Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 238: Suspended

Chapter 238: Suspended

The saga of the Calvin family within the Alliance began with an incredible story: a young prince from the Empire, fleeing peril, saved the prince of the Alliance. To escape his pursuers, the Empire’s young prince concealed his identity, taking on the role of royal guard for the Alliance’s prince.

At that time, the royal family of the Alliance had its own independent army, distinct from the military.

The young prince climbed the ranks during various campaigns, eventually earning the title of Marquis of Roses. However, as the Alliance military transitioned into a legion that began conscripting civilians, the power dynamics shifted.

With covert backing from the military and government, commoners soon became the legion’s backbone, effectively severing its connection to the royal family.

As a result, the Marquis of Roses saw his influence wane significantly. Yet, despite this decline, the Calvin family managed to rise to high nobility, garnering considerable attention.

Now, however, that prestige lay in ruins following the public exposure of Benedict’s crimes.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the world, igniting heated debates even within the Empire: the Varmoket royal family, long exiled, had somehow become marquises in the Alliance.

Benedict had escaped, but his son Kritt was captured by Valeria herself. During his trial, some of Kritt’s responses left the courtroom in stunned silence.

"Are you aware of everything your father, Benedict Calvin, has done?"

"Yes."

"Were you involved in the human gene experiments?"

Kritt maintained a stoic demeanor. "My daughter, Isadora, was created using the genes from my wife and me at the Stellar Devourer’s facility. I had no knowledge of this until after she was born."

His relationship with Genevieve had always been fraught, and their years apart had left them childless for nearly two decades. Isadora’s unexpected birth thrust him into the role of a pawn, much like Seren had experienced.

In terms of Kritt’s culpability, that was essentially the extent of it. Despite forty years of military service and numerous victories for the Empire, he now stood trial for treason.

His defense attorney pleaded for leniency, citing Kritt’s long record of service. However, the military officials presiding over the case disagreed after deliberation.

"Everything he did was in pursuit of returning to the Empire; that intention does not absolve his guilt."

"But his actions directly benefited the Alliance!" the attorney insisted, his voice rising. This was the crux of the issue—the distinction between intending to kill and actually committing murder.

Due to the military’s aversion to discussing human experimentation and traitors, Kritt received a death sentence. Following this, trials commenced for the collateral branches of the Calvin family.

Lyra sat in the waiting area, feeling the weight of their fates and the military’s overwhelming authority pressing down on her. Then, it was her turn to face judgment.

She never knew that a routine mission would turn her into a suspect; also, she had never imagined that her quest for the truth behind her parents’ deaths would lead her to confront not only the truth but also the very creator who had given her life.

Such an ironic twist of fate had befallen her. Yet, she faced it all with a sense of calm and dignity.

"Lyra Shedd, do you know everything Benedict Calvin has done?"

"No, I don’t."

Until Robin had led her into that lab, she had been blissfully ignorant. Despite being the most successful subject of the human experiments and at the heart of the unfolding events, her lack of knowledge about the specifics didn’t shield her from the impending consequences.

Punishment was looming, dictated solely by her bloodline and identity.

The high council had convened, a gathering of admirals and several Supremes serving the Alliance’s military.

Admiral Dale, barely containing his impatience, declared, "I’ve said it before: we can’t let Lyra live. With her physical strength, she could easily take down a level-nine master. Who knows what kind of monster she might turn into in the future? She deserves the death penalty."

Valeria bristled at this, her resolve hardening. "Her strength is impressive, but what does that have to do with how we handle her? You just can’t stand to see talented young people rise!"

"Don’t play the soft-hearted grandma with me!" Dale shot back, his voice sharp.

"Can we focus on the facts?" Valeria countered, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior.

As tensions escalated, Admiral Vince stepped in, flashing a smile to defuse the situation. "Let’s calm down, both of you."

He paused thoughtfully before continuing, "First, we have the Shedd family, and now the Calvin family. Lyra is too deeply intertwined with them. But since we lack solid evidence, we should treat her like the other subjects and impose life imprisonment. Furthermore, to prevent her from contaminating the human gene pool, we should prohibit her from marrying or having children."

Both proposals carried weight, swaying the discussion in a particular direction.

The absence of clear evidence suggested that Lyra was implicated in wrongdoing, making execution seem unjust.

The second point emphasized the risks associated with genetic experimentation: the complexities of human genetics meant that any alterations could potentially lead to hereditary defects. If such defects entered the gene pool across generations, they could threaten humanity’s very survival. The various genetic diseases plaguing society served as a stark reminder of this danger.

Dale quickly chimed in, "Exactly! We don’t know if Lyra and the other subjects are part of a Stellar Devourer conspiracy. They could be used to bring about humanity’s downfall!"

For once, the hot-headed admiral articulated a widely shared concern.

A silver-haired woman nodded gravely. "Admiral Dale has a point."

Despite Valeria’s intent to defend Lyra, she found herself lacking a solid basis to argue against this reasoning.

Ultimately, Frederick made the final call. "Then it’s settled: she will be prohibited from bearing children to prevent any potential genetic leakage."

Valeria opened her mouth to protest but fell silent. The men around her spoke of stripping a woman of her reproductive rights as if it were a mere administrative decision.

"That’s final," Frederick stated, his tone dismissive.

Just as Admiral Dale was about to agree, a thought struck him. "Wait, what about her punishment? I mean, the imprisonment?"

"Strictly speaking, she, like the other subjects, is a victim. They had no say in their existence," Frederick replied, surveying the room. "Moreover, there’s no evidence that she participated in any wrongdoing or turned traitor. In fact, she’s the one who exposed the crimes of both the Shedd family and the Calvin family."

Vince Admiral quickly countered, "But Benedict Calvin did escape from her grasp."

"That was because the Stellar Devourer interfered!" Valeria shot back, presenting evidence. "A significant amount of blood was found at the scene, belonging to both her and Benedict, which clearly indicates they struggled. She wasn’t acting out of favoritism!"

The discussion spiraled into a heated debate about Lyra’s loyalty to the Alliance. At that moment, the two Supremes who had been part of the rescue stepped forward.

"This girl’s loyalty to the Alliance is beyond question. She fought tooth and nail to save Valeria and took out enemies with incredible skill," one of them asserted, earning a nod of agreement from Lynn.

Admiral Dale sensed the tide turning against him and quickly added, "But you can’t overlook her blood ties to the Shedd and Calvin families! We can’t just let her off scot-free!"

Frederick turned to the older woman, who was thoughtfully clasping her hands. "You raise a valid point," she conceded.

"It’s indeed tough to justify letting her go without any consequences," another voice chimed in.

Frederick frowned, weighing their words carefully. "In that case, let’s suspend her for now while we deliberate further."