Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 164: Tough New Job

Chapter 164: Tough New Job

Mandy barely had a moment to acclimate to the time difference before diving headlong into her mountain of work.

For over ten grueling hours, she sifted through stacks of data, eyes locked on her screen, fingers flying as she tried to make sense of it all.

Finally, she set down her stylus and rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling the strain of staring at the screen for so long.

"Miss Wright, anything I can help you with?" A young woman appeared beside her, offering a polite smile.

Mandy shook her head. "I need to see Koros first."

As she moved to gather the documents on her desk, the assistant stepped forward, ready to help.

Mandy gently but firmly pushed her hands away. "I’ll handle it myself. If I don’t, I won’t be able to find anything later."

The assistant shot her a quick, unreadable glance before stepping back. "Of course, my apologies."

"It’s all part of the job," Mandy replied, her tone professional but resolute.

After finally locating Koros and confirming all the data at the base, Mandy sent everything back to Planet Nagano.

Only then did the two of them dive into the logistics of the mechanics lab.

Koros rattled off a never-ending list of demands, each one more extravagant than the last.

Mandy’s patience was wearing thin. No wonder Lyra had assigned her this task—if Koros had been left unchecked, the budget would’ve spiraled out of control.

As Koros’ eager eyes gleamed with excitement, Mandy looked at the blueprints and promptly began slashing through unnecessary features with her pen. "Lyra’s budget covers only these essentials," she explained, crossing out his ambitious add-ons.

Koros’ constant revisions and complaints made Mandy’s head spin. By the time she managed to get him to agree to a more reasonable plan, she felt like her brain was on the verge of exploding.

Now she understood why Debbie had given her that knowing, sympathetic look before she left for Wyrmtrace.

While Thierry and Zinnia had already set off for their special training, Mandy found herself buried under an ever-growing pile of work.

It didn’t help that, after Koros handed off the project, his assistant Tammy seemed to be funneling more tasks Mandy’s way than was necessary.

After three relentless days of back-to-back assignments, Mandy couldn’t take it anymore. "Tammy," she said, her voice edged with frustration, "some of this data should be organized by you before it even gets to me."

Tammy, now dressed in sleek professional attire as Koros’ right hand, gave her a sugary smile. "I’m sorry, but I’ve got plenty on my plate already."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Mandy frowned but swallowed her irritation. Tammy was Koros’ assistant, and causing friction with her wouldn’t do any good. She had bigger things to focus on.

With the final task nearly complete, Mandy only had one last responsibility—meeting with Cohen to finalize the revenue distribution.

The thought of meeting such a prominent figure made her stomach flutter with nerves.

Just as she was preparing to leave, Tammy suddenly reappeared, all smiles and sugary sweetness.

"Miss Wright, would you like me to go with you? Captain Whyte can be quite... intimidating. I’ve worked with him before, and I could assist you..."

It had been just one year, and Cohen had already been promoted again.

Before Tammy could finish her sentence, Mandy’s expression hardened. Her usual warmth vanished, replaced by a sharp, no-nonsense look.

"Tammy," Mandy said firmly, locking eyes with her, "Miss Shedd doesn’t like subordinates who meddle."

Lyra took her dealings with Cohen very seriously, and these transactions were meant to fly under the radar.

Only a select few were trusted to be involved, and for Mandy, this meeting was an opportunity to prove herself.

Tammy’s sudden offer to interfere not only felt intrusive but also raised alarm bells—’how did she even known about the meeting in the first place?’ Mandy wondered.

Without waiting for a reply, Mandy gathered her papers and calmly walked out, leaving Tammy standing there, fuming.

Tammy’s face twisted in anger as she watched Mandy walk away. "That little brat thinks she can act like a boss? Hah!" She clenched her fists, seething.

Then, grabbing her opticomputer, she dialed a number. The second the call connected, her voice turned syrupy sweet. "Honey, she didn’t let me go..."

Meanwhile, Mandy’s meeting with Cohen was as stressful as she had anticipated.

Though her nerves occasionally got the better of her, causing her words to falter, she managed to maintain her composure.

She powered through the tension, keeping her focus sharp as she handed over the finalized accounts.

When the paperwork was finally exchanged, she breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Now, only one last task remained before she could wrap up her mission on Wyrmtrace.

Just as Mandy was lost in thought, making her way back from the military base to the caravan headquarters, an unexpected figure appeared before her.

"Mandy, care for a coffee?" Alon stood there, sharp as ever in a tailored suit, with an expression Mandy’d never seen before—almost captivated.

It was clear why.

The girl he once knew had transformed. Her blonde hair was tied neatly in a ponytail, her posture radiated confidence, and the crisp white shirt paired with tailored pants only highlighted her graceful figure.

She seemed almost like a different person, glowing with self-assurance.

For Mandy, the scene felt a little surreal.

The man who once seemed so distant, nearly untouchable, was now standing in front of her, asking for her time with a tone that almost felt... pleading.

"Sure," she said, her voice even.

Wyrmtrace, now three years into its development, had grown into a fully equipped base, complete with a cozy coffee shop just a short walk from the military complex.

Once they were seated, Alon wasted no time in breaking the silence, his eyes heavy with regret. "I’m sorry for how I treated you back then. I was too... angry."

Mandy paused as she stirred her coffee, a flicker of bitterness flashing in her eyes before she quickly buried it. "Past is past."

Alon let out a deep sigh. "I know I probably don’t deserve your forgiveness."

"There’s nothing to forgive," Mandy said, her tone steady but cold. "We weren’t that close."

Her blunt words stung, but Alon wasn’t ready to give up so easily. "We’re business partners now. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other moving forward. Do you plan on being this distant every time?"

Mandy’s eyes softened just a little, but her guard remained up. "Mr. Mendez, what is it that you REALLY want?"

He smiled lightly, shrugging as if the answer was simple. "Nothing much. Just thought we could chat. Out here, you’re the only person I really know."

That hit a nerve. Mandy couldn’t deny it—being far from her usual crowd, there was something comforting about speaking with someone familiar, even if that someone was Alon.

After that initial coffee, they started crossing paths more frequently.

Sometimes she’d brush him off, but other times, they would end up sharing casual conversation or even a meal.

Slowly, the tension between them began to melt away, replaced by something that felt more neutral, if not cautiously friendly.

On the fifth day of her stay at Wyrmtrace, Alon once again invited her to dinner.

"You know, my grandfather owes his life to your team," Alon said, passing her salt with a warm smile. "If it weren’t for you, things might’ve turned out very differently."

Mandy barely glanced up from her plate. "It was all Lyra’s doing, really."

After dinner, Mandy walked back to the caravan headquarters, her mind racing. Eventually, she decided to call Lyra, who was still en route to Elden Prime.

"What’s up?" Lyra’s voice came through calm and steady, as usual.

"About Alon..." Mandy hesitated, unsure if she should even bring it up. But when Lyra didn’t immediately shut her down, she continued, "What do you think of him?"

Lyra hadn’t expected the question and took a moment to consider. "Work with Koros on this. I’ll talk to Caesara."

With Lyra’s support, Mandy felt more at ease. She quickly looped Koros into the plan, and together, they began piecing things together.

By the time Lyra arrived on Elden Prime, Mandy sent a message back to her with some important news from Wyrmtrace.

"Koros’s assistant, Tammy, tried to steal the design for the upgraded Aesculapius’ Grace. We caught her and sent her back to Planet Nagano. She’s being charged with breach of contract and theft of corporate secrets."

Lyra’s response was immediate and icy. "And Koros?"

Mandy glanced at Koros, who was anxiously fidgeting beside her. "He’s suggested implementing an internal monitoring system to prevent something like this from happening again."

"Tell him that if it happens again, I’ll cut all his funding," Lyra said sharply. "Who was behind it?"

Mandy took a breath, her voice steady. "It was Alon."

The revelation came as no surprise to Mandy anymore. Her suspicions had started to form during one of their dinners when Alon casually mentioned his grandfather.

Something about the way he said it didn’t sit right with her. And then there was the fact that Tammy had somehow gotten wind of the secret dealings between Lyra and Cohen—information that should’ve been known only to the highest-ranking officials.

After a long talk with Koros, they decided to dig deeper.

Hacking into Tammy’s opticomputer revealed a string of frequent communications with Alon.

To confirm their suspicions, they laid a trap, feeding Tammy the opportunity to steal the improved Aesculapius’ Grace designs. Predictably, she took the bait.

As expected, it was Alon who had orchestrated the entire scheme, manipulating Tammy into doing his dirty work.