The Cyber Chronicles Series by T.C. Southwell

When Queen Tassin is forced to flee her kingdom on the backwater planet of Omega V, she has no idea that the strange warrior who helps her is a cyborg; the deadliest hi-tech killing machine ever created. Her world has forgotten the technology that almost destroyed it, but then a freak accident damages the micro-supercomputer that controls Sabre, and he is free to take charge of his destiny…

In order to escape Tassin’s enemies, Sabre takes her into the Death Zone, the most perilous place on the planet, a terrifying realm where natural laws hold no sway and life hangs by a thread. Only the deadly abilities he hates so much will keep her safe, forcing him to use them whilst he strives to learn what it is to be human, confused by his forbidden feelings for the high-spirited Queen.

Sabre’s time is running out, and he decides to complete the cyber’s mission and destroy the Death Zone. Therefore, he must travel to its source: the Core, something so powerful that it bends space and time and draws slices of other worlds into its sphere of influence. He doubts that he will survive the encounter, but death will be better than being returned to the horror of cyber control…

For three long years, Tassin has tried to find a way to travel to the stars and free Sabre. Her hunt for the sword the Core lives in has proven futile, until one day a serving boy finds a key, and she discovers where Sabre hid the sword. She persuades the malevolent weapon to take her to Sabre, and arrives on the planet Ferrinon Four. Lost in a modern city, Tassin goes to a private detective who, since she has no money, advises her to try a friendly young hacker... moreFor three long years, Tassin has tried to find a way to travel to the stars and free Sabre. Her hunt for the sword the Core lives in has proven futile, until one day a serving boy finds a key, and she discovers where Sabre hid the sword. She persuades the malevolent weapon to take her to Sabre, and arrives on the planet Ferrinon Four. Lost in a modern city, Tassin goes to a private detective who, since she has no money, advises her to try a friendly young hacker. Kole agrees to help her look for a cyber she only knows is somewhere on the planet. Without Sabre’s serial number, all she can do is seek him amongst the many others on this world. If she does locate Sabre, she has no money with which to buy him, and cybers cannot be stolen. Even Kole, who is the best hacker on the planet, knows it is impossible to hack a control unit. The micro-supercomputer is simply too complex, and has multiple security checks and firewalls, not to mention a lethal pair of fists. Tassin’s only source of potential wealth is the sword, an oddity that a rich mogul might pay handsomely for. Kole advertises the weapon on the Net, and agrees to loan her the money to buy Sabre if she finds him, although to Tassin, the idea of buying him is abhorrent. First they have to find him, and then she has to find a way to free him from cyber control again. Manutim would have taken him back to Myon Two for repairs, and there’s a chance she may never be able to free him again, but at least she can ensure he does not suffer anymore. What kinds of torture has Cybercorp subjected Sabre to, and, if she finds him and frees him, will he still be the man she loves? less

Tassin, Sabre and Kole head for Omega Five with Tarl, an ex-cyber technician turned smuggler they met on the wonder world, Charon Six. Sabre fascinates Tarl, who is also on the run from Myon Two, under a sentence of death. He has restored Sabre’s memories, but, after everything he went through on Myon Two, the cyber is no longer the man Tassin fell in love with on Omega Five. She hopes he will rediscover the feelings he had for her then, and she will do anything to make that happen... moreTassin, Sabre and Kole head for Omega Five with Tarl, an ex-cyber technician turned smuggler they met on the wonder world, Charon Six. Sabre fascinates Tarl, who is also on the run from Myon Two, under a sentence of death. He has restored Sabre’s memories, but, after everything he went through on Myon Two, the cyber is no longer the man Tassin fell in love with on Omega Five. She hopes he will rediscover the feelings he had for her then, and she will do anything to make that happen. When Myon Two enforcer ships find them in a photon corridor, they are unable to escape in Tarl’s old freighter, Blue Sun. Sabre sends a universal distress message, hoping that this will at least protect Tassin and Kole from Cybercorp. Unfortunately, it is answered by an Overlord. The seven Overlords are universal judges and executioners who keep the peace on a planetary scale, and rarely interfere in minor infractions, but interplanetary law dictates that a universal distress message cannot be ignored, and the Overlords must abide by it, too.Overlords travel instantaneously between solar systems on giant city-ships capable of destroying planets, and the one who answers Sabre’s call is the Spider Lord, one of the most feared of all the Overlords. Upon learning the cause of the altercation, the Spider Lord orders Sabre to sacrifice himself or his companions will die, and the cyber is forced to step out of an airlock to save them… less

After surviving an explosion aboard their ship and escaping a spacial anomaly, Sabre, Tassin and Tarl are dropped off aboard a warship belonging to Trykons, the most warlike human race in the galaxy. Even the Overlords cannot put an end to the Trykons’ endless battles for supremacy, and have placed the solar system under restriction. As long as the Trykons only fight each other, they are left alone, isolated from the rest of humanity... moreAfter surviving an explosion aboard their ship and escaping a spacial anomaly, Sabre, Tassin and Tarl are dropped off aboard a warship belonging to Trykons, the most warlike human race in the galaxy. Even the Overlords cannot put an end to the Trykons’ endless battles for supremacy, and have placed the solar system under restriction. As long as the Trykons only fight each other, they are left alone, isolated from the rest of humanity. Everything about Trykon society is decided by combat, and they do not tolerate weaklings, even amongst their own race. Non-combatants are considered inferior, used as servants, and not allowed to procreate. Selective breeding has resulted in a race of near giants whose sole purpose in life is to fight for their clan to win control of the planet. When Sabre arrives, unannounced, aboard the warship, his only goal is to take control of it so he can use it to reach Omega Five. Naturally, command of a Trykon warship is decided, like everything else, by combat prowess. To the Trykons, Sabre’s stature is unimpressive, and Tassin, who dislikes being a non-combatant, wants nothing more than to put the arrogant, and very large, Trykon warrior women in their place. While the Trykons are the ultimate warrior breed, however, they have never encountered a cyber before… less

After another run in with enforcers, Sabre, Tassin and Tarl reach Omega Five, only to find that disaster has befallen Arlin. Four years have passed on the planet during the few months Tassin has been away, and during that time she has been declared dead and her cousin, Dellon, has inherited the crown. Princess Dena has been ousted and supposedly taken in by a countess, and Torrian is Dellon’s friend and ally... moreAfter another run in with enforcers, Sabre, Tassin and Tarl reach Omega Five, only to find that disaster has befallen Arlin. Four years have passed on the planet during the few months Tassin has been away, and during that time she has been declared dead and her cousin, Dellon, has inherited the crown. Princess Dena has been ousted and supposedly taken in by a countess, and Torrian is Dellon’s friend and ally.Knowing that Dellon will denounce her as a pretender if she reveals her presence and tries to reclaim her throne, Tassin and Sabre find Dena and go to King Sharmian, Grisson’s illegitimate son and now ruler of Prane, smallest of the five kingdoms. Sharmian, however, is Torrian’s puppet, and does not have an army strong enough to fight for his independence, never mind help Tassin regain her throne. Nevertheless, they hope his attachment to Dena will persuade him to join the fight to free Arlin and Prane from Torrian’s influence.Even with a small army to serve as a distraction and draw off Torrian’s troops, it is up to Sabre, in the end, to find a way into Tassin’s castle and confront Dellon on her behalf. Once again, she will need him to be her champion and pit his skills against medieval knights in a bid to win back Arlin so she can be queen again and they can finally have the peaceful life they have striven so hard to attain. less

Sabre has become a bone of contention between three Overlords, and Myon Two. The Spider Lord, first to encounter him, has found him innocent, but Overlord Ramadaus has declared Sabre to be an abomination, and aids Myon Two in their endeavours to capture the rogue cyber. Sabre, however, has made a particular friend of one Overlord, whose life he saved from a Corsair, a particularly dangerous alien species... moreSabre has become a bone of contention between three Overlords, and Myon Two. The Spider Lord, first to encounter him, has found him innocent, but Overlord Ramadaus has declared Sabre to be an abomination, and aids Myon Two in their endeavours to capture the rogue cyber. Sabre, however, has made a particular friend of one Overlord, whose life he saved from a Corsair, a particularly dangerous alien species. Overlord Fairen has claimed Sabre as his friend, and granted him protection and an emergency beacon with which to summon him. He has also visited Myon Two and forbidden Cybercorp to hunt Sabre, but enforcer factions, with the backing of Ramadaus, continue to try to capture the cyber. Myon Two wants to examine him, discover how he got free of the control unit and ensure that he is returned to cyber control, or destroyed. Therefore, when Sabre wakes to find himself a prisoner of Myon Two, he knows Ramadaus had a hand in his capture, especially since the emergency beacon is gone. On Omega Five, Tassin tries to find a way off world, with Tarl’s help, and two cyber technicians try to free Sabre on Myon Two. Sabre’s only salvation, however, could lie with a fourteen-year-old boy who is the most feared Overlord of all. He is known as the Wild Child and the Red Death, and commands the most powerful city-ship every built. He is the Scorpion Lord. less

In her desperation to find Sabre and rescue him from Myon Two, Tassin boarded a smuggler ship that answered Tarl’s call for help, and she and Tarl have been abducted. Her royal status means nothing to their kidnappers, but her airs and graces pay off on the auction block, and she and Tarl are purchased by a self-styled emperor. Tarl’s skills as a cyber technician prove valuable to Emperor Endrovar, who owns cybers, but the emperor has no use for Tassin, and sells her... moreIn her desperation to find Sabre and rescue him from Myon Two, Tassin boarded a smuggler ship that answered Tarl’s call for help, and she and Tarl have been abducted. Her royal status means nothing to their kidnappers, but her airs and graces pay off on the auction block, and she and Tarl are purchased by a self-styled emperor. Tarl’s skills as a cyber technician prove valuable to Emperor Endrovar, who owns cybers, but the emperor has no use for Tassin, and sells her.The Queen’s new owner is a high king, ruler of fifteen solar systems, whose family has strange ties to Myon Two. She discovers an astounding revelation regarding Sabre’s origins, but is unable to persuade Tarvin to let her go. When Sabre learns of Tassin’s abduction, despair overwhelms him, for she has vanished into the endless reaches of space, untraceable… lost. He is certain he will never find her again, and, although Fairen helps him set out on his quest to seek her, he knows, deep in his heart, that it is hopeless. His machine-trained mind has calculated the odds and returned a decimal so small he does not want to count the zeroes in front of it. Sabre has no hope, and he cannot cope with the host human emotions her disappearance dumps into his mind – useless, illogical feelings that only bring him pain. Fate has dealt him a final, crushing blow, and he has lost the girl he loves just when he has finally become almost human… less