Tiger by the Tail

A daring Imperial operative known for his daring sabotage finds himself waking up in an unfamiliar cabin—a wooden, hand‑carved interior far removed from the sleek metal of his own fleet. The air is heavy with alien scents, and the very walls betray a culture that blends primitive craft with advanced propulsion. As he scrambles to his feet, a horned, violet‑eyed guard confronts him, making it clear he’s a prisoner aboard a Scothani vessel, a race whose ambitions to undermine the Terran Empire are as bold as their alien appearance.

Caught between his own wits and the strange customs of his captors, the agent must navigate a world where barbaric trappings hide sophisticated technology. With every step, he looks for a weakness—perhaps the famed “Achilles’ heel” of these invaders—to turn the tables and keep the empire’s secrets from falling into alien hands.