Ronin (The Pike Chronicles Book 3) by G. P. Hudson

whether he was speaking to Captain Pike, or the Diakan symbiont. Was there any difference between the two? He pondered his own implants. They were a part of him, and it was difficult to imagine a life without them. Even the brain chip. As much as he despised the control it could exert on him, he couldn’t imagine a life without it. Did Captain Pike feel the same way about his symbiont?
    Through the feed to his brain chip, he watched the destroyers flank his ship. As he expected, Captain Evans hailed him again. He accepted the hail and the woman’s face came up on his console.
    “Colonel Bast, this is your last chance. Cease your advance, turn your ship around and leave this system immediately, or you will be destroyed.”
    “Captain, as I tried to tell you earlier, this is all a misunderstanding. We are not Juttari.”
    “I don’t care who you are,” said Evans, furrowing her brow. “Will you comply?”
    “No,” said Bast, terminating the communication. “Helm, initiate jump.”
    Through his brain chip Bast watched as the three destroyers opened fire on him, and then they were gone, replaced by the dramatic sight of New Byzantium spinning underneath them. Bast gazed at the planet in wonder. It was a galactic work of art. He wasn’t sure why, but there was something about oceans that had him mesmerized. He wondered if it wasn’t a kind of homesickness. Perhaps some hidden memory of Earth.
    “Breathtaking,” said Chief St. Clair. “We definitely have to find a way to make that shore leave happen.”
    “Contact! The planet is firing missiles at us.”
    “Time to impact?” said Bast.
    “Two minutes.”
    “Hail the planet and prepare to jump to the planet’s north pole.”
    A balding man’s face appeared on Bast’s console. He wore a military uniform and seemed like he was having a bad day.
    “Who am I speaking to and why have you fired on us?”
    The man spoke a little louder than would be expected, not exactly yelling, but certainly trying hard to be intimidating. “Juttari vessel,” the man said. “You have violated New Byzantium territory. Leave now, or you will be destroyed.”
    “Yes, you’ve already warned us. Please relay this message to your superiors. We are not Juttari. We have the Hermes crew with us, including Captain Pike. We merely want to talk to someone and explain the situation.”
    “You are ordered to-”
    “Do it now,” said Bast and terminated the communication. “Initiate jump.”
    The Chaanisar ship reappeared above New Byzantium’s north pole. They were far enough away that the missile shouldn’t be able to re-establish a lock on them.
    ”Is it just me, or do these people seem a little thick headed?” joked Chief St. Clair.
    “You know, I was thinking the exact same thing. What are the chances of that?” laughed Captain Pike.
    Bast opened another communication link with the planet and the same balding man appeared on the screen, his jaw slack and his eyes wide.
    “How did you do that?” the man asked.
    “I will discuss that with whoever governs your planet. Facilitate the connection and stop firing on us.”
    The man nodded and said, “Please hold while I brief my superiors.”
    They waited for some time. The planet didn’t fired more missiles at them. Bast kept an eye on the three destroyers, which had changed course and were now heading back to the planet. They had some time until the ships made it close enough to be a threat. Hopefully he could talk to someone before that happened.
    A moment later another hail came through from the planet. A youthful looking man in civilian clothes appeared on Bast’s display. “This is Prime Minister Sallas, leader of New Byzantium,” said the man, his tone formal and serious.
    “I am Colonel Bast, commander of Chaanisar ship 7249.”
    “Colonel, would you mind explaining why a Juttari warship is orbiting our planet?”
    “As I’ve said repeatedly, we are not Juttari.”
    “No? Then what are you?”
    “We are