Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 313: The Base Felled

Chapter 313: The Base Felled

In a rare lull before the next wave of chaos, the small group of officers—including NMA classmates, Cohen, and Thierry—gathered around the holographic recording of the little girl dancing.

"That little rascal. She recorded this in secret and didn’t even let her dad or me see it." Zinnia’s mock-jealous tone almost drew laughter from the group.

Thierry, grinning so wide it nearly split his face, teased, "She’s adorable! Feels like just yesterday we were at your wedding, and now you’ve got such a big girl!"

"Wait, Zinnia, you had a wedding ceremony without inviting us?" Helion’s booming voice rang out.

"Exactly!" Grains chimed in. "We may not have gone to the same academy, but we’ve been friends long enough to deserve an invite!"

"What did Zinnia look like in a wedding dress? Mandy, you must have pictures, right?" Vikie nudged her conspiratorially.

"I do!" Mandy eagerly displayed a photo of Zinnia in her wedding dress, taken with a group of four friends at the time. "I even printed a copy and keep it on my desk!"

The group huddled together, laughing and reminiscing over the picture, their chatter filled with warmth and camaraderie, a fleeting echo of their academy days.

But reality intruded swiftly, as the distant rumble of enemy bombardments reminded them there was no time for nostalgia.

Lyra snapped into action, her voice sharp as she barked orders to rally her forces.

Thierry joined Cohen’s team, their resolve unshaken.

"Hard to believe it’s been nearly ten years since we joined the military," Thierry mused as he suited up in his space gear.

Cohen chuckled. "To me, you’re all still kids."

...

Upon returning to the base, Lyra assigned Grains to its defense, supported by Markle, who remained on standby.

The three pirate captains stood out awkwardly among the disciplined soldiers.

Gino ran a hand over a mecha, clicking his tongue in appreciation. "Been ages since I handled one of these."

Lyra gave him a brief glance but said nothing. It was through Anton she had learned Gino had once been a classmate of Dessel and Raphel at the military academy.

Frustrated by the high command’s politics, Gino had abandoned his career to become a space pirate.

"Move out," Lyra commanded curtly.

She and Phelixes headed off to join Lynn, falling into their usual battle formation.

This time, the enemy fielded a single Supreme. Lynn’s expression hardened with determination as he realized the opportunity.

"We have to take him down!" he declared, surging into the fight with renewed vigor.

Both sides instinctively maneuvered away from the main combat zone to minimize collateral damage.

The enemy Supreme was a speed specialist, darting through space with comet-like velocity. Slowly but surely, he lured Lyra, Lynn, and Phelixes farther from the main battlefield.

Lyra’s sharp instincts kicked in. "Lynn, stop chasing! Be cautious—it’s a trap!"

Acknowledging her warning, Lynn nodded. He was preparing to turn back when a spatial rift opened ahead.

Two more Supremes stepped through.

Lyra’s heart sank. They had walked right into an ambush.

Without hesitation, she launched an attack, but the newcomers conjured layers of barriers, creating a near-impenetrable cage around them.

"Lynn, we can’t stay here!" Lyra shouted.

Trusting her instincts, Lynn unleashed his full superpower, ripping through the barriers with a burst of spatial energy. "Rear Admiral Shedd, go! I’ll cover you!"

Wasting no time, Lyra sprinted through the breach, moving like a streak of light. The enemy Supremes gave chase, one of them staying hot on her trail.

Lyra unleashed her psychokinesis in bursts, momentarily incapacitating her pursuers long enough for the trio to escape the trap. But the speed specialist kept up, his relentless harassment disrupting their retreat.

...

Back on the main battlefield, Dale observed the disturbance with a grim expression.

"This isn’t good. Lynn and his team are in serious danger," he muttered.

Conners, recognizing the peril, immediately volunteered. "I’ll go support them."

"No," Dale replied, his tone resolute. "We can’t abandon the command post. One mistake here could cost us more than a Supreme Peculiar—it could cost us the entire battle."

If the stronghold fell, the Alliance would crumble.

Conners hesitated, torn between his instinct to act and the weight of Dale’s reasoning.

Finally, clenching his jaw, he said, "I have someone in mind for the job."

Conners’ mood soured as he thought about the person he was about to send as backup, but he nodded anyway. There was no other choice at the moment, even if it had to be that bastard.

Dale wasted no time contacting the outer space base, though Markle’s response was as infuriating as it was audacious.

"Sure, come invite me yourself, Admiral," Markle drawled, slouching lazily in his chair with a mocking grin. "If you show up in person, maybe I’ll think about it."

Dale’s temper ignited at the insolence. "Fine! I’ll come myself!" he snapped, turning sharply to Conners. "You’re in charge of the command while I’m gone."

Without waiting for a reply, Dale stormed out, launching his mecha without delay.

...

At the outer space base’s command room, Grains felt his legs turn to jelly as he watched Dale’s stormy arrival.

He turned to Markle, who looked just as nervous despite trying to maintain a nonchalant facade. "Why—why did you have to provoke him?" Grains muttered through gritted teeth.

"How was I supposed to know he’d actually come?" Markle hissed back, his bravado slipping.

Dale entered the room, arms crossed, his glare as sharp as a blade. "Are you going to move, or should I drag you there myself?"

Markle reluctantly stood, but just as he rose, a chilling sound froze everyone in place.

A wet, sickening squelch.

Dale’s expression twisted in disbelief as he looked down at his chest. A hand—ghastly, inhuman—had pierced through him, clutching his heart.

Before anyone could react, the hand tightened, crushing the organ into a bloody pulp.

Dale collapsed.

Markle and Grains stared in abject horror, unable to process the scene unfolding before them.

...

Far away, Lyra felt a faint but familiar presence in her mind suddenly extinguish. Her expression hardened as the grim realization set in.

She immediately contacted Robin. "Get to the command room at the base. Now."

Robin, sensing the urgency, didn’t hesitate. Rushing into the base, he was met with carnage—a sea of blood and fallen soldiers.

His heart pounded as he pushed through the grisly scene until he reached the command room. What he saw left him frozen in place.

One of the fallen officers clutched a communicator, clearly trying and failing to send a distress signal in time.

Through the nearby windows, Robin could see Dale’s flagship and supply ships engulfed in flames, shattering into pieces. The fleet was gone.

Lyra, still locked in combat with three Supremes, heard Robin’s strained voice over the communicator:

"The base is lost. Admiral Dale is dead. Fleet Admiral Frederick orders the front line to withdraw to Voidstar No. 1. Legion Glory is to defend Snowfall, while the Rose moves to support Voidstar No. 1."

...

At Voidstar No. 1, the morgue was eerily silent except for the sound of soft footsteps.

Lyra stood before a covered body. With deliberate care, she lifted the white sheet, revealing Grains’ lifeless face.

His chest bore a jagged hole where his heart should have been.

Caleb, his glasses fogged with tears, removed them and tucked them into his pocket. He stepped forward silently, standing over his friend’s body.

The unbearable silence lingered until Helion, forcing a trembling smile, tried to speak. "Well... it’s not like it’s unusual on the battlefield to say goodbye..." His voice cracked, and he hastily wiped his tears. "Damn it, you bastard, why’d you have to leave so soon?"

Lyra clenched her fists tightly before finally letting go. Gently, she pulled the sheet back over Grains’ face.

Mandy entered, her eyes red and swollen. "Admiral Conners is requesting your presence at the meeting," she informed Lyra.

With a nod, Lyra left, her expression unreadable as she made her way to the meeting room.

The moment she stepped inside, the air grew heavy with tension. Holographic projections of the admirals filled the room, their gazes sharp and accusing.

"Lyra, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Admiral Conners demanded, his tone cutting through the silence.

He continued, voice rising with emotion, "You insisted on bringing space pirates into this fight, and now Admiral Dale is dead because of it!"

Lyra’s calm demeanor remained unshaken as she replied, her voice steady, "Markle is dead. His body, along with traces of superpower particles at the scene, confirms he wasn’t responsible. Furthermore, the Stellar Devourer was involved. The dimensional portal defense system was shut down, which means there’s a traitor inside the base."

Her words cut through the room like a blade, leaving the admirals momentarily speechless.