Free The Cagliostro Chronicles by Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

turning it to rubble in one explosive maneuver.
    Now the troopers begin to scatter and run as the Stargrazer powered up and lifted off its landing pad, turning towards their enemies in midair.
    Dan Sledge walked towards Red and Eddie, wiping dust from his hands, grinning ear to ear.
    Red look ed at him, grimaced and shook his head side to side, “I hate you, you know that right?”
    Dan laugh ed and slapped his friend on the back, “C’mon, both of you, let’s get to the ship. There’re gonna be more o’ these clowns gettin’ here any sec.”
    They r an towards the ‘Grazer as Red reiterated, “I do you know, I really do,” with a grin.
    “Get on board, willya?” Sledge grunt ed, smiling.
    Red, Dan and Eddie r an up the entry ramp as it started to withdraw into the ship behind them.
    “What are we going to do Mark ?” Ariel asked.
    “Get out of here for now. That’s a start.”
    The ship power ed up and streaked skyward as behind them two more of the two seat gunships began to pursue them.
    “They’re firing on us Mark.” Red remarked.
    As if to underscore his statement the Stargrazer rumbled twice as energy blasts slapped against its skin.
    “Do w e fire back on them?” Eddie asked as he readied his weapons console.
    “No, these we can outrun. Let’s play it that way, for now.”
    Eddie nodded, “Alright Mark. It’s your call.”
    “Dan get us out of her e, fast.”
    Sledge nodded , “You got it, boss.”
    The Stargrazer shot away from the planet, rocketing into space, leaving the two pursuit ships instantly far behind.
    The Stargrazer blast ed away from the planet, and toward a moon, one of four in orbit of the planet.
    “Stationary orbit behind the moon, then we contact the Cag. I want the moon blocking us.”
    “Okay, Mark.” Dan agreed.
    “Ari, get Miles Jefferson on the com m.”
    She nodded and punched a button, then started speaking lowly. An instant later the screen at the front of the ship shimmered to life and an image of the Cagliostro’s command deck appeared.
    “Hey , boss.” Jefferson greeted them with a forced smile.
    “Miles, we’re going to need you here.”
    “Don’t know if I can help, boss. Remember that ship we did a number on, on the way here? Well it’s back and it brought friends.”
    “What are you talking about?” Mark replied, concern suddenly written all over his face.
    “That big war ship we took out is here, searching for us, and it brought two more just like it. I don’t think we can get to you, at least not without getting fried out here. We’re playing cat an’ mouse with these guys right now.”
    “Listen to me, you get out of here, go to hyper-warp immediately and start heading back toward Earth. That is an order, Mr. Jefferson.”
    “Wait—are you kidding me? You want us to bug out and leave you here?”
    “I want you to save my crew and ship. The Stargrazer is more than capable of hyper-warp interstellar flight. You can’t do us any good by getting killed or getting the ship destroyed. Now do as I ask and get out of here. We’ll contact you when we find what we’re looking for.”
    “Well , how far do you want us to go?”
    “Go as far as you have to lose any pursuit. I don’t care if that’s right back to Earth itself. Just do it and do it now. Get out of here.”
    Miles nodded, despair on his face, “Alright boss, whatever you say. We’re outta here.”
    The image on the viewer fade d back to a starscape and the moon they were hiding behind.
    “What do we do now, Mark?” Ariel asks.
    “We’re going to have to go back. That’s the only thing we can do.”
    “How can we do that?” Red barked, “They have patrols both in space and on that planet’s surface looking for us. If we go back to that space port we’ll be shot on sight, hell the ‘Grazer will be shot down the minute we head towards a landing pad.”
    “Oh ye of little faith. The ‘Grazer is a tough little ship, I’m less concerned with going back there then I