ruiser touched the Connie. The waiting
group recovered balance and faced the valve. Rip knew that spacemen in the
inner lock were making fast to the Connie cruiser, setting up the airtight
seal.

It wasn't long before a bell sounded and a spaceman opened the inner
valve. Two men in space suits were waiting, and beyond them the outer
valve was joined by a tube to the outer valve of the Connie ship. Rip
stared at the Connie spacemen in their red tunics and gray trousers. One,
a scowling officer with two pistols in his belt, stepped forward.

Rip noted that the other Connies were heavy with weapons, too. None of his
group had any.

"I'm the commander," the scowling Connie said. "Bring your instruments in
quickly. We will check them, then you get out."

"Ye're no verra friendly," MacFife said, his burr even more pronounced. He
led Rip and the officer with the instruments into the Connie ship.

A handsome Federation spaceman with a mustache, the first Rip had ever
seen, stepped into the room from a passageway on the opposite side. The
spaceman bowed with exquisite grace. "I have the honor of making myself
known," he proclaimed. "Commander Remy Galliene of the _Sagittarius_."

The Connie commander grunted. He was afraid, Rip realized. The Connie
suspected a trick, and he had no idea of what it might be.

Rip looked him over with interest. This was the man who had been willing
to burn his own spacemen back at the asteroid belt.

Galliene saw Rip's black uniform and hurried to shake his hand. "So this
is the young lieutenant who is responsible! Lieutenant, today the spacemen
honor the Planeteers because of you. Most days we fight each other, but
today we fight together, eh? I am glad to meet you!"

"And I'm glad to meet you, sir," Rip returned. He liked the twinkle in the
Frenchman's eye. He would have given a lot to know what scheme Galliene
and MacFife had cooked up.

The Connie had overheard Galliene's greeting. He glared at Rip. The
Frenchman saw the look and smiled happily. "Ah, you do not know each
other? Commander, I have the honor to make known Lieutenant Foster of the
Federation Special Order Squadrons. He is in command on the asteroid."

The Connie blurted, "So! I send boats to help you and you fire on them!"

So that was to be the Consops story! Rip thought quickly, then held up his
hand in a shocked gesture that would have done credit to the Frenchman.
"Oh, no, Commander! You misunderstand. We had no way