The gun spiralled into darkness and they were fighting breast to breast.
Greta was strong as an ox; she got a grip on his air hose and wrenched at the connection. He jammed an elbow into her well padded solar plexus. As she relaxed with a grunt he reached down and tore her magnetized boots from the skin of the ship.
"Now, my lady...."
She smashed her helmet down upon his in an effort to break its glass front and suffocate him. With all his remaining strength he untangled her arms from his neck and hurled her into space. A scream rattled his earphones ... died slowly into silence!
Fighting for breath, he clung to the hull and gave his attention to the battle. A suicide dive by the nearest patrol boat ripped two more blazing tubes from the Champ's side. A lucky torp struck amidships, boring completely through the Champ and then driving on for several miles before exploding.... Those warheads must have deteriorated, he thought bitterly.
Nevertheless the Champ was hurt, and hurt badly. But she was still accelerating. And she was beginning to fight back.
A torpedo tube twenty feet away swivelled and belched a wicked fish. Moments later a patrol ship disappeared in a flash which temporarily blinded the watcher.
That had been only a fission torp, he knew. But what if that crazy Carlos decided to chance one of the new disintegrators? A hit on one of the attackers would destroy the whole fleet. On the other hand, a miss.... As his sight returned he stared down at Venus in growing horror. If Hans had been right, a miss would explode the planet and might make the whole solar system go Nova!
He edged back toward the airlock with frantic, sobbing speed. As he pounded for attention with a spanner, he looked over his shoulder. The attackers were nearer, but they seemed to be slowing. Why? What was the matter with the fools? Then he realized that they were moving as fast as ever but that the Champ was picking up speed. A few more minutes and she would be out of range.
The outer door closed behind him at last. Air pressure came up to normal. Then the inner door opened to admit him into pandemonium.