The Three Planeteers

who had survived dazedly raised their hands in token of surrender.

'The radite? Where is it'” Thorn demanded fiercely of them.

'In the lower bow-compartment,” answered the stunned, shaking men.

The Planeteers pushed through the wreck toward that compartment. They burst into it, and Thorn sprang forward with a cry.

The asterium-wrapped mass of radite was in this metal chamber. But toward the precious element was crawling Jenk Cheerly, his body badly crushed inside his space-suit, but with a heavy atom-gun in his hand. The Uranian, fatally injured by the explosion, was making a dying attempt to destroy the radite.

Thorn tore the gun from his hand. Cheerly looked up, his face livid graygreen inside his glassite helmet, his small eyes glistening with undying hatred.

'You've not won, Planeteers!” he choked. “You're too late. I notified the Leader days ago by audio that I had the radite, and the League fleet rocketed then to conquer the Alliance! Already they're driving the Alliance navies sunward!

'And what is more,” he gloated in a dying whisper, “Haskell Trask himself and a picked strong force have landed on Earth's moon and seized Philip Blaine and his weapon! The radite is useless to you now!'

A last flicker of life throbbed in Cheerly's little eyes, a last gleam of triumph.

'I was always too clever for you Planeteers!” he choked. And then his broken body relaxed as death came.

Thorn looked up at the others, his brown face grave inside his helmet. “If what he said is true—'

'I'll find out with the Gargol's audio!” Sual Av cried, and sprang toward the control- room.

When the Venusian came back, his face was pale, his green eyes stricken. He spoke unsteadily.

'It's true, John! I heard the audiocalls. The Alliance navies have retreated sunward past the orbit of Venus, attacked by the League's tremendous fleet. The inner worlds are in wild panic, and Haskell Trask is directing the League operations from the advanced base he's established on Earth's moon!'

Thorn's body sagged inside his space-suit. For the first time, ultimate despair claimed him.

'Then this radite that might have saved the Alliance is useless,” he said hoarsely. “With Trask holding the moon — Blaine's weapon in his possession — the Alliance is doomed!'

CHAPTER XXI The Fight on the Moon

Lana Cain gripped Thorn's arm. The pirate girl's blue eyes blazed with compelling force into his.

'No, John!” she exclaimed. “There's still a chance. We can attack Trask's force on the moon and recapture Blaine's weapon. We can give Blaine a chance to operate it!'

'Recapture the moon?” Thorn echoed deadly. He laughed bitterly. “With the few dozen of us, with this one ship, against the strong force Haskell Trask has there?'

'We can get a force strong enough to take the moon!” Lana cried.

'Where?” he asked dully. “Every ship of the Alliance navies is inside Venus’ orbit, retreating from the League fleet.'

'We can get a force at Turkoon!” the pirate girl flared. “The Companions of Space — my pirates! There's enough of them to capture the moon, if they'll follow me!'

Thorn's dead, hopeless eyes lit with a faint spark of desperate hope. He gripped Lana's shoulders.

'It could be done!” he cried hoarsely. “But will they follow you in such an attack, Lana?'

'I'm afraid they won't, lass,” Stilicho said apprehensively. “To the Companions, the war between the League and the Alliance doesn't mean anything.'

'I think I can get them to follow me,” Lana insisted with desperate determination. “It's the last chance for the Alliance, John!'

'We'll take it!” Thorn cried. “Quick, get the radite into the Venture! Every minute counts now!'

With urgent haste, the precious radite was transferred to the pirate ship. Also the few dazed survivors in the Saturnian cruiser were brought along as prisoners by Thorn and his party. In a few moments it had been done, and Thorn ordered Stilicho to start.

'Top speed toward the Zone, Stilicho!” he cried. “Everything may depend on how soon we reach Turkoon.'

Like a shooting star, the Venture swept sunward as it again built up to phenomenal speed. For hour after hour it raced toward the Zone, while the Planeteers and Lana took turns relieving the old pirate at the controls.

Thorn's state of mind was chaotic, hope alternating with despair. The knowledge that the long-menaced attack of the League had finally been launched, that the Alliance navies were desperately retreating from the overpowering armada of the outer planets, was a goading agony.

Stilicho was again at the firing-keys when the Venture at last swept into the Zone. Speed had necessarily been reduced, and Thorn chafed at the delay as the old pirate navigated through the wilderness of great meteor-swarms and planetoids.

Then Turkoon appeared, a pale green speck in the distance, largening rapidly. Down through the atmosphere of the pirate asteroid swept the ship, toward the field of parked ships that adjoined the straggling metal patch of Turkoon Town.

When they landed, Lana and the old pirate and the Planeteers were first outside the Venture. A crowd of hundreds of pirates and their women was approaching hastily from the town.

Thorn recognized Brun Abo, the scarred-faced Jovian pirate captain, and Kinnel King, the handsome Earthman. They, and all the mass of hundreds of Companions, uttered shouts of joy as they recognized Lana.

'You're back, Lana! We thought you dead for sure!” shouted Brun Abo joyfully. Then the Jovian's face stiffened and his hand darted to his pistol as he recognized Thorn and Sual Av and Gunner. “The Planeteers!'

'The Planeteers and Stilicho were the ones who rescued me!” Lana's silver voice rang out.

She faced the joyfully shouting mob of pirates gathered in the pale sunshine on the field. Her white face was determined, as she spoke to them in quick, ringing words.

'Companions, you know of the attack the League is making upon the Alliance,” she began.

'Aye!” roared a pirate in the throng. “We've heard on the audio. The latest word is that the League fleet has pushed the Alliance navies inside Mercury's orbit, and are trying to trap them and bring them to battle!'

'We can save the Alliance from defeat, Companions!” Lana cried, her blue eyes flashing. “On Earth's moon is a great weapon that can defeat the League, if it could be used. But Haskell Trask and a strong force hold the moon. That weapon can't be used unless we pirates storm the moon, and recapture it!'

There was a dead silence. The pirates looked at each other. Then a tall Martian broke the silence.

'Why should we do that, Lana?” he demanded. “Whether the League or the Alliance wins means nothing to us. Now, while this war is going on, is our chance to raid all commerce.'

'Does it mean nothing to you that the world of your birth is about to be conquered and enslaved by a tyrant?” Lana asked passionately. “You, Kinnel — you are an Earthman, will you let Earth be ground under Trask's heel? Both of you were born on the inner worlds. You may be outlaws and pirates now, but surely you have some patriotism left?

'And you, Brun Abo,” she continued scorchingly to the Jovian, “you fled from Jupiter and became an outlaw to escape Trask's tyranny. So did nearly all you other outer-planet men. Now is your chance to strike back at the dictator who enslaved the outer worlds, and now is trying to enslave the inner ones also!'

'That's all very well, Lana,” grumbled Brun Abo. “But I still don't see why we should fight for the Alliance.'

'Aye,” called a Venusian pirate. “Let's do any fighting we do for ourselves.'