Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 307: Admiral Conners

Chapter 307: Admiral Conners

The handover of responsibilities was completed swiftly.

One day, Lyra personally delivered the meticulously organized documents to Conners’ office.

"Thank you, Rear Admiral Shedd," Conners said, his plump face beaming with a ruddy glow. "I deeply regret the circumstances. I never expected Fleet Admiral Frederick to make such an arrangement. But don’t worry—when the time comes and you’re needed, he’ll surely send you back to the front lines."

Behind Lyra, Phelixes clenched his fists, barely restraining his anger. Yet, without Lyra’s orders, he remained still.

"We’re both just following orders. It doesn’t matter," Lyra said with a salute. "Wishing you success in your new post, sir."

Conners chuckled, interpreting her words as thinly veiled sarcasm.

With Dale’s recent interference in Lyra’s affairs having subsided, Conners’ hostility toward her had become increasingly overt.

Quietly and without fanfare, he had taken Voidstar No. 1 from Lyra’s control.

To everyone’s surprise, Lyra didn’t react with anger or outrage. Her eerie calm unsettled the Alliance’s military leadership far more than any outburst might have.

On the day Conners was set to depart for Voidstar No. 1, Admiral Dale issued him a pointed warning.

"Be careful. Lyra might have something up her sleeve."

Conners merely laughed. "Relax, old friend. What could Lyra possibly do?"

Conners was confident. The Alliance Military Council had issued Lyra strict orders to remain stationed on Elden Prime and prohibited her from leaving the base without authorization. Conners was certain she couldn’t confront him even if she wanted to.

Still, he erred on the side of caution, purchasing additional defensive equipment from the Mecha Association to prepare for any potential surprises.

When Conners arrived at Voidstar No. 1, he was utterly shocked by the sight of Central City.

Skyscrapers stretched toward the sky, bustling streets brimmed with life, and even the trees lining the roads were vibrant and full of fresh, green leaves.

The city radiated vitality and progress.

He hadn’t expected Lyra to achieve such remarkable results in just over half a year. A barren planet had been transformed into a thriving hub.

Satisfied, Conners stroked his chin. Inheriting such a well-developed project felt like a stroke of fortune. Yet for him, this wasn’t enough.

A glint of calculation flashed in his eyes.

Helion and Aurelius met with him to complete the formalities, handing him a crystal keycard.

"This is the key to the dungeon," Helion explained tersely. "All high-profile prisoners are secured below."

The two men carried themselves with professional restraint, but their barely contained anger was evident.

Conners noted this and decided to push further. "I want your caravan gone as well. Since this planet is under my jurisdiction now, I won’t tolerate any misuse of public resources."

His plan was simple. Once Lyra’s team was gone, he’d accuse her of breaching contract terms, reclaim the Alliance’s development funds, and bring in his loyalists to finish the work.

Planetary development grants were notoriously generous, after all.

Helion’s eye twitched. "Admiral Conners, the Stellar Caravan was officially assigned to the Voidstar No. 1 project. Their work has exceeded quality standards."

Conners sneered. "Official or not, I’m in charge now."

Helion’s fist clenched, his restrained fury clear as day. He looked ready to strike the smug admiral.

Aurelius quickly grabbed his arm, his expression grim. "We’ll take our people and leave at once."

With that, he dragged a reluctant Helion out of the office.

As they left, they caught sight of Conners sweeping Lyra’s belongings off the desk and into the trash. Their faces turned pale with rage.

"Let me go, Aurelius!" Helion growled under his breath, his teeth gritted in frustration.

"Drop it," Aurelius muttered, keeping his voice low. "Don’t make things harder for Lyra."

The two stormed off, their muttered curses echoing faintly in the corridor. Conners leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with the effect he’d had on them.

After leaving the office building, Helion and Aurelius shed their tense expressions as though the earlier confrontation had never happened.

Helion even smirked. "Tsk, let the old fool enjoy his victory for now."

Aurelius glanced back at the building. "Let’s go. If he catches on too soon, we’ll be in trouble."

Helion lazily pulled out a communicator from his pocket. "Move out, now."

The workers, who had been operating machinery just moments before, quickly packed up their equipment and loaded it onto transport vehicles.

In a seamless, coordinated effort, they headed for the spaceport.

Meanwhile, the Legion of Everglow crew was already aboard their ships, waiting as though everything had been planned from the start.

From the moment Conners landed to the completion of the withdrawal, the Legion of Everglow departed in just under an hour.

Watching the fleet vanish into the atmosphere, Conners sneered. "Well-trained, I’ll give them that."

Conners spent the next few hours patrolling New Central City, using the documents Lyra’s team had provided.

The more he explored, the more impressed—and satisfied—he became.

His previous post had been overcrowded, its resources stretched thin by the presence of multiple military factions.

Here, however, he had a pristine, developing planet all to himself, located on the border in a prime strategic position.

Imagining his bright future, he chuckled, the folds of his face sinking further into his fleshy cheeks as his narrow eyes gleamed.

At the local school, Conners found Kail, Lyra’s younger brother, standing at the gate.

Kail kept his head low, carefully masking his disdain.

As expected, Conners had no intention of letting Kail stay.

"Admiral Conners," Kail said politely, "I find myself unsuited for this school post. Please allow me to resign."

"Oh?" Conners’ eyes lit up. He hadn’t even needed to dismiss the boy himself. Still, he feigned concern. "Young man, you must have drive. Rear Admiral Shedd placed you here. If you leave, what will people think of me?"

Kail nearly gagged. The man was already drowning in public criticism from Alliance citizens, yet he claimed to care about appearances?

"I’ll return to running the orphanage," Kail replied evenly.

"Ah, very noble! Contributing to Voidstar No. 1’s public welfare. Rest assured, I’ll support your efforts wholeheartedly."

"...Thank you. I’ll submit my resignation tomorrow."

Kail turned on his heel and headed for the school’s exit.

"Wait!"

Conners’ voice stopped him. Kail took a deep breath before turning back. "Is there anything else, Admiral?"

"The children—where are they?" Conners asked.

Kail replied, "Ah, you may not know this, sir, but today is Voidstar No. 1’s rest day. All the students are on holiday."

With a curt nod, Kail quickly departed, unable to suppress his relief.

With Kail gone and no civilians left in the city, New Central City was now entirely under Conners’ control.

The wind blew, stirring up dust from the ground. The empty streets and swirling grit gave the city an eerie, desolate feeling.

"General, something feels off," Conners’ adjutant murmured.

Conners twisted the ring on his finger thoughtfully. "Let’s check the dungeon."

A creeping suspicion crossed his mind. ’Could that woman have released the space pirates?’

At the dungeon entrance, Conners used his psychokinesis to sense the presence of numerous individuals below.

Relieved, he approached the door.

The gate was equipped with a superpower suppressor—an unexpected feature. Curious, he pressed the crystal keycard against the access panel.

The heavy metal door creaked open, revealing a crowded cell filled with prisoners.

At the front of the group stood Gino and his companions. Upon spotting Conners, Gino waved cheerfully. "Hi there, Admiral Conners!"

Conners’ blood ran cold.

The prisoners’ wrists were unbound.

Almost instinctively, Conners activated the defensive ring on his finger, summoning a shimmering energy shield. He stepped back through the doorway.

"Close the door!" he barked.

His adjutant, trembling, fumbled with the crystal keycard to shut the gate.

Before he could succeed, a shimmering pool of liquid formed on the floor. It gave off a faint, unmistakable scent of alcohol.

From the puddle, Gino’s head emerged with eerie smoothness. In an instant, he twisted the adjutant’s neck with a sickening crack.

The lifeless body collapsed as the gate remained ominously open.