Lieutenant Takeshi Kovacs

Lieutenant Kovacs is one of the officers fighting for the Protectorate against Kemp, who is the owner of the planet the war is over. Lieutenant Kovacs is attached to the Wedge unit. The Lieutenant is injured in the war, so he is taken to a hospital floating in space. While at the hospital, the Lieutenant has his sleeve repaired and is able to rest, relax and recover on a fjord, which is really just a visual projection screen that makes it appear as if he is on the fjord.

Kovacs is the main character in the novel. He ends up working with Schneider and an archaeologist, Tanya Wardani, on an expedition to uncover a Martian ship on Dangek. Even though Kovacs is not the commander of the crew that ultimately works to open the gate and excavate the Martian ship, Kovacs plays a pivotal role in...