ght.

The Planeteers rounded up the prisoners and secured them while Rip took an
anxious look at the communicator. It was about time he heard from Terra
base.

The light was glowing. For all he knew, it might have been glowing for
many minutes. He plugged into the circuit.

"This is Foster on the asteroid."

"Terra base to Foster. Listen, you will reach optimum position on the
time-distance curve at twenty-three-oh-six. Repeat back,
twenty-three-oh-six."

"Got it. We will reach optimum position at twenty-three-oh-six." He looked
at his chronometer and his pulse stopped. It was 2258! They had just eight
minutes before the sun caught them forever, atomic blast or no!

And the Connie cruiser was still overhead, with no friendly cruisers in
sight. He looked up, white-faced. Not only was the Connie still there, but
its main air lock was sliding open to disclose a new danger.

In the opening, ready to launch, an assault boat waited. The assault boats
were something only the Connies used. They were about four times the size
of a snapper-boat, less maneuverable but more powerful. They carried 20
men and a pair of guided missiles with atomic warheads!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - THE ROCKETEERS

Rip ran for the snapper-boat, feet moving as rapidly as lack of gravity
would permit. He called instructions. "Santos! Turn the launcher over to
Pederson and come with me. Koa, take over. Start throwing rockets at that
boat and don't stop until you run out of ammunition."

He reached the snapper-boat and squeezed in, Santos close behind him. As
he strapped himself into the seat he called, "Koa! Get this, and get it
straight. At twenty-three-oh-five, fire the bomb. Fire it whether I'm back
or not. Got that?"

Koa replied, "Got it, sir."

That would give the Planeteers a minute's leeway. Not much of a safety
margin, especially when he wasn't sure how much power the improvised
atomic charge would produce.

He plugged into the snapper-boat's communicator and called, "Ready,
Santos?"

"Ready, Lieutenant."

He braced himself against acceleration and flipped the speed control to
full power. The fighting rocket rammed out from the asteroid, snapping him
back against the seat. He made a quick check. Gunsight on, fuel tanks
almost full, propulsion tubes racked handy to his hand, space patches
ready to be grabbed and slapped on in case an enemy shot holed helmet or
suit.

They drove toward the enemy cruiser at top speed, swervi