He
watched the Connie's stern jet cut off, saw the nose exhaust as the
cruiser decelerated to a fast stop.
"Check your weapons," he ordered.
He pulled his pistol from his knee pocket and checked it carefully. There
was a clip in the magazine. Other clips were in his pocket. The clips
were loaded with high velocity shells that exploded on contact. One slug
could stop a Venusian _krel_, a mammoth beast that had been described as
a cross between a sea lion and a cactus plant.
His knife was in place in the other knee pocket.
The Connie cruiser decelerated, went into reverse, and came to a full
stop about a mile from the asteroid. The Planeteers saw fire in two
places along the hull, marking the exhausts of two small craft.
"Snapper-boats," Koa said tonelessly. "Five men in each, if those are the
regular Connie kind."
Rip made a quick decision. With only one launcher they couldn't guard the
whole asteroid. "We'll stay under cover, except for Santos and Pederson.
You two sneak out. Take advantage of every bit of cover you can find. I
don't want you spotted. When a boat lands, report its position. The
Connies operate on different communicator frequencies, so they won't
overhear. We'll let them think they've burned the asteroid clean.
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