After an intensive search, Sonny didn't see any other options.
He had to go to a Technoid base alone.
Corso would lose it if he knew.
But he couldn't bring his friends into this.
The information he tried to find was either encrypted or completely deleted.
Probably on purpose.
It could be a trap, for all he knew.
If he waited for too long, things would end in disaster.
He already made one mistake that cost too much.
He couldn't make another.
He would need to really plan this out.
He did know this particular base.
And Bleylock's schedule within it.
That would give him some leeway and make sure he wouldn't be detected.
Maybe he could find some other data, as well.
Sonny acted normally for a few weeks, to not raise suspicion, before he set his plan in motion.
A convoy was supposed to take out a Technoid shipment near their base, taking the cargo and the ship.
Sonny planned to use the raid to slip out and head to the Technoid base, trying to search it.
Bleylock would be busy, that made his plan easier to execute.
Sonny double checked his calculations.
He also needed to make sure Corso and Bennett wouldn't notice.
They wouldn't even know he was gone if everything went according to plan.
Sonny would pretend to stay on board The Black Manta while the raid was carried out.
He hoped it would be enough to convince Corso to leave him be.
Corso gathered the teams and was handing out the assignments for the raid.
This raid was close to a Technnoid base, making it more likely that they would be discovered.
Sonny didn't seem bothered, he probably wanted to show Technoid what they could do.
Corso could understand that logic.
He just hoped he could convince Sonny to sit back.
Corso knew it was only a matter of time before Technoid found out about him, and once they did, his bounty would only go higher.
Not to mention Technoid patrols.
Sonny was an annoyance in their eyes for now, no need to give the game away that he would become dangerous.
It wasn't like Corso had not tried talking to Sonny about keeping himself safe.
In the corner of his eye, he could see Sonny coming up to join them.
Corso was always worried about what Sonny would do on these raids.
As he spoke to Bennett, Corso noticed that Sonny hadn't prepared himself for combat.
What was going on?
Did he listen for once?
He felt Sonny's hand on his shoulder.
"Good work Corso. You seem to have this figured out. I'll stay on board this time." He said.
Corso was surprised, but at the same time, also relieved.
If he didn't have to watch Sonny's back, he could focus more on the raid itself.
"You're not coming?" He asked to clarify.
Sonny shook his head.
"Let's not reveal my leadership just yet." Sonny explained casually.
Corso nodded.
"Thanks Sonny, that makes my job a whole lot easier." He said.
Sonny watched the other Pirates board the many smaller scout ships, before he turned on stealth mode.
As soon as they were gone, Sonny went to his cabin to fetch his equipment.
For a moment, he smiled to himself.
Corso would have his hide for this.
But he needed to be fast, and alone.
As soon as enough time passed, he entered a small mini pod, and set course for the Technoid base.
The Technoid base, where he once worked.
It was strange how cold and isolated it felt, Sonny thought to himself, as he parked and hid the pod.
This shouldn't take long, but it would lead to valuable information.
Sonny knew his way around this base like the back of his hand.
Staying in the shadows, he made his way towards Bleylock's office.
He spotted the labs where he had worked.
It made him shudder.
He made sure to stay out of range of the cameras.
Bleylock always boasted he knew I'son better than he knew himself, and could predict his every move.
But he didn't predict Sonny to figure out what kind of trouble he and Labnor were in, before their project ended.
It was by fluke he had managed to create the perfect weapon, but once he realized its devastating potential, Sonny made sure Bleylock couldn't get a hold of their invention.
The cost was maybe too high, though.
At times he wondered just how many lives were lost because of him.
Now was not the right time for those questions.
Sonny passed the old lab where he and his partner once worked, fighting the memories.
This was it.
To his left was Bleylock's office.
Sonny used his goggles to scan for cameras but found none.
Maybe he figured he didn't need them.
Well, Bleylock didn't know Sonny Blackbones as well as he thought he did then.
He had a lot of handy tools.
He'd have to thank his esteemed colleagues among the pirates for those, later.
Sonny reached into his pocket and pulled out a small code cracker.
Time to get to work.
So, that was why the Pirates had difficulty cracking these files.
Bleylock used an encryption system from his own home planet.
The Pirates didn't know this system.
Sonny did.
Using jammers to hide his presence, Sonny sat down and got to work.
It didn't take him long to get into the system.
Most of the files that came up were generic,, but Sonny still took copies of them.
Then, he opened a subfolder.
What he found was… interesting.
Bleylock had far more control within Technoid than he initially thought.
That couldn't be good.
Sonny knew he would have to give this evidence to other people, no matter how hard it would be.
Duke Maddox could be hard to convince, so he would need to do more digging and find even better evidence.
Then, a file caught his eye.
Akillian Glaciation.
It hit him in the gut.
Sonny copied the entire folder to a memory stick he had.
While he did this, he forgot about his surroundings.
He didn't notice the sleeping gas leaking in.
The raid was a huge success.
Corso ordered the Pirates to get what could be loaded on to The Black Manta, and keep the robots on board incapacitated.
The Pirates' many mechanics could deal with them once they were back home.
Sonny would be happy.
This would all fetch a good price on the black market.
Once back on board the Black Manta, Corso went to make his report to Sonny.
Bennett was taking care of things as Corso headed for the Captain's cabin.
He looked forward to a relaxed night, maybe even a small celebration with Sonny and some alcohol.
The good stuff.
As he knocked on the cabin door, he didn't get an answer.
Corso smiled.
Sonny finally dropped the act and got himself some sleep.
Corso quietly opened the door, expecting to see Sonny asleep in his bed.
He didn't.
He was alone.
No sign of Sonny at all.
Corso sighed.
Of course.
Sonny was off wandering somewhere.
He was probably at the on board lab, tinkering with the mind control devices they had.
Corso didn't like that they had such things.
He had been controlled by others too long for it to feel right.
He just hoped Sonny had the right mind to put a stop to using them.
Corso took off his weapons and gear and put them away.
They didn't have much room, but then again, he didn't have much stuff.
As soon as he put his gear away, Corso went for a quick shower.
He still smelled the singe of the lasers that grazed him.
He wanted to at least scrub that off.
After getting himself into a fresh set of clothes, Corso headed to the lab.
Sonny wasn't there either.
Bennett also entered the lab.
"Have you seen Sonny? I got some lists he needs to look over." Bennett explained.
Corso shook his head.
"I haven't seen him anywhere. He promised to stay safely out of the line of fire " Corso said, sounding confused for a moment.
Bennett nodded.
"Do you have any idea where he could be?" He asked.
Corso was starting to get a sinking feeling.
"Follow me." He said.
They headed to the room with the escape pods.
The fact there was a pod missing told them enough.
Corso glanced at the base.
A lot of ships approached it.
By now the alarm had been going off.
Joke was on them, the Pirates' stealth tech was the best in the galaxy and they wouldn't be found.
If he could just see Bleylock's face.
Corso stopped the thought right there.
Bleylock could be on that base.
"Bennett. We need to go back."