Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 252: Start of Something New

Chapter 252: Start of Something New

The second Shane had seen Lyra take charge, he knew rebellion was out of the question.

He took a deep breath, hands shoved in his pockets, and surrendered. His old crew watched him, and one by one, they followed, understanding they had no real choice.

The rest of the group exchanged glances and soon shuffled to the left side, clinging to survival as only the desperate could.

Debbie, watching, shook her head with admiration. ’That’s my boss,’ she thought with a grin.

If only she had a powerful ability herself, she’d be unstoppable, too. Still, working under someone like Lyra was close enough.

Debbie was thrilled when Lyra soon decided to keep her on the Wyrmtrace team. Apparently, Lyra was impressed that Debbie had delivered every recruit, and every ID card, exactly as instructed.

"You’ll be supervising construction in the East District," Lyra told her.

Wyrmtrace’s first development phase was focused on building New Central City, which would become the planet’s administrative heart, with government offices, military HQ, and a primary hospital.

Four main districts had been mapped out, each designated for a specific sector, with facilities contracted out to early investors.

Surrounding these were areas marked for future expansion, eventually open for bidding to the highest investors.

Lyra had secured the main government and infrastructure contracts with the Alliance, and she wanted Debbie to lead the project.

Luckily, the East District workforce was straightforward—ordinary laborers hired by Morrison.

Debbie had studied every spec, prepared for her new role as if her life depended on it. Now that she had it, she was practically giddy.

’If I do well here, maybe this base becomes my full-time project when Lyra heads back to the military,’ she thought, practically salivating at the thought of a substantial salary increase.

Meanwhile, Lyra was thinking far beyond the government contracts.

She’d also secured a choice plot in the planned commercial district. She wanted to build a commercial center in the prime spot, which she could rent, sell, or manage herself.

The other tycoons in the Alliance had felt her impact immediately, recognizing that Wyrmtrace was essentially an open market for those with resources to spare.

However, none dared to compete outright. With the Whyte family backing her and her near-level-nine status, Lyra didn’t leave much room for rivalry.

That didn’t mean she’d have free rein, however. Cohen, always wary, had assigned one of his cousins to keep an eye on Lyra’s work.

And Leona, who represented the Alliance, made her position clear by sending her younger brother, Caspian, to monitor the operation.

"So while you’re off here, ’guarding the galaxies,’ I’m stuck on this dusty rock," Caspian complained, leaning back in his sleek lev.

He’d chosen to drive alongside Lyra on her rounds through the construction sites, preferring his air-conditioned cabin to the sweltering outdoor heat.

"Don’t you have a project of your own to manage?" Lyra shot him a glance from behind her dust mask, blueprints rolled up under one arm.

Caspian shrugged. "I do, but I don’t have to be there in person to run it." Unlike Lyra, who managed her operations directly, Caspian had an entourage of skilled subordinates who handled his interests while he kept a comfortable distance.

Outside, the construction site was buzzing with activity. Giant robotic machines dug into the rocky ground, clearing it for a new foundation.

They worked with a smooth, almost hypnotic precision as they leveled the earth, guided by workers who scurried around directing their paths.

Caspian’s eyes widened with mild surprise as he looked over the construction site. "How tall is this place going to be? You’re digging a foundation like you’re building a skyscraper."

Lyra gave a slight shrug. "Planning to move my headquarters here. I want the foundation rock solid."

Caspian raised an eyebrow, then nodded slowly as he pieced it together. "High up-front costs, but you’ll reap the benefits down the line."

Elden Prime was already a saturated market; her growth was capped, forcing her to spread her reach across distant systems.

Not only were real estate and labor on Elden Prime insanely pricey, but space was limited in Central City, driving up her operational costs.

Wyrmtrace, though? Plenty of land, cheaper labor, and transportation right by the developing spaceport. Perfect for a company with Lyra’s ambitions.

With immigration to Wyrmtrace climbing and Lyra’s connections deep within the government and military, her company was set to be the powerhouse of this fresh frontier.

Caspian gave a mock sigh. "Shame my interests are so rooted on Elden Prime. Otherwise, I’d be diving in for a slice of this pie too."

Lyra didn’t reply. Caspian abandoning his empire on Elden Prime was about as likely as the royal family adopting her as an heir.

Keeping up the casual chat, Caspian made a point of thoroughly inspecting the site, cross-checking the physical layout against the blueprints.

Satisfied, he tossed out a suggestion. "Dinner?" he asked smoothly, which Lyra accepted, turning to Shane.

Shane fumbled with her itinerary. "You’re open after seven."

She gave him a curt nod and told Caspian, "Seven-thirty, café just outside the military base."

Caspian flashed her an "OK" gesture and left with his security team in tow. The second he was out of earshot, Lyra dropped the blueprints into Shane’s hands and fixed him with an icy stare. "Make sure the underground section is completed before his next visit."

A chill crawled down Shane’s spine as he nodded vigorously. "I’ll get them working overtime tonight."

’What is she planning with all this underground construction?’ Shane wondered, stomach tight with dread.

He knew enough to understand that if the military caught on, they’d all be in serious trouble—if Lyra didn’t handle him herself first.

’If I’d known I’d be stuck as her assistant, I’d have kept quiet when she asked if anyone could read blueprints,’ he thought sourly.

Now, instead of grunt work, he was bound to her as an unwilling right-hand man.

He glanced over at his former crew, men once hardened from lives of piracy and chaos, now operating construction drones and loaders like seasoned workers.

They’d all been completely tamed, and more than that—they were bound to her will, no longer raiders but skilled hands in her operation.

That evening, Lyra arrived at the café, finding Caspian already seated, his expression unimpressed. He raised his cup, grimacing. "How do you survive on this stuff? It tastes like it came straight from a water purification plant."

Lyra shrugged. "Order whatever you want."

Taking her cue, Caspian shifted straight into business. "I hear you’re involved in the new spaceport construction. Think you could secure some preferential docking slots for our fleet?"

"Send Leona to me if you want a deal," she replied coolly, brushing off the request.

He changed tactics. "What about medical device manufacturing? The market here is untouched."

They negotiated the finer points of trade until the conversation trailed off into a stretch of silence.

Caspian sighed as their bland meals arrived, pushing his food around on his plate. Then, his gaze drifted to the muted news broadcast flickering in the background.

A thoughtful glint appeared in his eye as he turned to Lyra.

"You knew Prince Aurelius, didn’t you?"

"Not well," she replied flatly, her expression unreadable.

He nearly rolled his eyes at her indifference. "Guess you haven’t heard, then. He’s been in royal detention for the last two years. They just let him go, and he’s already announced he’s cutting all ties with the royal family."

A flicker of interest sparked in Lyra’s eyes. She’d known Aurelius wasn’t exactly thriving under royal expectations, but she hadn’t realized things had spiraled to this level.

She raised an eyebrow. "Does this fallout have anything to do with me?"

Caspian shrugged, giving her a knowing look. "More than you’d think. The guy was banking on strengthening ties with the Calvin family. And then you dismantled them completely."

Aurelius had indeed been working on a strategic alliance with the Calvins to reinforce the royal family’s power.

But Lyra had blown the Calvin family’s empire to pieces by exposing their covert experiments with dual-superpower genetics, a scheme that violated every law on ethical superpower research.

Though Aurelius had kept his distance from their operations, his connection to the disgraced family had been enough to tarnish him by association.

For a time, even Edmund had seen value in the alliance, trusting Aurelius’ plan to unite the Calvins with the crown.

Yet, when the scandal hit—and under his own administration, no less—the monarchy’s reputation suffered an embarrassing blow.

With the Calvins out of the picture, Aurelius’ plans unraveled, leaving him in the crosshairs of a humiliated, unforgiving royal family.

"Unlucky for him," Lyra murmured, a spark of intrigue in her gaze as she took in the news.