Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 122: Pursuers

Chapter 122: Pursuers

The special training squad was just moments away from facing off with the massive beast.

Just then, Lyra suddenly paused, glancing upward.

Andre’s urgent voice cut through the tension over her headset, "Space pirates are attacking! Team, abandon the mission and escape now!"

Before his words had fully sunk in, a massive explosion echoed from above.

The helicopter that had been circling overhead erupted into flames. Out of the clouds came a colossal spaceship, menacing and armored.

From a distance, small figures zipped toward them, riding levitating devices. They were the space pirates.

The students below froze in shock.

"Space pirates?" someone gasped.

Elsie’s sharp command broke through the chaos, "Run! Now!"

Panic kicked in, and they sprinted toward the armored vehicle.

Just as they were about to reach it, Anton appeared out of nowhere, carrying two people, both covered in burns. He rushed them forward, shouting, "Get in! Hurry!"

The group’s hearts sank when they realized who he was carrying. It was Andre, their head instructor, barely recognizable under his severe burns.

Scrambling into the vehicle, Lyra immediately set to work healing Andre. As a level-seven healer, he was their only real shot at survival.

But the pirates were already closing in fast. Lyra spun around, calling out, "I’ll cover the rear!"

She activated a light shield, blocking the incoming bullets as the others piled into the vehicle. It roared to life, the tires kicking up dust as it sped away.

Lyra fired off a round of energy bullets at the approaching pirates. Then she shot out a green light band, aiming to latch onto the moving vehicle and pull herself back on board.

But at the last second, the vehicle jerked violently to the side, dodging her beam.

They had left her behind.

Elsie was livid. She lunged forward, trying to land a punch on Milo, who was at the wheel. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Kolan and the others shared her anger. "There was no obstacle! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!"

Milo didn’t deny it. "Of course I did! Did you not see the pirates catching up? We’re all dead if she doesn’t slow them down!"

"You absolute piece of trash!" Elsie swung at him again, but Nicholas grabbed her arm. "We don’t have time for this—"

Before he could finish, she punched him in the face instead. "Shut up! All you ever do is play mediator. What’s the point of you being president if you’re useless?!"

Nicholas’ face flushed with anger. He glanced at the others, but none of them came to his defense. They all looked equally disgusted.

In the rearview mirror, they watched helplessly as Lyra was surrounded and dragged onto the pirates’ ship.

Anton’s expression was icy. His body was battered with burns, blood seeping slowly from his wounds.

Webber lay unconscious beside him, and though Andre’s condition had stabilized thanks to Lyra, he still hadn’t woken up.

The space pirates had caught them completely off guard. Despite the military’s radar systems, no warning had been given. It was clear this ambush had been meticulously planned.

They quickly contacted the military, and Cohen promised to send a rescue team.

Word spread fast that Lyra had been captured.

Surprisingly, more people seemed to relish the news than express any real concern.

When the news broke about the pirates landing, people rushed to hide.

"Good thing we stayed back. If we’d been out there, we’d be screwed."

"Yeah, lucky they targeted the special training squad. If they’d come for us, we wouldn’t stand a chance."

"Those space pirates? They’re the Seething Fires. Their leader is a nightmare—a total psycho who wipes out entire colonies. He’s an S-class criminal."

Morrison hurried back from the warehouse, but before he could reach his group, a few nosy folks cornered him. One of them, trying to sound polite, asked, "Well, well, isn’t this Mr. Morrison? Got any news from your boss?"

Another chimed in, "Heard you guys haven’t been working for two days now. You’re not shutting down for good, are you?"

Morrison gave a quick nod, clearly uninterested. "Thanks for your concern. I’ve got things to handle, so let’s talk later."

As he turned away, his polite mask dropped, replaced with a look of frustration. He headed back to his caravan group, hoping to avoid any more questions.

As soon as he got there, Todd and Caesara rushed over. "What did Cohen say?" Todd asked.

Morrison’s jaw tightened with anger. "They’re not going to do anything. Apparently, the enemy’s got a level-eight Peculiar, and the military doesn’t want unnecessary casualties. So, no first move from them."

He then turned to Todd, a flicker of desperation in his eyes. "Any chance you can contact Snakehead? Maybe he can negotiate with the Seething Fires?"

What had seemed like a ridiculous idea just 30 hours ago now felt like their only shot.

Todd adjusted his glasses, his expression grim. "I’m afraid that’s impossible. Wyrmtrace has locked down all communications. Only the military can send messages right now."

With that final hope dashed, Morrison collapsed into a chair, feeling utterly defeated. ’Are we really going to sit by and watch her die?’

Caesara suddenly spoke up, her tone slightly strange. "Actually, when it comes to the Seething Fires, Lyra has more pull than Snakehead."

Todd’s lips twitched, as if remembering something. "She’s got a point."

Their cryptic remarks made Morrison groan, rubbing his temples. "Can you two stop being so vague? My head’s about to explode."

Caesara smirked. "In simple terms, the leader of the Seething Fires is... kind of your boss’s admirer. More or less."

...

When Lyra was dragged aboard the spaceship, she barely glanced at the eerie decorations made of beast limbs, her focus set on the command room ahead.

In the center of the room stood a throne, lavishly crafted from platinum and jewels. On it sat a man dressed in a spotless white suit, with matching shoes.

A vibrant feather brooch adorned his chest, and his long, shiny red hair cascaded down his back like silk.

His sharp features were accentuated with light makeup, giving him the appearance of a snake—both beautiful and dangerous.

As soon as he saw her, his eyes lit up with glee. Clapping his hands, he exclaimed, "I thought I was imagining things, but it really IS you!" He practically bounced out of his chair, overflowing with excitement. "My shining hope!"

The man was tall, nearly two meters. He forced him to bend down as he cupped Lyra’s face gently in his hands.

His cold fingers traced her features, his voice a dramatic melody, like an actor playing a role.

"Those cold, beautiful eyes—just as exquisite as ever." He sighed with joy. "I heard you’d gone to Planet Nagano for training. I thought we’d meet on the battlefield. But here you are, destiny brought you to me early!"

"Haven’t you grown taller?" he mused, his fingers continuing to trail her face. A colorful snake slithered out from his collar, hissing softly.

Lyra stood still, her face calm, though a flicker of impatience flashed in her eyes. "Are you done?"

"Hmm! No, not quite." He snapped his fingers, summoning a fashion designer. "Dress her in one of my finest outfits."

Turning back to Lyra, he smiled. "Now that you’re here, my dear little princess, you’ll follow my orders. Understand?"

Lyra’s lips barely moved. "Of course."

As she was escorted out, the baby Galestone beast, which had been captured along with her, let out a few defiant cries.

Lyra glanced back at the leader. "That little one is mine."

The leader blew her a kiss. "I’ll leave your toy alone. I promise."