Finally, he was back. Corso took his things to the Captain's cabin. He felt tired, and he wanted to talk things over with Sonny, the sooner the better. The experience in the chamber was strange. Ghosts from his past came to visit him quite literally. He opened the door. The cabin was empty. Corso set his gear down, changed out of his dirty military outfit, and into a pair of sweatpants and a fresh tank top. Then, he sent a message to Sonny.
"Where are you hiding Sonny? I got some stories to tell." He said. He waited for several minutes. No answer. He had to have fallen asleep somewhere. Corso grinned.
"Time to wake up, Blondie." He sent. As he tried to leave, he found himself pushed back inside by an unseen force.
"In Shiloh's name..." He gasped.
"Easy there, it's me." Sonny said as he made himself visible. Corso grinned, then hugged him. To feel Sonnys arms around him was all he needed to feel at peace right now.
"Were you worried about little old me?" He teased. Sonny shook his head.
"If I didn't think you'd be able to handle it Corso, I wouldn't even have let you go." Sonny smirked. Corso smirked.
"Just admit that you were worried. It wont kill you" Corso said. Sonny shook his head.
"I wont admit to something that isnt fact. I kept myself busy. Worry is not helping anything. I spent time to myself. Taught about how to go about things with Callie. And other things" He said. Corso nodded before stretching himself.
"I'm beat. I want a shower with you scubbing my back. Then, off to bed, resting my head on your chest. We can talk it over later" Corso concluded. Sonny smirked as he looked at him.
"What happened? You usually know how to pace yourself. Maybe you are getting older. There has to be a good story behind you being this drained" Sonny said, sounding curious.
"Shower first. I smell like swamp. And that is not even an attractive smell" Corso said. Sonny chuckled and made a gesture suggesting he could feel it. Corso just wanted the shower, and Sonny with him, since he suspected Sonny had also not showered since he was gone "Don't make me carry you in there. Or I may make you give me an extra scrub"he threatened, Sonny chuckled as the two of them got ready for a relaxing shower.

Solaris felt like she could sleep for days. At least they had the Armor. Corso spent twelve hours alone, waiting for her, and he looked like he had faced an army of inner demons. Still, it tired him out and Corso went to The Black Manta to get some rest. She was grateful for his help. Without it, she might not have made it back alive. She looked at the Golden Armor around her body. It wasn't what she thought it would be. She expected gold plating. The Armor felt like more of an energy field and a metal not found on Stellar Unix. She hoped Hawk could help her dig into it. Or maybe Sonny Blackbones could help. Solaris found a place in the cave system where she sat down and went into a meditative state. She recalled Zoltar, and her encounter with him on a higher plane. She needed clarity. Where was he? What happened? Solaris didn't notice her energy levels were too low to soar into these areas now. She fell asleep in her meditative state.

Artie came from the infirmary of The Black Manta. He knew Corso was back from his mission. Zoltar was stable but it could still tip either way. He felt torn. He knew how much Solaris missed him, and he wanted to do something to ease her pain, but for now, Zoltar wasn't strong enough to have visitors. He needed more time to recover. Artie knew Corso had a herbalist background. Maybe he could help? Before that, Artie had something else to do. He brought Opal and Sapphire home to Stellar Unix. Now, he needed to plan out the next step for how to let Solaris sit down with them and have some much-needed closure. He was contemplating on who to speak to first. He decided on Opal and Sapphire. He made his way to their cabin, and hit the buzzer.
"Come in, Artie." Opal said. How'd they know? Opal and Sapphire sat on their beds as he entered.
"Has Solar-... Rainbow, returned yet?" Sapphire asked. Artie nodded.
"A few hours ago. Corso's already asleep. He was dead tired." Artie said. Opal and Sapphire exchanged a knowing look. Being telepathic, they knew Corso's secret, but they also understood that they couldn't tell anyone.
"She found the Golden Armor, but it doesn't work properly. It needs a charge. I know what would help with that, but there's a snag. We haven't seen Rainbow in a long time. We're worried she'll be angry for everything that happened." Sapphire admitted.
"We need to get together and talk things out. Solaris is hurting. I'm an empath. I feel her emotions. They're like a reflection of my own. Hurt, sadness, loneliness and above all, regret. Artie, we already know you're a fan. What you've done for us, I don't know how I can repay you." Opal said. Artie felt strangely moved. His heart really held a soft spot for all of them.
"You already did. Because of you, I found my father. That means a lot to me." Artie said. The two girls nodded, both with suspiciously glowing eyes. "Let me go find Solaris, it's time the three of you reunited."

Solaris couldn't sleep. Getting the Golden Armor was… a lot. Solaris just found out how Corso's tribulations affected the entire situation. The cave where the Armor was hidden wasn't easy to gain access to. Corso had been the perfect partner for her. His inner demons had been many and strong but Corso was a fighter. His battles and victories helped the got up and walked out of the cave. The sun felt soothing to her skin, and she sat down under a tree as her body tried to adapt to the Armor. It wasn't like metal, it felt like it was alive, en capsuling her body. She heard a twig snap and felt a calm hand on her right shoulder.
"Solaris?"
"Artie! How did your mission go?" Solaris asked as she got up to hug him. Artie smiled softly.
"I'm not allowed to tell but part of it was to help you." He said as he returned the hug. Solaris looked at him, puzzled.
"What are you talking about?" She asked. Artie smiled as he led her to The Black Manta.
"Take your time. Inside this room, there's someone waiting for you." He said as he opened the door and led her inside. As Artie turned the light on, Solaris felt tears welling up.
"Opal? Sapphire?" Was all she managed before she sank to her knees, as the three of them tearfully embraced. Artie smiled softly as he withdrew from the room. They needed this moment to themselves. He walked to find his father.

Hawk Tidman made a decision. It wasn't like he hadn't been asked over and over if he wanted to join the Paladins. Time and time again, he said no. He had to remain free, so he was not bound by their code of conduct. Things had changed. Arthur was alive and in the crew that worked with Sonny Blackbones. That meant he was safe. Now, he could take the pledge of the Paladins. He saw Coran and Zoonia at the make shift computer central.
"Can I have a word?" He asked. Both paladins looked at him.
"Any time Hawk. Things have been… a lot, lately." Coran said softly. Hawk nodded.
"It's about joining the Paladins. I think I'm ready to take the pledge." Hawk said. Zoonia's eyes glimmered with tears.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that." She managed. Hawk nodded tearfully.
"I finally found my boy. He's a Pirate and I'm damn proud of him. The search is over, now, I can finally commit myself to the paladins" He said. Artie entered the room, and heard.
"I only act the way Sonny trained me to Dad, but I'm still glad you're proud of me." He said. Coran looked at him.
"Your father has decided to take the pledge Arthur, and join the Paladins." He said. Artie swallowed. He could tell this meant the Galaxy to the Paladins. He proudly watched his father pledge the oath the Paladins lived by, wearing their uniform for the first time.
"I'm so proud of you Dad." Artie whispered as he hugged his father, a tear escaping the corner of his eye.

Corso was in a deeper sleep than normal. Sonny noticed from his breathing. Corso was resting his head on his chest, a habit Sonny had come to enjoy. As long as his lover slept like this, Sonny wouldnt wake him up. Instead, Sonny let his hand slide over Corso's cheek. He looked deeply relaxed this time. Then, he felt Corso sigh deeply.
"I will always love you two." He mumbled. Sonny felt a sting in his heart hearing that. He knew about the caves Corso found himself in, and the issue this statement related wife and child. He recalled Zarind having told him how the caves worked. It had brought about some change in Corso. There was just nothing better than to see Corso this relaxed. All the years he knew him, he never saw Corso like this. So peaceful. Like the demons of his past were finally gone. It was a most welcome sight. Then Corso spoke again.
"Sonny… My love… " Corso mumbled. Sonny couldn't keep a tear from escaping his eye. He softly kissed him.
"I love you too Corso. Get your rest. You earned it." He said. Corso smiled in his sleep. And Sonny felt him holding him tighter. It solidified his decision. It would take some manouvering to make it happen, but he was convinced it was the right thing to do.

After a few hours, Corso woke up. He looked at Sonny whom lay next to him with a small smile on his face, and hugged him with a smile.
"That must have been some adventure. You even slept through the buzzer. I cant remember last time that happened" Sonny teased. Corso didn't get up. He just locked his arm around Sonny's waist and pulled the cover closer.
"Unless the Black Manta's on fire, I think I have the right to sleep in for once. And since you are playing the role as a ghost, you will also have to stay in bed as long as I do" Corso stated. Sonny chuckled.
"That's more likeit, you bossy grouch" Sonny mused. Corso wasn't letting it get to him.
"We've been apart from you for two whole days, give me a break." Corso said as he pulled Sonny close. Sonny chuckled as Corso kissed him.
"I'll give you a break alright." He said. Corso looked at him.
"What are you up to, Blondie?Morning surprises I suspect" He asked. Sonny raised an eyebrow.
"Blondie? Really?As for morning surprises, watch me. I got an idea for you, one to take out the remaining stress" He said. Corso sighed.
"I'm tired, give me a break. Come here, I want to snuggle some more" He said. Sonny chuckled, but let him have it his way.
"Must have been the air. Even with an oxygen mask, it probably messed with , a recipie for pirates in need of rest. I will take notes of this" Sonny tried with a small chuckle. Then Corso got serious.
"That's not it Sonny. Apparently I was in the chamber for twelve felt as if time stood still, but yet, all my ghosts, my inner demons, were laid to rest" He said thoughtfully. Sonny looked at him with a surprised expression. 12 hours was a long time, and some adventures surely had taken place in that time. That made him curious.
"Tell me about that chamber."

The Pirates and the Paladins gathered in the makeshift command center. Coran pulled up all the maps of Castle Paladia. Hawk and Artie were going to take care of the hacking. Corso again noticed Aaraya's eyes on him. She gave a knowing smile. No matter how well they tried, Sonny couldn't hide from the telepaths. For now, they needed to focus on the rescue mission though. Corso looked at the maps. Coran suggested Solaris and himself leading the group heading into the prisons to free the King and Queen. Corso looked at the lab. Artie made a link that allowed them to see what was going on in real time. He could see three heat signatures, one which wasn't moving. The clone moved about carefully, before something happened that made Corso decide to act. Clone or not, he deserved to be treated humanely.
"Alright everyone, let's get Sonny out of there."

Maurice Miller couldn't believe what he saw. They tried to extract Flux from Sonny for hours, but not even a drop. Sonny didn't even go at full strength. He was zip tied to the extractor, and appeared to fight the process without breaking a sweat. Keiran noticed from his pod, a horrified expression forming on his face. He figured it was impossible to extract Flux from Sonny. He didn't know this was a clone yet, but he started to deduct this all was planned. The Sonny clone raised an eyebrow.
"I told you, I'm not going to help you with your Flux mixes Miller. And when I say something, I tend to mean it. Haven't you learned anything from our previous encounter?" Sonny said with a small grin. Maurice Miller was starting to get agitated.
"Check the machine, it has to be faulty. No one can fight it at this level" He ordered one of his droids. Sonny looked over at Keiran.
"I hope you realize by now that you can't trust him." Sonny said as the zip ties were cut to have the machine checked. He rubbed his wrists, to make sure the circulation was normal. Keiran looked at him.
"Just get him for what he did already!" He yelled. Sonny nodded,then moved closer to Miller, whom approached the machinge, then Sonny turned and jumped at Miller. But Miller was prepared for such an event. He pressed a remote he had in his hand and an electric shock came from the collar Sonny was wearing. Sonny yelled out in pain as he stumbled away from Miller. Keiran was horrified. Sonny had burnmarks on his neck from the shock.
"You want to die Miller? Corso's not letting you get away with this. You hurt Sonny, it is a death sentense in Corsos eyes." Keiran said. He could see the damage that shock did to Sonnys neck. Sonny also was breathing hard, keeping his distance from Miller.
"That burn looks bad Sonny." He said. Sonny nodded, still with one eye on Miller. They now knew that Miller could not be reached.
"With this collar, I can't get close to him Keiran. It is too dangerous" He said. Keiran was confused.
"You still trust me? I thought you had pinned me for the bad pirate now" He asked. Sonny shot him a look.
"At this point, I'll take what help I can get, even from traitiors, if it means taking out the trash" He said. Miller smirked.
"Pirates really do stick together no matter what." He mocked. Sonny grinned.
"Didn't expect a flunky to understand that. You are not running this show, you dont have what it takes. Want to finally tell me who's really in charge?" Sonny challenged, crossing his arms and looking at Miller, who was furious.
"I'm the future ruler of the Galaxy.I am in charge of this operation" He said. Sonny laughed.
"You and every other despot I encountered. Didn't work out for them, either. Try again, tell me who the mastermind is" Sonny said.
"I should have extracted the Flux when we had you on Akillian. It would have been easier to deal with you with the drugs available" He snarled. Sonny laughed.
"I wonder what your Master would have said about that. The drugs didnt work then, and it sure wont work now" He said as Miller roared in fury.

The Paladins and The pirates split into two groups in the underground hallways underneath Castle Paladia. It was time to get some answers. Duke Maddox was also part of their group, with an army of robots. The robot guards were dealt with quickly and silently. They reached the laboratory after a short walk through the hallways. Corso gritted teeth. He could hear the sound of fighting.
"I just hope Sonny is okay." Corso growled. He felt Sonny's invisible hand on his shoulder. The real Sonny was, it was his clone that was in found the lab that wasnt. Artie found the console to the surveillance cameras and quickly disabled them. The door opened and they entered the laboratory. Corso noticed Keiran trapped inside the pod. He watched as the Sonny clone dodged another laser blast by using the many Steel containers and metal desks in the room as cover. he ducked down quickly, to avoid being shot.
"Sonny! Are you okay?" He yelled to the Clone.
"Distract Miller, will you?I will deal with him, I stand the best chance of getting close enough to take him out" Corso heard the real Sonny whisper in his ear. Corso nodded.
"Be careful.I dont want you hurt" He whispered back. Sonny chuckled.
"When am I ever really hurt?Just make sure he is focused elsewhere than what happens behind him" He said. Then,he was gone. Corso and the others carefully moved towards the clone, returning the fire from Miller and his robots with a vapour laser he had taken from a scrapped drone. Miller was beside himself with anger.
"Don't try to stop me, you will lose!" He yelled. Corso continued to move towards him and Sonny's clone, behind some containers. Duke Maddox released Keiran from his pod and apprehended him on the spot.
"You will pay for what you did to Sonny" Bennett hissed as he handcuffed him.
"That's not Sonny. It's a goddamn clone." Keiran said. Miller heard him.
"That's why the Flux extractor didn't work. Off course, A clone. Clever move." He realized.
"You really think I'd let you get Sonny that easily?I told you once before, you wont hurt him, ever again" Corso said.
"Where's the real Sonny, then?" Duke Maddox asked, and looked around the room.
"He's here, right?" Artie asked as he looked around too. Miller was sweating bullets. It was over for him. The real Sonny Blackbones, could clearly not be seen at the moment. He wanted to turn to make a run for it, when he felt a hand on his neck.
"Right behind you." A calm voice said as he materialized right behind Miller. He was surrounded with his Flux.
"This cant be happening." Miller cried, as Sonny made a gesture with his hand. Miller sunk to the floor, fast asleep. Sonny hadn't even touched him for this, he didnt have to. Sonny turned to his men.
"I'm sorry for all the secrecy but I didn't want them to figure out this plan." He said. Bennett looked at him.
"You can tell us all about this when we're back at the ship." He said. Sonny nodded, and turned to Duke Maddox. Duke Maddox looked at his former adversary. Sonny was still glowing with Flux.
"I'm glad you're alright Sonny. And mastering your Flux even better. This will be helpful to the galaxy" He said. Sonny nodded with a grin.
"Let's get back to the ship. I have a lot to explain."

What has Sonny learned?

Answers will be revealed soon.

Thank you ParanoidGirl. Your adjustments,however big or small are a true source of inspiration