Page 38 of Honor Bound

Andri was something infinitely worse.

Coleridge would break your body. Andri would break your soul. Jeslean was just a tiny example of that.

And Julia had done more than just stand up to Coleridge. She’d helped Roan escape. That alone would be enough to make her a target. Add to that the fact that she was one of the Ancients? Andri’s rage would burn across entire star systems if left unchecked.

Roan shifted, rubbing at his wrists again when the absence of the restraints rose like a phantom ache. He adjusted the sleeves of the fresh clothing his grandmother had supplied and tilted his head back, his eyes still closed. He hated waiting.

The door slid open with a soft hiss. Roan peeked through half-closed eyelids at the tall, impressive man who entered.

General Hutu Gomerant.

Roan’s lips curved into a smile. The rebel General’s imposing figure filled the doorway, his dark eyes sharp and calculating, scanning Roan as though he was an equation to be solved. He stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him with an ominous finality.

“You find your detainment amusing, General Landais?” Hutu inquired.

Roan slowly opened his eyes and studied the man he would have once thought his enemy. The Torrian rebel General was a towering man with dark red skin, broad shoulders, short black hair, and a commanding presence, even when he was acting like a simple merchant on Tesla Terra.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Roan broke the silence first. “Call me Roan. General Landais sounds a little too much like my father—and I’ve had enough of him lately. You’re late, by the way. I expected you earlier.”

Hutu’s lips twitched—not quite a smile, more like the shadow of one. “I didn’t think you’d be going anywhere.”

Roan’s mouth curved again and he bowed his head in acknowledgement of Hutu’s quick wit.

“You’re not wrong.”

Hutu leaned back against the wall near the door and crossed his thick arms. “I want to know everything.”

Roan sat forward, his expression neutral. “Where do you want me to start? The part where I betrayed the Legion, or the part where I survived my father trying to kill me?”

Hutu didn’t flinch. “Why betray them now?”

Roan’s jaw tightened, his gaze dropping for a brief second before locking back on Hutu’s. “Because I’ve seen what’s coming. Jeslean was just the beginning.”

Hutu’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve all seen what your father and uncle are capable of. Are you saying you are just now realizing it is wrong?”

“No. I’m saying that I’ve done everything I can to slow them down in the position I was in, and I can’t do that any longer,” Roan snapped, his voice sharper than he’d intended. He exhaled, trying to control the simmering frustration. “You’ve seen what they’ve done. What more they’re capable of is something worse. Jeslean wasn’t just an example. It was a test run.”

Hutu tilted his head slightly, studying him. “A test for what?”

Roan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. This wasn’t about gaining sympathy. It was about getting Hutu to listen.

“They’re developing a weapon,” Roan said quietly. “One that doesn’t just destroy cities. It destroys atmospheres. It can strip the oxygen from the planet’s atmosphere, killing everything on the planet, without firing a shot.”

Hutu’s face remained stoic, but Roan saw the flicker of disbelief.

“They haven’t perfected it yet,” Roan continued, his voice low, deadly serious. “But it’s only a matter of time. And when they do—it won’t be just rebellious planets they target. It’ll be anyone who refuses to kneel.”

Hutu’s jaw clenched, but his voice was cool. “Convenient timing for your sudden loyalty shift.”

Roan met his gaze without flinching. “Like I said, I had my reasons. I’m not asking for your trust. I don’t care if you believe me. But if you think you can fight my father and Andri using the same tactics your ancestors did, you’re already dead. This isn’t about me. It’s about stopping them before there’s nothing and no one left to fight for.”

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken doubts and bitter truths.

Hutu finally spoke, his voice quiet but sharp. “And why should I believe you?”

Roan didn’t hesitate. “Because I’m the only one who knows where the weapon is being developed—and how to stop it.”

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