In a short time the Scorpius was balanced with nose tubes counteracting the thrust of stern tubes,[pg 149] ready to flash into space again at a second's notice.
Rip watched, puzzled. The cruiser was miles away. Why didn't it come any closer? Then, suddenly, it erupted a dozen fiery streaks.
"Snapper-boats," someone gasped.
Rip jerked fully awake. In the ruddy glow of the fighting rockets' tubes he had seen that the cruiser's missile ports were yawning wide, ready to spew forth deadly nuclear charges.
The snapper-boats flashed toward the asteroid in a group, sheered off, and broke formation. They came back in pairs, streaking space with the sparks of their exhausts.
"Into the cave," Koa shouted.
The Planeteers obeyed instantly. Koa took Rip's arm, to lead him inside, but the young officer shook him off. "No, Koa. I'll take my chances out here. I want to see what they're up to."
"Great Cosmos, sir! They'll go over this rock like Martian beetles. You'll get it for sure."
"Get inside," Rip ordered. He gathered strength enough to make his voice firm. "I'm staying here until I figure out some way to call them off. We can't just stand here and let them blast us. They're our own men."
"Then I'm staying, too," Koa stated.