The official countdown to the release day of Seizing Power, the fifth story in the Rebel Cyborgs series, has started! Woot!
While we wait for Seizing Power to release on February 22nd (2/22/22 – grins), I’ll be sharing the first chapter, starting today with the very first scene.
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Chapter One
There was only one leader in a group.
Power was that being for every cyborg in existence.
He sat behind a horizontal support at the far end of the cyborg council chambers. His back faced the wall. Other members of the council were positioned to his left and to his right. Vector, the captain’s crew, and their females stood in front of him.
Ruling was a solitary role. It required emotional and physical distance from others—a separation from the beings who might influence him, who might sway him to make incorrect decisions, convince him to place their interests before the welfare of the larger group.
He had made that mistake. Once. He quashed a grimace.
The results of that choice had been catastrophic. It had killed every being he cared for, had nearly ended him, had endangered the entire cyborg Homeland.
Power would never make that same error again.
His stance came at a cost. He had no close friends. Not alive. Not any longer. His lips flattened. He hadn’t yet found his female, the one being genetically compatible with him, a much-wanted helpmate he could keep safely by his side, tell his secrets to, share his tasks with.
There was no one he completely trusted.
He was alone. That was a conscious choice, a sacrifice he had made for his kind.
At times, like now, when warriors questioned his authority, he wondered why he had fought for his current role.
“This matter has been discussed.” Power clipped off each word, not attempting to hide his irritation.
Vector had approached him first, privately.
Power had dismissed the issue, not viewing it as a threat.
“Our lifeform scans detected five thousand, one hundred and thirty-two beings on the surface of Mercury Minor.” The warship captain stubbornly relayed that information. Again. “There were four thousand and ninety-eight cyborgs, eight hundred and one humanoids, two hundred and thirty-three humans.”
“There should be only three beings on the surface of Mercury Minor—Ghost, his human female and their offspring.” Vengeance, the C Model representative on the cyborg council, frowned.
That lucky warrior had found his genetic match. Astrid Ragnhild, the Buoir Berserker, Vengeance’s Warrior Female, sat by her male’s side.
She rested her head on the C Model’s shoulder.
Power bit back his envy. That was what he wanted—that connection.
And he had tried to seize it. Desperate for companionship, he had sought to claim the human female for his own.
That pursuit had ended in embarrassment. He inwardly winced. But fortunately, it hadn’t impacted his role as leader.
He remained in charge.
“Ghost and his human female’s offspring should be a cyborg.” Medic Tifara, Death’s female, shared that projection under her breath. “He should be male. And he should be fully mature by now.” Her reasoning was logical. 100.0000 percent of the offspring of cyborgs had been cyborg and male. Cyborgs matured within a solar cycle. “Has he transmitted?” She looked up at her warrior.
“No transmissions have been received from the offspring.” Death kissed his human’s forehead.
“He must have the same challenges as his father has.” She nodded as though agreeing with her own statement.
It was a conclusion Power had also reached. Ghost was severely damaged, struggled to communicate with others. There was a 76.5892 percent probability the C Model’s offspring suffered from the same malfunction as his father.
“Multiple lifeform scans were run, utilizing multiple systems.” Vector braced his booted feet farther apart. The captain of the Reckless was determined to beat them over the head with unwanted information. “There was visual verification of structures.” Images flashed across the viewscreens hanging on the walls around them. “I am 97.2536 percent certain there are more than three beings on the surface of the planet.”
Power was 99.2659 percent certain there were more than three beings inhabiting Mercury Minor. He’d seen the images, the data. Cyborgs didn’t lie, and Vector had more honor than most beings he had encountered.
But the activities of five thousand, one hundred and thirty-two beings situated at the edge of cyborg-controlled space weren’t a priority for him. He was responsible for millions of cyborgs. Many of them orbited the Homeland in crowded battle stations. They impatiently awaited assignments, were at all times one wrong word away from killing each other.
He had more important problems to solve.
***
Read the next scene (available January 31st) here:
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Seizing Power
This cyborg believes he’s in control.
Power is the self-appointed leader of the cyborg council. Other members might debate situations. He makes the ultimate decisions.
When a threat to Homeland is revealed, he takes command of a fleet and ventures to the edge of cyborg-controlled space to investigate. He finds a rebellion led by a mysterious upstart he calls Cadet.
The plan Power derives is simple—he’ll quickly quash the uprising and teach its leader a lesson the warrior will never forget.
NO ONE challenges his authority.
Eirene Ours might be called a cadet by Power but she is NOT his subordinate. She is the arrogant E Model’s genetic match.
For much of her mature lifespan, she has desired the male, yearning for his dark-eyed gaze, craving his sure hands, longing for his respect.
That esteem was never granted. And Eirene Ours can no longer wait to earn it. There’s an external threat to their kind, a danger that might destroy them all.
Having lured Power to her home terrain, she now plans to use everything within her means — her fists, her daggers, her ship-destroying missiles — to pound that truth into her stubborn warrior’s thick metal skull.
The future of every cyborg is at stake. She can’t fail them.
Power will believe her. Or he will die.
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Seizing Power is an enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features an epic battle between two equally strong cyborg leaders, plans that go terribly yet passionately wrong, and a love that will shake the entire universe.
Pre-order Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HT5RMH8
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HT5RMH8
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09HT5RMH8
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/seizing-power/id1589084775
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seizing-power-cynthia-sax/1140305634
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seizing-power-2
Smashwords:
