She glanced up when the hatch to the Command Deck opened and Chad and Cinque stepped in. That she’d already claimed the captain’s chair granted her a small amount of clout. Chad settled for the astrogation officer’s seat, reaching for the coffee pot that steamed on the galley stove immediately to his left, which was a smooth move on his part. Gave him control of the refreshments. Cinque took the chair by the door, the ghost of a smile hinting that he was above such petty concerns as who sat where. As always, he wore form-fitting light-absorbing black. What was the point of being physically intimidating if you didn’t dress the part?

Chad, as usual, wore the finest of Silurian silks and photofabric that played light patterns in geometric shapes and colors over his finely tailored suit. The man’s amber designer eyes sparkled with challenge as he locked them with Falise’s and poured his coffee. For today, he’d had his long blond hair coiffed into a flowing wave that curled up and out above his left ear. Made his head look off balance. He’d oiled his walnut-brown skin so that it shone in the light.

And yes—unlike the crew and transportees—they and their staffs all had hair. They were, after all, the privileged scions of Board families. Regulations didn’t apply to them like it did to the menials who flew the ship or the transportees down in the warren on C Deck.

“Good of you to come,” Falise opened, giving Chad a winning smile. “So much to do now that the planet’s close.”

“Bart’s on the way,” Cinque said in an offhand manner. “Detained, you know. It’s so hard to break in a new valet. Takes so long to train them. Oh, it’s not so hard to get them to bend over and spread on command, but those pesky nuances of clothing? That takes a lifetime of training and study. After all, who could stand being given a red scarf to go with an orange jacket?”

“Black does make it so much easier,” Chad agreed. “When it comes to your own valet, they don’t need to know anything about fashion, taste, or design. While I can see why it’s forced you to wear the darkest of the dark, should you ever care to explore a more worldly wardrobe, I’d be delighted to loan you Charlotte for a week or so. I think she could do wonders when it comes to building a new you. And, my friend, you are in desperate need of a new you. Dressed in stygian darkness as you are, you’ll vanish into the shadows when surrounded by Donovanians in their rainbow colors.”