Steve's

  Eagle ascended into the dense layers of Valkor's atmosphere with a

  deafening roar from its engines. The engines shook the ground as the

  ship shot upward at an impressive speed, climbing higher and higher

  until it finally disappeared as a tiny dot in the sky. On the

  spacious roof terrace of Orion Dynamics headquarters, Irina Akerman,

  her son Jonas Akerman, Andre Kirow, and Roger Hodgson stood in tense

  silence, watching the launch.

  The

  sky had turned the colors of dusk, and the first stars were twinkling

  on the horizon.

  Irina

  let her gaze wander after the ship, her thoughts obviously on Steve

  and the dangerous mission he had just begun. "Well, Andre?"

  she finally asked, a serious undertone in her voice. "Is the

  Colossus ready?"

  Andre,

  who was standing next to her with his arms crossed behind his back,

  nodded briefly. His HoloSync activated with a soft hum as he

  activated it. "Yes, Irina. The Colossus is fully operational."

  He tapped the holographic display a few times and added, "I'll

  give the order to get it ready for launch now. As soon as Commander

  Bailey relays the drone's position, the

  Colossus

  will take off."

  Irina

  watched Andre give the order and raised her eyebrows slightly.

  "Good," she said quietly. "As soon as he finds it,

  we'll have to act fast."

  Roger

  Hodgson, the head of the security team, folded his arms across his

  broad chest and also let his gaze wander across the sky. "Steven

  Bailey volunteered, but it's not an easy task," he commented

  soberly. "The Predator drone

  is

  heavily armed and extremely dangerous. But he seems to be a highly

  competent pilot, and if anyone can track it down, it's him."

  Jonas,

  who always remained somewhat skeptical and calm, turned to Andre.

  "The Colossus... Will it really be enough? We're not just

  talking about any enemy here. This is technology developed by our

  company." His gaze shifted to his mother. "And if we don't

  handle this discreetly..."

  "It

  will be enough," Andre replied resolutely. "The Colossus is

  one of our most resilient developments. After all, it's not a

  helpless freighter! It's built to withstand massive firepower and can

  survive even dicey situations. But as I said, Commander Bailey's job

  is not to destroy the drone. He just has to find it and relay its

  position to us. Then we'll send the Colossus and the escort fleet."

  Irina

  nodded, her thoughts still seeming to linger on Steve and the

  upcoming mission. "And what happens if the drone spots him?"

  Her voice betrayed a slight concern that she rarely showed.

  “Then

  it will retreat,” Andre replied.

  The

  group remained silent for a moment, watching intently, while the roar

  of Steve's Eagle was now only a faint echo in the distance.

  "God,

  give him the strength he needs," Irina whispered finally, her

  gaze still fixed on the horizon.

  *

  * *

  Steven

  chcked the coordinates of his next navigation point and set the flux

  drive of his Eagle for the upcoming jump. The vast space around him

  was quiet, the stars shining in the distance, but Steve knew that the

  silence could be deceptive.

  .

  The Predator drone was out there somewhere, and he had to find it

  before it struck again.

  After

  a few moments, his Eagle emerged from flux drive and slowed down as

  the space around him took on clear shapes again. His scanners hummed

  and began scanning the area for anomalies and ships. Immediately, the

  systems reported debris—and not just a little.

  "What

  the hell...?" Steve muttered as the first data appeared on his

  displays.

  Before

  him floated the remains of a large ship – a 987 Luxury, one of the

  most luxurious passenger ships known to mankind. The elegantly

  designed spacecraft from manufacturer Eccentric Space Industries was

  now nothing more than a shattered and torn hull drifting in the

  infinite vacuum of space. Metal parts and debris floated everywhere,

  reminding him of the attack that had apparently taken place here

  recently.

  Steve

  slowly glided his Eagle through the debris field and scanned the

  remains for clues. "No attacker in sight," he muttered

  thoughtfully, concentrating on his surroundings. His fingers danced

  across the controls as he tried to identify the ship's signatures.

  But

  what he discovered made him take a deep breath. Numerous human bodies

  floated weightlessly in the darkness, frozen and lifeless. They were

  the passengers of the 789 Luxury, who had been hurled into the

  merciless cold of space by the destruction of the ship.

  Their

  elegant clothing, the luxurious furnishings of the destroyed ship—all

  of this stood in stark contrast to the horrific sight of the rigidly

  frozen corpses now drifting like macabre ghosts among the wreckage.

  "Damn...

  I'm no fan of luxury design, but no ship deserves this!"

  whispered Steve as the reality of the moment

  .

  These people had had no chance. The attack had been swift and

  merciless.

  He

  let his ship glide on, his eyes scanning the darkness of space for a

  clue as to the attacker's identity. But there was nothing to be seen.

  The Predator drone had moved on, but the trail of destruction it left

  behind was clear.

  Steve

  activated his radio channel and sent a short message.

  "This

  is Pilgrim. I have located the wreckage of a Luxury. No survivors.

  The passengers... they are all dead. No sign of the attacker."

  The

  radio silence that followed felt like a leaden veil. Steve knew he

  had to move on to find the drone. But the sight of the lifeless

  bodies that had once traveled through space in luxurious splendor

  haunted him.

  "Damn

  it..." he muttered again and set course for the next navigation

  point.

  *

  * *

  Steve

  steered his Eagle precisely through space, keeping course for the

  next navigation point. His sensors were already searching for traces

  of the next attack, and it wasn't long before the image of a

  destroyed freighter formed on his displays. This time it was a mighty

  Titan from the manufacturer Nimbus Aerospace, which had apparently

  suffered the same fate as the 789 Luxury before it.

  As

  Steve approached, he saw another field of debris floating through

  space like a sad mosaic. Debris from the large freighter drifted like

  lost puzzle pieces in the void, and the sight was now familiar to

  Steve. No survivors, no traces of the attacker—just the cold,

  merciless vacuum enveloping the remains.

  "This

  is Pilgrim," he reported matter-of-factly over the radio to his

  .

  "I've located the next debris field. A Titan, completely

  destroyed. No sign of the drone, but the attack clearly originated

  from it."

  A

  moment passed before Irina's voice came over the channel.

  "Understood, Steven. This is disturbing. I'll send more

  coordinates of attacked ships, stay tuned."

  Shortly

  thereafter, Steve received the new data. It was a trail of

  destruction he was following, as if he were a hunter stalking an

  invisible predator. He checked the new coordinates and set course for

  the next navigation point. "Understood, Irina. I'm leaving."

  *

  * *

  The

  flux drive hummed quietly as Steve entered the next jump coordinates.

  It took only a few moments before the familiar feeling of transition

  carried him through space. The new navigation point marked the

  location of another attack—this time it was a Leviathan named

  "Babushka."

  When

  the jump was complete, Steve's eyes focused intently on the displays

  of his Eagle. But something was different. No debris field. No

  destroyed ship parts drifting through space. Instead... nothing.

  "This

  is Pilgrim," he said with slight surprise. "I've arrived at

  the navigation point, but... there's no debris here. No sign of the

  Leviathan."

  There

  was silence on the radio before Irina's voice came back. "No

  debris? Are you sure?"

  "Yes,"

  Steve confirmed, running his Eagle's sensors at maximum power. "Not

  a single piece in space."

  Steve

  couldn't help but smile. "By the way... 'Ba-buschka'? Who names

  their freighter that?" He chuckled softly.

  But

  the lightheartedness of the moment quickly gave way to confusion when

  he realized that something much bigger was going on.

  Irina,

  who was quickly retrieving information in the background, reported

  back. "The Babushka was carrying extremely valuable cargo.

  Hada-nite. It looks like it wasn't destroyed. It appears to have been

  hijacked."

  Steve

  frowned. “Hijacked? So it’s not just destruction, but theft. That

  makes things even more complicated.”

  “It

  looks that way,” Jan replied thoughtfully. “Someone not only took

  advantage of the drone, but also used it to specifically hijack ships

  carrying valuable cargo. That explains why there are no debris from

  the Babushka.”

  "This

  is getting better and better," Steve muttered, sitting up

  straight.

  "If

  they hijacked the Babushka for the cargo, we have to find it."

  "Stay

  tuned, Steven. We'll try to find out more. I'll send new

  coordinates," Jan said. "And be careful."

  "Understood,"

  Steve replied as he prepared for the next steps.

  *

  * *

  As

  Steve flew toward the next coordinates, he thought about the unusual

  situation. His Eagle glided through space with its engines humming

  quietly as he headed for the last known coordinates of the freighter

  "Blue Sky," the next lead he was supposed to investigate.

  But when he reached the destination, there was nothing there again.

  No debris, no signs of a fight.

  "What

  the hell...?" Steve muttered as he scanned the entire area with

  his Eagle's sensors. He expected at least a destroyed ship, as in the

  previous encounters. But the

  Blue

  Sky had disappeared without a trace, just like the Babushka.

  "This

  is Pilgrim," he reported to Irina Akerman over the radio.

  "I've

  arrived at the Blue Sky's coordinates, but I can't find it. No

  debris, no ship. It looks like it's been hijacked too."

  Irina's

  voice came back after a short pause. "That's unusual. The drone

  was supposed to attack and destroy ships, but this looks different.

  So you didn't find anything?"

  "That's

  right," Steve confirmed as he continued to glide through the

  vacuum of space. "No wreckage, no sign of a fight. But I think

  the drone may be serving as a distraction."

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

  "A

  diversion?" repeated Roger Hodgson, who also reported in over

  the radio channel.

  "Yes,"

  Steve said thoughtfully. "I think the drone is only part of the

  plan. While it destroys ships and causes chaos, another group could

  be operating in the background. Maybe pirates or another organization

  that hijacks ships with valuable cargo. The Blue Sky was a freighter

  carrying military weapons. That's lucrative booty. The drone

  distracts everyone, and while we're focused on it, the pirates hijack

  the ships."

  Irina

  thought for a moment before agreeing. "That makes sense. It

  would explain why the drone attacks so indiscriminately and why some

  ships simply disappear without any debris."

  Andre

  added, "So we not only have to stop the drone, but also find out

  who is hijacking these ships."

  "That

  means there's more to these attacks than meets the eye," Roger

  said calmly. "This is a well-planned and organized operation."

  "Exactly,"

  said Steve. "The drone is just a tool to cause confusion. The

  real threat is those who are collecting these valuable cargoes."

  Irina's

  voice now sounded more determined. "Steve, you have to keep

  going. Find the next coordinates. If we find this group, we might be

  able to take out the drone too."

  "Understood,"

  Steve replied. "I'll head for the coordinates of the next ship

  and see what I find. But it looks like this thing is much bigger than

  we thought."

  *

  * *

  Steve

  approached the coordinates of the Skyway 3, another freighter with

  valuable cargo that had been lost somewhere near an asteroid field.

  The space around him was silent, only the regular beeps of his Eagle

  accompanying the approach. His scanners were already searching for

  signs of the freighter—or what was left of it.

  When

  he reached the debris field, he knew immediately that

  Skyway

  3 had suffered the same fate as the other ships. Broken pieces of the

  freighter were floating everywhere, slowly drifting in the emptiness

  of space. Steve ran his scanners through the debris, searching for

  survivors or any indication that anyone might have survived the

  attack.

  "This

  is Pilgrim," he reported to Irina Akerman over the radio.

  "I've

  found a field of debris here. No signs of survivors."

  He

  was about to continue analyzing the debris when his sensors suddenly

  sounded the alarm. One of the larger pieces of debris began to

  move—not drifting weightlessly, but deliberately.

  "What

  do we have here...?" Steve muttered, staring more closely at the

  moving piece of debris. To his horror, the supposed piece of debris

  turned out to be the Predator drone. It had hidden among the wreckage

  and was now heading straight for him.

  "This

  is Pilgrim! I've spotted the Predator!" he called over the

  radio.

  "It

  was hiding among the debris and is now coming toward me!"

  Irina

  responded immediately, her voice sounding tense. "Steve,

  back!

  We're sending the attack fleet. Wait until they get there!"

  "Steven,

  listen to Irina!" Andre Kirow chimed in. "You're alone! Let

  the fleet do the job!"

  But

  Steve had other plans. His eyes narrowed as he watched the murderous

  ship approaching him at frightening speed. "Irina, I'm the only

  one out here who has a chance against this thing. If I don't do

  anything now, it could retreat and strike again. I'm not risking any

  more casualties."

  "Steve!"

  Irina shouted over the radio, her voice almost panicked. "This

  is madness! Stop this heroic nonsense and wait for reinforcements!

  You're not invincible!"

  Steve

  flinched slightly at Irina's words, but his determination grew. "I

  respect you, but I'm not your subordinate, Irina," he replied

  calmly. "I know what I'm doing. I'm going to stop this thing

  right here, right now!"

  Before

  she could say anything else, Steve deactivated the open radio

  connection and prepared for the attack. His gaze was fixed on the

  Predator drone, which was now accelerating to full speed. The Eagle

  shook slightly as Steve activated the combat systems. He knew that

  this might be his most dangerous confrontation yet.

  "Come

  on, you damn thing," he muttered quietly and went on the

  offensive, ready to risk everything.

  The

  battle raged fiercely as Steve's Eagle and the Predator drone circled

  each other in a merciless dance of death. The vacuum of space was lit

  up by the flashing exchange of gunfire. The Eagle and the drone moved

  at insane speeds, each intent on finding the other's weak spot and

  landing the decisive blow.

  The

  gravitational forces generated by the abrupt maneuvers pressed Steve

  into his seat. His face contorted with effort as he tried to remain

  conscious. Every turn, every

  evasive

  maneuver demanded everything from his body. Sweat ran down his face,

  his breathing became heavy. The displays in his Eagle flashed wildly

  as the hull groaned under the forces of the battle.

  "Damn

  it," Steve growled through clenched teeth as he aimed at the

  drone and opened fire. His weapons sent a hail of bullets that hit

  the drone several times. But no sooner had he landed the hits than he

  noticed the drone's shields flashing as they regenerated almost

  immediately.

  "This

  thing is incredibly tough," he cursed loudly, struggling not to

  lose control.

  Suddenly,

  the ship jerked violently as his Eagle took several hits itself. The

  warning lights began to flash, and a loud warning signal pierced the

  deafening battle. His left wing, hit and severely damaged, broke off

  with a shower of sparks and spun away, while the Eagle groaned under

  the loss. Steve cursed loudly as the controls became sluggish and he

  fought against the loss of control.

  But

  he didn't give up. In a desperate maneuver, Steve steered his damaged

  ship back toward the drone, which was now also taking hits. Its

  shields began to flicker, and Steve knew he had hit it. He saw parts

  of the drone flash and become damaged.

  "The

  shields are almost gone!" he muttered, and he sent another

  volley straight into the drone's hull.

  Several

  of his shots penetrated the shields, which finally collapsed. "That's

  it!" he cheered briefly before realizing that something was

  wrong. The drone's shields, which had collapsed for a moment, began

  to regenerate almost instantly, as if nothing had happened.

  "Damn

  it!" he cursed loudly. "How can that be?" Normally, on

  a ship like the Falchion series or a Raider, such

  a

  hit would have resulted in weapons or equipment being torn off. On

  these types of ships, the weapons were mounted on external arms that

  would have been destroyed after a good hit.

  But

  the Predator was different. Its weapons were integrated into the hull

  and thus much better protected.

  "Damn,"

  Steve growled. "Of course they fixed that flaw."

  He

  pushed his Eagle to its limits, trying again to find a weak spot on

  the drone. But every time he thought he had an advantage, the drone's

  shields recovered and nullified his progress. The battle demanded

  everything from him—not only physically, but also mentally. He

  couldn't afford any mistakes.

  "Come

  on, you damn thing..." Steve whispered tensely as he opened fire

  again, his determination unbroken.

  He

  fought on doggedly as the Predator drone's shots rained down on him

  mercilessly. He dodged as best he could, but with each successive

  attack, his E7C Eagle lost more and more of its maneuverability. The

  once mighty warship was now little more than a patched-up wreck, with

  warning lights flashing in every corner of the cockpit. The systems

  flashed wildly as the hull shook and groaned.

  Each

  breath became harder for Steve, but he gritted his teeth. "Come

  on... you can't give up now," he muttered, almost more to his

  ship than to himself. His hands trembled slightly on the controls as

  he tried everything he could to evade the drone's next salvo.

  The

  Predator continued to pressure him, its orange-glowing projectiles

  piercing space like sharp blades. But the drone was also beginning to

  suffer. After all the hits and maneuvers, its shield energy was

  finally depleted, and it flickered briefly before the shields finally

  collapsed.

  Steve

  saw his chance. "Now I've got you," he whispered and fired

  his remaining weapons. But it wasn't enough. His Eagle was too badly

  damaged to muster the necessary firepower. Almost all of his weapons

  were destroyed, and the ship itself was barely maneuverable.

  Then

  he noticed the drone's shields slowly beginning to regenerate,

  flickering back into life. A feeling of despair crept over him.

  "Unbelievable, the thing is regenerating again..."

  Steve

  knew he didn't have much time left. He quickly looked around,

  searching for a last resort. His gaze fell on the displays of his

  ejector seat – and a desperate idea formed in his head.

  "If

  you won't give up, then I'll just take you with me," he muttered

  determinedly. He put the nearly destroyed Eagle on a collision course

  with the drone. Every part of his body screamed for a different plan,

  but Steve knew this was his last chance to stop the drone for good.

  He

  accelerated, his fingers clenched tightly around the controls, as the

  distance to the drone rapidly shrunk. The drone tried to evade, but

  Steve was faster.

  "That's

  it for you," he yelled as the drone appeared directly in front

  of him.

  At

  the very last moment, just before the two ships collided, Steve

  pulled the ejector seat lever. With a thunderous jolt, he was

  catapulted out of the cockpit, his vision blurring briefly as gravity

  pulled him out of the Eagle's cockpit.

  In

  complete silence, he watched his ship crash into the drone. A

  blinding explosion followed, a silent wave of light and metal shards

  spreading through space. The Eagle and the Predator drone were

  destroyed in a massive fireball, their remains drifting through space

  as glowing fragments.

  *

  * *

  Steve

  himself spun helplessly in the blackness of space. His breath came

  quickly as he realized the overwhelming moment—the drone was

  destroyed, but he was now alone and defenseless in the darkness. He

  tried to calm his breathing as he drifted helplessly. "I guess

  that's it..." he muttered, his gaze lost in the endless

  blackness of space.

  Steve

  drifted helplessly through the dark void of space, the remains of his

  Eagle and the Predator drone still in his field of vision. He

  breathed heavily as he struggled to maintain his bearings in the

  boundless blackness. The explosion had thrown him far away, and the

  thought of drifting alone and lost in space weighed heavily on him.

  Suddenly,

  his visor flickered, and he felt a strong jolt go through his body. A

  tractor beam had caught him. He felt himself being pulled gently but

  firmly in one direction, his movements controlled and guided. The

  tractor beam pulled him toward a ship that was rapidly approaching.

  As

  the ship came into view, Steve immediately realized that it was no

  ordinary ship. It resembled a Leviathan, but was significantly larger

  and more massive. The ship was three times as wide as a conventional

  Leviathan, its surface covered with thick, reinforced armor, and

  turrets mounted everywhere, pointing menacingly out into space. It

  was swarmed by packs of Raiders and Falchions, which patrolled the

  giant ship like guards. The name "Colossus" was emblazoned

  on the hull in large, distinctive letters.

  "Great..."

  Steve muttered wearily as the tractor beam pulled him closer to the

  massive ship.

  Finally,

  he was brought inside the ship through an airlock and landed gently

  on the deck. His helmet flipped back,

  and

  he took a deep breath as he looked around. Shortly thereafter, Irina

  and Jonas Akerman appeared before him, and Irina seemed anything but

  pleased.

  "Steven

  Bailey!" Jan snapped at him without warning. "What the hell

  were you thinking, ramming that thing? Are you tired of living?"

  Steve,

  still slightly dazed from the explosion and the fierce battle, slowly

  sat up. "Nice to see you too, Irina," he muttered, holding

  his helmet in his hand. "But honestly, I had no other choice.

  The drone was regenerating, and my ship was done for. It was the only

  option."

  Irina

  put her hands on her hips and stared at him sternly.

  "That

  was probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen! I never want to see

  you do anything that crazy again!"

  Steve

  raised his hands reassuringly. "Don't worry, Irina. I certainly

  don't intend to make a habit of it. But in this case... there was no

  other way."

  Jonas,

  who had remained silent until then, snorted slightly, but a faint

  smile crept onto his face. "The drone has been disabled, and

  that's more than any of us expected."

  “Yes,”

  Irina agreed, her voice a little softer. “The threat from the

  Predator drone is over. But that doesn’t change the fact that

  Kar’Tak is still on the run.”

  Steve

  nodded and looked at Irina and Jonas. "Why did he do that?

  And

  what does he plan to do with all the stolen cargo? Why this valuable

  freight?"

  Irina

  frowned and sighed deeply. "We don't know yet. But the next goal

  is clear: we have to find Kar'Tak before he causes any more damage."

  Steven looked around again as he recovered from the turbulent battle

  and took a closer look at the massive Colossus. The huge ship with

  its reinforced armor and impressive turrets had caught his interest.

  He couldn't remember ever hearing of this type before.

  "Irina,"

  he finally asked, looking over at her, "what exactly is this

  ship? I'm completely unfamiliar with this type."

  Irina,

  who had relaxed her stern expression somewhat, smiled slightly.

  "That, Steven, is the Colossus, the prototype of a heavily

  armored transport ship. It can be flexibly converted, either into a

  carrier ship for smaller fighters or as a vehicle transporter.

  We

  developed it specifically for this type of mission. And, of course,

  it can also be used to transport normal cargo."

  Steve

  raised an eyebrow skeptically. "That sounds exactly like what

  the military has been waiting for."

  Irina

  just grinned and nodded. "We're aware of that. We already have

  many offers from potential buyers. Among other things, it is intended

  as a successor to the Titan M, which the military currently uses to

  transport ground vehicles. This is also the first order the military

  has ever placed with Orion Dynamics... apart from the Falchions

  converted for medical transport, of course, but that was peanuts

  compared to the purchase of the Colossus series. But the Colossus is

  still in the testing phase. Today, it proved itself in an emergency

  situation for the first time."

  Steve

  let his gaze glide over the gigantic ship once more. "Well, it

  certainly did. Impressive piece of equipment."

  Meanwhile,

  the ship's tractor beams hummed quietly as they began to

  systematically collect the debris from the Predator drone and the

  remains of Steve's Eagle. The debris was carefully brought on board

  as the large ship finally set course for Valkor again. The journey

  was smooth, and as they penetrated the planet's atmosphere and headed

  for the Odyssa spaceport, Steve felt a mixture of relief and

  exhaustion.

  After

  landing, he stepped out of the ship and was surprised by a familiar

  but unexpected sight. His partner Valeria

  came

  to meet him, a broad but exhausted smile on her face. She was limping

  slightly, but before he could say anything, she was already with him

  and hugging him warmly.

  "Boss!"

  she exclaimed enthusiastically as she hugged him tightly. "I

  told you, you're going to kill yourself! I just didn't expect it to

  happen so soon!"

  Steve

  laughed softly, his arms carefully wrapped around Valeria so as not

  to aggravate her injuries. "Looks like I survived this time,"

  he said dryly and smiled.

  Valeria

  took a step back, her gaze fixed on him seriously. "I heard what

  you did. As crazy as it was... I'm glad you made it." She paused

  briefly and then grinned mischievously.

  "I

  just couldn't stay in the hospital while you were out there blowing

  everything up."

  Steve

  shook his head amusedly. "Of course you couldn't."

  Together,

  though still feeling the aftereffects of the battle, they left the

  spaceport airfield. The danger from the Predator drone was now over,

  but both knew that the hunt for Kar'Tak was still ahead of them. And

  that mission would probably be even more dangerous.