Volition by Roland Thorne (Universal E.I. Trilogy #2)

Taking place a year after the confrontation at Tevyana, two new A.I. have been awakened in the hope they may remove power from the Universal E.I., who has become strangely silent. Michael Zander, having taken the commander role over Vanguard's starfighter wing, takes a solo job to ambush a convoy. He and captain Callisto leave in his powerful interceptor, the Thorn, soon finding all is not as the client says. Searching for answers, and for a way to protect their name, they quest the galaxy for the truth.