to an end because you both go overprotective to oneanother. You are both able to handle this, so go get that done" She said somewhat bemused. Sonny nodded as he stood up and held out a hand to Corso.
"Solaris is right Corso, we need to talk and get this out of the way sooner rather than later." He said. Corso nodded as he took hold of Sonny's hand to let him lead them to the infirmary first to tend to cuts and bruises.
Mei was feeding little Iris as her mother called. She was all worked up. It had been several weeks since the birth, in her mind, plenty of time for Mei to be ready to get back into it.
"Mei I got more contracts lined up for you dear, D'Jok can take care of the kid while you do this. I honestly think you should start bottle feeding, as breastfeeding can make you tired." She started. Mei sighed.
"Mom, breastfeeding is better for Iris, I want my baby to have the best" Mei told her stubbornly. Her mother was not happy but knew she would get nowhere with this.
"You have to meet the sponsor in a few hours Mei. Ask D'Jok to take care of her tonight." She said.
" Mom,D'Jok has practice sessions with the team." Mei started.
"You can't take the baby with you to this meeting Mei. Why don't you ask D'Jok's father to help you out?" She suggested. Mei sighed.
"Ask Sonny?I guess I can ask, but I am not sure he has time." She asked. Mei's mother looked at her.
"Call him and ask if he will babysit. If he has the time that is. If not, I will do it" She said, ending the transmission. Mei sighed. She did not feel ready to start working again just yet, but her work had put her in a difficult spot, as usual. Mei found Sonny's number and called.
Sonny had just finished putting some bandaids to the small cuts that Corso had from their fight when his transmitter gave a signal. Sonny answered it.
"Mei? Is anything wrong?" He asked as her hologram appeared. Mei looked tired. No surprise as she just became a mother for the first time a few weeks ago.
"Nothing's wrong Sonny,I just need some help. I just need to meet with a sponsor in a few hours and D'Jok is having practice with the Galactik kids. I need a babysitter for my daughter. And since everyone else is busy, I was hoping you had a solution" She said. Sonny smiled. This would be a nice evening with his precious grandchild.
"Say no more Mei. I'll come with Corso. She'll be safe in our care. I can hardly wait to spend time with her" he assured her. Mei smiled.
" I know she will be, thanks Sonny. You're a real lifesaver." She said. Sonny chuckled.
"It's my pleasure Mei. I need practice if I'm going to be a good grandfather. May as well get ready for the role. This is an excellent opourtunity for that" He smiled. Mei smiled back.
"See you in a bit then. Do use the front door this time. Remember, you are a free man now" she gently reminded him. Sonny chuckled as he ended the transmission. Corso looked at him. He already figured why Sonny was bringing him along. "You're going to use this time to make me talk." He stated. Sonny nodded.
"We'll do this while watching her. Is there anything you need to get through this?I dont expect it to be less painful for you than it was for me" He asked. Corso shook his head.
"You are right about that Sonny, its probably at the same level, if not worse. And I dont need anything, What I truly need is someone who listens, who will understand who I once was, and who I became thanks to those damn Wars. If anyone can do that, its you" He said. Sonny nodded.
"You can count on me, Corso."
When they arrived, Mei was waiting with a very awake Iris Helena on her arm. Sonny noticed she looked tired while the baby seemed very active.
"Lack of sleep Mei?" He asked with a compassionate voice. Mei nodded.
"I'm not even sure I'm doing this right. This is not as easy as I thought it would be. Being parents for the first time is a challenge" Mei sighed. Sonny smiled and hugged her.
"I'll help out if you need me to. You and D'Jok both know how to reach me. I can always fill in to watch her if you need a rest. " he smiled. Mei looked gratefully at him.
"Thank you, Sonny, that means a lot." she said. Sonny smiled.
"It's my pleasure Mei. I'm looking forward to spending time with her." He said as Mei handed Iris to him.
"I better get going, there are bottles in the fridge, thirty seconds of heating is enough, make sure she burps when she is done." Mei said as she showed him where everything was. Mei was in a hurry to get her handbag before she sprinted off. Sonny smiled.
"We'll figure it out Mri, don't worry" Sonny said, holding the baby to his chest. As Mei left, Corso looked at the baby.
"Now I get why she has the name Helena; it's her eyes,I would recognize those from your photoes with her" He said as he looked at the baby in his friend's arms. Sonny nodded.
"Thats the little girl has already stolen my heart. Those eyes really hit me hard when I first saw them, talk about seeing a ghost from a distant past" He admitted. Corso could not resist the possibility to tease.
"If Callie hears that, she'll get jealous, even at this little bundle of joy. I was her, I would not want to share, not this early in the relationship anyway" he said. Sonny laughed. and lifted the baby, she was blowing bubbles while looking at him.
"What do you think Kiddo? Do we need to worry about Callies feelings?" Sonny asked as he looked at the smiling baby. She calmed at the sound of his voice. Sonny went to the living room, baby still in his arms."Let's make sure she's had a diaper change and is fed before we get into things.I got a feeling it may take a while" He said. Corso looked at him, smiling.
"Have you ever changed a diaper before Sonny? Not as easy as it sounds. I think this could be entertaining to watch" He joked. Sonny winked at him.
"You seem to know your diapers Corso. You're helping." Sonny said. Corso could not hide his amusement.
"Sure thing Sonny, let's go." he laughed.
A while later, Sonny and Corso were sitting on the sofa, Sonny was feeding Iris Helena a bottle. The baby was very attentive, and Sonny found himself fascinated with her every move. She seemed to be able to somehow see him, and that was odd for a baby her age. Corso smiled as he noticed her sucking the bottle subsided.
"She's getting tired Sonny. Better burp her before she falls asleep." He suggested. Sonny smiled and lifted her to his shoulder, gently tapping her on the back to make her burp. Iris let out a loud burp, her eyes nearly falling shut.
"There you go." He said. Iris looked at him. Sonny couldn't help but smile. "You're something. And possibly more dangerous than any other woman I met. I better make sure you learn proper pirate manners before you become as unruly as your father" he said. Corso was struggling not to laugh out loud.
"It's your clothes Sonny. Babies that age see red and black clearer than any other colors. You stand out to her. Not your charming personality, at least not yet" He explained. Sonny grinned, then she made a small sound. Corso chuckled as he noticed the stains on Sonnys shoulder.
"And now you get to feel what it is like to have burp stains all over you, You really do look the part of a parent" He said with a laugh. Sonny grinned, and carefully pulled off the jacket.
"Good thing there are washing machines. I dont plan to overstock my wardrobe just yet" He laughed. Not long after, Iris was asleep and Sonny took her to her crib in the nursery and activated the monitoring system he had given them for the baby shower. As they exited the room, Sonny silently closed the door.
"Let's get started," Sonny said as he turned on the camera operated the baby monitor.
Sonny sat back on the sofa, Corso beside him. He could see Corso tense up slightly. Not a surprise, considering what they were about to start doing. He needed to make him relax, loosen his tongue a bit. Sonnys eyes fell on a cabinet in the far end of the room. He knew the answer to his problem to be in here. Sonny stood up and walked over to D'Joks liquor cabinet. They might need it. Sonny looked at the bottles. There, one he knew Corso liked. Sonny grabbed it and closed the cabinet, grabbing a small glass at the same time. Corso wasnt meant to get drunk, just comfortably relaxed, enough to make him talk. Sonny poured him a strong one.
"Here, this should help" He said as he put the glass in front of Corso. Corso nodded,he understood what Sonny was trying to do. He took the drink and downed it. Sonny waited to see what effect it would have. Corso liked his drinks strong, one glass was not enough. Sonny made sure to pour him three simmilarily strong ones, before he saw Corso relax. Good, now they were getting somewhere. Corso still held his glass, as he leaned back in the sofa. Then, he started to tell, in an almost whispering voice.
35 years earlier, on planet Chissia, Corso, his mother, Neeka, his father, Satu, and his baby brother, Kuun had packed up their belongings, setting a course for a new planet, Ascaron. They decided to become settlers, to live off the land as Neeka was a strong believer in natural herbs and their healing abillities. Learning from his mother, so had he been. Corso had learned a lot of herbal medicine from her, it had fascinated him, but he always felt a pull to be of service in a bigger way than a herbalist. He felt grateful to the planet they had come to, for the riches it offered. And he continued to learn more there. There was a growing conflict there, between settlers and the military of Technoid. What was more,the conflict was related to the Fluxes in the universe, and the lust for power that The then Duke Maddox saw himself as a would be emperror and wanted to establish a base on Ascaron to build his empire from. There were no restrictions as to its use back then,and secret attempts had been made by Technoid to synthesize flux for their exploits. Back then,If you hurt someone using your Flux, you would be arrested. All this had not affected him back then. He was minding his own business. Corso had a happy childhood on Chissia, and now, he was starting over at Ascaron, building a new life there. He adapted fast, made friends. and built a life of his own. He even got married when he found a woman whom he fell deeply in love with. Sonny had to smile when Corso spoke of his firstborn, a daughter, Kimberly, the product of the love he felt for his was so simmilar to his own experience with Helena. But this was where Corsos story started to turn sour. Unfortunately, she was born with a rare condition that required expensive medicine. For the first years, all was fine, then, she started showing the signs something was not right. When the truth hit, it was a devesatting blow for her parents. Corso and his wife, Noomi, had tried all they could to cure her, using the herbal medicine and Corsos knowledge, and it had failed. For Corso, it meant he started to doubt his knowledge, whether he was a good provider and even worthy as a father. He was helpless, watching his own child, his beloved daugter grow sicker and sicker, and could do nothing to stop it. Hearing this, Sonny reached out and put a hand to his neck. The pain Corso was addressing was deep-rooted, and had led to the choices that made them eventually meet. Medical treatment was it turned out, Corso was not able to afford it with what job he had. Neither was his wife. The expenses was too high. Corso was in the worst despair he could imagine as a young father.
His wife Noomi slowly started to withdraw emotionally, keeping her grievances to herself. As soon as Kimberly was in a hospital, that was where she stayed, to care for their daughter. Corso was getting desperate, since there was no jobs that would earn him the income needed to cover his daugthers medical expenses. Corso was trying to find a way to make more money when the military became the answer. They would provide care for Kimberly if he would serve in planet Ascaron's forces. For Corso, it became an easy choice. He would trade in his own life, to serve in the military, if it meant his daughter would receive the medication she needed. Corsos voice sounded near breaking as he spoke of it, and the choice he had made.
"I had to save Kimberly, I didn't care about myself nor Noomi if the army would foot the bill. She was my life, I would give everything and anything to save her" Corso sighed. Sonny could only nod and pour Corso a new drink. Corso sent him a grateful look as he took it and downed it. Then, he continued his story. "So, I joined the military. I reached the rank of Sergeant. High enough to be a commander. I was pretty rough on my Unit." he said. Sonny grinned.
"I would imagine, I've seen you with our rookies." he said. Corso grinned before sighing sadly. "This was the time that the conflict escalated on Ascaron. An attack was launched at the hospital where Kimberly was receiving treatment. If I had known, I would have made sure to have them relocated" Corso put his head in his hands, shaking as Sonny could hear the sobs. Sonny wrapped his arms around Corso, pulling him close. Corso had lost his daughter and wife that day and that was when he closed off his heart. Sonny didnt need for him to tell this part, he had read about it, seen the imagest attached to it. He could well imagine what had gone through Corsos mind when he was informed by his commander. He had seen photoes of soldiers picking through the rubble of the hospital, how mangled bodies had been carried away, to be burried. He could imagine Corso, standing before their grave, and how he would have just let go of his old self. He had been there, lived it. And thats what had shaped whom he was now, and had shaped him as a person. Gone was the young, idealistic Corso, replaced by the soldier, Hard at the core, not caring for himself, fighting like every battle was his last, his way of dealing with the anger that consumed him. Sonny could remember his own time in that hell, the burning desire for any answer that made sense of the tragedy, Anything that would allow him to keep his sanity. Corso had leaned his face to his chest as he spoke, trying to find some solace as he pured his heart out. Now,Sonny could feel his shirt was getting wet as Corso let the tears from his right eye flow. Sonny carefully rubbed Corso's back. He had held this in for so long, and to have the damm break would feel so liberating for him later on. Corso lifted his face, wiping the tears. He tried to pull himself together, to continue the story. "I didn't care about my own life anymore. I felt empty, with no purpose. I continued my military career. I actively sought the hardest battlegrounds. It didn't matter who I shot as long as I was fighting. That's the way of war. I had my platoon at this point, the 33rd platoon in regiment 44. I don't know what happened but we were stationed near the active war zone. Until this point, we have been facing humans. Technoid had human soldiers back then, trying to have Duke Maddox's father established as a ruler of the Galaxy. Most planets fought this regime, we were independent, we had our own rule. Many of today's Pirates come from Ascaron. We didn't have the technology that's available today, but we had a fighting spirit. My platoon was consisting of young adults who wanted to fight for our independence and freedom. We weren't forced into the military. They willingly volunteered to do it. I chose it to have a sense of purpose in my life. We thought we would face humans. Our goal was to take out the Technoid command post that had been established. Turned out, There were no humans there at all. Technoid found a way to mass-produce droids, used for war. We were ambushed and backed into a corner. it was a masacre for sure" Corso again hid his face in his hands. "I hope you've never seen a war zone Sonny. Dismembered bodies scattered around, all the blood flowing, being shot at by merciless droids and no matter what you do, not a chance in hell to get out. I still have nightmares about it. The captain of the regiment was one of the first to fall, the lieutenant was severely injured, he couldnt push forwards either. It came down to me as the sergeant to take over. And I made an error. An error that cost my entire platoon their lives." Corso said. Sonny could only nod. He had heard the stories from when he worked for Technoid. A successful test with Droid soldiers. It was so far away from where he was living. Akillian wasn't involved in the conflict the same way as Ascaron, and planets like Xenon, and Xzion. At some point, Obscurantis, the home of the shadows, got involved as well, and it escalated. Sonny focused on what Corso was telling him.
"I remember the bloodshed. The massacre. A sharp pain to my head. Must have taken a direct hit or graze, I dont next thing I remember is waking up aboard a Pirate ship with Aisha, whom was a pirate, tending to my wounds. She told me I was the sole survivor and I was left for dead with a fractured skull. The Pirates offered to try to erase the memories so I would escape the worst of the trauma but my head was too damaged for it to work." Corso recalled. Sonny nodded.
"Maybe it's possible to do now, with our new technology.I will look into what can be done to help you some" He offered. Corso shook his head.
"I can't accept Sonny. What happened was my fault and I have to live with it. I need to hold on to it, to make up for my mistake." He said. Sonny looked at him.
"Corso, it wasn't your fault. There's no way you could have known what Technoid would do. They've always been unpredictable in their hunt for power. Its only now that this stands a chance to change" He reminded him. Corso sighed.
"I was taken in by the Pirates." Corso continued. Sonny nodded, now they were getting into familiar territory.
"I read about that. You served under Flora, whom held the role before Magnus. sounds like a lady worth knowing." He mused. Corso nodded.
"Yes,She was a piece of work Sonny. A stricht woman in many ways, but wise beyond her years. Fair, but wrong her...lets say I would advice against that. it wasn't easy for Magnus Blade to replace her when she went missing. Until today, we never found a trace of her." he said. Sonny nodded.
"We will eventually. We will find her fate, like we will for many others" He said. Corso continued.
"With the pirates, I was nursed back to health. My eye was destroyed, as was part of my brain so it was replaced with cybernetic parts. This is part of the reason my memory couldn't be erased. I recovered slowly, and when Magnus took a seat, I tried to just was always something about him that I didnt like. I never really trusted him, there was always something fishy going on, but I could never put my finger on what it was. I rose in rank under Magnus. He never asked questions but when we started to dig deeper, I found myself with a price on my head, one point five million standard units for my capture. I was seen as a deserter. I never deserted anything or anyone, I just happened to survive." Corso grunted. Sonny nodded. Corso's story was brutal, but that didn't surprise him.
"How do you feel about things now?Has anything improved for you since then?" Sonny looked at him, waiting for an answer. Corso looked down.
"A bit better, more light around the heart, although I sometimes feel like I have none. I was a drifter, even with the Pirates, living from mission to mission, raid to raid for the longest time, not caring about anybody or anyone. That is, until the day the Pirates brought in a prisoner. A scientist that had escaped Technoid. I recognized myself in him, devastated, furious, and angry." He smiled. Sonny raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Tell me more" He said, looking at Corso. Corso knew Sonny was trying to lighten the mood some.
"He couldn't take care of himself in the shark tank the Pirates were back then. He'd probably be dead if I didn't feel generous. He was naive, always seeing the best in people despite the hurt they caused him. I had to protect him. He had real potential. I knew he would become important, I just had to make sure he survived long enough. " He said. Sonny smiled.
"Did he live up to your expectations?" He asked. Corso looked at him with a smile.
"He surpassed them, one by became my best friend. The Galaxy gave me a new purpose with him. Today, he's a legend among the Pirates." Corso said as he looked at him. "He became Sonny Blackbones, the most wanted man in the Galaxy and the best leader we ever had." He stated with a smile. Sonny smiled back.
"Thanks, that means a lot." he smiled. Corso nodded.
"You earned everything you got Sonny, even this freedom we now have. And now this second chance at a normal life." he said. Sonny nodded.
"We'll all get there eventually. We have some issues to clear. Now that we had this talk, we need to focus on Solaris recovering, who the third party involved with technoid is and what happened to Zarind. We need to deal with these things before going to Stellar Unix." He said. Corso looked at him,he still had to try to talk him out of this idea.
"With all due respect Sonny, I have a feeling something bad will happen to you if you go. Stay here, run things from the shadows. Allow us all to protect you this time." He begged. Sonny could hear the desperation in Corsos voice. He recalled the decision to let Corso take over and focus on his own life. He had a perfect opportunity. What Corso asked of him, made sense. Sonny knew it would make his friend feel better if he stayed safe. Sonny had already made his call.
"Corso… " He started. Corso looked up."You are right, I'll stay here and run things from the shadows. It's time I start to prioritize my family." Sonny could see the relief in Corso.
"Thank you Sonny. I appreciate you telling me that" He said. Sonny looked at him.
"You'll have a transmitter like mine from this point on. Even if I'm not there, I need to be able to find you, no matter where you are. I'm not saying anything will go wrong, but in case it does, I'll come for you, that's a promise." He said. Corso nodded.
"You're the boss."
Technoid building, sublevel Nine
The hooded man was in the vault. No one had figured him out others had exposed themselves too soon, and made him have to change his plans some. Miller had been careless, and that had led him to get captured. The Attack on Stellar Unix could be used as a diversion. Technoid and the pirates were focusing on finding Milller, taking the pressure off of him. And it allowed him to operate in the darkness for now. It was time for his next strike. The Pirates were distracted by Millers move. He expected them to set course for Stellar Unix as soon as possible. The hooded man smiled. No one knew of the prisoner he had held down there for many years. A scout for the Paladins who had also worked with the Pirates.
Sublevel Twelve
This was an area of the base that only General Bleylock access to. The Flux devices he made and stored in here were potent. It was time to relocate them, to start on the next half of his plan. The one Miller took was the weakest mix. It still caused serious damage to Stellar Unix. He was aware Duke Maddox had asked Sonny to stay out of the line of fire but the Pirate Chief made it clear that he would be there with his men. The danger to this plan didn't come from the Pirates at this point. The hooded man saw the Flux Society as a real threat to his needed take care of that. In accordance with the master plan. Their regulations were going to throw a wrench in the mix if left unattended. He took a capsule that was surging with power. The Gyros Flux was becoming stronger. He took the device and placed in a steel casing. Time to put his plan into action.
"Time to pay for your sins, Blackbones."
He had lost all sense of time, down here it was always dark. No light at all. The prisoner pulled at his shackles. It was also cold. All he had to stay warm was a thick duvet, and his paladin uniform. He even lost track of what year they were in. No one ever came down here looking. Even Sonny Blackbones, the fearless Pirate Leader had not made any attempt to examine this place. Had something gone wrong? He recalled Bleylock claimed he had finally captured him and intended to kill him for all the hurt Sonny had caused him. The prisoner knew those claims to be a falsehood. He knew Sonny personally, and this description did not fit the prisoner shook his head. The Sonny Blackbones he knew didn't fit that description Bleylock gave. Sonny was just and honest. He would always do what was best for the Pirates. The prisoner hoped Sonny had survived his encounter with Bleylock. He knew General Bleylock called it hate but there was a thin line between hate and love. The prisoner suspected the latter to be the case with the General's feelings towards Sonny Blackbones. A love that ended the wrong way. He knew something had happened between the two but Sonny didn't want to talk about it. He heard of his nightmares. Corso had been worried about him back then. The prisoner was pulled from his trail of thoughts as the cell door opened and a man in a hood stood before him.
"No… not you… "
Sonny was going through the old files from the time Zarind had gone missing. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like he was missing something. He stopped scrolling for a second, leaning back in his chair.
"Whatever it is, it's small. I just have to find out what it maybe we can start to make headway" He muttered.
"Is everything okay Sonny?" Callie had just finished her work and watched her latest interview, which had been with Mei. Mei still glowed, but she had all the signs of being a tired new mom as well. She would need help if she was to pursue her career and also be a mom. Wich was what the interview had been about. Sonny looked at her.
"I am fine Callie, I am Just trying to find something that refuses to show. We have an issue with what happened on Stellar Unix and their leader was teleported to our ship. The only way that could happen, is if someone gave them our codes. I am trying to find out whom could have given those coordinates. If he is a prisoner of Bleylocks, or in Technoids system, we have not found him yet" said Sonny, as he again started to check the data. He received an anonymous call. Probably another Pirate. But this was the companys contact code, and his CEO transmitter. Sonny decided to step into his role as CEO and answer. "Shiloh Security, This is Sonny Blackbones speaking,how may I help you?" He asked.
"Sonny, this is Duke Maddox," Was the answer.
"Your Excellency. How may I help you?" Sonny asked, slightly puzzled at this call. Duke Maddox activated his hologram.
"I know you're careful around me and my company Sonny but I decided outside of the board. I want to leave Technoid's computer security to your company. If you want to, of course." He said. Sonny wasn't sure what to say for a second. He eventually agreed. This was a positive in many ways. It allowed them complete control without having to hack in every time. "I'll come by with the contract tomorrow, Your Excellency. This needs be in writing, for legal reasons. Now that we are pardoned, we dont plan to get captured over doing anything illegal" He said. Duke Maddox nodded.
"While we're at it, there's a lot of secret rooms on sublevel twelve in my office building. This is, from all I have been able to find, Bleylocks personal storage space. Could you send some people to look at it?" he asked. Sonny nodded.
"Sublevel Twelve is the level Bleylock used for his operations. Did you know this or is it new information to you?" Sonny asked. Duke Maddox looked at him.
"Sublevel Twelve is storage and vault that has remained empty for a long time, but Bleylock may have used it for other purposes than storage." He admitted. Sonny nodded.
"You may not like what you will find there. His secrets are not the cozy kind" He said. Duke Maddox nodded.
"I'm not surprised Sonny. This is why I want to hire the Pirates to look into matters, you seem to have a skillset my robots and I don't." He said. Sonny nodded.
"If you have the plans, I'll gather a team, and go have a look." He said. Duke Maddox nodded and sent a link to the needed information as well as a legal document for Sonny to print and sign. There was also a map of the area, and a tiny, barely visible heatsignature. This made Sonny raise his eyebrow in surprise. A heat signature in a cold vault. That could only mean one thing when it came to Bleylock. A prisoner that knew something damning to his cause was held there, where he or she could not be found. Could it be a missing pirate? Without second guessing himself, Sonny agreed to get to the matter at once. Duke Maddox nodded at this.
"Keep me informed." He said. Sonny nodded and ended the call. When he saw the images, cold chills traveled down his back. He made a call.
"Corso, get Artie, Bennett and get over here. We need to act quickly. Someone is held a prisoner in General Bleylock's old domain; Sublevel Twelve in Technoid's building." He informed. Corso nodded. They scrambled to get the team together to head to Sonnys house as soon as possible.
Half an hour later, with Solaris in tow, they arrived at Sonny and Callie's home. Sonny greeted them. Solaris had chosen to wear a hood as her appearance stood out and would attract attention. Sonny showed them the information he had received.
"We need to find out who the prisoner is." He said. Solaris stepped forward.
"If you don't mind, The Paladins have a tool that we can use to identify them." She said. Sonny looked at her.
"If it can help our mission, be my guest." He said as he rose from the chair and allowed Solaris to use her gadget.
"Got it, let's see if it matches to a missing Pirates profile,There is a long list of them, I wish that one was shorter" Solaris said. Corso looked at her.
"How do you have access to our databases?I thought those were encrypted to pirates only" He asked, "They're supposed to be hack-proof." Solaris smiled.
"Against Technoid Corso. Not against the Paladins." she smiled. Then,Solaris checked her progress.
"We're ready." she said. And it seemed, the prisoner matched a profile of someone missing. But whom?They all stood back as Solaris activated a special hologram on her wristband. They could see the image start to build. Corso gasped as it finally took form. Sonny was amazed.
"He's still alive." He said relieved. Solaris nodded.
"Found you, Zarind!"
A/N: I'm starting to tie in things from other chapters.
I'm not sure how many chapters it will be, but eventually, there will be a great battle.
We'll be going to Stellar Unix but that mission will be led by Corso as Sonny will be needed elsewhere.
I've toyed with the idea in my head of how the Pirates will function if Corso and Sonny have to be in two separate places.
Corso has what it takes to be a great commander.
It's time to let him shine.
They'll get deeper into Technoids files and find answers about Duke Maddox's plan for Sonny.
Thank you Paranoidgirl, for taking the time to beta read this story, I truly love your ideas.
If anyone has anything to say, please leave a review.