Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 163: My Place, My Rule

Chapter 163: My Place, My Rule

After bidding farewell to her friends, Zinnia hopped into Rajan’s Lev and took off.

The engine roaring as they sped away.

Even as the vehicle disappeared into the distance, her bright, bubbly voice lingered in the air like a little bird’s cheerful song.

Mandy couldn’t help chuckling, shaking her head in amusement. "Those two are a perfect match, aren’t they?" she commented, letting out a soft sigh.

Lyra shot her a glance but said nothing, her expression unreadable.

Walking beside them, Crag smirked. "Mandy, you jealous or something?"

Mandy scoffed, her tone cool and collected. "Not even a little."

Two years of working at the factory had changed her. Hardened by long days and relentless challenges, she had learned more about herself than she ever imagined.

Romance? That was the last thing on her mind.

These days, it was the satisfaction of mastering her craft, earning respect, and proving herself that fueled her. Accomplishing her goals gave her a high that no relationship ever could.

Crag, who also pulled shifts as a security guard, waved them off with a grin and headed back to his post.

Once inside the office, Lyra wasted no time getting to business. "So, about this Wyrmtrace mission," she began, her voice serious. "You’ll be coordinating the handover with Cohen. But that’s not all. I need you to check on the queen bee’s status, see if she’s showing signs of advancing."

Mandy nodded, her posture straightening.

The queen bee was no joke. Lyra knew that if she evolved any further, she would eventually try to break free from their control.

Wyrmtrace was rich in resources, and the queen was getting stronger every day.

The real issue? She wasn’t alone. She had been suppressing a level-eight wyrm beneath it, creating a dangerously volatile situation.

"Got it," Mandy said, a determined look in her eyes. Their past friendship meant nothing here; Lyra was her superior now, and Mandy respected the chain of command.

"Debbie will fill you in on the rest of the mission details," Lyra added before turning back to her work.

The last two years had shifted the balance of power. With Caspian’s smooth political maneuvers, Lyra had expanded their workforce, added an extra cargo ship to their fleet, and managed to outplay both Snakehead and Caesara.

Wyrmtrace was under Koros’s watchful eye, and even Sean had been reassigned to help with other pressing matters.

Mandy left the room, but before the door had even closed behind her, Sean burst in, practically buzzing with excitement. "Boss! The thing you wanted—Koros finished it! It’s ready to ship back with the next cargo run."

Lyra didn’t even look up. "Run the tests first. Report the results to me directly. And make sure no one else knows about this."

Her calm, almost disinterested tone took the excitement right out of Sean’s voice. "Uh, sure... also, Koros wanted to ask about the workshop space..."

"Take it up with Mandy when she’s back," Lyra interrupted, not missing a beat. Her mind was already elsewhere, focused on the looming trip to Elden Prime.

Complications were bound to crop up, and she had no time to babysit.

When the cargo ship finally returned, Lyra made a rare appearance at the spaceport to oversee the delivery.

Thankfully, most of the shipment matched the inventory, which was a relief.

Meanwhile, Mandy was barking orders at the workers, ensuring everything was unloaded without a hitch.

A familiar voice suddenly cut through the hustle and bustle.

"Mandy."

She turned to find Alon standing there, his signature charm still intact, though it seemed a bit faded under the circumstances.

He looked her over, clearly surprised by the young woman standing before him. She wasn’t the same timid girl he’d once known.

Lyra’s training had turned her into someone who commanded attention without even trying.

But the truth was, Mandy had always had potential. She wasn’t just some girl from a poor background—she had earned her place at the NMA Department of Command and Strategy, after all. That was no small feat.

Alon smiled, trying to rekindle some of the old magic. "You’ve been well, I take it?"

Mandy’s lips curled into a tight, thin smile. "As you can see, Mr. Mendez, I’m doing just fine."

And just like that, she turned her back on him, leaving him standing there, visibly disappointed.

She wasn’t the easy target he had once assumed her to be. If he thought he could use her again, he was in for a rude awakening.

Not far away, Lyra noticed the brief exchange, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. But she quickly shrugged it off. There were far more important matters demanding her attention.

This round of special training was, once again, held on Wyrmtrace.

Andre, ever the opportunist, had rallied a bunch of students and shamelessly hitched a ride on Lyra’s ship.

Just when they thought they were home free, Lyra blocked their path right at the boarding ramp.

After listening to her terms, Andre stared at her in disbelief, eyes wide. "You’re seriously charging us a BOARDING FEE?"

Anton, quick to back him up, added, "Come on, it’s common courtesy to give seniors a free ride! That’s, like, life lesson 101."

Lyra simply crossed her arms, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "My ship, my rules. Don’t want to pay? Then do me a small favor instead."

The group of instructors immediately fell silent, sensing a trap. They exchanged cautious looks, clearly not thrilled at where this was heading.

"What kind of favor?" Andre asked, now much more wary. He had been so confident that he didn’t even bother getting extra traffic funds from the school. Now he wasn’t sure if the principal would cover this unexpected "fee."

Lyra gave a casual shrug. "Nothing major. It’s Mandy’s first trip this far out for work, and I want you to keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn’t get pushed around."

Mandy tensed at the mention of her name, nerves creeping in.

Wyrmtrace was no joke, and without Lyra there to back her up, she’d have to deal with two military officers.

And as if that weren’t bad enough, Debbie had warned her that Voidstar No.2 people—a notoriously tough crowd—would be involved. These were not people who played nice.

Andre, thinking the request was pretty mild, nodded with relief. "That’s it? Sure, no problem."

Later on, though, when things got messy, Andre would deeply regret how quickly he’d agreed.

After sending the ship off, Lyra headed over to the tech department to check on some important work.

Sean was knee-deep in tweaking the upgraded Aesculapius’ Grace with his assistant, the pair working in complete secrecy to avoid any leaks.

"How’s the progress?" Lyra asked as she walked in.

Both of them looked up, their faces lighting up with excitement. "Koros sent back a level-six and a level-seven model," Sean explained eagerly. "The healing efficiency is off the charts. This advanced model? It’s almost as good as having you personally administer treatment."

Lyra’s eyes gleamed with approval for the first time in a while. "Perfect."

Sean then asked, "Should we gear up for mass production?"

Lyra shook her head, her gaze drifting to the towering, two-meter-tall machine. "No need. We’ll just make two more units. The rarer it is, the more valuable it becomes."

She told Sean to get a Space Button for the machine as well. "I want its value to go through the roof."

Throughout the entire Alliance, advanced medical devices were few and far between. And this particular one wasn’t just for everyday injuries—it could heal genetic disorders and radiation sickness, making it even more invaluable.

Sean, as a technical guy, didn’t care much about the sales strategy. He was just excited about the tech. "Got it."

Suddenly, Lyra remembered something. "Did the original model get sent back?"

"No," Sean replied. "Koros decided to see if it could be further upgraded. He’s also working on a project—trying to create a mecha with healing capabilities." Sean glanced at her cautiously, worried about her reaction.

To his surprise, Lyra nodded thoughtfully. "That could be something."

To Sean, Koros was like a mischievous kid who kept pushing boundaries. With Lyra covering for him, he was getting bolder by the day.

With everything set, Lyra boarded her ship to Elden Prime.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, Mandy and her team had just landed on Wyrmtrace.

Koros, drown in a mountain of data, was working with a precision that only someone with six hands and four eyes could manage.

The moment he got wind of Mandy’s arrival, he tossed the entire stack of reports her way without a second thought.

"Here. You deal with this," he said, retracting his powers as he prepared to vanish. "If you have questions, ask my assistant."

Mandy hadn’t dealt with Koros much, but thanks to Debbie’s heads-up, she knew his reputation. He was the type to disappear before you could blink.

Seizing the moment, Mandy quickly called out, "I’ll review everything and get back to you, but Lyra has specific instructions for you."

Koros paused, eyeing her for a second before nodding.