Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 299: Exposed

Chapter 299: Exposed

Lyra returned to the village with her usual calm composure, though a storm brewed beneath her serene exterior.

Helion stood tall, his earlier embarrassment forgotten, as he delivered his report with pride. "After conducting a quick reconnaissance, I found that the Broken Blades pirate group has approximately 133,000 members, over a hundred high-energy cannons, and several notable Peculiars: Broken Blade herself, who is a level-nine, one level-eight, and three level-sevens."

Considering the limited time he’d had to gather this intel, Helion had clearly outdone himself.

Lyra nodded in approval. "Good work. You’ve earned a commendation."

Those who had been moments away from teasing him swallowed their words, their jealousy written all over their faces.

Caleb adjusted his glasses with a quiet sigh. He’d recently heard that Broken Blade, after seeing his photograph, had developed a peculiar fondness for him. However, one glance at Helion’s worn leather vest was enough to extinguish any thought of rivalry.

Lyra broke the silence with an unexpected announcement. "One more thing. Our plans have changed. Notify Robin in the outer void and set up a voice conference."

Elsewhere, Gultong, having heard of Lyra’s return, roamed the area in frustration, unable to locate her. Eventually, he wandered to their temporary base and stopped outside, noticing a strange shimmer—a transparent, bubble-like shield surrounding the house.

Curious, he reached out and was surprised when his hand passed through without resistance. Emboldened, he slipped inside.

Peering through a window, he was startled to find himself staring directly into Lyra’s icy, piercing gaze. Her intense eyes froze him in place, and his breath hitched as he instinctively stepped back.

"Rear Admiral Shedd?" Caleb’s puzzled voice broke the silence inside as he glanced at Lyra.

Lyra gestured toward the window. Without hesitation, Grains darted outside and returned moments later, dragging a dumbfounded Gultong by the collar.

"What are you doing here?" Grains barked, his shock mirrored by the rest of the group.

Tossing Gultong into the room, Grains added in alarm, "We’re doomed! Our soundproof barrier might be compromised!"

Panic rippled through the group, but Caleb quickly checked the equipment and shook his head. "It’s intact."

Relieved but still wary, all eyes turned to Gultong.

Overwhelmed, the boy stammered, "You’re all... different. Especially you, Freya... or Lyra... You look the same, but you feel... so distant. So... unreachable."

Lyra’s interest was piqued. "Dual abilities?" she asked, her tone curious as she stood.

The sudden movement made Gultong tense, his wide eyes mirroring a startled cat. "They called you Rear Admiral just now... Are you milita—?"

Lyra silenced him with a finger to her lips. He immediately clamped his hands over his mouth, though the gleam of excitement in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

Her gaze swept over him like a scanner, assessing with unnerving precision. "Psychokinesis at 2008 units, Class-B pyrokinetic ability, and an Class-A special power—likely electromagnetic interference capable of disabling electronic devices," she concluded with a slight nod. "Not bad."

Gultong’s eyes lit up. In a small voice, he asked, "Can I join you?"

"Still no," answered Lyra, coldly.

His face fell, but before despair could fully take hold, Lyra added, "You’re underage."

His hope reignited instantly. "Then I’ll come back when I’m older!"

Lyra nodded, and his excitement overflowed into nervous energy. Helion hauled him toward the door with little patience. "If you want to join us, you keep all this to yourself, understand?" Helion warned.

Gultong nodded frantically, moments before being unceremoniously tossed outside.

The autumn harvest had arrived, and the villagers worked tirelessly to gather their crops.

With granaries overflowing and their newfound independence from the three major pirate factions, the air was filled with laughter and relief.

But as the end of the month drew near, Lyra readied herself for what was to come. True to her agreement, she left for Broken Blade’s base alone, prepared to join the pirate factions in a joint assault on the Legion of Everglow.

When she arrived, however, the base was eerily empty. Not a single soul was in sight.

The sudden whirring of drones filled the air, their dark shapes casting doubt on the supposed alliance.

Lyra frowned slightly as her voice cut through the static of the drone’s transmission. "Broken Blade, what’s going on?"

Cold laughter crackled back through the comms, unmistakably Broken Blade’s. "Still pretending, Lyra? You’re exposed now!"

Before Lyra could respond, a plume of purple smoke erupted from the base.

However, it was quickly scattered by streaks of green light. The glow briefly illuminated the area, revealing Broken Blade’s expression on the monitor—contorted with rage. She slammed her fist into the comms unit.

"Of course, it’s that little witch!" she snarled.

Markle rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed. "Less talk, more action."

Both pirate leaders stepped out to confront Lyra directly.

A green band of light shot toward them but stopped mid-air, blocked by a shimmering screen projected by the pirates.

The screen displayed a harrowing scene: Gultong’s villagers, tightly bound and surrounded by armed space pirates. Among them were Mandy and Lyra’s other subordinates, restrained with their hands raised as guns were trained on them.

"If you don’t want these people turned to dust, you’d better cooperate!" snarled Markle.

Lyra’s gaze turned icy, an almost tangible wave of killing intent radiating from her. Both pirate leaders involuntarily stepped back, their earlier bravado faltering.

As Freya, Lyra had been intimidating, but this commanding presence was something else entirely—a force so overwhelming it made direct confrontation seem impossible.

"I’m warning you," Lyra said, her voice low and steely, "Anyone there dies, none of you will leave here alive."

Her stillness brought a flicker of relief to Broken Blade, who interpreted it as submission and grew bolder.

"Where’s the money and weapons you brought, Lyra?" Broken Blade demanded smugly.

Meanwhile, Gino, sent to intercept the Legion of Everglow, found their positions abandoned. All that remained was an empty warship—a carefully orchestrated ruse.

Lyra pieced it together instantly. "Release the hostages first," she said, her tone sharp.

"Not a chance," Broken Blade sneered. "Hand over the cargo first!"

Lyra’s lips curled into a cold smirk. "If I give you the cargo, what’s stopping you from killing them anyway?"

She knew space pirates too well to fall for such a trap.

Broken Blade, realizing her bluff was being called, kept her temper in check.

Markle jumped in with mock cheer, "Let’s compromise! You hand over the money, and we’ll let the villagers go."

But Lyra remained firm. "Release my people first. The villagers won’t get far even if they’re freed."

Markle and Broken Blade exchanged frustrated glances before huddling with Gino. After a tense discussion, Wolf Fangs finally relented, swirling a jar of liquor lazily. "Fine. Do what she says."

Grudgingly, the pirates complied. Lyra watched closely as Mandy and her team were loaded onto a small warship, which rose steadily out of the atmosphere.

Only when they were safely out of sight did she provide the location of the stash.

"The astrocredit bills are in the cargo hold of my ship," she said plainly.

Gino’s men quickly located crate after crate of astrocredits, just as Lyra had indicated. "Bold of you to leave the cargo behind," one of them remarked with a snicker.

As Gino’s crew secured the astrocredits, tension simmered between Broken Blade and Markle. Neither trusted Gino to share the loot evenly.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Fangs loaded their share onto their ship and turned their attention to tracking Mandy’s escape. But frustration mounted as Mandy and her group seemed to have vanished without a trace.

When Wolf Fangs’ subordinates reported their failure, Gino frowned, unease gnawing at him. Something about the situation felt off. Yet, as his gaze shifted to the villagers still in custody, he relaxed slightly.

"Forget them. Bring the villagers back to the base," he ordered. The hostages, he reasoned, would ensure Lyra’s compliance if she tried to retaliate.

The pirates’ ships roared overhead, their shadows stretching across the village like ominous streaks of dusk.

...

In the quiet corner of the village’s abandoned amusement park, Father Kyle tightened his grip on the edge of a weathered slide. His face remained impassive, though his knuckles whitened against the rusted frame.

"Father! Watch me!" a cheerful voice called.

Turning, he saw a little girl sliding down toward him, her laughter echoing in the crisp air. He forced a warm smile, following her with deliberate steps, though his eyes carried a distant, heavy weight.