Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 119: Stealing

Chapter 119: Stealing

Andre only gave the special training squad one big, heavily armored off-road vehicle—and it was solar-powered. That meant they constantly had to watch the energy levels and how long they stayed out in the field. Just one more challenge to add to the mission.

Milo, never one to keep quiet, grumbled, "How the f*ck are we even supposed to train like this? Are we even gonna make it back alive?" It was a wonder he’d made it into military school, considering how much he sounded like someone from Voidstar.

"Plus, according to the report, this species—Galestone—lives in rocky areas and has dual superpowers. It can fly and dig tunnels! And we’re supposed to catch its babies? This is a joke!"

Elsie finally lost her patience. "Can you shut up already?"

Milo, of course, didn’t miss a beat. "Oh, look at who’s trying to be all superior."

His attitude grated on everyone, especially Lyra. He reminded her of the Grains from EPMA, except the Grains knew when to stay quiet.

Milo, on the other hand, acted like he didn’t even care that Elsie could outmatch him in a fight. "You women are all the same. Can’t handle hearing anything. If it bothers you that much, cover your ears. Why should I have to change?"

Even the guy next to Milo shot him a frustrated look.

Sensing things were about to get worse, Nicholas, their team leader, stepped in. "Alright, enough. This mission’s hard enough as it is. Let’s focus on coming up with a plan."

That calmed things down a bit, though Elsie still looked irritated. Milo gave her a smug look, clearly satisfied with himself.

In the back, Lyra sat quietly next to Adela, another sophomore. They both knew speaking up wouldn’t do much good—the seniors rarely listened to them anyway. Better to keep quiet.

After about seven hours of switching drivers, they had to stop. Time to figure out their route and, more importantly, how they were going to capture the Galestone cub.

A head-on fight would be a disaster. Stealth was the way to go, but that meant someone had to distract the two adult Galestones.

"Galestones are fast," Nicholas said, looking at Elsie and Lyra. "Whoever distracts them needs to dodge or at least hold their own in a fight."

Before anyone else could speak, Elsie stepped up. "I have Aerokinesis. I can pull one of them away, but I’ll need backup."

The Galestones were powerful, more so than any human unless they had a rare or particularly strong ability. Unfortunately, wind powers weren’t exactly in that category.

A voice from the side broke the silence. "I’ve got Geokinesis. I can manipulate earth. I can slow the beast down if it tries to turn back."

It was a solid combo against the Galestones’ abilities.

Nicholas nodded but added, "Even with the two of you, it might not be enough. If one doubles back, the rest of the team could be in trouble."

Milo, ever eager to stir things up, pointed at the quiet girl in the corner. "Hey, we’ve got a level-six over there. Send her with Elsie. Then we’re good."

Elsie shot back, "We’ll be good, but what about the rest of the team? Lyra’s power is perfect for catching the young. It’s a waste to have her distract an adult."

She had seen Lyra fight before and knew her worth. With only three level-sixes on the team, they needed Lyra focused on capturing the Galestone cub, not playing decoy.

Milo overheard Elsie’s comment and let out a mocking laugh. "A healer? A waste? You’ve got to be kidding."

One of the elder students, who’d seen Lyra in action, wasn’t having it. "You weren’t there that day, Milo. You didn’t see her fight. Elsie’s got a point."

Milo rolled his eyes, smirking. "Yeah, sure, keep siding with these girls."

That pushed Elsie to the edge. Her fist clenched so tight she could feel her knuckles strain. Even the guy who had been driving couldn’t help but snap. "What’s wrong with you? This has nothing to do with gender."

Nicholas had had enough. "Alright, enough," he said, clearly done with the bickering. He turned to Lyra. "What do you think, Lyra?"

Without missing a beat, Lyra responded. "I’m not the strongest physically, so I probably wouldn’t be the best fit for Elsie’s task." She knew her limits. Barely scraping by in physical training, she wasn’t about to outrun a Galestone in a full-on chase.

Milo, of course, jumped on that. "If you’re that weak, why the f*ck are you even in special training? We all have to deal with Galestones!"

Lyra stayed calm. "That’s why I’ll handle taking the young ones. You guys distract the adults." Most of the team had combat powers, and the Geokinesis user needed to back up Elsie. So, stealth? That was her job.

Before Milo could argue further, she cut him off. "Let’s vote."

They were all sitting in a loose circle. Elsie raised her hand first. "I agree. Kolan or Daire can help me."

The two seniors she mentioned quickly raised their hands too.

"I’m in," Adela, another sophomore, said as she lifted her hand.

Now it was down to Nicholas and a steaming Milo. Seeing the direction it was headed, Nicholas nodded. "Alright, we’ll go with that."

Milo’s complaints were effectively ignored.

The plan was set, though they still needed to work out the details once they got closer to their target. For now, they had to navigate through beast nests and rough terrain, taking some long detours along the way.

Wyrmtrace had a day and night cycle that lasted about a third longer than Planet Nagano’s. When the sun finally set, the moonlight helped recharge their vehicle a bit, but not enough to keep going for long.

By the time the vehicle’s power dipped below 20%, they had no choice but to stop for the night.

Everyone was exhausted. After setting up night watch rotations, the group settled in to get some much-needed sleep.

Meanwhile, far out in the vast expanse of space, a massive spaceship streaked through the stars. Its hull was painted with the skull of a one-horned beast, and its radar satellites spun continuously, scanning for any planets with signs of life.

Back on Wyrmtrace, the Information Technology Department’s machines started beeping wildly. The technician on duty jumped out of his chair, fumbling for the emergency button.

"Unidentified radar signal detected near Wyrmtrace! I repeat, unidentified radar signal detected!" His fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up more data. "Activate counter-recon measures and initiate signal jamming protocols!"

The Alliance’s IT systems were top-notch, and after a series of quick operations, they managed to mask almost all signs of activity on the planet.

Cohen burst into the room, still buttoning his shirt. "What’s the situation?"

An unidentified radar ping could mean only two things: space pirates or an Imperial scout ship. Either way, it spelled trouble. If they were found, the base would be wiped out without hesitation.

They carefully activated a hidden satellite to get a visual on the intruders. "It’s just one ship," one of the techs reported. "Likely space pirates. They seem to be hanging around this sector."

Cohen didn’t hesitate. "Send an urgent request for support to the nearest military space station. Now."