When

  the ships landed on Valkor, Irina and Jonas Akerman were already

  waiting on the tarmac, the tension in their faces clearly visible. As

  soon as the Falchion's hatches opened, the unconscious and injured

  Valeria "Valkyrie" Romanov was placed on a stretcher by

  paramedics and immediately taken to the nearby clinic. Jan watched

  the scene with a concerned look and then turned to Steven

  "Pilgrim"

  Bailey, who was getting out of his Eagle.

  "How

  bad is it?" asked Irina, her voice sounding tense. Pilgrim

  sighed heavily and nodded toward the stretcher being wheeled into the

  clinic.

  "She's badly hurt, but she'll make it. We were lucky that Gregor

  was there in time."

  Irina

  nodded briefly, visibly relieved. But her eyes darkened as she

  broached the main topic. "Tell me about the attack. What

  happened?"

  Pilgrim

  handed over a data pad with the recordings he had made during the

  fight with his Eagle. "I took some pictures of the attacker. He

  was fast, very well armed, and the type of projectiles... I've never

  seen anything like it before."

  Irina

  took the pad and scanned the recordings. Her expression froze as she

  zoomed in on one of the images, which clearly showed the attacker's

  silhouette. Her fingers trembled slightly as she zoomed in further.

  "That...

  that can't be," she muttered, stunned. Pilgrim stepped closer.

  "What is it? Do you recognize the ship?"

  Irina

  nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing, then showed the pad to her son,

  whose features also literally derailed.

  "That's

  one of our own projects. But it shouldn't exist yet. It's part of a

  secret development program

  codenamed

  Project Predator. We never got it past the planning stage. This ship

  was only supposed to exist as a design concept... but it seems

  someone has already built it."

  Pilgrim

  looked at him with a frown. "That means someone within Orion

  Dynamics has access to these plans and the means to make it a

  reality. How is that possible?"

  Irina

  shook her head, her mind racing. "I don't know. But if this ship

  is already operational, then it's possible that more of them exist.

  And if it's in the wrong hands..."

  "I

  don't think we're dealing with ordinary pirates here," Pilgrim

  interrupted her. "This is an organized, sophisticated threat."

  Irina

  sat up resolutely. "We have to find out. I'll order an

  investigation immediately and talk to security. Someone has obviously

  abused our trust."

  Pilgrim

  nodded seriously. "What about Val? As soon as she wakes up,

  she'll want answers too."

  Irina

  sighed. "Let her recover first. We still need her. In the

  meantime, we'll find out who's behind this betrayal."

  After

  Irina and Jonas Akerman had evaluated the images from Pilgrim's Eagle

  in a conference room at Orion Dynamics headquarters, a heavy silence

  fell. It was clear that there was a massive security problem in the

  research department at Orion Dynamics. Jonas Akerman leaned back

  thoughtfully and slowly shook his head. "This can only mean that

  someone from within the inner circle with access to the plans is a

  traitor."

  Irina,

  visibly concerned, nodded slowly. "I'm afraid you're right,

  Jonas. We have a mole in the research department." Her forehead

  was deeply furrowed as she weighed the consequences of this

  discovery. "This is a threat to the entire company."

  She

  activated her HoloSync and connected to the current CEO, Andre Kirow.

  A few seconds later, his face appeared on the screen, serious and

  attentive. "What's going on, Irina?" he asked bluntly when

  he noticed her expression.

  "Andre,

  there's a serious problem," Jan began, looking him straight in

  the eye. "The footage from Pilgrim's Eagle shows a ship that

  clearly comes from one of our own development projects. Project

  Predator. But this model should never have made it past the planning

  stage. There is obviously a massive leak in our security structure."

  Andre

  Kirow listened attentively, his brow furrowing as he realized the

  gravity of the situation. “Project Predator... That can’t be.

  I’ll have a thorough investigation launched immediately,” he said

  tersely. “Roger should take care of this personally; this matter

  has absolute priority!”

  Shortly

  thereafter, Roger Hodgson, the corporation's head of security,

  arrived. He was a gray-haired, well-built man with piercing blue eyes

  who radiated a presence that unmistakably revealed his experience and

  toughness. "I hear we have a serious problem, Irina," he

  said calmly, but with a sharpness in his voice that made it clear he

  took the situation very seriously.

  Irina

  nodded and briefly explained the details. "Roger, you need to

  thoroughly investigate the development department. Someone has either

  sold information or used it without authorization. The ship that

  attacked us simply cannot exist."

  Roger

  Hodgson replied coolly, "I'll take care of it right away, Irina.

  No one plays with our security without facing consequences. I'll find

  the traitor."

  *

  * *

  While

  Roger was already beginning to give instructions to his teams, Steve

  said goodbye to Irina and her son Jonas and made his way to the

  clinic where his partner Valeria "Valkyrie" Romanov was

  being treated.

  He

  waited impatiently in the clinic's reception area when a nurse

  approached him. "Commander Bailey?"

  He

  nodded and stood up. "Ex-Commander, but yes, that's me. How is

  Valeria?"

  The

  nurse smiled reassuringly. "She's still unconscious, but we

  expect a full recovery. It will take some time, but she's strong."

  He

  let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you. Please let me know as

  soon as she wakes up."

  The

  nurse nodded and moved on, while Pilgrim struggled with his thoughts.

  The loss of the Rosebud, the wreckage of the Eagle, and now Valeria's

  injuries—it was all too much at once. A feeling of helplessness

  crept up inside him, one he knew only too well.

  Shortly

  thereafter, Irina Akerman also entered the clinic. She saw Pilgrim

  and walked straight up to him. "Steven," she began calmly,

  "I just heard about Valeria's condition."

  Pilgrim

  stood up as she approached and nodded. "Yes, Irina. She will

  recover, but she is still unconscious."

  Irina

  sighed softly, then placed a hand on his arm. "That's good news.

  Valeria reminds me of myself when I was young—unconventional,

  rebellious, and with an energy that's hard to contain. I'm glad she

  made it."

  “So

  am I,” Pilgrim said quietly. He could barely control the pressure

  in his chest that reminded him of the loss of Firefox. The fear of

  losing Valeria too had been almost overwhelming.

  "We

  have to wait until she recovers," Jan continued. "In the

  meantime, I'll make sure we uncover this betrayal within our company.

  Valeria will surely want to investigate this as well

  as

  soon as she wakes up."

  Pilgrim

  nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Irina."

  "Let's

  go back to headquarters. I think it's time you found out exactly what

  Project Predator is all about," Jan suggested. Steve nodded

  silently and followed her.

  She

  led him through the sprawling corridors of Orion Dynamics

  headquarters to a design office frequented by technicians and

  engineers. The room was modernly furnished, the walls lined with

  holographic displays and interactive screens. In the middle of the

  room stood an imposing holographic projector used for presenting

  projects.

  Irina

  activated the projector and a hologram appeared before them—the

  image of a heavy, menacing-looking fighter. The ship had distinctive,

  angular shapes that unmistakably indicated its brutal function. It

  radiated an aura of efficiency and deadly precision.

  "This

  is Project Predator," Jan began, her voice matter-of-fact but

  full of seriousness. "It's a heavy fighter design developed to

  compete directly with the E7 Eagle, but it wasn't designed for the

  military."

  Pilgrim

  frowned. "Not a military ship? Then who was it intended for?"

  Irina

  tapped the display, and the image of the fighter rotated to reveal

  more details. "This fighter was designed for targeted use

  against pirates. It's a joint project between Orion Dynamics and the

  space conglomerate Helios Constructions, which specializes in

  replicating models of alien races and adapting alien technology for

  human purposes... You've probably heard of the Drifter, which is a

  replica of a Zaleri model, or the various Ka'Zal fighter models that

  Helios has researched and reproduced for us."

  Pilgrim

  nodded as he studied the hologram intently.

  "I'm

  familiar with Helios' work. It's impressive what they can do with the

  technologies of alien races. However, Valeria is more of an expert in

  this field. She was a pilot with the 323rd Squadron and flew Ka'Zal

  fighters herself."

  Irina

  nodded regretfully and continued, "Yes, her expertise would be

  invaluable to us now, but unfortunately she's not here... Project

  Predator is another attempt to adapt advanced technologies from alien

  races and combine them in a fighter designed specifically for combat

  against organized criminal groups. The plan was to position this

  fighter as a pirate hunting ship on the civilian market. We wanted to

  create a ship that had the strength and firepower of the E7 Eagle,

  but was flexible enough to be used effectively in the hands of

  civilian militias and security companies, while also being easy to

  maintain."

  She

  zoomed in on the ship's main armament. "The main weapon of this

  fighter, the projectiles you saw yourself, come from a previously

  unknown alien race. This technology is particularly dangerous because

  the projectiles reach extremely high temperatures and literally burn

  through the armor of ships. There are indications that these weapons

  use a form of energy conversion that we do not fully understand. We

  only have rudimentary data on this race, but the projectiles..."

  She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I assume you remember

  the orange glowing projectiles."

  Pilgrim

  snorted softly and nodded. "I do, Irina. That thing literally

  tore Valeria's Eagle to shreds. I've never seen anything like it.

  Even the F7 doesn't stand a chance against weapons like that. How

  many guns of this type does the fighter actually have?"

  Irina

  gave him a serious look. "A total of six, arranged in pairs, one

  pair under the bow of the ship, the other two pairs integrated into

  the wings, all corresponding to size 4.

  size

  4. It was a revolutionary step for us to test and integrate these

  weapons. But we wanted to make sure they didn't fall into the wrong

  hands. And now it looks like that's exactly what happened."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Pilgrim

  crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at the hologram in

  silence. "How is that possible, Irina? How can a ship from this

  project already be operational when it supposedly never made it past

  the planning stage?"

  Irina

  sighed and shook her head slightly. "There are still many

  unanswered questions, Steven. As far as we know, Project Predator

  should only exist on paper. But someone not only stole the plans,

  they also had the resources to build a working model. Maybe even more

  than one. And this weapon technology... it's extremely dangerous."

  "If

  that ship is out there," Pilgrim muttered thoughtfully,

  "what's

  stopping these people from building a whole fleet of them?"

  Irina

  shrugged. "That's one of the questions we urgently need to

  answer. If they've already completed one ship, they could be working

  on more. But we don't know yet who exactly is behind this."

  Pilgrim

  took a step back and looked at the hologram of the Predator hunter

  again. "One thing is certain. Whoever built this thing intends

  to use it. And if we don't do something, it could quickly get out of

  control."

  Irina

  looked at him, her eyes serious and determined. "We'll find out

  who it is, Steven. And we'll stop them."

  Steven

  "Pilgrim" Bailey let his gaze wander over the hologram of

  the Predator hunter, his eyes narrowed. "The hull shape... it

  reminds me a lot of the Raiders," he muttered thoughtfully.

  Irina,

  standing next to him, nodded. "That's a valid observation,

  Steven. In fact, the Raider was the model for the Predator's hull.

  Predator.

  But that comparison is similar to that between a domestic cat and a

  cougar. They may look alike on the outside, but the Predator is in a

  completely different league in terms of firepower, technology, and

  threat potential."

  Pilgrim

  grinned slightly and agreed, "Yes, you're right. The Raider is a

  beast for its size, but this... this is a whole different challenge."

  His attention moved on to the engines. "What about the engines?

  They look massive."

  Irina

  moved closer to the hologram and zoomed in on the ship's rear

  engines. "The Predator is powered by a total of six engines,

  which are a special modification of the VTOL engines used in our

  Vanguard class." She pointed to the engines, which were arranged

  in a distinctive triangular formation on both sides of the ship. "The

  lower engine on each side can be used as a VTOL engine, giving the

  Predator extremely high maneuverability."

  Pilgrim

  frowned and looked more closely at the arrangement. "That

  explains why it was able to maneuver so quickly and precisely. It was

  almost impossible to predict its movements. It turned as if it had no

  mass."

  "Exactly,"

  Irina agreed. "The combination of six engines and the VTOL

  system gives it a maneuverability that even the best Navy fighters

  can hardly achieve. Especially in atmospheric conditions or in

  confined space stations, this ship would be unbeatable. But that's

  not all." She zoomed out further on the hologram and pointed to

  the entire hull.

  "The

  Predator is also 30% more heavily armored than the two variants of

  the Eagle, making it particularly resilient in direct firefights. And

  that's not all either. The Predator's shields are based on a special

  Zaleri design developed by Helios. These shields offer extraordinary

  protection. They provided us with this technology based on their work

  with alien races."

  Pilgrim

  raised an eyebrow. "Zaleri shields? I've heard of them, and I

  know the Drifter has shields like that too, but that's an almost pure

  Zaleri model. I didn't know this technology could be transferred to

  human designs."

  Irina

  nodded. "Yes, Zaleri technology, especially their shield

  technology, is legendary. Helios has managed to adapt their shields

  and make them usable for human ships. The Predator uses this

  technology, which means that its defensive systems are at a level far

  beyond what we could expect from other civilian fighters."

  "Shit,"

  Pilgrim crossed his arms and looked at the ship thoughtfully. "So

  we're dealing with a fighter that's faster, more agile, better

  armored, and better protected than anything we've seen before. And

  then there are those damn orange glowing projectiles..." His

  gaze darkened as he remembered how those projectiles had nearly torn

  Valeria's Eagle apart.

  "Yes,"

  Irina said quietly. "The Predator is a deadly machine. It was

  supposed to be our ultimate protection against organized piracy.

  Instead... it has now become a threat."

  Pilgrim

  took a deep breath. "If there are more of those things out

  there, we have a huge problem."

  Irina

  nodded gravely. "And that's exactly what we have to prevent. We

  have a mole, Steven, and someone has put this technology into the

  wrong hands. We have to find out who it was before it's too late."

  Pilgrim

  nodded thoughtfully and turned his gaze back to the menacing hologram

  of the Predator. "This isn't going to be an easy fight, Irina.

  But if anyone can stop it, it's us."

  Steve

  focused on the Predator's hologram again, his brow furrowed. "How

  many pilots does this monster actually need to fly it?" he

  asked, expecting that such a

  powerful

  ship would require a crew or at least an exceptionally skilled pilot.

  To

  his surprise, Irina replied curtly, "None."

  Pilgrim

  blinked and stared at Irina as if he had misunderstood her.

  "None?"

  he repeated, incredulous.

  Irina

  nodded slowly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "The

  Predator is a drone, Steven. It's controlled by artificial

  intelligence."

  The

  words hit Pilgrim like a punch in the gut. He took a step back, his

  hands clenching into fists. "An AI? You used a damn AI to

  control this monster?" His voice was thick with shock and

  burgeoning anger. "Irina, humanity has had bad experiences with

  AIs before.

  Have

  you forgotten the history of the AI wars in the 21st century?

  Artificial intelligence... this is madness!"

  Irina's

  gaze remained calm, but she could understand his reaction. "We

  know the risks, and we know what happened in the 21st century,

  Steven. Believe me, it was not an easy decision to use this

  technology." She sighed softly. "The AI was to be

  thoroughly tested before the Predator project even went into

  production mode. We wanted to make sure that the AI didn't take

  control, that it didn't fail in the way it did in the late 21st

  century."

  "And

  yet," Pilgrim said angrily, "this thing is out there and it

  almost killed Valeria!"

  Irina

  nodded seriously. "That's right. And I know that AIs are

  anything but popular with the general public. They're not officially

  banned, but we all know the prejudices and stories about the dangers.

  That's why it should take as long as it takes to make sure the AI is

  under control."

  Pilgrim

  ran his hand through his hair, his thoughts racing.

  "Whoever

  built this thing obviously had no interest

  interest

  in waiting for all these safety protocols. They just acted."

  "That's

  exactly the point, Steven," Irina said quietly. "The

  question is not only who did it, but also why. What is their goal?"

  Pilgrim

  looked back at the hologram of the Predator. "Whatever their

  goal is, if they build a fleet of these things, we're in for a huge

  problem."

  Irina

  stepped beside him and looked at the hologram as well. "We know

  that. And that's exactly why we need to find out who's behind it.

  I'll talk to Roger Hodgson and speed up our investigation. We have no

  time to lose."

  As

  Irina Akerman and Steven "Pilgrim" Bailey continued to

  discuss Project Predator, they tried to find an explanation for why

  the AI-controlled drone had suddenly started attacking ships.

  *

  * *

  At

  that moment, Roger Hodgson, Orion Dynamics' head of security, entered

  the room. His expression was serious and cool, as always. "We

  have a serious problem," he began without preamble. "Our

  chief developer, Kar'Tak, has disappeared without a trace."

  Pilgrim

  commented dryly, "Well, now we know who built and programmed the

  drone."

  Irina

  stood motionless, her eyes narrowing. "Kar'Tak? That can't be! I

  trusted him... He wasn't just one of our best developers, I

  considered him a friend." Her voice trembled slightly with

  suppressed anger.

  "It

  looks like he betrayed us all," Roger said. "Not only did

  he steal the plans, he also built the ship."

  Irina

  shook her head, visibly angry. "We have to find him and stop

  him. And we have to do it discreetly. This crisis must not become

  public."

  Hodgson

  nodded in agreement and then turned to Pilgrim.

  "Commander

  Bailey, will you also be participating in the consultation?"

  Before

  Pilgrim could answer, Irina interjected. "Yes, Steven will

  participate. We need his experience in fighting this type of threat."

  She looked intently at Pilgrim. "Your help is urgently needed,

  Steven."

  Pilgrim

  nodded. “Of course. I’m in.”

  A

  short time later, Irina and Jonas Akerman, Roger Hodgson, Orion CEO

  Andre Kirow, and Steven Bailey gathered in a secluded conference

  room. Holograms of the attacks and reports from the last few hours

  floated above the table.

  Hodgson

  was the first to speak. "There is only one drone at the moment.

  Kar'Tak apparently used a decommissioned production facility to build

  this one ship. So far, we have found no evidence of mass production."

  Jonas

  Akerman frowned. "So this is our only chance. We have to destroy

  it before more of these things show up."

  Hodgson

  nodded. "Exactly. But that doesn't make it any less dangerous.

  This drone is highly advanced, and its weapons are devastating."

  Pilgrim

  folded his arms and looked thoughtfully out the window. "We have

  to track down and destroy this drone before it causes any more

  damage. At the same time, we have to find Kar'Tak."

  Hodgson

  agreed. "We suspect that the attack on the Orion One was also

  ordered by Kar'Tak, but that cannot be proven at this time."

  Irina

  tapped her fist lightly on the table. "Proof or no proof, we

  can't hesitate any longer. Roger, put all available forces on finding

  Kar'Tak's whereabouts. And we have to stop the drone before it

  strikes again."

  The

  group nodded in agreement, and preparations began for the hunt

  for

  the Predator drone and its creator began.

  When

  Jonas Akerman suggested calling in the military for help, there was a

  moment of silence in the room. Irina crossed her arms and leaned

  back, her gaze hard and determined.

  "That's

  out of the question," she said finally. "If we involve the

  military, it will inevitably become known that Orion Dynamics has

  developed a drone hunter. That would be a PR disaster for the entire

  corporation, especially since the military views us critically."

  Jonas

  frowned. "But Mother, we're talking about an AI-controlled

  fighting machine here. If we try to stop this thing on our own and

  fail, we risk even greater damage."

  Irina

  shook her head. "The risk of this information becoming public is

  too high. The competition would tear us to pieces, and the political

  consequences could be devastating. Not to mention the loss of trust

  among our partners and customers. No, we have to handle this

  internally."

  Pilgrim

  watched the two of them and chimed in: "Irina's right, Jonas. We

  can't risk the military finding out about this. I know how the

  military thinks; they would immediately try to destroy the company,

  and Orion Dynamics would be in serious trouble." He paused

  briefly and then added, "What we need is a way to track down the

  drone itself before it strikes again."

  Irina

  nodded. "That's exactly what we have to do. The question is how

  we find it."

  Pilgrim

  sat up straight, his gaze determined. "I'll follow the trail of

  attacks. With my E7 Eagle, I can remain relatively inconspicuous, but

  I'll have enough firepower to defend myself. When I find the drone,

  I'll relay the position to you, and you can send a fleet of Orion

  combat ships to destroy the thing."

  Jonas

  looked skeptical. "That's risky. That drone is dangerous,

  Steven. You saw what it did to Valeria's Eagle."

  "I

  know," Pilgrim replied seriously. "But we have no other

  choice. We have to track down and neutralize the drone before it

  causes any more damage. And if we can't get the military involved,

  then we'll have to do it ourselves. We were taken by surprise the

  first time we encountered it, but now I know what I'm dealing with

  and can assess the capabilities of that thing much better."

  Irina

  looked at Pilgrim intently and nodded slowly. "Steve, if you do

  this, you will bear a great responsibility. But I trust you."

  She paused briefly, then added, "If you succeed, it will not

  only save the corporation, but also the lives of many people. You and

  Valeria will receive a great reward for this. I promise!"

  Pilgrim

  looked at her seriously. "I'm not concerned about the reward,

  Irina. But I have to see this through. For Valeria's sake, too."

  “We’ll

  send a fleet as soon as you’ve tracked down the drone,” confirmed

  Roger Hodgson. “But be careful. This drone is not to be

  underestimated.”

  "I

  know, Roger," Pilgrim replied. "I'll be careful."

  *

  * *

  Steve

  walked slowly down the quiet hospital corridor. The subdued lighting

  and the soft sound of medical equipment intensified the gravity of

  the moment. He approached the room where Valeria was still in an

  induced coma. Although she was unconscious, the doctor had assured

  him that she was on the mend. But it was a slow process, and patience

  was the most important thing in situations like this.

  Steve

  quietly entered the room and stood next to her bed. Valeria was

  connected to various medical devices that monitored her vital signs

  ,

  and her breathing was steady. Part of him was relieved to see her so

  peaceful, but the anger over what the Predator drone had done to her

  burned deep inside him.

  "Val,"

  he whispered softly, even though she couldn't hear him. "You can

  do this... And I'm going to find that thing that did this to you."

  He

  stayed for a while, watching her quiet breathing and promising

  himself that he would track down the drone and destroy it. It wasn't

  just a mission. It was personal.

  After

  saying goodbye, Steve left the hospital and made his way to the

  spaceport. His goal was clear: find the drone before it could do any

  more damage.

  When

  he arrived at the spaceport, he didn't let the routine distract him.

  This time was different. The thought of the potential threat posed by

  the Predator drone weighed heavily on him. He knew the enemy was

  extremely dangerous, so he left nothing to chance.

  He

  reached his E7C Eagle, which was waiting for him in the hangar. The

  familiar ship had proven to be a reliable companion. But this time,

  he checked every system, every weapon, and every engine particularly

  thoroughly. The weapons were charged, the shields were working

  perfectly, and the flux drive was ready.

  Steve

  checked the energy displays once more before completing the

  checklist. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Not today.

  With

  a quiet sigh and a last glance at the activities at the spaceport, he

  sat down in the cockpit, buckled up, and started the systems. The

  familiar hum of the Eagle calmed him a little. But the thought of

  Valeria and the impending danger kept him focused.

  "This

  is Pilgrim, all ready for takeoff," he reported over the radio

  channel.

  "Clear,

  Pilgrim," replied the voice of control. "Good luck out

  there."

  The

  engines roared to life with a deep hum, and the Eagle lifted off

  gently. He set course and accelerated into the endless expanse of

  space, searching for traces of the attacks that would hopefully lead

  him to the Predator drone.

  "I'll

  find you," he muttered quietly to himself as the stars blurred

  around him and he set off into the vastness of space.