Chapter 2: unexpected
It was day two of the trail, and it had been a night of little sleep for Sonny. He was used to fall asleep to the noises that indicated that his ship was up and running, the prisoncell was way too silent. Or, maybe it was the attire that he saw lying on a bench outside the cell, next to the screens that technoid had put up, to give him some privacy to get changed? Sonny knew it to be a labcoat. He was mentally preparing to be ordered to make more metaflux.
Sonny truly hated the position he had been put in by technoid. They really had balls, he had to give them that. Threatening the pirates like that, was a brave move. Sonny slowly ate his breakfast. He had laid several plans as to how to stall the work. He just hoped they wouldn't add an assistant to him that knew something of biochemistry, if so, he'd have a problem.
Oh well, first things first. The main problem now, was his transmitter, that Technoid had modified. It represented the perhaps biggest threat to the pirates ever, with that unit, they were subject to trace, not even Shiloh would be a safe place now, certainly not for him. The sound of the door opening made him look up. Duke Maddox arrived, with four droids. «What's the matter your excellency? Are you afraid to face me alone?» he asked when he saw the droids. Duke Maddox didn't say anything, other than giving an order. «Take him, and bring him down to the lab». Sonny felt his heart race. This was not good, Not at all. He tried to spot an excit, but the cell was too small. The droids easily grabbed hold of him. This time, even Duke Maddox could tell that Sonny was frightened. He started fighting the droids. Duke Maddox sighed, and placed his tasergun to the base of Sonny's neck. Sonny was knocked unconcious, and the droids carried him downstairs.
They woke him up. Sonny found himself tied to a chair, and a doctor was running tests on him. «Well?» Duke Maddox was impatient. «He'd be a perfect candiate for the implant your excellency. All the tests and readings are great, we should get started tonight». «Why not right away?» , the doctor looked at him. «Your excellency, the second day of the trail starts in only an hour, there isn't enough time now». «Fine, get prepped to insert the implant tonight» said maddox. «You!» Sonny's hazel eyes sparkled with rage. «one can not take one word that comes out of your mouth to be the real deal your excellency. I guess it's my own fault for even listening in the first place, and now, you plan to control me? Do you feel uncertain that you can have me convicted since you're in this hurry?». Sonny knew it was a longshot, but it was the best solution he could come up with for now. Duke Maddox looked at him. «Wheter you get convicted or not, doesn't matter Blackbones, don't you know that? You'll still remain a prisoner after the trial, the only difference is that you'll be Technoid's property again».
Sonny couldn't hold a sardonic laughter back. «Since when, did a person, a living, breating humanbeing become the property of a company your excellency? I believe the term should be employee, but I guess you've put me on a special term, as oposed to the other members of the staff?». Sonny knew that even this blindshot hit target, Duke maddox growled.
«You're good with words Blackbones, but your luck is about to run out, we'll be going to court now, I'd advice you not to try to warn anyone of what's up and coming». Sonny knew he was in deep trouble. He absolutely had to get a message to Corso and his men on his whereabouts and what was to happen, before it was too late...
Corso took a seat in the back. He had done all he could to help Sonny at this point. It had been a risky move to place that little box with the specialpill a pirate would use to simulate sickness, it had saved the lives of others. If he could find a way to let Sonny know of it, he knew that when Sonny crushed that pill in his drinkingwater, he'd get sick. Just mild symptoms, but it would have him transported to the infirmary where Bennet and Artie would be waiting. Maybe they could free him there, at any rate, they needed to talk to him, find out more on what they were faced with.
Corso had gone to great lenghts to help. The phonecall, had been to the obia moon ambassadours. Since Sonny had rescued them from a Technoid prison barge years ago, the ambassadour couple had taken him to their hearts, and befriended him. Sonny had though asked them to keep a low profile on that, both to protect them and himself. The obia moon ambassadour had been shocked to hear of his capture. Corso, had then put forth a request, for them to witness in his defense in the court. As soon as they had agreed, Corso had called the attourney, defending Sonny, and told him to put the ambassadours on the witnesslist. When they were done, Corso was aggravated. Did that brat know anything at all about the law? Corso had a bad feeling about the job he was doing, and so had D'Jok. Corso was worried over what D'Jok had told him. It was not like Sonny to say something like that at all. And it worried him. It meant trouble with a captital t. Corso dialed Tin can's number.
«Tin can, I need you to get the plans for Duke Maddox home and his officebuilding. We have to find a way in, to retrieve Sonny's missing transmitter, and destroy it».
«Why is that Corso?» Bennet had come in, and overheard the last sentence. Corso spun the chair around and told Bennet what he had learned. Bennet grew pale.
«You think they're putting pressure on Sonny by threatening to do that?» he asked.
Corso nodded. «Well, they've threatened him with something, that much is certain, and whatever that is, it's made Sonny go a long distance to keep the rest of us safe. By the looks of it, it seems he'd sacrifice himself to save us all..»
«But..without Sonny.,» started Bennet. Corso looked down.
«I know Bennet, without him, we're done for».
«So, what do we do?» Corso sighed. «We wait, and hope he takes the hint»...
Tia and Mei were trying to calm D'Jok down, along with Micro- Ice. D'Jok was phasing back and forth, and seemed unable to calm down. «D'Jok, you know my parents will testify in Sonny's favour. Try to have some faith» suggested Tia. But inside, not even she was feeling confident. All of them had seen Sonny's attourney. Tia had taped it and sent it to her parents. They had been very upset with what they saw. «This is a scandal, toally unacceptable. The whole trail is a pharse if this is the kind of defense Sonny is allowed to have». «This is what the oh- so- generous- Technoid offers him. D'Jok is like a caged animal, he's worried sick for his father». « That I can understand Tia, but what can we do?» asked her mother confused. «I refuse to believe this! Sonny saved the both of you from Technoid, and when he's the one in need of help, you're just gonna sit there and pretend it doesn't concern you?» Tia was furious, and about to shut down the transmission, when he father stoped her. «You're right Tia. Corso Takashi, Sonny's second in command, has contacted us, to ask us to witness in his favour». «It's true Tia, we owe our freedom to this man, what do you want us to do for him?», «Well, can you hire and pay a real attourney to handle his case, and defend him? I think you owe him at least that much». Tia thought back at the time she had spent with the pirates, and how Sonny had given her trust and confidence when they were out to rescue her parents. None of the other pirates had, but him. Tia absolutely loved him for it. Sonny Blackbones was truly a nice man, no wonder D'Jok was so proud of his father. Tia remembered how Sonny had greeted her. He, who had absolutely all reasons to hate her and her parents, after the false accusations thrown at him on tv, by what appeared to be her parents. Tia knew Technoid could manipulate and falsify videofiles, and this was clearly one of them. Still, Sonny had agreed to help her free them, in return, her parents would tell the world of his innocence in the accident on the shaddows planet. After this, her parents had become strong defenders of the pirates, but it was all in the dark off course. «I have already thought of someone and made contact, he'll take over the case from now». «Thank you father, can you also see if it is possible to have Sonny removed from Technoid custody? D'Jok and the pirates seem to think he is in grave danger, there must be somewhere else he can be held untill this is over». «I agree Tia, but what if he looses? Then, he will be handed over to Technoid, and from what you're telling us, it sounds like he is in grave danger. I'll see what I can do, and try to have the possible sentence as mild as possible, and away from Technoid». «Thank you father, D'Jok will be happy to hear of this». Tia ended her transmission. Then, she went back to tell D'Jok. Finally, he seemed to relax a little. «Tia, tell your parents that I am eternally grathefull for what they are doing to help dad. He is so dear to me, I can't imagine loosing him»D'Jok was obviously on the werge of tears. Mei stood up and walked over to hug him. «He'll be allright D'Jok, the pirates will find a way to save him, and bring him to safety». «It's not that, I think that Technoid is threatening Dad» whispered D'Jok, then he proceeded to tell them of the cryptic message Sonny had managed to give him, before Technoid took him away.
The snowkids sat with their mouths open, in pure shock, at what he told. «D'Jok, have you told Corso of this?» asked Mei. She had been forced to befriend the pirate years ago, to help Sonny stay up to speed on his son's activities. At first, Mei had felt cornered and uneasy with the idea, but as the years passed, she learned to appreciate the pirates and her father in law to be. Sonny was a gentleman the times she had met him. He did not deserve the treatment he recieved now. «Yes Mei, I have, he said to put the wheels in motion, whatever that means».
«Then, all we can do, is wait, and hope that justice will clear Sonny's name, once and for all» said Micro- Ice. He too had befriended Sonny and liked him alot. «Thank you, all of you, it warms my heart to see all this support for my father» said D'Jok, as he prepared to turn on the screen for day two..
Clamp too had turned on the holotv, and was watching the trial's second day along with Aarch and Dame Simbai.
Clamp, who had known Sonny both before he became a pirate and their leader, had been horrified when he learned of his friend's arrest. Clamp had to admit that he feared what would be done to his friend. They had successfully made the metaflux together, but none of them would admit to the world, who actually created the invention that caused the glaciation of Akillian and the iceage. Clamp knew, the one that held the recipie was Sonny. Technoid had gotten hold of him after they stole the metaflux, but Sonny had gotten away. Clamp feared that they could force him to reconstruct the metaflux, now that they held him in their custody.
Aarch too was worried over this. The pirates were regarded as underdogs in football, but still, the team was widely respected for their fairplay. A team with no flux would always be underdogs, but even still, the pirates preformed great. And Sonny being the father of his starstriker, made things harder. D'Jok was clearly loosing it. Aarch had no idea at this point as to what to do to make him regain balance. They owed a lot to Sonny. Not only had he and his men saved Clamp, but also the snowkids. By removing the metaflux that had been within their bodies for years, Sonny had taken a huge risk by trying to deal with the problem. He almost paid for it with his own life, but at his second attempt to rid the world of this danger, he had succeeded. Aarch had the outmost respect for the pirate chief and he hoped Sonny would come out on his feets this time too.
Dame Simbai, had already spoken to the flux society about Sonny and his arrest. They had stated that there was infact good reason to worry. They had asked to be put in contact with the pirates and Corso, to find a solution. Dame Simbai had also grown fond of Sonny. When they played in paradisia, Sonny had been poisoned. The pirates had found him, and brought him to her, for help. She had tended to him, and taken care of him. He had been safe in her care. Dame simbai had also grown close bonds with the other pirates there to watch over him, while he was there. The pirates was not mean. They were fair and just. Sonny had cooperated with Dame Simbai on flux related matters for years,and she had gotten him into the circle that protected the galaxy. Now, Sonny was the one in need of help. Brim Balarius had said to look into matters. Now, they had done all they could to help, the rest was out of their hands...
Sonny had taken his usual position. Carefully, he looked over the gallery, to see if any of his friends and men where there. In spite of the danger, he could see several pirates scattered in the crowd. Somehow, it warmed him inside. Then, he froze. To the far right of the room, sat Corso, alone. Sonny knew, now that they had finally captured him, they had put a wanted poster out for Corso instead. Sure, they had tried to make him talk, tell them where he could be found. But Sonny remained silent. He had no intentions of revealing his friend's hidingplace, or put The Black Manta at risk. Not even threats made him change his mind on this. And there had been plenty of threats. Sonny had been pushed to his breakingpoint where patience was concerned. He had managed to hold the frustration in with a share use of willpower. What was Corso doing here? Wasn't he aware of the danger this posed to him? Sonny made eyecontact with him. Corso's gaze met his. Corso signaled for him to check under the desk infront of him and his new attourney. They had no idea of how they had engaged this pitbull to defend Sonny, but according to D'Jok, this was Tia's doing, a little token of appreciation and gratitude from the obia moon ambassadours. The pirates had been notified that the attourney's salary was already paid, now, he was to defend Sonny, and attempt to clear his name and free him from Technoid's imprisonment. Sonny carefully let his hand slide underneath the desk. His fingertips touched a little box. Sonny knew what it was. The pirates had just given him a way to avoid Technoid and the duke's plans for this evening. Sonny held a pill in an unnoticable grip as he paid attention to the judge. She was in an argument with Technoid's prosecutor again. His own attourney, placed a hand reassuringly on his arm. «don't you worry Mr. Blackbones. I put my reputation in giving my clients the best defense possible». Sonny nodded. «May I ask, have you ever encountered fake videofiles in your line of work before?». «Yes, as a matter of fact I have, and I know when to ask to have them examined». «Whenever it comes from Technoid's side, I want you to request just that. It's not difficult to filter a videofile with a program designed for this, try this» said Sonny and handed him a disk. It was a copy of the same program the snowkid Thran used when he checked programs or fake videofiles, Artie had been so impressed with it, that he asked to make copies for the pirates. Sonny had made sure to obtain one for personal use. He was no computer man himself. But he knew how to operate this program. Even a child could do so. «Thank you, I'll return it to you shortly» said the attourney. «No need, I got more copies, you hold on to it» said Sonny.
As the obia moon ambassadours took the witnesstand to testify, Sonny snuck his pill into his glass of water. He timed it as much as possible, before he emptied it. Within minutes, the effects showed. He felt nauseous, and leaned towards the side. That was when the drama started. The vomit was to have had the same colour as the breakfast, instead, it was deepred. Blood. Sonny was bleeding internally. He felt faint. «Mr Blackbones, are you feeling ok?» the judge's voice sounded to come from within a fogg. Sonny couldn't make out the words. It all started to blurr on him, he felt an intense pain in the abdominal region, almost like he had been shot. Then..it all went black..
Oh oh, did Corso give him the wrong pill? What is wrong with Sonny? Have Duke Maddox and Technoid unknowingly injured him. The answers will be found in the next chapter. How is this for a cliffhanger? And please, may I ask for a rewiew?