re using like
ground-tanks of the First Century. This attack penetrated to the
middle of the Reservation before it was stopped and the attackers
either killed or driven out; for the first time since daybreak, the
red-and-yellow lights came on around the power-plant.

As soon as the combined air and ground attack was beaten off, von
Schlichten ordered all his available contragravity up, flying patrols
around the Reservation and retaliatory bombing missions against Skilk,
and began bombarding the city with his 90-mm. guns. A number of fires
broke out, and at about 0200 a huge expanding globe of orange-red
flame soared up from the city.

"There goes Firkked's thermoconcentrate stock," he said to Paula, who
was standing beside him in front of the screen.

Half an hour later, he discovered that he had been over-optimistic.
Much of the enemy's supply of Terran thermoconcentrate had been
destroyed, but enough remained to pelt the Reservation and the Company
buildings with incendiaries, when a second and more severe air-attack
developed, consisting of forty or fifty makeshift lorry-bombers and
fifteen aircars.

Like the first, the second air-attack was beaten off, or, more
exactly, down. Most of the enemy contragravity was destroyed; at least
two dozen vehicles crashed inside the Reservation. As in the first
instance, there was a simultaneous ground attack from the southern
side, with a demonstration-attack at the north end. It was full
daylight before the last of the attackers was either killed or driven
out.

Five minutes later, the _Northern Star_ came bulking over the
mountains from the west.

IX

Von Schlichten raced for the telecast station, to receive a call from
a Colonel Khalid ib'n Talal, aboard the approaching ship.

"I've one of Jonkvank's regiments, the Jeel-Feeders, armed with Terran
9-mm. rifles and a few bazookas; I have a company of our Zirks, with
their mounts, and a battalion of the Sixth N.U.N.I.; I also have four
90-mm. guns, Terran-manned," he reported. "What's the situation,
general, and where do you want me to land?"

Von Schlichten described the situation succinctly, in an ancient and
unprintable military cliche. "Try landing south of the Reservation, a
little west of the ruins of the labor-camp," he advised. "The bulk of
Firkked's army is in that section, and I want them run out as soon as
possible. We'll give you all the contragravity and fire support we
can."

The _Northern Sta