"
He paused. "They'll search for a while. Then, when they're pretty well
satisfied that all is quiet, we'll show up." Rip grinned at his
Planeteers. "We can have a real, old-fashioned surprise party."
Koa slid the safety catch from his pistol. "With fireworks," he added.
CHAPTER NINE
Repel Invaders!
The snapper-boats came out of the darkness of space, leaving a glowing
trail of fire. They were not graceful. Rip could see no beauty in their
lines, but to his professional eye there was plenty of deadly efficiency.
The Connie fighting craft looked like three globes strung evenly on
a steel tube. The middle globe was larger than the end ones, and it
was transparent. From it projected the barrels of two kinds of
weapons--explosive and ultrasonic. Five men usually rode in the middle
ball. One piloted. The other four were gunners.
The end globes were pierced by five large holes. They were blast tubes
for the rocket exhaust. Unlike the landing boats, each tube did not have
its own fuel supply. One fuel tank served each globe. The pilot could
direct the exhaust through any tube or combination of tubes he wished, by
operating valves that either sealed or opened the vents. The system gave
high maneuverability to the boats.
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