We were in the forward control and observation turret of the
_Star-Streak_, Molo and his sister Meka, Venza, Anita and myself.
Unobtrusively squatting on the floor was a small, gray, rat-faced
fellow, put there, weapon in hand, to watch us. He was a ruffian from
the underworld of Grebhar, a member of the _Star-Streak's_ pirate
crew.

We were some ten hours out from Wandl. A group of four of the globular
Wandl ships were with us, strung in a line some ten thousand miles to
our left. We had been heading diagonally toward Mars. Some fifteen
other Wandl vessels were ahead and others following.

We were no more than fifteen million miles from Mars when Molo sighted
the allied ships. "Will you observe them, Gregg Haljan?"

I moved to take his place at the 'scope-grid, with the gaze of Anita
and Venza upon me. They sat huddled together on a low bench against
the back curve of the circular turret.

It was dim here, with little spots of instrument lights, and the
radiance coming in the glassite plates of the encircling dome. The
loss of Snap had put a grim look upon the girls. They were dispirited,
docile with Meka. They had hardly had a word with me. I think that all
of us had about given up hope during those hours. Molo had consulted
me several times with his policies of navigation.

But I saw no chance to trick him. He was indeed, far more experienced
than I, and more skillful, in celestial mechanics. I worked with him.
I learned the operation and the handling of the _Star-Streak_, which
was not greatly different from the _Cometara_ or the _Planetara_.

Poor Snap! He and I had planned to capture and navigate this
_Star-Streak_. We could have handled her. There were, I gathered, some
fifteen men aboard her now, but no more than two or three were engaged
at the navigating mechanisms. Even they could be dispensed with at
times, for the ship's controls were all automatic, handled directly
from the forward turret.

I learned too, something, though not much, of the _Star-Streak's_
weapons. They were similar to those of the allied ships, since Molo in
equipping his pirate craft had seized upon all the best he could find
of the three worlds.

The _Star-Streak_, during this flight toward Mars, was in close
communication with the Wandl craft. There was a giant vessel, the Wor,
off to our left now. It carried the brain master in command of the
Wandl forces. Molo took his orders from the Wor, but since his
equipment and his we