doesn't have a
chance of breaking through."

Roger looked unhappy. "Ah, it was too easy, sir," he grumbled. "I was
counting on having some fun."

"After all these weeks of heartache, I'll skip the fun if you don't
mind," said Strong wryly and turned to the intercom. "Tom, check in!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Head for the _Avenger_. Close in!"

"You mean we're going to lead the attack, sir?" Tom shouted in a sudden
burst of enthusiasm.

"From the looks of things, I don't believe an attack will be necessary,"
replied Strong. "We're going alongside to accept Coxine's surrender.
Start blasting!"

"Aye, aye, _sir_!"

As Tom's voice was heard over the intercom speaker, issuing orders to
Astro for change of course, Strong turned back to Roger.

"Open up the audioceiver to all-wave transmission!"

"You going to talk to Coxine, sir?"

"Yes. And I hope he'll listen. If he doesn't, I'll do my talking with
six-inch blasters!"

Roger quickly adjusted the settings on the audioceiver and then turned
to his skipper.

"She's all yours, sir. Give it to him good!"

Strong smiled thinly and picked up the microphone.

"Attention, Bull Coxine! Attention, Bull Coxine!" Strong's voice was
cold and hard. "This is Captain Strong of the Solar Guard! You're
surrounded. You haven't a chance of escape. I demand your unconditional
surrender! Acknowledge immediately!"

Strong flipped the key to open the receiver and waited for the reply.
Roger moved closer, his eyes glued to the image of the pirate ship
looming larger and larger on the scanner.

Fifteen seconds passed. Thirty. There was no sound over the receiver.
Sweat began to bead Strong's forehead and he opened the transmitter key
again.

"Listen, Coxine! I know you can hear me! I'll only talk to you once
more! Surrender or you'll be blasted into protons! I'll give you exactly
thirty seconds to make up your mind!"

Again Strong opened the receiver key and waited, but as the seconds
ticked by, there was no answer.

"Sir, do you think he's sucking us into a trap?" Roger whispered.

"Maybe," replied Strong grimly. "But he knows what would happen to him
if he opened fire."

"Captain Strong! Captain Strong!" Tom's voice suddenly blared over the
ship's intercom.

"Don't bother me now, Corbett," replied Strong irritably.

"But, sir," Tom persisted, "that isn't the _Avenger_!"

"What!" Strong was thunderstruck.

"No, sir," continued the young cadet. "I'm looking at her right