Rip stood behind the corporal. He saw the cruiser's shape stand out
in the glow of the sight, saw the sighting rings move as Santos corrected
for its speed.
The corporal fired. Fire flared back past his shoulder. The rocket
flashed away, its trail dwindling as it sped toward the great bulk
above. It reached _Brennschluss_, and there was darkness. Rip held his
breath for long seconds, then gave a weak cry of victory.
A blossom of orange fire marked a perfect hit.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hard Words
The _Scorpius_ could have taken direct hits with little or no major
damage from a hundred rockets of the kind Rip had used, but Commander
O'Brine took no chances. When the alarm bell signaled that the outer hull
had been hit, the commander acted instantly with a bellowed order.
The Planeteers on the asteroid blinked at the speed of the cruiser's
getaway. Fire flamed from the stern tubes for an instant, and then there
was nothing but a fading glow where the _Scorpius_ had been.
Rip had a mental image of everything movable in the ship crashing against
bulkheads with the terrific acceleration.
And in the same moment, the Consops cruiser reacted. The Connie commander
was ready to fire guided missiles, when his target suddenly,
mysteriously, blasted into space at optimum acceleration.
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