No answer.
"Fight 'em," snapped Lane.
There were six catmen converging on Lane's command. The rest of the Solar crew flung around and headed for the local fight. Lane's dymodines flashed out and were stopped cold by barriers.
"Crash stations!" ordered Lane. "Prepare for total destruction!"
The six catmen got above Lane's ship and drove him downward with pressors and an occasional light—it must have been very light—touch of the belly-tearing beam. Above the six were the sixty-odd Solarians fighting to get through and fighting a useless battle.
"We can't damage 'em," snarled Lane. "Superdrive—right through 'em!"
He almost made it. His ship rammed up under the stellar drive, came level with the screen of catmen, and almost made it through. But four of them reached forth with the belly-tearing beams and took separate parts of his ship. The warning creak of plates caused the pilot to stop.
Lane's ship was thrust down below again.
"Superdrive—away!"