Page 78 of Honor Bound

The ship tilted again, sending another shower of sparks cascading around him. His fingers tightened on the ladder and his jaw clenched with determination. The escape was within reach. He just had to make it a few more meters.

For Julia.

Roan’s muscles burned, his shoulder throbbing from the earlier wound, but he didn’t slow. The roar of the explosions behind him grew louder, a firestorm chasing him up the shaft.

Just a little further.

The conduit was waiting.

And Roan was not about to let fate decide his story’s ending.

* * *

The shuttle rocked violently as another explosion ripped through the space lab. Julia braced herself against the bulkhead, her breath coming in short gasps. Sparks rained down from exposed wiring, and smoke filled the narrow corridor leading to the shuttle’s entrance.

Packu crouched at the hatch, firing bursts from his blaster toward the conduit. “We’ve got Legion soldiers incoming!” he shouted over the chaos.

“Cassa!” Julia called urgently, her voice trembling with fear. “Has Roan checked in?”

Cassa’s face was pale but steady, her eyes flicking toward the holographic map on her wrist comm. She shook her head, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Not yet. He might still be trying to reach the conduit.”

La’Rue’s voice rang out from the pilot’s seat, frustration sharp in her tone. “We need to leave! The space lab is tearing itself apart, and we’ve got Legion fighters pouring out of the escort ships. If we stay here any longer, we’re toast!”

Bantu and Packu passed her, climbing through the hatch to the shuttle. Sweat glistened on their foreheads.

“Move, Julia!” Bantu urged, reaching out a hand.

“Not without Roan!” Julia protested, twisting away.

“Now, Julia!” Josh’s voice was firm, but his eyes betrayed his worry. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her toward the open hatch. Packu and Bantu reached down to pull her inside the shuttle.

“Roan’s still out there!” Julia struggled against their grip, panic clawing at her chest. Her eyes darted back toward the conduit, desperate for any sign of him.

Sergi fired a shot from his staff, striking two Legion soldiers who had just entered the conduit. The bolt sent them sprawling, but more shadows loomed behind them.

“Josh, get onboard!” Sergi barked.

Josh hesitated, glancing toward the conduit. “We’re out of time.” His jaw tightened before he turned and climbed into the shuttle with Packu and Bantu’s help. Cassa wrapped her arms around him in a brief, fierce embrace before releasing him.

La’Rue’s voice crackled through the comm. “Sergi! Get your ass in here! Quit playing the hero!”

Sergi glanced back toward the conduit, preparing to enter the shuttle. His eyes narrowed as a shadow moved in the smoke-filled tunnel. He raised his staff, ready to fire—then froze.

“Roan?”

Roan stumbled into the light, smoke wafting from his clothes and sweat streaking his face. His eyes locked with Sergi’s, and a crooked grin tugged at his lips.

“Took you long enough,” Sergi quipped. “Fashionably late, as always. I was afraid I was going to have to come rescue your ass again.”

Roan didn’t have time for a comeback. Sergi cupped his hands, and Roan planted his foot into them. With a grunt, Sergi hoisted him up into the shuttle. Seconds later, Sergi followed. Bantu and Josh sealed the hatch behind them even as La’Rue powered on the shuttle’s engines.

Julia reached for Roan, her eyes sweeping over him as he spun and sat down next to her. Their hands entwined, a silent message of relief flowing through their eyes. Julia mouthed a thank you to Sergi who winked at her.

“La’Rue,dusha moya,now would be a good time to leave,” Sergi urged.

“We’re clear!” Packu called out as the magnetic latches disengaged. The shuttle peeled away from the crumbling space lab, weaving through the chaos of Legion fighters and debris.

* * *

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