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Updated: June 5, 2025
He stayed down low until he was sure they couldn't see him unless they turned. Dowst and Dominico were right with him. "Come on," he said, and started gliding after the helmeted figures. He kept his eyes on the one he had selected, and he called on all the myriad stars of space to give him luck. If the men turned, his plan for quick victory would fail.
"Sir, this is Nunez. Two Connies were prowling around, but they didn’t see the entrance. Then, a minute ago, they turned and hurried away." Rip considered. "Koa. How many Connies have you?" "Four, sir." With the five he and Dowst had taken, that meant four still at large, and from Nunez’s report, some Connie yelling had been going on.
He stayed down low until he was sure they couldn’t see him, unless they turned. Dowst and Dominico were right with him. "Come on," he said, and started gliding after the helmeted figures. He kept his eyes on the one he had selected, and he called on all the myriad stars of space to give him luck. If the men turned, his plan for quick victory would fail.
The Connie was on his knees, both gloves pressed tightly to his side. Dowst was just finishing a knot in the safety line that bound a second enemy’s hands. The Connie Rip had rocketed down on was still lying where he had fallen. And Corporal Santos, the enemy’s pneumatic chattergun at the ready, was standing guard. Rip turned up the volume in his communicator.
From the corner of his eye, Rip saw Dowst's heavy space boots and knew the private was right with him. As they drove down, one of the Connies stepped a little distance away from the others, probably to get a better look at Santos. The Connie sensed something and turned, just as Rip and Dowst flashed downward on his two mates.
"Blast," Rip ordered. A pulse of fire spurted from the top of each boat, driving them bottom first toward the asteroid. "Land at will," Rip said. The asteroid loomed large as he looked through an opening. It was rocky, but there were plenty of smooth places. Dowst picked one. He was an expert pilot, and Rip watched him with pleasure.
If any of the remaining Connie search teams saw the lights, they would think they were their own men's. Rip remembered the lay of the ground and Santos' description of the snapper-boats' position. He circled almost to the horizon, then told Dowst to cut his light. He cut his own.
He slid the craft across the asteroid's surface to the side away from the Connie, going slowly enough that they could watch the enemy's every move. "Here he comes," Rip snapped, and braced for acceleration. The landing craft shot to safety as the cruiser's nose jet flamed. Dowst was just in time. Tiny sparks from the edge of the fiery column brushed past the boat.
The cruiser landed and deceleration cut to zero. At the same moment, the water came on. Rip hurriedly finished cleaning up, dressed, then took his radiation instruments and carefully monitored his men as they came from the shower. Private Dowst had to go back for another try at getting his hair clean, but the rest were all right. Rip handed his instruments to Koa.
Fortunately, the Connies were going away from the cave. A Connie from the nearby team swung his beam back and forth, and it cut space over their heads. Rip saw a few low pyramids of thorium a few rods away. Quickly he ordered, "Dowst, hang on to my boots. Dominico, hang on to Dowst's boots." He lay face down on the metal ground until he felt hands grip his boots, then he asked, "All set?"
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