He had several metal implants along his neck, shoulder, and chest. His left leg was gone, and in its place was a clunky, temporary prosthetic. The Orionix medical team were capable of much better, high-tech prosthetic limbs. Magnus flexed his own cybernetic hand. If Jax’s body coped with a replacement, they’d design a new one tailored just for him.

  Jax screamed again, his body arching off the bed. But his body wasn’t coping. Several wires and tubes were connected to him.

  Jax had always smiled more than the other cyborgs. Magnus hadn’t smiled in years. Jax was his only link to the humanity he’d been born with. He still remembered the day he’d spotted the young boy following him around like a puppy. Magnus had already been the best soldier in the unit, even though he was still in his teens. Initially, he’d ignored the boy’s attempts to befriend him. He’d tried several curt ways to push Jax away.

  But Jaxer’s biggest strength and his greatest weakness was his stubborn persistence. He’d kept coming back.

  “Jaxer,” Magnus murmured.

  Jax turned his head, crazed eyes focusing on Magnus. There was so much pain boiling in his gaze.

  “Magnus.” He reached out a hand that was covered in healing burns. “The mission went bad. The intel was wrong.” Jax swallowed. “There were so many enemy fighters.”

  Magnus stepped closer. “Be at ease now.” He pressed a hand to Jaxer’s shoulder.

  The younger man let out a shuddering breath. Then he lowered his voice to a sub-vocal whisper that Magnus could only hear because of his enhanced hearing.

  “Magnus, I overheard the doctors. Something’s gone wrong with my enhancements. I’m feeling constant pain and they don’t believe that my body will accept a new prosthesis.” A grimace flowed over his face before he locked down the pain. “My body’s rejecting this.” He tapped the temporary metal leg against the bed. He closed his eyes. He had very long eyelashes for a man. “They’re going to…deactivate me.”

  Magnus’ fingers clenched on his friend’s shoulder. “It will be okay, Jax.”

  Jax’s eyes opened. “I’m afraid.”

  “It will be okay,” Magnus repeated.

  A female doctor in a white lab coat bustled over. “It’s time to leave. He needs more sedatives.”

  Magnus nodded and stepped back.

  Jax’s gaze stayed locked on Magnus. Crossing the room, Magnus headed to a medical console. He pressed his palm to the screen and it flared to life. A slim cord snaked out from his wrist and interfaced with the console. His eyes flickered as he synced with the base computer system.

  He quickly checked the system logs. Magnus’ stealth ship had been refueled.

  He pulled his hand away, his thoughts churning. The Orionix cyborg military program was all he’d ever known. He’d been created in the lab here and bred to be a soldier. He glanced back at Jax lying on the bed. He was still now, staring at the ceiling.

  The Orionix had terminated other cyborgs. To the generals, the cyborgs were simply machines, just like the stealth ships they flew and the weapons they used. At first, Magnus had always just followed his programming, carried out his orders, and done his job.

  But ever since his mission two months ago, where he’d been sent to slaughter an entire enemy base—soldiers, technicians, doctors, everyone—he’d started having nightmares. He’d started to feel flickers of conflicting emotions.

  He’d started to question what he did.

  Over the years, the Orionix leadership had changed. Magnus and his fellow cyborgs weren’t just sent to fight their enemies in fair fights, they were sent on assassination jobs, to kill rivals for petty reasons.

  The generals—including Mracks—were corrupt.

  Magnus felt a sharp spike of anger.

  He heard whispered murmurs, and a faint change of scent filtered into his senses. He turned and in the far corner of Medical, he spotted a young female doctor and a male nurse.

  They were pressed together, the woman smiling. The man leaned down, nuzzling the woman’s neck. The doctor cupped the man’s face. Magnus tilted his head. The change in scent was arousal, and on their flushed faces were several signs of deep emotion.

  He’d never felt anything like that, but he’d been trained to recognize the signs. This was what living was—connections with others, feelings, emotions, doing things you wanted to do.

  Creating, not destroying.

  He blew out a ragged breath. He could have a better life than what this military base offered him. He could use his skills for more than killing.

  And Jax would live.

  Magnus watched the couple kiss, lips locked, passion surging. He would never have that—it was too late for him—but Jax still had a chance.

  Swiveling, Magnus strode back to Jaxer’s bed. He started unhooking the cords and tubes attached to the man.

  “Soldier 47!” A doctor ran over, shock stamped on his face.

  Magnus ignored the man, tore the bindings off Jax, then slid his arms under his friend’s limp form.

  With shouts echoing behind him, Magnus lifted Jax and strode out of Medical. As he headed down the corridor, alarms started blaring. He headed for the hangar.

  “Someone stop him!” a voice yelled. “ Soldier 47 is out of control.”

  Yet no one dared confront him. They were all well aware that he was the deadliest cyborg in the program.

  He stepped into the hangar.

  And found General Mracks and four cyborg soldiers waiting for him.

  “Soldier 47.” Lines of anger bracketed the general’s mouth.

  “You’re not calling me Magnus now, General?”

  The general’s face went red. “That was a sign of respect for your dedication and skills! Clearly, that was misplaced.”

  “I am no longer yours to order around.”

  Mracks laughed. “You can’t think for yourself, you aren’t a man. You’re a weapon. An expensive one.”

  “I am a man.” Or at least, he had been once.

  The general shook his head derisively. “You’re more machine than man now.”

  Magnus carefully set Jax down by a stack of crates. There were several tools lying on top of them, belonging to the maintenance workers who maintained the stealth ships.

  Spotting a long, sharp engine probe, he picked it up with his cybernetic hand. Then he spun and threw it.

  It speared through the general’s left eye. The man screamed, the sound reverberating through the hangar. Mracks fell to the ground, clutching at his bleeding face. “Stop him!”

  The four cyborgs stepped forward. Magnus drew in a breath.

  Then they attacked.

  Magnus swung out with his fist, punching the first soldier hard. He ducked, then kicked at another soldier.

  They traded fierce blows and brutal kicks. They’d all trained together, and knew the same combat moves. Magnus absorbed the pain of several kicks, blocked it out, and kept fighting.

  He reached for one of the heavy metal maintenance crates. He heaved it up, spun, and tossed it.

  It slammed into one cyborg, driving the man to the ground.

  A beam of red laser cut through the air. Magnus dropped. He saw one cyborg aiming the laser weapon from his cybernetic hand.

  Magnus rolled, grabbing several throwing stars off his belt. He tossed them in rapid-fire succession.

  They cut into the cyborg—shoulder, chest, and neck.

  With a cry, the cyborg fell, the laser going wild and cutting into the ceiling. Chunks of concrete rained down.

  Magnus leaped to his feet. A third soldier charged at him.

  Swiveling, Magnus dodged the man’s jab. They danced across the hangar, brushing past some of the parked stealth ships. Magnus kicked the soldier. The man flew back and hit a ship, denting the metal. Before he could attack again, Magnus rammed his elbow hard into the man’s throat.

  The soldier staggered back, making gagging noises and clutching his throat with one hand. His eyes glowed neon blue. With his other hand, he fumbled for the laser gun on his belt.

  Magnus calculated the distance between the soldier, the closest stealth ship, and the wall. He pressed his palms to the ship’s metal hull and shoved.

  The ship slid across the hangar and pinned the cyborg to the wall. He screamed. As Magnus watched, he saw the neon light drain out of the man’s eyes.

  Magnus turned. Only one opponent left. In front of his eyes, his heads-up display showed information.

  The final cyborg stepped into view. Soldier 51. A seasoned veteran, just like Magnus. The cyborg held a long electro-weapon, which sparked with green electricity at each end. It was designed specially to bring down a cyborg and disrupt their systems.

  Magnus lifted his cybernetic arm and charged it. Blue electricity skated over his metal skin.

  He and Soldier 51 circled each other.

  “We are leaving,” Magnus said.

  “No one leaves, 47.” The cyborg twirled the electro-weapon. “There are rules.”

  “I’m making my own rules.”

  They charged. Magnus ducked and dodged, trying to get close. One touch of that weapon and he’d be done.

  51 was good. They crossed the hangar, swiping and blocking. Magnus felt his organic muscles straining. The electro-weapon rushed at him and he dropped low. It swung over his head.

  The cyborg kicked Magnus in the side and pain flared. His system detected a broken rib, but he kept fighting. The weapon came at him again, grazing his hip.

  Pain roared through his side like fire. He saw dark spots dance in front of his eyes.

  No. Magnus had too much to fight for. Jax’s life depended on him.

  Fighting back the pain, he summoned every bit of his augmented strength. He rushed the other cyborg, tackling him to the ground. The electro-weapon flew out of 51’s hand.

  Soldier 51 fought hard, twisting his body, but Magnus held him down. Then he pressed his palm to the man’s chest.

  Electricity flared.

  The cyborg’s eyes flew open and his body jerked convulsively. Magnus kept the charge up until the man slumped beneath him.

  51 looked at him, neon light flickering in his eyes. “Enjoy your freedom. For all of us.” The cyborg slumped down, dead.

  Chest heaving, Magnus staggered to his feet. His body ached and he had damaged circuitry. His organic arm was dangling uselessly by his side.

  He stumbled over to Jax’s still form. Using one arm—and gritting his teeth through the pain—he picked up his friend and walked toward his stealth ship.

  He paused by General Mracks, staring impassively. The man was slumped on the floor, his chest rising and falling shallowly, blood soaking his uniform. The general’s mouth opened but no sound came out. Turning, Magnus walked away.

  Inside the ship, he set Jax in the co-pilot’s chair and strapped him in. Then Magnus dropped into the pilot’s chair. He blinked through the pain, then summoned enough energy to press his cybernetic hand to the control panel. He spiked into the stealth ship’s system.

  “System lockout,” a computer voice said. “System lockout.”

  They thought they could lock him out? His eyes flickered as he started hacking the system. It only took him seconds. He started the ship’s engines.

  The ship rose up and swiveled. Through the viewscreen, he saw more cyborg soldiers running toward them. The docking bay doors were closed, but Magnus activated the weapons system.

  Boom.

  The laser cannon blew the doors off the hangar.

  The ship shot forward and Magnus aimed them upward, spearing into the blue sky. A minute later, they blasted out of the atmosphere and into space.

  “Magnus?”

  He turned his head and saw that Jax was conscious.

  “Where are we?” The man straightened in his seat, his brow creased.

  “On my stealth ship. We have left the base behind.”

  Jax blinked. “You stole a ship?”

  “Yes. And fought my way out.”

  Jax was quiet for a moment. “You saved me.”

  Magnus stared straight ahead. “I told you it would be okay.”

  “Yeah, you did.”

  The thick sound of Jax’s voice made Magnus look at him.

  “Thank you,” Jax murmured.

  Magnus just nodded.

  “So, where are we going?”

  Magnus hesitated. “I have no idea.”

  Jax laughed. “I’ve never heard you say that before.”

  “Well, we are now fugitives, Jax. I suspect I will be saying that a lot in the future.”

  The younger man reached out and grabbed Magnus’ arm. Magnus felt the pulse of their connection.

  “We’ll work it out,” Jax murmured.

  “I have calculated that it’s best for us to head for the lawless planets on the galaxy’s outer rim,” Magnus said.

  Jax’s nose wrinkled. “Sounds great.” Then he paused. “My body is rejecting this leg, Magnus. I can feel several of my implants malfunctioning. I’ll slow you down.”

  “Then I’ll get you a better leg and have your implants removed.”

  “Ah, we have no money.”

  “We’ll make money.” Magnus vowed to find a safe, secure place for them. He’d find the best prosthetic leg in the galaxy for Jax.

  A place of his own. Magnus felt a sharp twang in his chest. A home. And for the first time in his life, he could use his skills for more than just killing and assassination.

  “From now on, I am Magnus Rone.” He felt the name settle over him. In memory of that long-ago woman who’d showed him kindness. “You’ll be Jaxer Rone.”

  “I like it,” Jax said.

  “You have a chance to be a man again, Jax. To have a life.”

  “And you, too.”

  Magnus shook his head. “It’s too late for me. We both know that I am more machine than man.”

  Jax just smiled. “We’ll see, Magnus. We’ll see.”

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed this prequel story!

  Read on for Cyborg Guard, Xias and Seren’s story.

  Cyborg Guard

  Chapter One

  She’d finished her tasks for the day, and she hoped her imperator had more work for her.

  Seren dan Stal strode down the busy, stone-lined tunnel, her pace brisk and no-nonsense. She didn’t have to dodge the house workers and staff crowding the tunnel—no, when they saw her coming, they got out of her way.

  A gladiator walking past her slowed his pace, his gaze going to the implants on her forehead. She glared at the big man and he hastily looked away.

  She was almost at the House of Rone. It had been her home for several years—ever since she’d come to the desert world of Carthago. She didn’t let herself think of her homeworld or the time before Carthago very much. A pang burned under her heart. Her world had been wiped out by a virulent virus that had spared no one.

  As far as she knew, she was the last of the Dan Nonian species in the galaxy.

  Seren squashed the burst of emotion that cut into her belly. She was a cyborg, a fighter, and now part of the House of Rone elite cyborgs under Imperator Magnus Rone. She had several implants to enhance her natural abilities, and she was very good at what she did—fighting.

  Dan Nonia had been renowned for brilliant, disciplined fighters. Unlike some of the other cyborgs she worked with, Seren felt emotion, but she’d been trained from childhood to suppress and control her feelings.

  Seren’s father had been head of the prestigious Dan Nonian Warrior Academy, and he’d been determined that his daughter would be one of the best.

  Now, he was dead, along with the rest of her planet.

  But Seren continued to honor him and be the best cyborg she could be.

  She passed the doors to the House of Loden, carved with the emblem of two fighting gladiators. The guards eyed her warily.

  Everything in the city of Kor Magna centered on the gladiatorial arena, and the gladiators who fought inside its walls. She admitted, some of the fights were entertaining—brilliant displays of skill and training.

  But it was often a lot of flash and showmanship. The gladiators were like celebrities, pandering to the cheering crowds.

  Seren sniffed. She preferred serious fighting, and since cyborgs were banned from the arena, she’d never have to put on a spectacle on the arena sand. She got to participate in real fights conducting House of Rone business. Their house specialized in weapons creation, and in helping injured citizens who needed enhancements and prosthetics that the House of Rone healers created. And of late, rescuing women who’d been abducted from a distant planet called Earth.

  Someone passing by bumped into her and a hand cupped her ass. She hissed in a breath.

  “Prime female flesh,” a deep voice rumbled.

  She swiveled. As usual, she wore an all-black, leather fight suit. She turned to stare at the tall alien male grinning at her. He had skin so pale she could see his organs beating beneath it. His two friends stood behind him, grinning as well, but when they saw her face, their smiles dissolved.

  Seren moved fast, smacking the man’s offending hand away. He yelped.

  She leaped up and launched into a roundhouse kick. Her foot connected with the man’s head. He yelped again, clutching his jaw, and staggered back several steps.

  “Did I say you could touch me?” she drawled.

  Her dangerous tone made the man’s eyes widen. Colors flickered in around his pupil. “I… I…”

  Seren used her special ability, teleporting in behind him. Black smoke curled in the air around her. She snaked an arm around his neck and yanked him backward.

  He crashed to the ground in front of her and she crouched, pressing her forearm to his throat. She used her enhanced cyborg strength to keep him pinned. He made several gagging and choking noises.

  “Now, you’ll apologize, and you’ll never touch someone’s ass again without permission.”

  The man’s head bobbed rapidly.

  Seren eased her arm off him.

  He coughed. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

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