Sergeant-major Koa's great in of Rip. "Think they've us, sir?"
Rip to say it. "Probably. Koa, can you from the how away they are?"
"Not very well, Lieutenant. From the position of the streak, I'd say they're decelerating."
The Planeteers looked at Rip. He was in command, and they him to do something about the situation. Rip didn't know what to do. The launcher, their only weapon, wasn't designed for spaceships. It was useful against snapper-boats and people, but at a would be like sending to elephants.
He sized up their position. For one thing, they were right out in the open, to anything the Connie might at them. If they under cover, there might be a chance. It would at least take the Connies a while to them.
For a moment he of into the landing and sending out a call for help to the Scorpius, but he of it. They weren't that Connie had them. He would wait until there was no doubt. Meanwhile, they had to cover.
His on the torch. If they use that to cut themselves right into the ... he how it be done. On the sun he a series of high-piled, of thorium. They cut into the of one of those. And with Kemp's skill, they might be able to do it in time.
He called, "Kemp! Koa, the and fuel and me."
In his he took a and a above the metal surface. Koa, along him, him again. He saw that the Hawaiian was grinning. Rip back. It was the second time he had his footing.
They the of and Rip looked them over. The was 40 high. It was pyramidal, with a about 60 thick. It would do.
"Kemp." The private to his side. "Take the and make us a cave. Make it big for all hands and the equipment."
Kemp was a good Planeteer. He didn't stop to ask questions. He said, "I'll make a small entrance and open the out inside." He up the and got busy.
Rip smiled. The Planeteer was right. He should have of it himself, but it was good to see proof that his men were as well as and disciplined.
"Bring up all supplies," he told Koa. "Move the over here, too. We won't be able to that, but we want it close by." He had an idea for the landing boat. It than the big cruiser. They put the in the cave, then take to the boat, on its ability to turn and on Dowst's skill at to play and seek. Dowst keep the them and the cruiser.
The plan would fail when the sent a landing party. They would come in snapper-boats, and the little blast around the landing boat. The snapper-boats had their name fast and quick of position a man right out of his seat, if he to his tightly.
The would be to keep the landing close to the asteroid. At the of a landing party, they would blast in and take to the cave, using the as a defense.
The to arrive. The Planeteers them two at a time in a line of men.
Kemp's sent an knife three into the metal at each cut. He was out a cave. He cut the metal out in great bars, the from one side, then the other.
Koa came and Rip. "I haven't the Connie's for a while, sir. Looks like they've stopped decelerating. We can't see them at all."
"Meaning what?" Rip asked. He he knew, but he wanted Koa's opinion.
"They're in free now, sir. That they're just in the area. Or it mean, that they've stopped close by. They be looking us over, for all we know."
Rip the stars. "If that's so, they're not too close, Koa. Otherwise they'd out a of stars."
"Well, sir—" Koa hesitated. "I mean, if you were looking over this and you weren't sure the enemy had it or not, how close would you get?"
"Probably about one AU," Rip said jokingly. That was one unit, equal to about 93 miles, the from earth to the sun.
"That would be a good, safe distance, sir," Koa with a grin.
"But let's the Connie isn't as as I am," Rip on. "He might be only a miles out. The question is, would he wait to closer his snapper-boats?"
The big Hawaiian answered frankly, "I've been in a like this before. I don't know what the answer is."
Illustration: "That Connie Cruiser's Not Too Close, Koa."
"That Connie Cruiser's Not Too Close, Koa."
"We'll soon know," Rip grimly. A had just him. The Scorpius had trouble the it was just one of many along through the belt. But now the was the only one traveling across the belt. It would make an on any 'scope. It wasn't possible that the Connie had missed the and its significance.
"The Connie may be looking us over," Rip added, "but I can tell you one thing for sure. He we've taken the asteroid." Only hands a from its orbit.
Koa looked at the bomb which remained. "If we had a way to that thing at them...."
"But we haven't. And the thing wouldn't anyway. We don't have the with an mechanism, so it has to be on electrically." Rip see no way to use the bomb against the Connies. It was too big for use against a landing party. Besides, it would put the Planeteers in danger.
"Ever have trouble with the Connies before?" he asked Koa.
"More'n once, sir. Sometimes it like I'll a job where I don't have to Connies."
Rip was in science and Planeteer and he didn't to know the and of politics. Just the same, he couldn't help about the relationship the Consolidation of People's Governments and the Federation of Free Nations.
Connies and Feds, mostly Planeteers but sometimes spacemen, were skirmishing. They over property, over of on and moons, and over space salvage. Often there was bloodshed. Sometimes there were groups of size.
But at that point, the ended. The law of the Federation said that no fire on a Connie spaceship, or on Connie land bases, with special permission of the Space Council. The was that small men, or small like the snapper-boats, was not war. But on a was war, and the such act starting the Solar System.
It a of to Rip when he about it. Little here and there were than a full among the planets.
Koa his arm. "Sir! Look up!"
The on the of Rip's prickled. Far above, out in the shape of a spaceship. The Connie had arrived!
Rip ordered urgently, "Kemp! Stop cutting. The of you the under cover. Ram it!" He to a hand himself, into the cave.
Kemp had progress. There was room for the crates, if properly, and for the men besides. Rip the stacking, then the of the at the entrance.
"All hands the boat," he ordered. "Dowst, be to take off at a moment's notice. You'll have to this box around like before." He to the pilot his plan to dodge, the the and the cruiser.
"We'll make it, sir," Dowst said.
"I'm not worried," Rip replied, and it were true. He looked up at the Connie again. It was larger. The was a miles of the asteroid.
As Rip watched, fire from the and it moved with speed toward the asteroid's horizon. He the trail, why the Connie had off.
"He has something up his sleeve," Koa muttered. "Wish we what."
"Let's take no chances," Rip stated. "Come on."
The men were already in the boat. He and Koa joined them. They at a window, the Connie's trail.
The dwindled. Koa said, "Something's up!" Suddenly new fire from one of the and it spun. Balancing fire came from the other side, and for an the three a with the of the Connie's in the center. Then they see only the from the sides. The was out of sight.
"He's a full turn to come this way," Rip tensely. "Dowst, ready."
The Connie was 20 miles away. It larger, and the out. A later fire from the nose.
Rip rapidly. The had gone away to make a turn. It had out, right for them. Now the nose was blasting, the down.
He sighted, out one and the Connie's above the horizon, and his speeded. The Connie was right on the horizon!
"Ram it!" Rip called. "Around the asteroid. Quick!"
Acceleration him against his men as Dowst blasted. No sooner had he than in a different direction him up to the so hard that his rang. He his way to the window as the Connie by, the in flame.
There was a of from the men, as they saw the thing Rip had a moment before. The Consops was playing it safe, using its as a great to the surface of the clean!
The of the thing Rip's into a knot. No for surrender, no taking of prisoners. Not a clean fight. The Connie was doing its with fire, that the would every man on the asteroid's surface.
The Planeteers as the Connie away, with its and to come back. Dowst over the controls, trying to the next move. He touched the delicately, out just to maneuver. He the over the asteroid's surface to the away from the Connie, going slowly so they watch the enemy's every move.
"Here he comes," Rip snapped, and for acceleration. The landing to safety as the cruiser's nose flamed. Dowst was just in time. Tiny from the of the past the boat.
Rip that the Connie couldn't know the Federation men were in a boat, dodging. The would make about two more runs, just to allow for every of the asteroid. Then it would assume that anything on it was and send a landing party.
"He'll be back," he stated. "About twice more. Three at most." He the landing radio. "Dowst, where is the radio connection?"
The pilot him a wire with a on the end of it. Rip it into his belt. Now his voice would be on the Scorpius.
"Calling Scorpius! Calling Scorpius! Foster reporting. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack. Over to you."
The answer in his helmet. "Scorpius to Foster. Hold 'em, Planeteers. We're on our way!"
"Here comes the Connie," Koa yelled.
Rip braced. The landing forward, then the Planeteers in a on the as Dowst upward.
There was a crash that sent the Planeteers in a into the of the boat. It crazily, then stopped.
Rip was not hurt. He at someone was in his and the way. "Turn on lights," he called. "Quick!"
Lights on. He quickly, his light. The Planeteers were to their feet. His light on Private Bradshaw and he gasped.
Bradshaw's was scarlet, and his skin was with of blood. His were closed, and terribly.
Rip jumped forward, but big Koa was faster. The Hawaiian a repair from a pouch, it on the in Bradshaw's bubble.
Rip no time, either. By the time Koa had the in place he had the from his light. He ran the of the over the of the strip. The sealed the in place instantly.
Koa the on Bradshaw's and it. The up. Rip the repair in the light from Koa's belt. It held.
Rip his light as he asked swiftly, "Anyone else hurt? Answer by name."
There were quick replies; No one else had been injured.
"Run for the cave," Rip commanded. "Follow Koa. Santos and Pederson Bradshaw."
The Englishman's voice bubbly. "I can make it."
"Good for you!" Rip exclaimed. "Call for help if you need it."
Koa was already out of the and leading the way. Rip out through a window and saw the of the trouble. Dowst had been a too close to the asteroid. A particularly high of had the craft.
Rip looked for the Connie and saw it starting another turn. They had only a moment or two the next run. "Show an exhaust," he called. The Connie must have the opposite of the while they were up.
The was a of the away. Rip in the rear, for stragglers. But Bradshaw was moving rapidly. Koa the well ahead of the rest, for a of rockets, and it into the launcher.
Rip the men on. The Connie was off for another run.
They to safety as the past, the over the metal and sending into the cave.
Rip looked out. That, if he had right, was the last run. He the Connie's cut off, saw the nose as the to a fast stop.
"Check your weapons," he ordered.
He his pistol from the pocket and it carefully. There was a in the magazine. Other were in his pocket. The were with high that on contact. One stop a Venusian krel, a that had been as a a sea lion and a plant.
His knife was in place in the other pocket.
The Connie decelerated, into reverse, and came to a full stop about a mile from the asteroid. The Planeteers saw fire in two places along the hull, marking the of two small craft.
"Snapper-boats," Koa said tonelessly. "Five men in each, if those are the regular Connie kind."
Rip a quick decision. With only one they couldn't the whole asteroid. "We'll under cover, for Santos and Pederson. You two out. Take of every of you can find. I don't want you spotted. When a lands, report its position. The Connies on different frequencies, so they won't overhear. Well let them think they've the clean."
He paused. "They'll search for a while. Then, when they're well satisfied that all is quiet, we'll up." Rip at his Planeteers. "We can have a real, old-fashioned party."
Koa the safety catch from his pistol. "With fireworks," he added.
