Ronin (The Pike Chronicles Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jon. He met the alien’s gaze without looking away. They didn’t scare him, although he knew they should. These creatures ruled large swathes of the galaxy. What was he to them? As insignificant as an ant under his feet. Still, he didn’t care. Whether they were friend or foe, he would not look away. They didn’t rule in these woods. The resistance did. The Diakan continued to stare, its face expressionless. Jon stared back, unable to decide whether it was curiosity, or a challenge. He knew he didn’t like it. He couldn’t put his finger on the reason, but he felt an arrogance emanating from the alien.
    “The weapons are in the ship,” said Jon’s father, seizing Jon’s attention. During the staring contest his father had discussed matters with the other Diakan. Jon had been told to listen and pay attention, but he got caught up in his silent pissing match and missed what had been said. Did his father know he had been distracted? He stood for a moment, searching his father’s face for a clue. “Get moving,” his father snapped, jolting Jon into action.
    He rushed over to the humming craft with the rest of the men. The alien’s eyes followed, as if continuing to quietly issue a challenge. Jon hated giving it the satisfaction of looking away, but he had work to do. He couldn’t have his father calling him a child again. As they approached the vessel its side slid open revealing several crates made of some type of polymer. He had seen the crates before, in previous weapon shipments. The men paired up, and pulled the crates out of the craft. Jon gripped his end of a crate and yanked it out of the ship. It was heavy, but nothing Jon couldn’t handle. Even at fourteen years, he already towered over most men. He didn’t yet have the thickness of frame his father had, but he was still strong. He had benefited from the endurance of youth. Growing up in the mountains had made him healthy and hardy.
    When the crates had all been unloaded Jon’s father thanked the Diakans and walked out of the clearing, back the way they came. Jon and the rest followed in pairs, weighed down by the crates. The Diakans watched as they left. Jon looked back to find the Diakan’s eyes still on him. The eyes were expressionless, yet he still felt the unspoken provocation.
    Head games , he thought. The Diakans are playing head games with me . He chuckled at the thought. Why would a Diakan waste his time with a human boy? His father was right, he did think like a child. The Diakan had said nothing to him, yet he let it get under his skin. He needed to control his emotions, or he would get people killed.

Chapter 6
     
    The two small weighted metal balls whistled as they whipped through the air, nothing more than a blur to the naked eye. Anki tightened her grip on the thin rope as she rushed forward. She imagined Kemmar soldiers coming for her and could see the shock in their eyes as she charged them. With a snap of her tiny wrist the balls changed direction, flying downward. She imagined them connecting with the Kemmar, dropping the monsters one by one with each strike. The balls made a sharp clanging sound as they hit the metal floor. She felt the recoil and compensated, snapping her wrist again, the balls continuing in their circular trajectory. She broke into a run. More Kemmar approached and she fearlessly ran into them, swinging the rope in a figure eight pattern, each time hitting the floor in hard, rapid strikes. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. The echo bounced throughout the room. She imagined the sound their weapons made as she skillfully disarmed every one of them. She snapped her wrist again and the rope swung underneath her as she dove over it. Another flick and it whipped above her while she tumbled along the floor. She sprang to her feet, the heavy spheres continuously spinning around her, establishing a protective radius. The Kemmar retreated. She took in a deep breath and readied herself for another charge.
    “Stop,” yelled