Dark Space: The Invisible War by Jasper T. Scott Page A

Roan.”
    Tova’s eyes narrowed again. “You can make ship invisible?”
    Ethan shook his head and Tova hissed. “This is not dangerous—is impossible,” she said.
    “We have to try. For Roan’s sake and for ours. And we need your help, Tova. If we can’t make ourselves invisible we have to at least be able to detect the Sythians who are.”
    Tova hissed again and this time she bared her fangs. “I help you, crazy human, but not from here. No longer from the shadows. I stay by your side so that you live to rescue the lord of my crèche.”
    Ethan smiled to cover the grimace which was tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. First let me formally introduce you to the crew, and then I’ll bring you onto the bridge. You’ll have to wear a uniform of course, but we’ll have one made.”
    “No uniform,” Tova said. “I wear armor.”
    Ethan’s smile broadened, but inwardly he scowled. “Tova, in our society people wear clothes not armor. To live among us you must make some compromises.” Out of the corner of his eye Ethan noticed Atton shaking his head.
    “I make compromise already. I don’t eat you for letting your crèche mates to capture Roan.”
    “Tova, you’ll make my crew uneasy if you’re wearing your armor.”
    Tova hissed again. “Then I wear nothing, but then you are to make your ship dark and cold like night.”
    Ethan frowned. “Don’t push me, Tova.”
    “I do not push you. Do your eyes hurt in dark as mine do in light? Does your skin burn in heat?” Tova loomed closer still.
    “We’ll turn down the climate controllers and the lights, but you’ll have to adapt to a slightly warmer and brighter environment.”
    Tova’s eyes flared wide and she bared her fangs, hissing loudly. “You adapt to me!”
    “You need us to help you as much as we need you, Tova. Think about it. Roan needs you. It’ll only be for a few days.”
    Tova hissed one last time and looked away from them. “I wait to be brought to bridge,” she said.
    Ethan nodded. “We’ll be back soon.” He turned on his heel and began descending the stairs with Atton. Their bodyguards kept a careful watch on Tova as they left the icy darkness of her crèche.
    “You shouldn’t have been so demanding with her,” Atton said.
    “Relax, it went well. She agreed to our conditions, didn’t she?” Ethan replied.
    “She didn’t agree to anything. Did you see the way she looked away from us?” The door to Tova’s crèche swished shut behind them.
    Ethan frowned. “Yes, wasn’t that a sign of her giving in?”
    Atton laughed. “It’s an expression of extreme displeasure. We are unworthy of her sight. In Gor society, only those who have fallen out of favor are treated that way. She does not like us at all.”
    Ethan snorted. “Well, I’m not too fond of her myself.”
    “It may be hard to get her cooperation.”
    “She’ll come around. Her life and Roan’s are at stake, too. Meanwhile, I’d better think of how I’m going to break the news to our crew.”
    “They’re not going to like her either.”
    “Well, we’re all just going to have to get along.”
    They entered the lift tube at the end of the long, dark corridor which they’d taken to reach Tova’s crèche. The guards entered behind them, and Ethan watched as they turned to cover the entrance of the lift, presenting their backs to him. They were the same guards that knew Dr. Kurlin had created the virus which had killed almost everyone aboard the Valiant . Ethan spent a moment eyeing them before turning to Atton. “We have some reassignments to make, don’t we?” he said, nodding sideways to the guards in the lift.
    Atton caught his meaning and nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
    Ethan smiled. “Good. We need everything to go smoothly over the next week.”
    The lift arrived with an almost imperceptible jolt that spoke of a better-functioning inertial management system, and then the doors swished