Chapter 29: The big surprise
Baldwin was nervous. He couldn't tell for sure, but he felt as if someone was following him. But, everytime he turned to check, he was alone. It irritated him. Perhaps it shouldn't. He was, afterall, the one that tried to enter the pirate's lair, and spy on them. He completely forgot that the pirates had been in this buisness far longer than him. They obviously had made him out, and now, they watched him, to find his hideout. Well, that was not happening!
Baldwin reached his snowmobile, and took off. Why hadn't the pirates outed him? They had the chance. Clearly, they were after something. Baldwin needed to prepare himself, for just about anything...
Corso followed Baldwin from a safe distance. His snowmobile could be made invisible to radar, a device the pirates had added to the mix. All their viechles had the same standard. It was necessary, to keep doing their job. On the way, he stayed in close contact with Sonny, keeping him informed on where they were headed. Sonny recognized the area, when Corso described where Baldwin had seemed to disappear.
«He's close Corso, be on alert. You're in his area now, and we don't know if he's armed, but assume he is».
«What do you want me to do Sonny? Should I trail him further?»
«No, leave it for now, we'll check the area by night fall, return to base and make ready to report!»
«Aye, Captain, you're the boss» Corso joked.
Sonny decided to play along.
«And my next order is that you're doing the dishes by hand tonight».
«Hah, you're just saying that to cheat your way out of your turn» Corso retalliated.
«Nope, it's done» Sonny chuckled.
«Ha ha, Funny Blackbones, real funny» growled Corso.
When he turned the transmission off, Sonny started to think. He hardly knew Baldwin at all, apart from the time in the Genesis reservoirs. Back then, it had been clear that he worked for Bleylock, and not with him. Baldwin had been scared of Bleylock. Sonny remembered the trip to the reservoiars. Bleylock had sat down next to him, and checked that the cuffs held his hands on his back. Sonny had felt how Bleylock had tried to cuddle him, but rejected him. Bleylock left him alone, but not for long. Before he was put in the bubble, Bleylock again made advances, making promises that Sonny himself would be unharmed and sound, if he would agree to the terms Bleylock offered. Sonny had felt uneasy throughout it all, held by the arms by two droids. He had been unable to move. Sonny had known Bleylock to be a liar in the past, the chance that he had changed into a better person now, was less than slim. When Bleylock had begun cuddling him again, Sonny had taken a chance, and spat in his face, telling him he wanted nothing from Bleylock, whatsoever. That move had been daring, but nessesary. Bleylock had retaliated, and hit Sonny across the face, before he ordered the droids to take him away. Baldwin had followed in silence. When they reached the invention that was going to create his prison, Sonny had tried to break free.
«You should not have hit him, Sonny. You would have been better off just letting him have what he wanted» Baldwin said.
«No chance, not ever again».
«So, you had a loveconnection to him then?» the professor asked, seemingly innocent.
But innocence had nothing to do with what he had truly felt. Now that Sonny knew what Duke Maddox had told him, he knew that Professor Baldwin was a devious snake, who's jealously spread in his veins like venom, and it had caused his love's death.
« If you concider rape, and being held bound, and whipped by someone, untill you feel the blood drip, and then get physically abused later on, a loveconnection, then yes. But my mind is a different one!» Sonny stated.
«Then, why don't I go tell him, that you changed your mind, it only lasts for a little while..» Baldwin tried to smirk.
«Then I suggest you go do it yourself. Cause I'm not!» Sonny hissed.
«As you wish, wheter your life is long or short doesn't matter to me».
«As I thought, Bleylock lied to D'Jok. He doesn't intend to keep the agreement he made».
«Agreement? What kind of agreement?»
Sonny sighed, if the two insisted on being stupid, then fine. He had to find a way to escape his prison.
As if he had read his mind, Baldwin pushed Sonny forth, into a chamber, and uncuffed him.
«Your life is the one lived in a bubble Blackbones, how fitting that your last hours will be spent in one».
Sonny had said nothing, as something that looked like hard plastic, built up around him.
«You'll have a constant supply of air while the match goes on, sadly, we can't provide you with a holo tv under water» Baldwin laughed.
Sonny felt like the fear chocked him. Trapped! Under water. Great, just great. Every pirates living nightmare. He carefully touched the wall of the bubble. The plastic was thick, and stretchy. This could prove to be a real problem.
Baldwin saw what he did.
«Oh, before you even try. The water in the reservoairs is cold, wich will harden the plastic. You'll be submerged a few meters under the waterline, so we can keep an eye on you during the match».
« Why don't you get things overwith right away? It would save you time and trouble. When my men find out what you've done, what you did to me, won't matter» Sonny told them.
He knew Corso's temper, he would blow a gasket and surely, if he perished, Baldwin and Bleylock would follow shortly after.
All of this was years back in time, and seeing this man, made it all feel like it was yesterday it all happened. Sonny knew, without the shaddow of a doubt, that who was victorious, would come down to who initiated their plan first.
«Bennett, tell the men to set all operations into gear. I'll call a pressconference. We'll start, tonight»
«Are you sure we ought to, Sonny?» Bennett asked carefully. Even Artie looked worried.
«Sonny, do we have time to check all the riggings for this?» he asked.
Sonny nodded.
«It's all been done Artie. The effects is checked several times over, with identical results. It's safe».
The pirates nodded, and the teams were quickly dispatched to their posts. Now, it was just a matter of waiting...
At planet Akillian, the snowkids, the galactik kids and all that lived on Akillian, was gathered. Sonny had said a big surprise was up and coming. Sonny himself was seemingly calm.
«Dad, do you mind telling me what's going to happen?» asked D'Jok.
Little Hope cought her grandfathers eye, and stretched her tiny arms out.
«Yeah, yeah, I know. Grandad's the big hero, and you'd rather be with him, than your father» pouted D'Jok.
«Blame yourself, you let Sonny spoil her rotten» teased Mei.
«She'll never let you forget that, son» Sonny chuckled ,as he took the baby from D'Jok.
With hope on his arm, he took to the podium, and adressed the audience, as Calleigh handed him a microphone.
« All citizens of Akillian. I've asked you all to come here today for a reason. Many years ago, Akillian was the place of a huge catastrophy. The catastrophy claimed many lives, some directly, others indirectly, as a result of wounds. And, as if that wasn't enough, Akillian shifted it's axis, and went from eternal green, to a frozen planet.
I'm sure many of you, have spent the years wondering, who was responsible. Some may have blamed Technoid. In part, that is true. What caused the accident to occur, was a technoid porject, wich should never have been created. Two naive, and easily fooled scientists, were made to take the heat for it. They didn't know what their invention would be used for. They thought they made flux for droids, realising too late, that flux can never be created. It's natural to their homeplanet».
«What are you rambling about, Blackbones?» a voice in the crowd shouted.
«Be quiet Bellows, let Sonny finish!» hushed Mana Ice. She then blinked to Sonny.
«You carry on Sonny».
Sonny cleared his throat, and started.
«We can not make the past undone, it will always be there. But, the two, now former, technoid scientists, always hoped to one day, be able to make things right. But there's been many obstackles to clear, before they could get there. Both these men, were made to flee, and lived as refugees for years. Their names back in the days, were I'Son d'Arish and Yarritt Labnor».
A huge gasp could be heard in the crowd, as they recognized the names of the guilty parties, wich they blamed for destroying their planet.
«Both should be thrown in jail, and left to rot» yelled Bellows.
« Prison takes on many forms» said Sonny, before he continued. «To these two men, their lifes, and the lifestyle they were forced to lead, became a prison of their own. I'Son, who was directly responsible for the accident, fled to the shiloh archipellago, home to the shiloh pirates. He was greeted by the pirates there, they took him in, and gave him a new home, and a new life, and most of all, a new identity». Sonny kept quiet for a sec, to see if the crowd understood what he was saying.
«Who is I'Son today?» asked one of the galactik kids. Sonny smiled.
«I'Son... today, he's the leader of the pirates, and goes under the name, Sonny Blackbones. So, I am I'Son» he said and looked at the crowd.
«And Yarritt labnor?» another galactik kid asked.
Clamp stepped up to Sonny's side.
«I'm Yarrit labnor, but, today, I go under the name professsor Clamp».
Sonny looked at his friend. It was hard seeing him like this. But still, there was no way around.
« we both spent the majority of our lives, regretting this mistake. Up untill recently, I never thought there was a way ww could make up for our mistake. But, still, inspite of being the former, most wanted man in the galaxy, I also still remember where I came from. Akillian is my homeplanet too, and I want to make my wrongdoings right, if I may?» Sonny asked into the crowd.
You could hear a pin drop. Everyone seemed totally cought by surprise.
«Then, what do you propose?» asked Thran and Ahito's mother.
Sonny smiled.
«I've done a lot of reserach on this, and rechecked all my data multiple times. I have made sure that it can be done safely»
Sonny said.
«What are you talking about?» several voices asked.
Sonny smiled, and pulled a kind of button from the inside of his jacket, and held it up..
Baldwin knew what the pirate chief had planned to do. It was not happening. Sonny was going to die, not become the people of Akillian's great hero! Somehow, the pirate chief planned to make Akillian shift axis again, restoring it to it's former beauty. Blinded with rage, Baldwin stormed to his snowmobile. He had to destroy the markings the pirate had made. He still didn't know what they were there for, but they played a role in the pirate's plans. Once he got there, he stormed forth to tear the poles out of the snow. Too late, he remembered he had been followed earlier.
«Going somewhere?» Corso hissed, as he held his vapour laser to Baldwin's back.
As Bennett bound the villain, Corso contacted Sonny.
«We got him Sonny, clearing the area now».
«Good, we'll start in ten minutes» the response sounded.
The teams were quickly pulled out of the mountains. It was time to get the surprise going...
Sonny checked his clock. It was time. After checking that all his men were safely out of the area, Sonny pressed the button.
All of Akillian started to shake.
«What's happening?» exclaimed Artegor.
«Don't worry, it might shake a bit in the start, but as soon as the axis shift back, you will feel a change» Clamp calmed them.
The minutes that followed felt like hours. It was terrifying.
Then, Ahito began to pull all his warm winterclothes off.
«Ahito, what are you doing?» asked Thran.
«Can't you feel that it's getting warmer? It's like in paradisia, like summer» Ahito said.
Soon, the others started to feel the same. And loud cheers broke out. Sonny Blackbones had restored Akillian to it's former beauty.
The year that passed was amazing. The snow slowly melted. Gravesites that had been buried under the snow for years, began to surface. Akillian was clearly going for a green future.
The pirates also florished.
No longer wanted men, they could finally have their own families. Bennett and his fiancee was already in the final stages of the pregnancy, while Artie and his girl recently got married. Off course, Sonny had taken part in the wedding. It was good to see the young pirate have the kind of life he deserved. The kind of life all of them deserved.
Off course, there was pirates that still didn't dare to trust their newfound freedom. Corso being one of them. Like he told Sonny when he asked.
«I'm damaged goods Sonny. I don't know if I can change. But don't worry about me, worry about yourself for once».
Sonny knew he was right. He too had put things off for years. The result had spoken for itself.
But, there was hope.
All the lost familymembers of the pirates was searched for. Some were happily reunited, whereas others, finally got to bury their loved ones, and have a grave to visit.
Even Sonny had a burial site for his beloved Niobe. It had been devestating the first time, when Maya had taken him and D'Jok there. Sonny later, had returned, alone, for a private while.
To him, it had been the start of the healing of his heart. He more felt it, than anything else. Niobe would not have wanted him to be alone. It had been the turningpoint Sonny needed, to change his own life.
It was a year filled with changes.
Sonny slowly reinstated Duke maddox to run technoid again, but under SecTech control.
Hope grew to become a little beauty, and on a green summer day, with splashing pool and all that came with it, the pirate chief and his family, could finally celebrate her one year birthday.
Wobbling, dripping wet, the princess reached her arms out for her beloved grandfather.
«Grandad, grandad, looky looky» she said excited.
Despite her being dripping wet, from splashing about, Sonny gently wrapped a warm towel round her chubby body and lifted her.
«It's gorgeous, princess!» he smiled.
«You da best, grandad»
Mei came out, and overheard her doughters comment.
«Oh no young lady, you're not becoming a pirate» she said drilling her eyes into Sonny.
«Yay, I wanna be a pirate!» yelled Hope happy.
Sonny shrugged his shoulders.
«It's not my idea» he defended himself.
«With you, I never know» she told him.
They were stoped when Calleigh came out on the poorch.
«Are you two at it again?» she laughed.
One of the many changes in Sonny's life, involved him dating Calleigh again.
He did date Calleigh Mystic three times, before spending the night at her house.
After that, with Baldwin securely locked up in prison, Sonny proposed to Calleigh. He was ready to commit to someone again.
Six months later, they got married. The church had been full when the popular reporter married the charming pirate chief.
The former pirates had been present, to celebrate Sonny and Calleigh, and made sure to share some of the slightly embarrassing stories on him in the wedding. Sonny had. Laughing, sworn revenge when their time came.
Now, at little Hope's birthday, Calleigh pulled Mei aside, and told her, she was pregnant, by Sonny's child.
It was still early in the pregnancy, but none the less, D'Jok would have siblings.
She had told Sonny earlier in the day. When the initial shock of the news passed, Sonny felt good about the news, and he was truly happy.
Now, as the adults sat in Mei's garden, sipping a glas of lemonade, and the men having a beer, Sonny knew life would stay on tracks.
Artie and Bennett were expectant fathers to be. Corso was the one that remained, but he felt confident, that Mei was on the case. If there was anyone for Corso out there, Mei would not stop untill she found her.
«What's on your mind, Honey?» Calleigh asked and kissed him on the cheek.
There was no hiding nothing from his wife, Sonny had found out through their marrige so far. She had a lot of questions when they moved in together, and had not stoped untill he gave her some answers she would accept. Sonny had no problems with his past anymore. He knew what he had done, and had justifiable cause for it. Wich Duke maddox had confirmed.
«You had to survive somehow Sonny, the looting was for survival, and therefore, I won't press charges».
«Thank you, your Excellency» he had said when he talked things over with the Duke.
Now, he looked at his wife. One could not see it yet, but he knew it was there, under her dress, in her stomach. The new life, the next link in the Blackbones generation.
«Just, thinking» he smiled.
«About what?» she smiled.
«About life. How it constantly changes».
«In your case, for the better» she said.
Sonny stared at the Akillian mountains. So familiar, yet, the place of the biggest sorrow he had to endure.
«Whatever life holds, we'll handle it, together, always» he smiled, and looked to the sky.
His days as the most wanted man in the galaxy was over, Finally, Sonny Blackbones, could start a new life.
The End
And so, Justice is fullfilled. I hope all you readers have enjoyed the story. It's been fun to write. There will surely be more Sonny Blackbones stories later on, but hopefully not as long as this one. I still have The story of Sonny Blackbones to fullfill, so now, I'll start working on that again. If you got any comments to this story, please leave a rewiew. I would love to know your thoughts.
Till next time, Love you all. Wicky