He chided himself for not thinking of it before and darted toward the air lock that coupled the two ships together in s.p.a.ce.

He turned a corner in the companionway and saw the door to the coupling chamber ahead. It was open. He dashed inside.

"Greetings, Corbett!" sneered Ross Miles. He stood just inside the doorway, the ray gun leveled at Tom.

"We figured you'd get around to thinking about the other ship sooner or later," said Quent behind him, jamming the ray gun in his back. "So we just came here and waited for you."

"Go get the other one, Quent," said Ross. Jerking Tom sideways into the coupling chamber, he rammed his gun into the curly-haired cadet's stomach. "I'll get this guy fixed aboard the other ship, and then set the firing chambers so they'll blow up."

"What are we going to do with Manning?" asked Quent.

"We'll figure that out later. Hurry up! Corbett probably called the Solar Guard."

"That's right, I did, Miles," said Tom. "They're probably closing in on you right now."

"Is that so?" snarled Quent. "Well, it's too bad you won't be alive to say h.e.l.lo to them."

"I want every pound of thrust you have on that power deck, Astro,"

roared Commander Walters into the intercom. "We just received word from a freighter that picked up an S O S from Tom aboard the _s.p.a.ce Knight_."

Steve Strong and Kit Barnard sat in the pilot and copilot's chairs on the control deck of the _Polaris_ and watched the needle of the accelerometer climb as Astro poured on the power in answer to Walters'

command.

"If I know Astro," said Strong, "you'll probably get the fastest ride you've ever had short of hyperdrive, Kit."

Kit Barnard gulped as he watched the needle. "I see what you mean," he said.

Walters strode up and down the deck behind the two veteran s.p.a.cemen, a scowl on his face. "By the stars," he rumbled, "this is the most incredible thing I've run up against in all my years in s.p.a.ce!"

He paced up and down several times silently. "To think that two men could--_would_--jeopardize the safety and lives of thousands of people for--a--a uranium mine! It's beyond my comprehension."

"Excuse me, sir," said Sid, Kit Barnard's young a.s.sistant, coming down the radar-bridge ladder. "This report just came in from t.i.tan s.p.a.ceport control."

Walters took the message and read it quickly. He grunted and handed it to Strong. "They've found the mine and the leak," he said. "The screens are working again."

"Then you'll call off the evacuation operations, sir?" asked Strong.

"Right." Walters turned to Sid. "Son, send a message back to t.i.tan control and tell Captain Howard to stop all evacuations as soon as he has enough oxygen to provide for the citizens of t.i.tan. And then stand by for a general order to all units in this area."

"Yes, sir," said Sid, climbing back up to the radar bridge quickly.

The three men on the control deck fell silent as the ship hurtled through s.p.a.ce. Each of them prayed silently for Tom and Roger's safety.

On the power deck below, Astro opened every valve and adjusted the firing chambers to their emergency maximum, forcing the giant ship faster and faster through s.p.a.ce. And when he had done all he could, he paced up and down the deck, snapping a greasy wiping rag against his thigh again and again. His face showed the concern he felt for Tom and Roger, and at the same time, there was a questioning look in his eye.

The auxiliary loud-speaker of the audioceiver overhead spluttered with static. He stopped to listen.

"This is Lieutenant Frazer aboard the Solar Guard cruiser _Hydra_ to Commander Walters!" crackled an unfamiliar voice. "Come in, Commander Walters!"

Astro stared at the loud-speaker and held his breath.

"This is Walters on the _Polaris_. Go ahead, Frazer!"

"I am in command of a squadron of ships on s.p.a.ce maneuvers in quadrant five, sir. Shall I abandon my orders and proceed under your general emergency alert to search quadrant four?"

"How many ships do you have with you, Lieutenant?" asked Walters.

"Three heavy cruisers and a rocket destroyer, sir," replied the voice across the gulf of s.p.a.ce. "And I am fully armed, sir."

"Proceed to quadrant four, Lieutenant, and seize the vessel _s.p.a.ce Knight_." There was a pause, and then Astro's blood ran cold as he heard the words, "and if necessary open fire!"

On the control deck, Captain Strong turned to Walters quickly. "But Tom and Roger, sir," he protested.

Commander Walters glared at Strong and turned back to the audioceiver.

"Proceed to quadrant four," he said coldly. "Seize the vessel _s.p.a.ce Knight_, and if there is any resistance, open fire!"

"Did'ja hear that!" yelled Quent on the control deck of the _s.p.a.ce Knight_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_Proceed to quadrant four and seize the_ s.p.a.ce Knight!"]

"I heard," replied Ross grimly. "With a whole squadron sweeping this quadrant we won't make it."

"What are we going to do?" asked Quent.

"We're staying right here."

"What?"

"Right here," said Ross. "Get Corbett off the other ship and set the fuses in the firing chambers to blow up after we cast off."

"But I don't see--"

"Don't ask questions!" snapped Ross. "Do as I tell you."

"O.K." Quent spun away and headed for the coupling locks that held the two ships together. Ross turned back to the ladder and flipped his ray gun on neutralizing charge, releasing Roger from the effects of the paralo ray.

The blond-haired cadet staggered to his feet shakily. "Where's Tom?" he said, clenching his teeth to keep them from rattling. "If you've done anything to him--!"

"Take it easy, Manning," growled Ross. "Just get up on the control deck and behave."

Roger glared at the s.p.a.ceman, and realizing it would be useless to jump him in his weakened condition, started up the ladder. Ross followed at a careful distance.

A few minutes later Quent appeared on the control deck, forcing Tom ahead of him. "All right," he growled. "What do I do now?"

"Did you cast off the other ship?" asked Ross. And when Quent nodded, he jerked his head toward Tom and Roger and barked, "Cover them!"