Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
T he walls of the conduit groaned as the fireball surged toward him, the air was blistering and thick with smoke. Roan’s eyes narrowed, and his grip on the Gallant staff tightened. There was no time to second-guess. He swung the staff, slicing clean through the wall. Sparks flew as the blade carved a jagged hole in the metal.
“Come on… come on!” he muttered, slamming his good shoulder into the panel. It groaned before giving way just as the fireball roared past him, the heat searing the edges of his clothes. He stumbled forward, landing hard on the deck of the corridor beyond.
For a heartbeat, everything was silent.
Then he looked up—straight into the shocked faces of six Legion soldiers.
They stood frozen, blinking at him in disbelief. One soldier’s mouth fell open as he straightened to his full height, his hand halfway to his laser pistol.
Roan’s lips curved into a wry grin, despite the sweat dripping from his brow. “Well… this is awkward.”
A hiss sounded from above, and jets of fire retardant sprayed down from the ceiling. The mist cloaked the corridor in a thin white haze, giving Roan the precious seconds he needed.
The soldiers snapped out of their stupor, raising their weapons. Roan had already rolled to his feet, pivoting on instinct as red bolts of energy flashed toward him. The Gallant staff hummed, absorbing the shots before crackling to life. He thrust the staff forward, releasing the stored energy in a concentrated blast that sent the soldiers sprawling.
Roan stood there for a second, blinking at the staff in his hand. “Okay,” he muttered to himself, his voice laced with surprise. “That was… impressive.”
More shouts came down the corridor. He snapped back into motion, tightening his grip on the staff and sprinting forward. His pulse pounded as the deck tilted beneath him, throwing him off balance. He ducked under a beam that crashed down from the overhead, the sharp smell of burning metal stinging his nostrils.
Another explosion rocked the ship, nearly sending him flying. He threw out a hand, bracing himself against the wall as debris rained down around him. His breath came in short bursts, his muscles were burning from the exertion.
Ahead, the lift doors gaped open—revealing nothing but an empty shaft. Roan zoned in on the maintenance ladder on the far side.
“Figures.” He exhaled sharply and sprinted toward it.
The ship groaned, the hull shuddering as warning sirens wailed. Roan leaped for the ladder, his fingers curling around the cold metal rung. His feet slipped on the slick surface, his body swinging dangerously for a heartbeat before he caught himself. The Gallant staff jostled against his side, nearly slipping from his grip.
“Not today.” Roan gritted his teeth, tucking the staff inside his shirt. The hard edge pressed against his ribs, but he didn’t care. His focus locked onto the top of the shaft, his muscles flexing as he began to climb.
The corridor below flickered with bursts of fireballs as more explosions lit the lower levels. His heart raced and his palms were slick with sweat. Each rung felt further away than the last, his were arms screaming in protest, but he pushed through the pain.
The ship’s structure groaned, metal twisting under the strain. Roan’s eyes flicked upward, the curved conduit just visible beyond the top of the shaft. He forced himself to keep climbing, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Almost there.
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.
* * *
The shuttle lurched to the side, metal groaning under the strain as La’Rue wrestled the controls. Julia gripped the edge of her seat, her pulse thundering in her ears as she tried to focus through the chaos outside the viewport. The space lab was tearing itself apart in a violent cascade of explosions that lit the infinite darkness of space like an expanding supernova.
Outside, Legion fighters swarmed in a chaotic dance of destruction, their engines blazing red as they maneuvered through the debris field. Massive chunks of the space lab spiraled away, crashing into nearby Battle Cruisers and sending shockwaves that rocked the shuttle with bone-rattling intensity.
“Hang on!” La’Rue barked, her knuckles white as she adjusted the thrusters. The shuttle dipped and swerved between two enormous chunks of the lab, narrowly avoiding a fiery collision.
Julia’s breath caught in her throat as another explosion burst in front of them, fragments of glowing metal showering across the shuttle’s hull with a sharp ping-ping-ping , temporarily illuminating them.
“We’re sitting ducks out here!” Packu muttered, weaving to the front and waving Sergi out of the co-pilot seat.
The shuttle shuddered again, the viewport flickering as La’Rue pushed the engines to their limit. Julia pressed her head back against the cool metal of the bulkhead, her heart racing at the sheer scale of the battle unfolding before her.
Legion Battle Cruisers loomed like dark leviathans, their massive forms dwarfing everything around them. Flashes of light erupted from their cannons as they fired on the rebel ships that had suddenly appeared. The endless void of space was illuminated by streaks of blue and red energy.
In the distance, Julia spotted an intact containment unit floating amidst the debris. A chill ran down her spine at the thought of what could have happened if they hadn’t neutralized the iROS.
La’Rue let out a sharp curse, yanking the controls to the left as a Legion fighter screamed past them, its engines blazing like twin suns. Julia instinctively ducked, even though she knew the fighter couldn’t see them.
“They’re retreating!” Packu exclaimed.
Julia’s eyes widened as she saw the Legion ships shifting formation, breaking away from the battle. For one fleeting moment, hope flickered in her chest—until the sight of more Battle Cruisers advancing crushed it.
“More of them… They just keep coming,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engines.
Then, in the distance, a new formation appeared—a fleet of sleek, smaller ships, their silver hulls glinting in the light of the distant stars. They were followed by larger Gallant Battle cruisers. Julia’s breath caught as they surged toward the Legion forces with lethal precision.
“Gallant fighters!” Cassa shouted, her voice filled with awe and relief. “General Gomerant’s fleet is engaging the Battle Cruisers!”
The tension in the shuttle lifted slightly as the rebel fighters maneuvered between the Legion ships, their controlled movements swift and coordinated. Explosions lit up the darkness as several Legion Battle Cruisers took heavy damage, their hulls cracking under the relentless assault.
And then, like a beacon of hope, the Tracer appeared—a massive warship bristling with weapons, its sleek lines cutting through the chaos like a predator stalking its prey. Its cannons fired in quick succession, taking out two Legion fighters in a burst of fiery debris.
“This is the Tracer ,” Hutu’s calm, commanding voice crackled through the comm. “La’Rue, we’ll be ready to receive you as soon as possible. We’ll spirit you away before the Legion knows what hit them.”
La’Rue blew out a breath, her eyes flicking toward the viewport. “Copy that, Tracer . We’re heading your way, but we’ve got company.”
The shuttle veered again as La’Rue threaded it through the debris field, dodging rotating chunks of the space lab and skirting dangerously close to a disintegrating Battle Cruiser. Sparks showered the cockpit as the shockwave from another explosion buffeted the shuttle, sending it into a brief spin before La’Rue righted it.
Julia’s heart leaped into her throat as she felt Roan sink down beside her, his breath warm against her ear. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes scanning his face for any sign of serious injury.
“You’re hurt,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Her fingers brushed against the wound on his shoulder, the fabric of his shirt damp with blood.
Roan winced but shook his head, his lips curving into a faint smile. “I’ll be fine… Just give me a minute. I need to hold you first.”
Julia’s eyes stung with tears she hadn’t realized she was holding back. She buried her face against his chest, breathing in the scent of smoke and sweat and Roan. For the first time since they had boarded the space lab, a wave of relief washed over her, leaving her weak and trembling.
“I thought I lost you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Roan rested his chin on the top of her head, his hand gently stroking her back. “You didn’t. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
His voice dropped lower, barely a whisper. “Is now a good time to tell you that I love you?”
Julia’s breath hitched, her fingers curling into his shirt. “I love you, too.”
Roan’s eyes darkened, the weight of everything they had survived pressing down on them. His voice trembled with emotion as he added, “My father’s dead.”
Julia pulled back just enough to cup his face in her hands, her thumb brushing against his cheek. “It’s over,” she whispered. “We did it. You did it.”
Roan nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. The battle still raged outside the viewport, but for this moment—this single heartbeat—they were safe.
Together.
For now.