I turned while quick, thick, grey blurs darted toward me. Up came long, wet, things like moving ropes of seaweed over my legs, arms, and back. Several I pulled off and threw against the far wall. Others I sliced with my Vibro-Blade but more slithered from the shadows. Their tails hooked against one another until I was nearly covered in living, cold, wet flesh.

I angled the Vibro-Blade toward my body. It would slice me, but I’d live. My muscles seized as bolts of electricity shot through. I fought against the pain, yet the blade fell out of my hand and skidded on the floor. Deep grooves dug into the floor where it fell.

Fuath looked with a wide toothy smile. “Inspiration from your mate’s homeworld… with some modifications. Electric eels are the name.”

I flexed to break the grip. With each attempt, they squeezed tighter and shocked me further. As unpleasant as the pain was, it was something I would gladly handle to save Peter. Yet, every attempt was unsuccessful.

For the first time in my life, I stared up into the eyes of Fuath. Rows of serrated teeth clicked back and forth. “Your mate is your undoing. I knew you couldn’t resist coming to rescue him.”

“Or to kill you,” I said.

“Yes, either would be an irresistible temptation and I gave you both.” He leaned down. “Hundreds of revolutions ago, your ancestors came down and offered us a deal. I’ll do the same. The life of your Omega. In exchange, all Volardi will leave this planet.”

“Not possible.”

“Pity you don’t care about him.”

To say I didn’t care, was an idiotic lie. There is little I wouldn’t do for Peter or our unborn child. Making the Volardi leave was well outside of my power. I would consider any chance to make sure Peter was okay, yet I knew this was doomed to fail.

Even if I were agreeable, the Emperor would not. Beyond Volardi pride, was practicality. If this worked once, other separatist systems would do the same. The last thing our empire needed was more enticement to attack our Femeni.

I shook my head, and hoped Peter understood. Within the mildew dank, it was difficult to get a fix on his exact scent.

I’ll save you.

“You speak of us coming down to save you,” I said. “Yet you’re ungrateful for your blessings. Fine. If you don’t want the Volardi hand, then the boot instead.”

“Says the man bound in living flesh,” said Fuath.

Peter moaned out a reply, but I didn’t understand the words. Even with the translator, ‘Life Technology’ made no sense. He must have sensed the whiff of my confusion. “Living Weapons,” he said.

His people would call it, “Bio-Technology” said Fuath. Several Volardi monitors and cameras flew into place. “There are some limitations. For now, we use some of your technology.”