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Updated: June 6, 2025
Got that?" The Connie replied, "Suppose I refuse?" Rip put his space knife against the man’s stomach. "Then we’ll get them with rockets. But you won’t care because you won’t know it." The truth was, Santos couldn’t hope to get them all with his rockets. They might overcome the Connies in hand-to-hand fighting, but there would be a cost to pay in Planeteer casualties.
The Connie teams came quickly and willingly, and they seemed almost glad to give up their pistols and knives. This was not unusual. Rip had seen many Planeteer reports that spoke of the same thing. Many Connies, it seemed, were glad to get away from the iron Consops rule, even if it meant becoming Federation prisoners. Inside one of the snapper-boats a light glowed.
But no rockets had been fired from the asteroid, so the pilot in control of the drone had sent it at low speed, a perfect target. That meant O'Brine wasn't sure of what was going on. He must have seen the blip on his screen as the Connie cruiser flamed off, Kip reasoned. But the commander probably suspected that the Connies had overcome the Planeteers and were in control of the asteroid.
Got two Connies, and I don’t think they had a chance to yell. But I’m sorry about one, sir. Kemp had to swing at him and busted his bubble." "Fatal?" "No, we got a patch on in time. But worse than Bradshaw." "Tough." Rip couldn’t feel too sympathetic. After all, it was the Connie cruiser’s fault Bradshaw had felt high vack. "All right. We have four. That leaves nine." Santos came on the circuit.
The Planeteers lashed the Connies’ hands behind them with their own safety lines and, at Rip’s orders, dumped all but one of them into the crater where Kemp was just finishing. Three snapper-boats remained. Rip watched, holding tightly to the arm of the Connie he had kept at his side. The man wore the insignia of an officer. The remaining snapper-boats were going to make it.
In a moment they topped the horizon and, standing with only helmets visible from the snapper-boats, looked the situation over. The three Connies were standing between them and the boats. To the left of the boats was the second crater. Rip studied the ground as best he could in the Connie belt lights and decided on a plan of action. Calling to Dowst, he circled again.
But no rockets had been fired from the asteroid, so the pilot in control of the drone had sent it at low speed, a perfect target. That meant O’Brine wasn’t sure of what was going on. He must have seen the blip on his screen as the Connie cruiser flamed off, Rip reasoned. But the commander probably suspected that the Connies had overcome the Planeteers and were in control of the asteroid.
The Planeteers estimated where the enemy would land, and they were there waiting, with aimed handguns. The Connies had their hands over their heads, holding the propulsion tubes. They took one look at the gleaming Planeteer guns, and their hands stayed upright.
Just the same, he couldn't help wondering about the strange relationship between the Consolidation of People's Governments and the Federation of Free Nations. Connies and Feds, mostly Planeteers but sometimes spacemen, were constantly skirmishing. They fought over property, over control of ports on distant planets and moons, and over space salvage. Often there was bloodshed.
If you hadn’t thought of stalling the cruiser, and if you hadn’t stayed behind to give us time, we’d have some casualties, and so would the Connies we captured." "There wasn’t anything else I could do," Rip replied. "Come on, Koa. Let’s see what the cruiser is doing." They stepped outside. The metal was already cold again. Things didn’t stay hot in the vacuum of space.
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