wasn't the one I aimed at. The
sun's pull is worse than I figured."

The damaged snapper-boat instantly blasted from its nose tubes,
decelerated and went into reverse, flipping through space crabwise as it
tried to regain the safety of the cruiser. The two boats that had crashed
while trying to dodge were blasting in great spurts of flame, following
the example of their damaged companion.

"Seven left," Rip called, and another rocket flashed on its way. He
followed its trail as it curved away from the asteroid and into the
squadron. Its proximity fuse detonated in the exhaust of a Connie boat,
blowing the tube out of position. The boat yawed wildly, cut its stern
tubes, and blasted to a stop from the bow tube. Then it, too, started
backward toward the cruiser.

Six left!

Flame blossomed a few yards from Rip. He was picked up bodily and flung
into space, whirling end over end. Koa's voice rang in his helmet.

"Watch it! They're firing back!"

Rip tugged frantically at an air bottle in his belt. He pulled it out and
used it to whirl him upright again, then its air blast drove him back to
the surface of the asteroid. Sweat poured from his forehead and the suit
ventilator whined as it worked to pick up the extra moisture. Great
Cosmos! That was close.

Koa called, "All right, sir?"

"Fine."

Santos fired again, twice, in rapid succession. The Connie snapper-boats
scattered as the proximity fuses produced flowers of fire among them. Two
near misses, but they threw the enemy off course. Rip watched tensely as
the boats fought to regain their course. He knew asteroid, cruiser, and
boats were speeding toward the sun at close to 50 miles a second, and the
drag was getting terrific. The Connies knew it too.

There was an exultant yell from the Planeteers as two of the boats gave up
and turned back, using full power to regain the safety of the mother ship.

Four left, and they were getting close!

Santos scored a direct hit on the nose of the nearest one, but its
momentum drove it within a few yards of the asteroid. Five space-suited
figures erupted from it, holding hand propulsion units, tubes of rocket
fuel used for hand combat in empty space.

The Connies lit off their propulsion tubes and drove feet first for the
asteroid. The Planeteers estimated where the enemy would land, and were
there waiting with pointed handguns. The Connies had their hands over
their heads, holding the propulsion tubes. They took one