Out through the Zone, a hundred strong, throbbed the grim formation of pirate ships, streaming in short columns after the Venture, that led the way through the swarms and whirling planetoids. Quickly they emerged from the Zone, and headed toward the bright, shining planet and smaller satellite that were Earth and its moon.
Thorn stared feverishly toward their goal, as the pirate fleet picked up speed in empty space. Somewhere there in the barren moon was Trask, and somewhere there, too, was the mysterious mechanism that might, or might not, decide the destiny of worlds.
Gunner Welk and Sual Av peered forth with him. The Planeteers, all three, sensed that they were approaching a showdown in their long struggle against the League dictator.
Lana watched from beside old Stilicho, the space dog, Ool, pressing anxiously against her side.
"Trask is sure to have a heavy force there with him on the moon,” she murmured. “If we don't manage to break through—"
"We will!” Thorn exclaimed. “You've set these pirates of yours on fire with that plan to establish the Zone as a new world. They feel now that they're fighting for their world, too."
* * *
Rocket-tubes spouting white fire from straining power-chambers, the pirate force swept on for hour after hour. At last they had crossed Mars’ orbit and were thundering on at hazardous speed toward Earth and its satellite.
Earth largened ahead. Upon the great, gray, cloudy sphere, Thorn could glimpse the outlines of the familiar continents, the white sheen of the polar snows. And the moon was expanding, too — lifeless, gleaming white sphere, all its earthward face in full sunlight.
"Cut to landing-speed!” Lana cried into the audio, and the velocity of the pirate ships began to lessen.