Page 67 of Honor Bound

“I love you, Julia,” he said, his thumb sliding across her cheek. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that.”

Julia’s expression softened. “I want you to tell me that again once we are out of here and not about to die.”

He chuckled. “Deal.”

* * *

They moved in unison to the opening of the conduit. The vented grate was wide enough and tall enough for them both to stand. They stood pressed against the side as two Legion scientists, a man and a woman, walked by. Each held a scanner and were focused on the huge containment unit filled with the glowing parasites.

Each wore crisp, white contamination suits, the fabric stiff and rustling with each movement. The suits, worn in the hope of surviving a contaminate breach, would worked in his and Julia’s favor.

Roan sent a message to Bantu to release the lock. They watched in silence as the light turned from red to green. Easing the grate open, Roan slipped out of the large tube. Seconds later, the two scientists lay dead from the slice of a massive charge from the Gallant staff he held in his hand.

Julia slipped in behind him as he lowered the man to the floor. She flashed a look from the two scientists to him. He shook his head.

“We couldn’t take the chance of them alerting anyone,” he said without remorse. “They also know the process.”

Julia silently nodded. “See if you can find two contaminate suits for us while I see what type of chemicals they are using.”

Roan nodded while Julia turned away from the sight of the bodies lying on the floor. Releasing a deep breath; he turned and headed for a marked cabinet against the far wall. He glanced over the first containment unit’s contents. His stomach twisted at the sight. Each unit contained a component of the weapon that could destroy an entire planet.

Julia moved to the nearest control panel and swept her fingers across the holographic screen. While the words were foreign to her, the chemical compounds were not. “This is it,” she said. “The dispersal agents are stored here. If we trigger them in this order, it will neutralize the parasites.”

Roan crossed over to stand by her. He scanned the controls. He didn’t understand everything he was seeing, but there was enough information to tell him that Julia was right. The symbols for the chemical elements matched what he was reading. He reached out, but Julia placed her hand over his.

“Let me do the first one—for Calstar,” she requested, her voice steady despite the tension.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Julia gave him a sad smile and nodded. “I may not be able to mete out justice for my father and the other members of the Gliese project, but I can for your grandfather and the others your father and uncle have hurt.”

Roan’s lips curved into a smile of understanding. “If you are the most naïve of the Ancients, you were right.”

A puzzled frown creased her brow. “About what?”

“My father and uncle have no idea what they are up against.”

Julia released a strained laugh and shook her head. “Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Ancient,” she quipped.

“I’ll take care of the scientists in the lab next door. You do deactivate this unit and meet me there.”

Roan hesitated, knowing time was of the essence, yet hating to leave Julia out of his sight. He hadn’t missed the flash of distress in her eyes at the sight of the two scientists he killed. He would try to shield her from the others as they moved from one lab to the next.

Turning away, he slid the contaminant suit over his clothing and pulled the helmet on before retrieving a security badge from the body of the male scientist. He stepped back and watched as Julia’s fingers danced across the console, his heart pounding in his chest.

As a deep blue mixture released into the first unit, Roan knew this was the moment that would decide everything.

* * *

Bridge of the Legion Battle Cruiser – Near Tesla Terra

The low voices of the crew on the bridge flowed around General Coleridge Landais like a low, ever-present growl. His eyes swept across the holographic projection in front of him, meticulously monitoring the positions of the Legion warships encircling Tesla Terra. Each red dot on the map represented a vessel ready to rain destruction upon the planet below at his command.

It should have filled him with satisfaction. It didn’t.

The tension crawling beneath his skin had been building ever since they entered the Tesla Terra system. He leaned forward in his command chair, his fingers tapping a restless beat on the armrest as he watched the space lab slowly drift into position.

“Sir,” the communications officer called, his voice tense. “Incoming transmission from Director Andronikos.”

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