Page 49 of Honor Bound

“I was locked in that darkness for hours, hearing nothing but my own breathing. When he let me out, he told me, ‘Weakness is an infection. One that kills those too soft to cut it out of themselves.’” Roan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So I cut it out. I had to.”

The silence between them stretched, charged with something raw and fragile.

“You survived,” Julia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Roan exhaled, leaning back. “No. I learned how to pretend I had. I would not give Coleridge or my uncle pleasure of seeing me crumble. Their determination to break me gave me strength to resist them.”

He glanced at her, relieved that she wasn’t recoiling, wasn’t pitying him. He wasn’t seeking her sympathy, but her understanding that what he had done, he had done out of necessity. Deep down, he knew he needed to be ready to strike when it came time to bring Coleridge and Andri down. The difference before was he’d always expected to do it alone—and to die.

Now… He looked up and studied Julia’s serene face. The difference now was he wasn’t alone.

“For years, I assumed I’d be alone when the inevitable time came to stand up to them. That I’d do whatever was necessary and die as a consequence. But now…” His gaze flicked to her. “Now, I’m not sure I want to. After my experiences with them, I learned very quickly never to trust anyone. Emotions and relying on someone else were… a liability.” His jaw tightened slightly before he forced himself to continue. “That life prepared me for what was coming.”

Roan’s voice grew quieter, edged with something darker. “My uncle Andri ordered Legion scientists to develop a weapon. They call it the iROS. It is an interplanetary reactive oxygen species of parasite.”

Julia frowned and leaned forward. “Wouldn’t the resulting lack of oxygen and radiation from the planet’s star kill the parasite before it could spread?”

Roan breathed out. “In normal circumstances, yes. Dr. Mella has genetically engineered the cells of the parasite to withstand the radiation. Dr. Mella has developed a chlorofluorocarbon laser cannon that can tear a hole in the atmosphere. A secondary explosion releases the parasite which eats away at the protective barrier. It starts slowly, working its way outward until the planet is left exposed—vulnerable to radiation, cosmic winds, and violent atmospheric collapse. It will be a slow, agonizing death for any living creature on the planet. Once the Legion deploys it from orbit, it would only take a few hours for the parasite to spread through the atmosphere. No ground force can respond quickly enough.”

Julia blinked, her fingers tightening around her cup. “I grew up hearing scientists warn about the slow destruction of Earth’s ozone. But to watch it happen in weeks? To feel the air burn away and know there’s nothing you can do… No one should experience that kind of helplessness…” Her voice trailed off, but her gaze remained steady. “We can’t let that happen to anyone else. The iROS sounds similar to how Earth’s ozone layer was damaged. Industrial chemicals thinned it, allowing harmful radiation through. The effects were slow but devastating. Our scientists struggled with convincing people that climate change was real… and that the effects might be irreversible.”

“Did your world find a way to stop it?” Roan asked.

Julia sighed and lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “They’re working on slowing the damage, but bureaucracy moves slowly. The progress has been… uneven.”

Roan leaned forward, his gaze steady and serious. “The iROS works faster. Weeks, not decades. I’ve seen it in action.”

Julia’s eyes darkened. “You’ve seen it used?”

Roan nodded grimly. “In a controlled test. The scientists deployed it on a small moon base with an artificial atmosphere to measure its effectiveness. It ate through the protective layers. Within a few days, the surface was lifeless—the air burned away. The ground cracked wide open. I watched the habitat collapse, the last survivors gasping for air before the atmosphere was gone. I’ve never felt so helpless. Even when Jeslean—” He shook his head.

He paused, the memory pressing against him like a weight. “It’s not ready for full-scale production yet, but it’s close. If they succeed, they’ll have a weapon capable of erasing planets.”

Julia set her cup down, her brow furrowing. “Where’s the lab?”

For a moment, Roan didn’t answer. His fingers traced the edge of the disk absentmindedly.

“It’s on a mobile space lab, deep within Legion-controlled space.” His voice was steady, but his eyes flickered with something far more dangerous. “I have to stop it. I won’t let their madness define me. Not anymore. I have to destroy the data and the prototype before they perfect and deploy it.”

Julia leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful, troubled. “But… how? If it is deep within Legion controlled space you can’t just waltz in there and blow it up. Everyone knows who you are.”

“I’m not without my resources. I know where it is and I know the Legion. I just have to stay one step ahead of my father and uncle. If we’re going to stop it, we’ll need more than just knowledge,” Roan said, his voice turning grim. “We’ll need allies willing to risk everything.””

Julia’s eyes softened, her fingers curling around the cup as if steadying herself. Roan couldn’t help but notice the quiet strength behind her expression—the kind that made him believe they might actually survive this. Their eyes locked, the air between them thrumming with an unspoken connection—something deeper, something fragile but genuine.

Julia exhaled slowly, her gaze holding his. “I think you’ve found that. If the Legion thinks they’re unstoppable, they’ve underestimated you—and the Ancient Knights,” she added with a wry grin before it faded and she reached for his hand, gently squeezing it. “We’ll stop them.”

Roan’s lips twitched, but his eyes didn’t lose their sharp focus. He knew they had to move carefully.

Because if they didn’t… there wouldn’t be a galaxy left to save.

* * *

Julia stifled a yawn behind her hand as she stepped out of the cabin La’Rue had shown her to sometime during the night. She blinked in the soft light illuminating the corridor and rubbed at her eyes. The hum of the freighter’s engines vibrated gently beneath her feet. The hum of the engines had been what had woken her from her exhausted slumber.

She turned, stretching her arms above her head, when Sergi’s voice interrupted the quiet. Dropping her arms to her sides, her eyes flashed over Sergi’s face. The man looked as bright and chipper as always.

“Well, well, well… Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” he teased, leaning casually against the bulkhead with his arms crossed. His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Did you sleep through the entire revolution, sleepyhead?”

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