It was night at Arcadia Sports and Callie Mystic, the legendary field reporter of the channell, had a real treat for her viewers this evening. She had managed to have all the Galactik Football cup participating team's coaches meet up for a debate on holo tv. They would come and sit down in studio with her and Nork to have a talk about visions of the future for their respective teams, strengths, weaknesses, their roles as coach, and where they hoped to see their team. All had agreed to come to the studio. Well, all but one. The coach of the team of wanted men, on the run from the law, The pirates, would not be present in the studio. For that to happen, the pirates had requested certain agreements, agreements that Arcadia Sports had not been able to secure. That included an agreement of immunity for the Coach of the Pirates' football team if he was to be physically present in the it fell through, It had ended in the Pirates agreeing their coach would join them through a video link on a secure line.

Callie understood that The Pirates had to be careful, as they were all wanted men, some with bounties for their capture, and some of the players were crew on board the ship that Sonny Blackbones, the head of the Pirates, was living in. He was fetching the highest price of them all, being formerly with Technoid before something made him turn on them, and become a the time, Sonny Blackbones would bring in a five million standard credit bounty for anyone that would disclose where he could be found, and arrested. That had not happened, and Sonny continued his raids on his former employee undeterred. Callie had also not been able to get a name for the coach of The Pirates team either, all she had been told is that they would know who it was when the debate started. Rumor had it that Sonny Blackbones himself was the coach, but this was unconfirmed rumours, wich she did not like to be involved in.

The Coaches were now taking their seats in the sofas in the studio. Callie looked at the screen that had been made ready for the secure call where the pirates coach would join them, fram the safety of wherever the pirates would broadcast from. She had hoped The Pirate Coach would be ready as well so they could start on time,but establishing a safe connection with them was proving difficult. The technical staff at Arcadia news tried to call The Pirates but the link appeared blocked. Rocket noticed their efforts, and offered an explanation to the delay.

"I don't think you can call The Pirates directly yourself Callie. They're extremely careful not to let anything through if they are not ready. Better wait for them to call you." He suggested. Callie sighed.

"I understand Rocket. I just hope they won't delay the show." she said. Rocket laughed a little.

"There are few people that are as effective of getting things done as them. I'm sure they will be on time." he smiled. Callie nodded at Rocket's comment. She decided to start by greeting the many coaches that were present.

Even Duke Maddox, the Head of Technoid, was present in the studio today. This was part of the reason The Pirates' Coach was not physically there. The Pirates did not feel comfortable around Duke Maddox after their leader Sonny and his right hand man Corso had nearly been captured after watching a Shadows versus Pirates match in Technoid's Genesis stadium box. The Shadows had been robbed of their Flux under mysterious circumstances and no one knew if it was an old habit or something else but Sonny had been accused of causing this to happen so his team could win. Until this very day, it was still not clear what had really happened and who was to blame, but The Pirates themselves claimed innocence on the matter and had demanded Sonny be cleared of the charges held against him on the matter. With things like this going on, it was no wonder The Pirates were hesitant to be in the same room as Technoid's Leader. Callie wasn't sure this was the reason for the delay but she hoped it would not drag everything out.

All of a sudden, the screen started to flicker. The image they received was unclear, almost as if it was deliberately obscured by The Pirates. Callie cleared her throat some.

"It seems we finally have the last guest with us; the Coach of the Pirates." She said. Duke Maddox seemed to have tensed up, not sure whom he would see on the other end.

When the image finally stabilized, Callie looked into a pair of hazel eyes. A face that was known throughout the Galaxy looked at all of them from the screen. The mystery of who coached The Pirates football team was now cleared up and the rumour confirmed true. The infamous leader of the pirates looked very relaxed where he looked at all of them.

"Welcome to the coahes debate, Sonny Blackbones." Callie said.

"It's my pleasure Callie." The Pirate Chief said. "Sorry I couldn't come personally but security would not permit that with how things currently are." He explained.

"Of course. We understand that your situation as a wanted man complicates matters." Callie said. Sonny nodded before he looked at his nemesis; Duke Maddox.

"Your Excellency, always a pleasure." He greeted. Duke Maddox looked like he would rather not have to deal with the Pirate chief at all.

"Likewise, Sonny. Good to see you are doing well." He managed, a bit grumpy.

Sonny smiled, and raised an eyebrow as to indicate he knew this was just politeness on Duke Maddox' side.

"I hope the last raid didn't cause too much delays for you, The Pirates have to eat too." He said. Duke Maddox growled slightly.

"Sooner or later we will track you down, Sonny. Let's hold of on chatter like this till you're in front of me. Lets see if you are as tough then." He said with clenched fists. Sonny grinned, The Duke's irritation had not gone unnoticed.

"In due time, Your Excellency. For now, we will discuss football." he said as he turned his attention to the other coaches.


It was an interesting two hours with lots of laughs and teasing. Rocket and Artegor, who once again coached The Shadows, had been at each other's throats all night, but tried to keep it civil. Rocket had also dragged Sonny into the conversation, reminding them it was not all that long ago that The Pirates revealed that they had a Flux of their own but had avoided playing with it in the matches. Now, they already had one championship victory behind them, and shone like the stars they were. Off course, there was questions around the pirates flux, and that was a question Sonny had to explain in detail. Sonny had explained to everyone how Flux could be used to track the team after departing the stadium they played in and that the players always wore Flux inhibitors when off the pitch, for were better off not being tracked, than Technoid on their tail. Artegor had asked, since he knew of the background of The Pirate Chief, if he also had the Flux the Pirates played with or if he had no Flux at all. Sonny had surprised them by revealing that his original home planet was Akillian and that not only could he make use of the Pirates Flux; The Seed of Shiloh but also The Breath of Akillian, which worked well in conjunction with their Flux. Sonny had done some studies after having been asked by The Flux Society to do so, and revealed that combined, the two Fluxes could work as a healing tool for advanced energy healers that had mastered their Flux. It could also turn into a weapon of war, and Sonny had deliberately shot Duke Maddox a look when he said that. In the end, Callie felt every fan watching the show had gotten something out of this debate. Bringing on Sonny Blackbones had really sparked interest. A lot of the holo viewers had posed questions for the Pirate Leader to answer and Sonny had calmly responded to all of them that were related to football. the ones related to pirate matters, he avoided. Just a few years back, The pirates had started using their Flux in competition, and they had grown in popularity. Duke Maddox, feeling left out, had revealed to the galaxy that Technoid was aware Sonny Blackbones also had a son that was on one of the Galactik Football teams, but had not revealed which team this was or Sonny's son's identity. A fan had asked if his son had the same last name as Sonny, and Sonny revealed that his son, for safety reasons, was using a different last name and was currently not living with his father, since he had his football career to take care of. Another fan had asked if Sonny planned to let his son play for the Pirates. Sonny's answer had caught them all by surprise.

"On Shiloh we have a saying; you don't become a Pirate if you have better things to do with your life." Sonny said. "To join us, your life has to be a mess that cant be sorted out, you have no way to safely return to your life as it was, without danger of being hunted down and imprisoned. Only then would you be a candidate to become a if you join us, it is not guaranteed that you will stay. Some return to normal life after a while. For those wanting to do so, the Pirates will erase all traces of where we can be found for everyone's safety." Sonny explained. As Sonny was talking, Callie had found herself fascinated with the Pirate Chief. His hazel eyes had drawn her to him the instant she saw him through the screen. Callie was used to look for deception, but there was none in Sonny's eyes. He was calm and collected all the time and she felt like a deep level of honesty had been revealed. He also had the most beautiful voice she had ever hear. Calm, but clearly the one of a commander. His voice was having a hypnotic effect on her. Comforting, and relaxing. Like being in a cocoon made of a soft material to protect the precious gem inside. Wait, What was that all about? She was not the type to fall for a pair of hazel eyes and a soothing voice. She snapped out of it as Duke Maddox approached her after the holo connection with Sonny had been cut.

"Thanks for the hospitality, Callie and Nork. It will be an exciting upcoming Galactik Football Cup, now that former Team Paradisia will represent Technoid in future matches." He said.

"Absolutely." Callie said. "It will be very exciting to see if The Pirates will hold their title from the last cup, or if another team can snatch it from them." She Maddox laughed.

"That challenging team should be my players. They are amazing footballers. The Pirates brought them to me after the Final of the Snow Kids third consecutive win. We had an agreement with the pirates in exchange for taking over the team, who were saying they needed help. Sonny has remained passive with his attacks since then, but even the pirates has to make a living. The insurance will cover this loss. And Sonny knows." He said. Callie nodded.

"Speaking of the Pirates, Your Excellency, now that they have a Flux of their own, is it possible that they could be the surprise team of this cup too?" She asked. Duke Maddox grinned.

"They stand the same chance as everyone else in this Cup. I wish my chances at capturing Sonny Blackbones had been better too. Sonny is not all that bad as he is made out to be, I quite enjoy my conversations with him but he is suspicious of me because of the past. I understand. I have wronged him in many ways and I'm only just starting to realise the full extent of the loss he has been to Technoid. If the past can be corrected, I hope to be able to make it up to Sonny someday. But the damage Technoid has caused him and his men is vast. I hope it's not too late." Callie nodded. She said goodbye to the staff and headed home.


Once home, she dropped her keys on the table after she locked the door. After that, she kicked off her high heels. Her feet always ache after a long day. Callie sat down, placed her feet in some nice warm water and looked at her schedule for the week.

There were plenty of things she was supposed to do but her mind kept drifting to a soft voice which felt almost hypnotic and a pair of hazel eyes, watchful, but still.

Callie thought she had written a list of things to do in the coming days, but when she looked at it, she was surprised to find she had written a name instead, and put a heart around it. Sonny Blackbones. encircled by hearts. How in the galaxy had that come to happen?Good thing no one was here to see it, especially Sonny himself. Callie decided it was enough for today. She got her feet out of the water, emptied the footmassager, put it away and went to the bathroom. She got undressed, and went for a shower.


Corso was not happy. Sometimes Sonny would do things that were out of line, but this…! It had to be lack of sleep. Why else would he do this?He didnt get why Sonny had asked him to get this done just minutes after he was done with the debate. Then again, Sonny had a sixth sense that worked perfectly, even without sleep. Till this day, that sixth sense had been scarily accurate. After the interview with the other Coaches, Sonny had gotten an idea. It had been sparked during the interview. An idea that involved Callie Mystic. And here he was, doing a reconnaissance mission to see if it was possible to enter her apartment, undetected. Corso moved as silently as he could. Sonny owed him big time for this. Without a sound, he entered the apartment's living room. It looked fancy, fit for a lady of Callie Mystic's stature.

As he was searching the luxurious aparment, he noticed a notebook she had written in. Callie had left it open and Corso could not miss seeing his boss' name, encircled by hearts. He grinned. Sonny could charm people even through the screen. And what he could do in that regard...Corso had seen the pictures of Sonny's late wife. If Sonny could charm a woman like that into marrying him within months of meeting, he could use that charm to make even bigger things happen… Corso smiled at the Sonny could make Callie sit and draw images like this without even having physically met, whatever plan he had cooked up should be smooth sailing. Corso used a small camera to take a picture of the little drawing and sent it to Sonny's holo transmitter. In his earpiece, Sonny told him to stay focused. Corso could have sworn, Sonny could read his mind at heard a small sound, indicating Sonny just received his image. He could hear Sonnys soft laugh in his ear. It seemed this amused his boss, and probably cemented the idea he already had cooked up. Corso reported he could hear she was in the shower.

"Try to leave undetected Corso. No need to spook her. Yet." Sonny commanded.


Back at Base, Sonny had seen the image Corso sent. He had been right. Callie was clearly subject to his charm, This could be used to go ahead with a plan he had for a while. It was time the truth was told, infact, it was well overdue. Without giving it a second thought, Sonny used his personal laptop to find her phone number. Sonny knew better than to question his sixth sense. His pirate's intuition told him this was a golden opportunity to have their message shared with the Galaxy. He thought about it for a long while but knew they needed help getting it out there. Maybe this was it. Sonny ordered Corso to leave her apartment. He waited for a while to be sure she was out of the shower. When he was sure about it, he decided to send her a text, smiling as he wrote it. He attached the image Corso had taken.


Callie had slept like a baby and felt fresh as she woke up, ready to face a new day. When she looked at her holo phone to check the time, she jumped.

A picture of her notebook, with the name of the pirate leader, surrounded by a heart, and underneath it a message;

"This is Sonny Blackbones,I have a suggestion for you, If you would want to help me with something?" it read.

Callie felt her heart skip a beat. How did he get that picture? She wasn't sure if she should be scared or flattered. No matter, she got herself dressed, and ready for work. Should she respond? She decided to at least try.

"Are you really who you claim to be, Mr Blackbones?" She texted, and attempted to send. To her surprise it got through. Now she had to wait to see if he would respond.


Corso returned to The Black Manta and found Sonny waiting for him.

"I had no problem getting in undetected. That said, could you at least tell me why you would want to see her?" He looked at his friend who got up.

"It is not a new thought, Corso, I've been thinking about it for some time but I needed the right person for it. Seems we may have found her." Sonny said. By now, Corso was utterly confused.

"What's this about Sonny?" He asked, placing a hand on Sonny's shoulder. Sonny smiled.

"It's time the Galaxy gets to know us and our cause. The Pirates' real motivations and why Technoid is the one we target." He explained. "I believe Callie Mystic may be sympathetic to our cause." he explained. Corso nodded, now he got what Sonny was aiming at.

"If not to the cause,then clearly to the Pirates Chief personally by the look of things, or rather, who she thinks he is. Women have romantic dreams about dangerous men" He said. Sonny nodded.

"That's true. Her little drawing exposed like that, is why I feel we should act quickly so she won't have a chance to change her mind." he said. Corso looked at him. A grin formed on his face.

"You're flattered by that little drawing. I would not figure you for being a man looking for a date with your status, so it must really be important to you to get that message out. That or you are colder than people take you for." He said. Sonny grinned.

"I have not seen things like that since my school days. Its qute, but not why I want to meet with her." He laughed. Corso grinned.

"Me neither but it didn't answer my question. I hope you're not taking advantage of her. That is not nice. Dont show yourself as an asshole Sonny, that is not ok" Corso looked at Sonny with an expression that challenged Sonny to clarify himself. Sonny smiled, but the smile was a thoughtful one.

"That's not it but it is an opportunity I'm not going to pass up. I sent her a text, telling her that I got a suggestion, and I did add your little image. Might as well show her that I know where she stands" Sonny said. Corso laughed.

"Better watch out. Some people throw hard objects when you do things like these. And I should know; I'm one of them." He said as Sonny smiled.

"Not, if you give them something special in return. And that is exactly what I intend to do. Something that is an all time first." He mused and winked at Corso.

"You already got a plan ready for this?" Corso asked. Sonny turned towards him. A small buzz alerted him to an incoming text.

"She already replied, asking for evidence for my identity." He said as he read it. Corso shook his head.

"You're not going to do it, are you? We dont know if she will tell on you and turn you in." he said, as He looked at Sonny suspiciously. Sonny just rubbed his chin with a smile.

"I think I will." he smiled as he started typing an answer.


Callie had pulled into the parking lot outside Arcadia News as her holo phone signalled a new text.

She looked at the sender, who she put in her phone as 'S.B'.

"You will get all the evidence you need to confirm my identity. My second in command will contact you with the information " it read.

Callie started to think this might be some sort of prank, she would have to wait and see. There was this sense of excitement though. Was it really Sonny Blackbones that had reached out to her? She hoped so. This was how the Pirates worked from her knowledge. Callie found more comfort in the idea that this was really the Pirates than a random stranger. It definitely peaked her curiosity. What could the suggestion possibly be? Callie decided to drop the matter for now and focus on work.

She had an interview with the former Team Paradisia and now Technoid Captain; Nikki Four, about the upcoming matches. She was travelling outside Genesis stadium to follow the Snow Kids matches later.

Akillian had two teams, both with The breath of Akillian as their flux, but in her heart, Callie had a soft spot for The Snow Kids. Aarch had now resigned as Team Coach, and Rocket, his nephew, had taken over and at times, he would still be playing. Her schedule was busy so Callie logged in to her computer and checked her to do list. However, she noticed something odd. The same evening she had planned to rest at home was marked as booked so no one could set an appointment. That was odd. Callie didn't remember doing that. She decided to ignore it for now. She was at work. She had to act professionally. The day seemed to go on forever. Callie could hardly wait until she was back home and could soak her feet and relax with a good movie.


As she entered her home and had locked the door, she stopped. There was something different in her home. Callie moved around carefully, looking for what changed. After a few minutes, she noticed a slight breeze from the open balcony door. Odd, she hadn't left it open when she headed out, at least, she didn't think so. Callie sighed, and closed it up. Someone grabbed her from behind and held a hand over her mouth.

"Don't scream. I'm not here to hurt you." A male voice whispered to her. Callie tried to relax as the man let go of her.

"Who the hell are you?" Callie asked with a slight shake in her voice as she turned around to look at her assailant.

He had a military cap, a goatee, and part of his face was replaced with cybernetics.

"The name's Corso. I'm Sonny Blackbones' second in command. You received a message from him last night, and you requested he show proof that it was really him. So I'm here to help him communicate safely with you." Callie looked at the pirate and she didn't need any more proof if it really was Sonny Blackbones that contacted her. She knew that Corso was the pirates second in command, and always at Sonny's side as his friend and bodyguard. If Corso was here, Sonny had sent him.

"I know who you are and your relation to Sonny. I'm almost expecting to have him show up too." Corso shook his head.

"Sonny is somewhere safe, waiting for me to return. Did you get his message?" he nodded.

"What kind of suggestion does he have for me?" She asked. Corso looked at her, a small smile on his face.

"He will tell you himself. The reason I'm here is to set up an appointment so you can meet somewhere safe." he said, looking around.

"Would my apartment be safe enough?" Callie asked as Corso looked around more closely.

"I suppose so, but we need to make sure Technoid isn't snooping around." He answered.

"I also have to make sure that you are not going to turn Sonny in. There's a price for five million standard units on his head. My job is to keep Sonny safe and since he wants to meet face to face, I'm here to find out how this can be done without hurting him." he said. Callie nodded.

"Tell Sonny I'm willing to listen to his suggestion but I will need to know what it is by the end of this week." She said. Corso nodded.

"I'll let him know." He said as he went out on the balcony and disappeared into the night.

Callie yawned. She was very tired. As soon as she had closed all her doors, she took a hot shower and went to bed.


As she woke up the following morning, Callie found a new message from S.B.

"You knew who Corso was. Was he sufficient evidence to my identity?" it read.

Callie smiled as she responded.

"Yes Sonny. It confirmed who you are. Now, I wonder what it is you want to talk to me about" she texted back.

Callie put the phone down after that, as it was the weekend after all. Just moments later, it signaled a new message. Callie felt like crawling under her blanket again. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she checked the text.

"Be ready. Corso will deliver further instructions for this meeting soon" it read.

Callie looked at her phone. Seriously? Just who did he think he was? Right, the Leader of the Pirates and he had been for over twenty-five years. His people were extremely loyal to him and from how she saw Corso act, overly protective of him. She wasn't surprised. Sonny was the most wanted man in the Galaxy and Technoid was constantly trying to catch him. Callie texted back.

"I'm free today and can meet whenever you like" she texted back.

After that, she fell back into bed, trying to get some sleep.


Sonny smiled as he checked his transmitter and saw Callies reply.

"Corso, prepare some escape routes in case of trouble. The meeting will take place tonight." He said. Corso nodded with a smile. It did not escape Sonny's attention.

"What's so funny Corso?" He asked as Corso chuckled slightly.

"At the moment, you are. I've never seen you in such a hurry to meet someone before, let alone a reporter." He said. Sonny smiled shyly.

"I'd rather act quickly before she backs out. This is a big chance for her, but also comes with a set of her and for us" He said. Corso nodded.

"Tonight, then?" He looked at Sonny, who had turned his back on him in deep thought. He nodded with a smile.

"The sooner the better."


Callie had taken the day off to rest. As a famous television personality, there were very few off days for her so the ones she could get she treasured. She spent her day taking care of herself, painting her nails, other self care, and just not caring about how she presented herself. She looked at last night's interview with Nikki Four; Technoids new football star. It was really nice of Duke Maddox to take her team in instead of his using football droids again. Maybe this time, Technoid would stand a chance.

As Callie picked up a magazine, trying to read,she noticed a shadow on the balcony. Moments later, Corso made his way in, followed by two other pirates. She recognized them as Bennett and Artie. Two more of Sonny's crew. Artie smiled at her before he and Bennett started to install a magnetic system to detect and turn off any possible bugs in her apartment while Corso stood watch. "There you go, all set." Bennett said eventually. Corso nodded as he used his transmitter to call Sonny.

"All Clear." He said. Callie looked up as a fourth man snuck in through the balcony door. Black pants, a red jacket and goggles. Slowly, he removed the goggles. Callie couldn't help but take a step back. She had seen his face on a screen many times, she knew who he was. And here he was, in her own living room. Then, his hazel eyes fell on her. As he took a step towards her, Sonny Blackbones smiled.

"Callie Mystic, it's a pleasure to meet you again. Face to face this time." He smiled as he held out his hand to greet her. Callie took it, feeling warm all over. If she felt his voice was hypnotic through a screen, hearing it in person was even more powerful.

"The pleasure is all mine Sonny." Callie said. "Please, have a seat gentlemen." She said, gesturing towards her sofa. Corso shook his head politely.

"Our job here includes standing watch while you have a private talk with Sonny." Corso said. Callie nodded. She felt a gentle hand to her shoulder. Sonny Blackbones now stood right next to her. And the touch felt calming.

"Please, have a seat." She told him. Sonny sat down in front of her. He looked very relaxed, not the least bit bothered in these surroundings. "I understand you have a suggestion for me?"she said. Sonny nodded slowly.

"Yes I do. The idea came to me during the debate with the other team coaches. There was a high level of interest for my Team and I noticed quite a few questions related to the Pirates' cause and motivation." Sonny started. "It is no secret, the Pirates have been wanting to let the galaxy know who we really are and what we stand for. I've searched for someone that could help us with this for a while now, but I always have my instincts warn me not to go along with it. My sixth sense is very well developed. It has saved my life and many other pirates' time and time again. I had a very strong feeling that I needed to speak to you about this possibility. To have an interview that would be an all time exclusive for you. I'm willing to take a huge risk for this. Are you willing to conduct this interview and have a news story that would be viewed across the galaxy? The chief of the pirates has never done anything like this before, it is a first." Sonny looked at her as Callie swallowed. Was she dreaming? Almost as if he knew what she felt, Sonny took her hand in his. Callie felt warm by how he held her; not tight, but loose. She could break free at any time. This brought Callie back to reality. Sonny was right, the people had taken a big interest in The Pirates and Sonny knew this could benefit their cause.

Callie knew most of the Galaxy only knew Technoid's version of events, The Pirates themselves were effectively blocked from any airtime to speak for themselves. It wasn't fair and Callie had always had a soft spot for the underdog. Callie took a deep breath, as she made her decision. She decided to follow her intuition. The galaxy had heard a one sided story for long enough. Arcadia News would provide a chance for the pirates to respond to accusations thrown at them, and put forth proof of innocence. It was not about who was right, it was about justice being served. She looked into Sonny's hazel eyes.

"I've made my decision. I will accept your offer for an alltime exclusive and give you a chance to speak about your cause, the Pirates and anything else that you feel it is important to share with the Galaxy. Technoid has monopolized the media for too long. I will help you. Because I believe in justice. The Galaxy needs to hear both sides of the tale" she nodded and smiled at her. He had held his breath and was relieved over her choice.

"Thank you Callie. This will help us in our fight for the truth." he said.


The following day as Callie arrived at work, she was called to her boss' office. She had no idea why, so she was slightly confused when she arrived. But when she entered his office, her boss was happy.

"Callie, the ratings from the debate between the team coaches have been on fire. The one that joined through video link is by far the most popular one. Sonny Blackbones appearing with the other coaches? Brilliant! I don't know how you managed to reach him but it is time we focus on The Pirates some more." Callie could hardly believe what she heard. Her boss wanted to allow The pirates to speak to the Galaxy through the channel? Either Sonny Blackbones had Lady Luck on his side or this was fate stepping in to lend them a hand. Callie decided to be open about Corso having come to see her and the suggestion Sonny had made.

"Marvellous idea. Will you be able to make him come to the studio?" Her boss asked. Callie shook her head.

"The Pirates themselves will choose locations. Sonny Blackbones is taking a huge risk by doing this. Him and his men don't want to risk anything happening to him while doing this. They are very serious about that." Her boss nodded.

"Understandable, considering their status." He said, rubbing his chin. "I'll give you full control over this. No one has ever been able to interview The Pirates' Leader before. The whole galaxy wants to hear what Sonny Blackbones has to say. Do as you please but keep others away from this. If the pirates ask for Blackbones' safety, that's the least we can give them." Callie agreed.

"Should I focus on questions for this interview?" Her boss looked at her, then nodded.

"Zoe can do the rest. Focus on this interview. It's a major exclusive, never before has Sonny Blackbones spoken out about the Pirates and their cause. Him doing this now is something we must act on and make the most of."

Callie smiled and prepared to leave.

"Callie!" Her boss called.

"Yes?" She turned to her boss. He had turned around, facing away from her.

"Remember; safety first. Make sure you're not seen with the Pirates and that they're not put in a position where they can be tracked down. Also, please stay safe." Callie nodded before she went to her desk as her boss called Zoe to his office to give her her work for the day. It didn't take long for her to come up with questions for this interview.


Corso smiled, having listened in. "Seems her boss has her working on this interview full time." He told Sonny.

"Good!" Sonny said but he didn't look at Corso. His mind was wandering to their meeting. Callie's voice was so soothing and her eyes were so compassionate, understanding to their cause. Lastly there was her touching his hand. Sonny would not admit it but he felt something with her. A part of him that had been frozen since his wife died. Callie had brought it back to life. He was unsure what it was at first but it was far more pleasant than it should be in his mind, considering the circumstances.

"Come on Sonny, get a hold of yourself. You're not a teen anymore" he firmly told himself.

With that he was reminded of his son and his ego. He would never tell D'Jok but he had no problems remembering his own stubbornness, going against his own father, seeking the opportunities that Technoid offered him. When it came right down to it, Sonny knew he and D'Jok weren't all that different. Only he had chosen a path where he devoted himself to his studies in science. He had surpassed his teacher's expectations and he had been taken notice of. What D'Jok found as a footballer, he found in science. He remembered being introduced to Duke Maddox, at the young age of nineteen. What took others several hours to explain, Sonny would be able to do within thirty minutes and the results had floored even the best of Technoid's other scientists. It had put him on their radar but because he was still a teenager he had been paired with a more skilled Scientist; Yarritt Labnor. Sonny remembered Yarritt as a relaxed man but with a keen eye for details, making him become obsessed with making his creations better and more advanced. It became a running joke between them though Yarritt always said he just wanted his machines to work. Then there was that day when they accepted a seemingly innocent assignment; create a synthetic flux for the football Droids of Technoid to make them play better. Sonny shook his head to dissipate the memories.

That had been the single biggest mistake of their lives. Fortunately, they realised what could happen in time to try to stop it.

But the price they paid for it. It haunted him even after all these years. His wife had been alive, long enough to give birth to D'Jok and had passed soon after. Sonny wanted to know if there was there anyone out there with the knowledge to put the last piece of the puzzle in place. Did she die as a side effect to the child birth, not being in a proper hospital, or was internal injuries as a result of the crash?

"Sonny!" He felt Corso shake his shoulders as he stood in front of him with a worried expression on his face.

"I'm okay Corso. Just some bad memories." Sonny said, placing a reassuring hand on Corso's shoulder. Corso wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure? You haven't had much sleep lately and if we are going to do this with Callie, you need to be sharp." Corso smiled carefully. Sonny meant the Galaxy to him. They had been thick as thieves ever since Sonny had joined them. Corso had shared a cabin with him since he was a rookie, been his instructor and had him trained to become the Pirate he was now. Sonny had surpassed him on all levels and had stepped up to the role of their leader, when they needed him to. Without Sonny, they would be done for as an organization. Many counted them more as vigilantes than Pirates, but they still chose to keep the name. After being thrown into exile, Magnus Blade had made no attempt to challenge the Pirates, and the name was already familiar. Instead of changing the name, Sonny decided to keep it and instead changed their inner values and goals. Money was a necessary evil, so they had to steal sometimes. But it was all aimed at Technoid, a company responsible for a lot of pain. Everywhere in the galaxy, people had suffered under Technoid. Many had joined the Pirates as Sonny made Technoid the primary target for their exploits. That and Sonny had found out what the company really stood for. Duke Maddox was in many ways just the company's face. He had no knowledge of the sharks within his company who would use any means possible to take over and rule over the Galaxy. Sonny knew by now how to make Duke Maddox tell the truth about many things Tecnoid had done. This interview Sonny was going to give… It would be a message to the entire galaxy. That the truth would be revealed and that removing the bad apples from Technoid was going to happen.

If they had to go to war with the company then so be it. This was all thanks to Sonny, building his stack of evidence against them one file at a time. Sonny was patient unlike many of the Technoid staff. He would allow them time to reveal their true nature before he would strike back.

Corso placed his hand on Sonny's back. He could feel the tension. Sonny really needed to get some sleep and he was going to have to force him if Sonny didn't do it himself. Corso was afraid if Sonny went too long without proper rest he would make a mistake and it would lead to his capture. They didn't know what would happen after that, but the bounty for his capture said enough. Corso was not going to let that happen.

"Sonny, please, come with me." Corso requested. Sonny looked at his friend.

"What do you have in mind?" Sonny asked. Corso smiled, a tired and worn smile.

"Bennett, can you take over for a few hours?" Corso asked as Bennett tipped his hat.

"Sure thing Corso, have a nice rest, both of you." he said. Sonny nodded. He knew what Corso was getting at. "You're right Corso, I do need some down time. As do you." He said. Corso nodded.

"And it's quiet now, we better grab the chance to sleep. You'll be on TV soon. Better not look like a Shadow." They shared a chuckle as they went to the cabin, grabbed their sleeping devices, and setting them. Soon both men were fast asleep.


Callie had been notified that the Pirates would arrive at her home for the first part of the in-depth interview. As they arrived, Sonny stayed out of sight as they put up jammers and detectors to create a safe environment for the interview. Callie was also told that they would bring someone that knew how to prepare for the camera for the interview. But when she saw who, it caught her by surprise; Mei and D'Jok. Seeing D'jok interacting with Sonny, it dawned on her that he was his son.

"Quick question for you Sonny; D'Jok IS your son, right?" She asked with a smile. The facial features they shared gave them away. Sonny smiled as he put his arm around D'Jok's neck.

"You'd be right Callie. To some degree, you played a part in me finding that out." He said.

"How?" She asked as she looked at them.

"Remember this?" D'Jok raised his arm so she could see the bracelet. Callie remembered how he had used it in an interview, to have Micro-Ice come home and back to his team. "What I didn't know at the time was that this is one of a twin set. This used to belong to my birth mom." D'Jok looked at Sonny for a moment. Sonny just nodded silently. D'Jok looked down for a second. "I never knew my mom. She died shortly after giving birth to me at the very start of the Akillian ice age. I was raised by my foster mother; Maya. She could never tell me much as she only got to know my mother for a short while and never knew my father. All my birth mother left was my name and her bracelet. I don't know why, maybe she knew he was still out there, hoping he would find us, and raise me." D'Jok swallowed. Talking about it made him very emotional. Mei reached out and touched his arm silently. Sonny looked at her.

"This part doesn't go into the interview. It's too personal." Sonny started. "When this happened, I was injured by some Technoid robots and I was recovering in Shiloh. Micro-Ice saved my life that day, along with Corso. If not for them, Technoid would have captured me that day. Laying on the bed, trying to recover, I watched the interview with D'Jok, where he showed the bracelet as a sign for Micro-Ice to come back. It shook me to my core. As D'Jok said, there are only two of these bracelets in existence. It was a gift from my deceased wife on our wedding day." Sonny pulled up his sleeve and revealed a second, matching bracelet to D'Jok's. "This was how I found D'Jok. But I wasn't sure until we had a private conversation. The final clue was the engraved name in the bracelet." Callie looked at both of them, as they took their bracelets and revealed the inscription. D'Jok's bracelet read 'Forever your I'Son' while Sonny's read 'Forever your Helena'. D'Jok was the first to speak up.

"Callie, Thanks to you I found my Dad. I'm very proud to be the son of Sonny Blackbones." He said. "My father's many things but not what Tecnoid tells you. I will never speak ill of the Pirates or my father. I love him andI feel a lot safer when he and the other Pirates are around. We don't get to meet very often, but when we do, I enjoy the time spent with him. I'm very proud of him and I came here to thank you for giving him this chance." Callie was moved by D'Jok's statement. The Snow Kids' striker always seemed so caught up in his own importance. He was a great footballer but his ego often got the better of him. Now she saw another side of him.

"I'm ready to do your make-up." Mei interrupted, pointing at a chair. Sonny sat down where Mei pointed and she started with the concealer. "You at least got some sleep, the dark rings under your eyes are not as bad today." She pointed out. Sonny just silently allowed Mei to do what she needed to do. Soon, he was ready. "There you go." She said and let him have a look in the mirror. Sonny smiled.

"Thanks Mei. I look like I've actually rested for once." He said. Even Corso smiled.

"You also actually look your age instead of ten years older." He said. Sonny nodded as D'Jok got an idea.

"Dad?" He started, making everyone look at him. "This might be a bad idea but you know Duke Maddox and Technoid will be watching, looking for anything they can use against you. Wouldn't it be nice if we could see Corso in the background?" Corso looked at Sonny.

"He has a point. Duke Maddox will look for any way to nail you to the wall. He may put others in danger in an attempt to capture you." He said. "There is no way I will allow you to act like you did when Bleylock took D'Jok. That nearly ended in disaster" Corso reminded him. Sonny looked at Corso.

"Because the situation didn't leave me with any choice there was another way, I would have taken it" He said. Corso looked at him intently.

"If that ever happened again Sonny, I'll do more than just knock you out with a stun gun. I swear, I will tie you up if I have to.I am not going to let you walk into a trap like that again" He answered. "I never feared we'd lose you more then that time and I hope it will never happen again." Corso said intensely. Callie realised she was seeing some very personal confessions and deep displays of care and love between the two pirates. Sonny nodded at Corso.

"Ok,Corso, stay in the frame of the camera, behind me." He ordered, Corso nodded. Meanwhile, Mei had finished Callie's make-up as well after which Callie set the cameras and framed the shot before she sat down. Bennett and Artie were in charge of the light. As Callie cleared her throat, the recording started.


The following morning, Callie ran into D'Jok on his way home from practice at Club Galactik. D'Jok balanced well between being a Snow Kid and Coach for the Galactik Kids.

"Hi Callie, how are you?" D'Jok smiled.

"I'm fine, just a little tired. I'm not used to working late." Callie answered as D'Jok nodded.

"Me neither, it's why Dad decided to end it when he did." He said. "This is probably how the other interviews will go, too; addressing one topic at a time." Callie nodded.

"He's a fantastic guy." She said. D'Jok grinned.

"He is. Not to mention; single." D'Jok moved back to see how Callie reacted. She needed a second.

"I'm not looking for a date." She started, D'Jok raised an eyebrow.

"Shame, I think the two of you would be good for each other." He said. "I know my dad, he's attracted to you. He called me and confirmed things when I pressured him some. I hoped he would act on it too" he laughed.

"What things are you talking about? All we did was to conduct an interview." Callie asked. D'Jok laughed.

"If that is how you see it." He said. Callie knew D'Jok was holding something back but now was not the time to argue. She was here to speak to Aarch and Artegor, who would be the coaches of the two All Stars teams to meet this season. "See you around." D'jok said as he left.


Sonny looked the footage Callie had sent him. Corso stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"Not bad for a first attempt. You covered all the bases." Corso said, Sonny nodded. He was well satisfied with what he saw; Callie's questions had been very professional and to the point of what he wanted to convey. He had room to speak, he told from when he joined the pirates, how the organization had been going more and more in a direction besides seeking riches, mostly helping people suffering under Tecnoid. Money could not bring loved ones back. Sonny didn't need to work hard for support. There were plenty of Pirates that wanted to help. It had taken forever but now it looked as if they would finally be able to put an end to the suffering for many, and give answers to even more. And the Pirates all said it was thanks to Sonny. Without his leadership it would not have happened. This came across very clearly in the interview. Corso smiled when he noticed something else. It was pretty clear Sonny was intrigued by Callie and from the looks of it, she also seemed interested. Corso decided to keep an eye on things. Maybe there was a chance that Sonny for once could have someone to talk to who wasn't a Pirate. Who knew what kind of alliances could be born from this. Corso had never spoken of it but he still held the hope that Sonny would someday meet someone, whom he could start over with. As a Pirate, it would only be a matter of time before he would get killed or captured. If he found someone, maybe there was still a chance to keep him out of Technoids grasp and safe from harm. Callie could be that person.


Back at Shiloh, Sonny looked up as one of his men approached him with information. They had a shippment of scrapmmetal to deliver, to cover this months pay.

"You may want to have a look at this Sonny, it concerns General Bleylock." The man said. Sonny frowned.

"I thought that was all cleared. Someone else is doing his dirty deeds again?" He asked, looking at the information given to him. "Seems someone is still running his old operations." Sonny concluded.

"How do you want to deal with this?" The Pirate asked, awaiting his orders. Sonny clenched his fists.

"We are going to shut this down right now. Assemble everyone, we will go through the vents."

"Got it!" The pirate turned to execute his orders.

"Sonny?" Corso looked at him from his own seat.

"Get Artie and Bennett, we need to head to Genesis right now" Sonny ordered. Corso nodded as Sonny looked at an image of Bleylock.

"Even After your death you cause problems for the Galaxy Bleylock. I will put an end to it, no matter the cost."


A/N: I had had this idea for some time and now it's time to write it out.

Hope you will like the insights and my interpretation of who the Pirates are, what they became and why. All this will be explained in following chapters.

Also, we will see just how deep love really runs with the Pirates, and face challenges never before faced in the show.

Bringing in Callie Mystic has a purpose.

Happy reading, and please, leave a review.