Page 29 of Honor Bound

The hiss of the door unlocking snapped her out of her thoughts. She stood, her spine straight, schooling her features into an indifferent mask. General Coleridge Landais entered first, his presence filling the room with an oppressive weight. The blood on his hands and the dark stains marring his sleeve didn’t go unnoticed.

Julia’s glance flicked over him with a clinical detachment, as if observing a specimen under a microscope. His posture was rigid, a rigidity that spoke of someone clinging desperately to the illusion of control. His uniform was immaculate, meticulously pressed, as if neatness could compensate for moral decay. The lines etched into his face weren’t carved by wisdom but by years of simmering rage and unchecked arrogance. His eyes held no curiosity, only the cold calculation of a man convinced he already knew everything worth knowing. That was his flaw—the inability to adapt, to grow beyond the brittle armor of authority he’d wrapped himself in. A leader stagnant in his belief, brittle and fragile beneath the facade of power.

“What have you done to Roan?” Julia demanded, her voice sharp, cutting through the sterile air like a blade.

Coleridge’s eyes narrowed, his disdain clear. “My son knew better than to betray me. He will die by my hand for his deceit.”

Julia tilted her chin slightly, her gaze hard and unwavering. “Betrayal? What are you talking about?”

“I want to know everything you told my son,” he snapped, ignoring her question.

Her lips curved into a cold, measured smile. “My name is Dr. Julia Marksdale. I am a Mission Specialist for the Project Gliese 581g interplanetary exploration team. That, sir, is the limit of the information I gave your son and the limit of the information I will give you.”

Coleridge’s jaw clenched. “I want to know how you got here, where you came from, and if there are any others coming.”

“We arrived on a spaceship,” she replied evenly. “That’s typically how interplanetary travel works. As for where I came from, I’d need to know our current coordinates relative to my world. Since that information isn’t available, I can’t provide an accurate answer. And yes, there are others coming.”

Her disdainful glance flickered briefly over Coleridge’s shoulder, landing on the two soldiers standing silently behind him. Recognition sparked, but she schooled her expression, returning her attention to the General with a serene smile.

“In fact,” she added softly, “I believe they may have already arrived.”

Coleridge frowned, glancing over his shoulder at the soldiers. His eyes met Sergi’s for a brief, tense moment—long enough for realization to flicker. His hand moved toward his weapon.

Sergi was faster.

Before Coleridge could react, Sergi’s laser rifle was up. But it wasn’t Sergi who struck first.

Julia moved with precision born from instinct and suppressed rage. She kicked Coleridge squarely between the legs, the satisfying connection with the soft, vulnerable part of his body was followed by his guttural groan as he collapsed to his knees, clutching himself.

“A man should never treat his son the way you have,” she hissed, grabbing the front of his uniform to keep him from face-planting onto the deck with her bound hands. “Now, what have you done to Roan?”

Coleridge’s face was twisted in pain and fury. “I… will… kill… you.”

Julia pushed him back with a defiant toss of her head. “Good luck with that.”

Sergi snorted with amusement and stepped forward. The butt of his rifle connected with Coleridge’s temple, and the General crumpled, unconscious. Blood trickled from a gash on his head, pooling beneath him.

“You blew my cover,” Sergi muttered, giving her a pointed look of cheerful admonishment before he bent to disarm Coleridge.

Julia raised an eyebrow when Sergei pocketed the weapon Coleridge had used to kill Calstar along with another device he took from his waist.

“He had blood on his hands. I didn’t want him to add mine to the collection.”

Julia warily watched as the young woman she had briefly caught a glimpse of earlier stepped forward. She held up a key card.

“I’ll get those cuffs. Nice kick, by the way.”

“Thanks. Mei taught me that move,” Julia replied, rubbing her wrists as the cuffs fell to the floor next to Coleridge’s body. She glanced at Sergi, her voice softening. “Have you heard anything about her? Is she alive? Roanna told me that four of us had survived. She described Ash and Josh, but I haven’t heard anything about Mei.”

Sergi’s face gentled. “Ash and Josh are very much alive. Josh is leading the fight against the Legion. As far as we know, Mei survived. There was a video of her… but, we aren’t positive of her location. Ash and Kella are looking for her.”

Julia exhaled, relief flooding her. She didn’t know who Kella was, but if Ash trusted the alien, then whoever he or she was, they must be on their side — she hoped. Her eyes darkened with concern as she stared down at the blood on Coleridge—Roan’s blood.

“We need to find Roan. We can’t leave without him.”

The woman next to Sergi snorted. “You mean General Roan Landais? The Legion’s golden boy? Why would we risk our necks for him?”

Julia’s jaw set. “I won’t leave him. His grandfather saved my life. The last thing Calstar asked of me was that I help Roan,” Julia lied, not wanting to admit her true feelings—yet. She looked back at Sergi. “I promised him, Sergi.”

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