Dominance and Dissent Read online

  Dominance And Dissent

  Cynthia Sax

  To earn the love of his curvy human, this cyborg will have to set her free.

  Dissent has one primary mission—to find his female and protect her.

  He doesn’t know who she is, where she’s situated, or what she looks like. That doesn’t stop him from searching the universe for her. He’s a cyborg and he’s determined. He WILL track her down.

  While the J Model warrior is exploring a settlement on a merchant planet, he hears a defiant scream. Dissent has finally located the one being he’s genetically compatible with. He rushes to his little human’s side, ready and willing to defend her, eager to claim his female…forever.

  Greer has only one dream—to be free. She’s been a slave her entire lifespan, has been subjected to soul-crushing abuse and pride-shredding humiliation. When an opportunity to escape presents itself, she takes it. Steps away from independence, she’s apprehended.

  As she looks death in the face, waiting for the final strike, a tall, handsome cyborg warrior saves her. He exudes power, makes her tremble with desire, is unlike any of the males she’s ever known…except in one heartbreaking way.

  He wants to own her.

  As Dissent and Greer battle for dominance, danger looms. An enemy from the past has returned. He’s heavily armed, he’s not alone, and his sole goal is to kill both of them.

  * * *

  Dominance And Dissent is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

  It features an overprotective cyborg, a defiant slave, and a ravenous baby creature who is determined to eat his way through an entire settlement.

  Dominance And Dissent is the third of five core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.

  Book 1: Choosing Chuckles

  Book 2: Doc’s Orders

  Book 3: Dominance And Dissent

  Book 4: North Bound

  Book 5: Testing Truth

  Dominance And Dissent

  Copyright 2019 Cynthia Sax

  Ebook design by Mark's Ebook Formatting

  Cover Design by Amanda Kelsey at Razzle Dazzle Design

  Discover more books by Cynthia Sax at her website

  www.CynthiaSax.com

  All Rights Are Reserved.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  First edition: November 2019

  For more information contact Cynthia Sax at

  www.CynthiaSax.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Other Books by Cynthia Sax

  Releasing Rage - Excerpt

  About The Author

  Chapter One

  Dissent had to find his female and protect her.

  That mission was his top priority.

  His secondary mission was shared by the crew of the Reckless, the ship on which he served. Their assignment was to explore the life-sustaining planets in the cyborg-controlled sector, logging the genetic data of their inhabitants. Power, the head of the cyborg council, gave them that directive. Vector, the C Model captain of the Reckless, had reluctantly agreed to it.

  Dissent saw no disconnect between the two missions. His female, the one being in the universe genetically compatible with him, could be residing within the sector. It was as logical a place to search for her as any other.

  She could be waiting for him on Altair Alpha, the planet they were currently assigned to explore.

  Excitement lit Dissent’s circuits as he stood on the bridge of a shuttle craft. His booted feet were braced apart. His arms were crossed in front of his body armor-clad chest.

  North, the leader of their current mission, was positioned to his right. Captain’s second-in-command piloted the small vessel.

  Truth, the remaining warrior on the exploration team, chattered about weapons he’d utilized, kill rates, and other battle-related topics. He bounced around the space to the right of North. The D Model was rarely still and never quiet.

  Dissent, who was often motionless and frequently silent, considered the male to be his closest friend.

  The rock-covered surface of Altair Alpha was displayed on the main viewscreen. Rays from the solitary sun blazed down on it, the bright light reflecting off the gray mineral masses. Cracks in the stone’s façade revealed quickly moving underground rivers, the principal source of water on the planet.

  The planet was solid and severe and unchanging, as different from Khambalia 5 as two inhabited planets could be. A flicker of pain tempered Dissent’s anticipation.

  It had been two hundred and twenty planet rotations and three explored planets since he had parted from Gnaw, the miljoonasuut he befriended on Khambalia 5. The damage to his heart hadn’t fully repaired.

  “We will not be increasing our kill rates on this mission.” North reminded Truth of that directive.

  They were flying toward the largest settlement on Altair Alpha. It was their last expanse of terrain to explore before they left the planet.

  Dissent might find his female there.

  “If the locals attack us, we’re authorized to defend ourselves.” Truth’s eyes gleamed. The D Model loved battle…and causing chaos.

  “Based on the information in their databases, the locals are concerned primarily with the accumulation of credits.” North’s tone was dry.

  That information was supported by Dissent’s observations. Altair Alpha was a trading planet, had very few resources of its own. Beings came from all around the sector to exchange goods and services. They put a price on everything.

  He couldn’t process that logic. Credits were merely numbers in a system, and those were easy for him and his fellow cyborgs to manufacture. But the humanoids’ and humans’ love of the units of currency made their actions extremely predictable.

  “If they attack us, offering credits would be a more effective defense than killing them.” North was skilled in strategy. “Focus on our mission.”

  Fraggin’ hole. Truth cursed through a private transmission line. North is no fun.

  Dissent said nothing because his friend’s words were true. North was no fun. Captain’s second-in-command took his role and their current mission extremely seriously.

  The shuttle craft shuddered as it landed. North positioned it beside another vessel. They didn’t want to draw attention to themselves.

  Dissent followed North and Truth out of the ship. His vision system adjusted to the brightness. He scanned the terrain around them.

  Lifeforms streamed in and out, moving through the settlement’s main gates. The humans and humanoids didn’t pause, didn’t appear to take note of the shuttle craft’s arrival. They seemed to be solely concerned with their own affairs, carrying goods to be sold, objects they had purchased.

  Another shuttle craft landed close to theirs. The pebbles around Dissent’s booted fe
et danced.

  He situated himself close to the doors of that vessel, rested his hands on the handles of his guns, increased his vigilance. Chuckles and Doc had arrived with their females. Dissent wouldn’t allow anyone to harm them. The females were their future.

  He would be as careful with his own female…once he found her.

  “We’ll escort the females to the settlement, ensure it is safe for them there, and then complete our mission.” North gravely informed them of that plan.

  The shuttle craft’s doors opened. The ramp extended.

  “I’ll protect Chuckles.” Truth’s eyes glittered with mirth.

  “Frag you.” That cyborg’s left leg dragged as he stomped down the ramp. “I can protect myself.” Guns were gripped in both of his hands. His gaze swept their surroundings.

  Chuckles wasn’t taking any risks with his female.

  Dissent approved of that stance. Safeguarding others was a privilege, one cyborgs had been denied while they were under the control of the Humanoid Alliance, their cruel manufacturers. It was not to be treated casually.

  Chuckles’ female traipsed behind her warrior. She was clad from head to booted toe in bright pink—her hair, lips, and eyelids matching her garments. The sun’s rays made the sparkle on her face glow.

  Dissent’s gaze shifted. Or the glow could belong to Doc’s female. The Khambalian emitted light from her golden hair, skin, and eyes. All visible parts of her shone.

  Which wasn’t much of the female. She was bundled in multiple covering cloths. Altair Alpha was warmer than the shuttle craft but not warm enough for her. Khambalia 5 was extremely hot.

  That was one of the many reasons Gnaw couldn’t leave the planet. Other environments would be uncomfortable for the miljoonasuut.

  Doc was the final being on the small team. The cyborgs had prudently positioned their precious females between their body armor-clad forms. Doc clasped guns also, was equally diligent.

  “We’re friends.” Dissent studied the G Model, looking for signs of hostility. The hyper-protective male had mistaken them for threats in the past.

  Doc’s expression was calm. “Not all cyborgs are friends.” He holstered his guns.

  Chuckles did the same. “The cyborgs in the freighter weren’t enemies. They might not have identified themselves, but they didn’t attack us either.”

  The Reckless had crossed paths with a mysterious freighter early in their assignment. The cyborg crew of the modified craft hadn’t transmitted, hadn’t communicated, and had fled, exiting the sector. They’d been a topic of discussion since then.

  Cyborgs valued information. They didn’t like not knowing details.

  Doc huffed, said nothing more.

  Dissent narrowed his eyes. The medic had more data.

  But asking for it wasn’t his role. He was a newer addition to the Reckless crew, would wait for Doc to confide him, to view him as a being worthy of his trust.

  “No one will attack us.” Chuckles frowned. “We’ll quickly obtain what we need and leave.”

  Dissent lifted his eyebrows. Captain’s female had relayed her lengthy list of desired objects to Chuckles’ female. That would take a long duration to source.

  Judging by the laughter generated by the two females, they agreed with his assessment.

  “I require time to try on the garments I wish to purchase.” Chuckles’ female fluttered her eyelashes at her grumpy warrior. “I want to look nice for you, sir.” She hugged his arm as they walked. “I don’t wish to waste your credits on chest and ass coverings that don’t please you.”

  “You’re a menace, baby.” Chuckles’ voice was gruff. “We have unlimited credits. We’ll jettison any garments you don’t like.”

  Dissent would be equally generous with his female…when he located her. She would want for nothing, would be cared for and heavily protected.

  He trailed the merged team, protecting the party against any assaults from the rear. The two females chattered. Doc’s female spoke Khambalian while Chuckles’ female preferred the universal language. Both of them wore ear devices to translate the conversation.

  Cyborgs were fluent in all known languages. It didn’t stress his processors to follow their chatter.

  It did stress his heart.

  He wanted a being to care for, to hover over as Chuckles and Doc hovered over their females. Gnaw had been that being for him for a few planet rotations.

  It had been the happiest duration of his lifespan and had given him a taste of what having a female of his own would be like. His urgency to find his female had increased until it approached a wild desperation inside of him. It pained him not to locate her.

  The seven of them entered the settlement, passing though the main gates.

  Heads turned. Eyes widened.

  Five cyborgs clad in body armor, decorated with weapons, was an intimidating sight. They shifted closer to their smaller, more fragile females, shielding them from view and from possible harm.

  Report, warriors. North, always cautious, switched to a private transmission line.

  Dissent looked around him, accessing the situation.

  A Palavian male yelled at a battle-ax fabricator. Palavians were a volatile species, prone to violence, but the females wouldn’t wander far from their warriors’ sides and a cyborg could easily subdue three or four Palavians.

  Two large Silan females were beating the ridges out of each other, much to the delight of the cheering crowd. Beings clad in rich fabrics, sparkling with valuable sunstones, watched. They sat in finely wrought, shaded chairs.

  The fragile human female serving customers containers of fermented beverage appeared unconcerned. Dissent dismissed the fight as a possible danger.

  Some beings yelled at each other. Based on the frequency of occurrence, that was normal.

  Merchants hawked their wares. Males and females negotiated breeding rights. Nourishment and beverage were provided in exchange for credits. Dirty offspring ran between slower beings. The young humanoids laughed and smiled as they stole trinkets from the unsuspecting fully grown beings.

  There were warriors, but no signs of those loyal to the Humanoid Alliance—the cyborgs’ enemies. And there were no beings a cyborg couldn’t defeat.

  The threat level to our females is low. Dissent relayed his conclusion.

  I agree. Truth laughed through the transmission lines. Even Chuckles could handle these warriors.

  Frag you. Chuckles wasn’t amused by the D Model’s joke.

  Then we’ll split up and complete our mission faster. North stayed focused on their assignment. Our transmission lines will remain open. If you detect danger, communicate.

  Dissent walked toward the section of the settlement designated to him. As he moved, he skimmed his fingertips over the arms of the beings he passed. The sensors attached to his skin gathered the beings’ genetic information, storing it in his databases.

  He navigated through a busy market. The display of stones would interest Chuckles’ female. He transmitted that observation to the warrior. The thick garments would suit Doc’s glowing Khambalian. He transmitted that also.

  There were weapons to please any warrior. The scents of tasty nourishment mixed with the stench of uncleansed humanoid forms. Pebbles crunched under the heels of his boots. The heat of the planet’s sun warmed his shoulders.

  A sound captured his attention. It was a peculiar rattling like that of…

  A furious miljoonasuut shaking its segmented exoskeleton.

  Gnaw.

  His processors relayed it couldn’t be the creature he’d befriended. The miljoonasuut was on Khambalia 5, where he’d left him.

  His less logical humanoid side whispered that it was his miljoonasuut. And he was in danger, could be damaged. His friend needed his help.

  Dissent rushed in the direction of the rattling, weaving between humans and humanoids. His heart pounded. Energy coursed through his circuits.

  Creatures in enclosures screeched, begging to be freed. The
y had been cruelly collected from planets across the universe, torn from their homes, separated from their families, from everything they knew.

  He wanted to save them all.

  First, he would find the miljoonasuut.

  The creature should be at his current coordinates, according to his auditory system. He skidded to a stop and scanned the horizontal support, quickly locating what he sought.

  A miljoonasuut was contained in a stone cage. He wasn’t Gnaw. He was much smaller than Dissent’s friend, was only the size of a human’s skull.

  Yet the creature, an offspring, was powerful in his outrage, clicking together the numerous deadly teeth he sported on his underside. He threatened to battle the brightness, to kill every being he saw, including his would-be rescuer.

  Dissent had been incorrect about the settlement holding few threats. If the little creature freed himself, he could devour half of its residents before they were able to escape him.

  That was yet another reason Gnaw couldn’t leave his home planet. Dissent’s lips curled upward. Miljoonasuuts, like cyborgs, were effective killers.

  “Calm yourself, Nibbler.” He produced the clicking and rattling sounds needed to communicate with the offspring. “You’re safe.”

  He wouldn’t allow anyone to damage the creature.

  “I will fight the cold brightness.” The offspring wriggled his thousands of legs, trying to cover his sensitive eyes. “And I will fight you, two legs.”

  Khambalia 5, the miljoonasuut’s home planet, was dimly lit. The increase in illumination, combined with the decrease in temperature, damaged the little creature.

  “I’ll fight the cold brightness for you.” Dissent grabbed a square of fabric that had been set on the horizontal support and draped it over the offspring’s cage. “I am a friend, not an enemy.”

  “You are a two legs.” The offspring grabbed a corner of the cloth, pulled it into the cage and promptly devoured it, stuffing the fabric into the multiple mouths located on its underside. “You are all my enemies.”

  Gnaw held the same belief when they’d first met. Many humans and humanoids had been cruel to the miljoonasuut and to other creatures on Khambalia 5.