"Thought he killed me, did you? He came close enough, and he'll pay for it! Come along...."
They crossed the yards at a half run.
B-Haaq was hauling her up on the fin-step, and then the outer lock was opening, and they were inside.
The small space craft rocked sickeningly on its mounts.
B-Haaq barked to his waiting pilot. "Up-ship, you fool! Do you want us wrecked before we're even underway?"
The grim faced labortech punched his studs almost before Deanne had secured herself in an ackseat, and then with a dangerous overload of power, the tender jumped free of the shuddering planetoid.
"B-Haaq—for the love of Pluto, what's happening—"
"Haven't you learned yet what it's like when a Geejay breaks down? Sol III has been taking this for over an hour. Fortunately for you planetary imbalance doesn't affect all bodies in a system simultaneously, or that piece of rock back there would be rubble by now...."
"Is there a Project AA underway yet?"
"Of course there is. The Flagship received a warp-beam ESR from Sol III, and of course we dispatched a crew to take care of those nuisances immediately. One of our duties, after all...."