y?"

"Hiding," Koa said. "By Gemini! Come on, sir!"

Rip saw his meaning instantly and they raced to the side of the asteroid,
away from the ship. As they crossed into the dark half, Rip looked back.
He couldn't see the cruiser from here. But he looked out into space,
across the horizon, and knew that Koa's guess had been right. The
distinctive glow of a nuclear drive cruiser was clear among the stars.

The _Scorpius_ had returned!

"The Connie saw it," Rip said worriedly, "but didn't blast away. That
means he's intending to ambush the _Scorpius_. Koa, if he does, that means
war."

The big Hawaiian shook his head. "Sir, the Connie has guided missiles with
atomic warheads just like our ship does. If he can launch one from ambush
and hit our ship, that's the end of it. The _Scorpius_ will be nothing but
space junk. Commander O'Brine will never have time to get off a message,
because he'll be dead before he knows there is danger."

The logic of it sent chill fear down Rip's spine. The Connie could get the
_Scorpius_ with one nuclear blast and then clean up the asteroid at
leisure. The Federation would suspect, but it would be unable to prove
anything, because there would be no witnesses. If the Connie took time to
tow the remains of the _Scorpius_ deep into the asteroid belt, it likely
would never be found, no matter how the Federation searched.

They had to warn the ship. But how? Their helmet communicators wouldn't
reach it until it was right at the asteroid, and that would be too late.
They had no other radio. If only the radios in the snapper-boats were on a
Federation frequency ... hey! They could take one of the boats and
intercept the cruiser!

He was hurrying toward them before Koa understood what he was saying. He
tried to make his legs go faster, but they were unsteady. He knew he was
losing blood. He had lost plenty. He gritted his teeth and kept going.

The snapper-boats seemed miles away to Rip, but he plugged ahead until his
belt light picked them up. He took a long look, then turned away,
heartsick. The Connie's exhaust had charred them into wreckage.

"Now what?" he asked.

"I don't know, sir," Koa answered somberly.

They went back to the cave, not hurrying because Rip no longer had the
strength to hurry. Weakness and a deep desire to sleep almost overcame
him, and he knew that he was finished anyway. His wound must be too deep
to clot, which meant it would bleed until he bled to death. Whethe