The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre
Read The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre Online
Authors: T C Southwell
Tags: #weapons, #knights, #sabre, #usurper
The Cyber
Chronicles VII
Sabre
T C
Southwell
Published by T
C Southwell at Smashwords
Copyright ©
2011 by T C Southwell
Smashwords
Edition, License Notes
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Table of
Contents
Chapter One
Sabre stood on
the bridge of the Trykon warship and gazed at the blue and white
planet, relief buoying his heart. The journey here had been so
arduous and fraught with pitfalls he had begun to think they would
never reach it. He had not seen Omega Five from space before, since
the last time he had been to here, he had arrived and left in a
transport unit, in cold sleep. This was where he had escaped cyber
control after the freak accident had broken the brow band’s control
circuit. Here, he had come to know the lovely, raven-haired,
blue-eyed girl who had won his heart with her bravery and loyalty,
although her arrogance and selfishness had been a trial at
first.
Tassin had
mellowed into a wonderful person with a quick smile and a generous
spirit, and she had done what he had thought impossible when she
had travelled across the galaxy to free him from the cyber again.
He had lost all his memories of his time on Omega Five when the
cyber’s owner, Manutim, had taken him back to Myon Two, but the
ex-cyber technician, Tarl, had restored them. Since then, they had
been on the run from Overlord Ramadaus, who wanted to execute him,
and Myon Two enforcers bent on returning him to Cybercorp for
examination and probably termination, since cyber control could no
longer be re-established.
Omega Five was
a common T-type world orbiting a yellow dwarf star, the kind humans
colonised most often, due to their good atmospheres and stable
orbits. Tryandia, the Trykons’ home world, was another such planet,
and quite similar. The only unfortunate thing about Omega Five was
its position on the Outer Rim, far from most civilised worlds. This
meant there was little space traffic near it, but that suited him.
The planet had been abandoned after a global nuclear conflict had
all but wiped out its population, declared off-limits to space
farers. Omegan society had devolved to a medieval-type lifestyle,
and life on this world was simple and tough, but it might offer a
sanctuary from Cybercorp. Omega Five had four vast continents, only
one of which he had explored on his previous visit. Perhaps this
time they could explore the other continents; the prospect of
adventure appealed to him.
Sabre had won
command of Nemesis a couple of weeks ago in order to reach this
backwater world that he had come to think of as his home, since it
was Tassin’s. The Overlords had forbidden Trykons to leave their
own space, due to their warlike tendencies. Most of the giant
warriors had bionic replacements for bits lost in battle, and many
sported cybernetic enhancements such as scanners and jammers. The
battle-scarred destroyer was heavily armoured and slow, but few
challenged Trykons, who tended to kick butt first and ask questions
later. Nemesis’ drab grey bridge had a scuffed black plasfoam floor
and hard chairs for the officers who manned the various consoles
around its edge. The pilot sat in the middle, in front of and below
the commander’s seat, which dominated the control centre. The
curved main screen fronted it, and numerous smaller screens on the
side bulkheads displayed various views of the surrounding space and
scrolling data. An atmosphere of efficiency and industry pervaded
the dimly lighted room.
Nemesis’
second-in-command, First Lieutenant Atrel, turned to him. His black
hair and short beard, the former tied back in a tight braid,
matched his hard eyes. He had a metal hand and a brow band with an
optical enhancer covering one eye, and slabs of hard muscle made
his tattooed arms bulge. He wore partial chest armour and black
leather trousers, an ornate silver-studded shoulder scabbard
supporting a sheathed broadsword at an angle on his back.
"This is our
destination?" he asked.
"Yes. Omega
Five."
"This is a
primitive world, Commander. We don't have enough fuel to return to
Tryandia."
"You have an
Overlord's beacon. You can refuel on a civilised planet. When you
get back to Tryandia, destroy the beacon."
"May I ask a
question?"
Sabre
nodded.
"The man you
fought on the Overlord's ship looked just like you. Who was
he?"
"My
brother."
Atrel's brows
rose. "Then why did he fight you?"
"He's a slave.
He had no choice."
"So why did
you not free him?"
"Because it's
impossible."
Atrel nodded,
still looking confused, and turned to gaze at the planet again.
"Why do you wish to live here?"
"It's
peaceful."
"A warrior
doesn't seek peace."
"One who
doesn't want to fight does."
"Yet you excel
at it."
"That doesn't
mean I like it."
One of the
officers glanced around. "Commander, we've detected two ships in
orbit. They were on the far side, now they're rounding the
globe."
"Magnify them
and put them on the main screen."
The view
changed to a section of Omega Five's horizon, two ships visible
just above it. Sabre studied them. The sun glinted on their sleek
black shapes, and his heart sank. A crimson teardrop symbol was
just visible on the side of the nearest ship. Enforcers.
"They've seen
us. They're hailing us."
"Put it on
speakers only," Sabre ordered.
A hiss issued
from the communications console, then a voice said in Anglo,
"Incoming ship, identify yourself."
The
communications officer spoke into the tiny microphone poised in
front of his mouth. "This is the Trykon warship Nemesis."
Sabre turned
to the officer who manned one of the battle consoles. "Jam
them."
The man shook
his head. "Our jammers were damaged in the last battle, Commander.
We don't have the necessary spare parts to repair them."
Sabre cursed
and swung away, wanting to seek the shelter of the trinium-shielded
areas in the engine room again, as he had tried to do when Ramadaus
had appeared, but once again there was not enough time. The
enforcers would scan Nemesis before he could reach the engine
room.
"What is your
business here?" the enforcer's tinny voice enquired.
"Tell them
we’re just exploring, and we will leave immediately," Sabre
said.
The message
was relayed, and a short silence fell, then the tactical officer
glanced around. "They're scanning us."
Sabre faced
the screen again, frowning. "Get us the hell out of here."
Atrel frowned,
but the pilot ran his hands over his console, and Nemesis turned
away from the blue planet.
The
communications console hissed, and the enforcer said, "You have an
illegal cyber on board. Stop and prepare to be boarded."
Atrel cast
Sabre a puzzled look. "A cyber?"
"That would be
me."
Atrel went to
the communications console and picked up a tiny microphone. "We
will not allow you to take our commander, and you'd be well advised
to reconsider attacking a Trykon warship."
"You're
outnumbered, outclassed and outgunned, Nemesis. Stop now, and you
won't be harmed."
"We may be
outnumbered, but as to the rest, I wouldn't be so sure."
"We are
Reliant and Inevitable, enforcers from Myon Two, and you are
definitely outmatched, Nemesis. Stop now and avoid a battle you
can't win."
"We live to do
battle, outsider weakling scum, and Trykons are not easily
defeated."
Sabre eyed
Atrel, who seemed to be enjoying himself, and wondered how long the
chest-beating and sword-rattling was going to go on for. His
conversation with Tassin two nights ago now seemed prophetic. Who
had betrayed him, and would he ever be safe on Omega Five now that
Myon Two knew about it? He glanced down at Fairen's bracelet,
wondering if he should trigger it now, or try to deal with the
situation first. Deciding on the latter, he turned his attention
back to Atrel's attempt to browbeat the enforcers into
surrendering, which was not working.
"... Weakling
outsiders have never been able to defeat a Trykon battle force, and
-"
"Atrel," Sabre
interrupted. "Don't waste your breath. They're coming into range.
Fire."
"With
pleasure, Commander." The first lieutenant grinned and swung back
to face the screen. "Main aft lasers, target the leading ship. Aim
for primary areas, auxiliary lasers target the second ship."
The officers
who manned the battle consoles ran their hands over the numerous
keys and blinking lights. Tactical screens came to life, filled
with scrolling numbers and targeting lines. This was what Trykons
did best, Sabre mused. They lived to do battle, and it had been
decades since they had fought anyone other than each other. This
crew was having a rare treat, first pirates, and now enforcers.
Beams of orange light lanced across the gap and hit the nearest
enforcer ship, leaving glowing spots on its duronium hull. The
suave voice from the communications console stopped expounding the
power of Myon Two enforcers with a squawk. Seconds later, lances of
blue light shot from the enforcer ships, and Nemesis shuddered.
Sabre gripped
the back of the third battle lieutenant’s chair. "Their crews'
quarters are their weakest point. Below and behind the bridge."
Atrel shot him
a curious glance. "These are your enemies?"
"Yes. These
are my enemies."
"Then our
triumph will be all the greater for it." He staggered and braced
himself on a console as Nemesis shuddered, and alarms sounded deep
in the ship.
Sabre
consulted the scanners and found Tassin in Tarl's cabin, but his
concern grew with every shudder that shook the ship. The memory of
the explosion that had ripped through her cabin was still fresh in
his mind, and had he not been with her she would have been killed.
She was right about one thing; she was safer close to him, where he
could protect her. He turned to a com-link on the wall and
activated a connection with Tarl's cabin.
"Tassin, come
to the bridge."
Nemesis'
lasers hammered the enforcer ships, neither of which was as large
or as sturdily built as she was, but they were more powerful and
faster. Sabre watched the real time action in the screens between
glancing at the readouts on the battle consoles. The enforcers
would have summoned reinforcements by now, and Nemesis barely had
enough fuel to reach the closest corridor.
Sabre glanced
around as Tassin entered the bridge, returning her smile. She still
wore the grey blouse, black jeans and matching ankle boots she had
purchased on Travon Nine after Tarl had sold Blue Sun. Since then,
there had been no opportunity to buy new clothes, and the outfit
showed a little wear and tear due, in part, to frequent launderings
in ships’ auto-washers. Sabre’s standard issue cyber combat clothes
had suffered irreparable damage during his rescue of Tarl from the
fire aboard Nemesis the pirates’ attack had caused, and the Trykons
had provided him with well-fitting dark grey trousers made from
stretch material, a matching waist-length jacket and black shirt.
Gold embroidery decorated the jacket’s shoulders and sleeves, and a
spray of golden feathers was embroidered on the right side of the
chest.