On the Trail of the Space Pirates_ A Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure - Carey Rockwell [217]
Contacting Commander Walters at Space Academy, Strong related his suspicions and received permission to carry out a plan of action.
"I want you to engage the enemy at all costs!" ordered Walters. "Blast his space-crawling hide into protons! That's an order!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Strong with grim determination. "There's nothing I'd like better."
Six hours later Strong received confirmation of his worst fears. He was handed a message that read:
EMERGENCY:
GANYMEDE GARRISON ATTACKED ZERO THREE HUNDRED HOURS BY TWO SHIPS. ONE VESSEL IDENTIFIED AS ROCKET CRUISER POLARIS. SEND AID IMMEDIATELY. ENTIRE COLONY AT MERCY OF COXINE. SIGNED, SOMMERS, MAJOR, SOLAR GUARD.
Strong realized at once that the cadets had been forced to give the recognition code to the pirate. There wasn't any other way for the pirate to penetrate the defenses of Ganymede. And, thought Strong bitterly, to blast Coxine was to blast the cadets as well. The commander's words echoed again in his ears, "… blast him, Steve! That's an order!"
Strong turned to his second-in-command. "Man all guns! Stand by to attack under plan S! We'll engage the enemy as soon as he's sighted!"
The young officer saluted and turned away quickly. But not before he saw the mist in Steve Strong's eyes.
* * * * *
Tom, Roger, and Astro watched the incredible scene taking place in front of them with unbelieving eyes. Seven men were standing at rigid attention on the control deck of the Avenger. Wallace, Russell, Attardi, Harris, Shelly, Martin, and Brooks. In front of them, standing equally rigid, Bull Coxine was addressing them in a low restrained voice.
"Raise your right hands and repeat after me."
The men raised their hands.
"I hereby pledge my life to Bull Coxine!"
"… I hereby pledge my life to Bull Coxine…" repeated the men in unison.
"To uphold his decisions, obey his orders, and fulfill his purpose of destroying the Solar Alliance and establishing a new governmental order!"
The seven men repeated the words slowly and hesitantly.
"All right," said Coxine. "From this day on, you are my chief lieutenants. You will command the ships of my fleet, and when we destroy the power of the Solar Guard and take over the Alliance, you will help me rule our new order."
The seven men looked at each other, raised a mild cheer, and waited as Coxine shook hands with each of them.
"All right," said Coxine abruptly as he reached the end of the line. "Get to your ships and prepare for full acceleration. We go into action immediately!"
The men filed from the room silently, each with a worried look on his face. Coxine failed to notice their lack of enthusiasm and turned to the three cadets.
"Some day, boys," he said, "you'll go down in history as being the first witnesses to the establishment of the new order."
Astro glared up at the giant spaceman. "We'll be the witnesses to the biggest bust in the universe when the Solar Guard catches up with you!"
"Yeah," drawled Roger in his most casual manner. "You're the one that'll go down in history, Coxine, as the biggest space-gassing idiot that ever blasted off!"
Tom suddenly guffawed. Though close to death, he couldn't help laughing at Roger's remark. The big spaceman flushed angrily and with the flat of his hand slapped the cadet across the face. Then, he turned to the teleceiver and opened the circuit to all the ships that were standing by in space around the Avenger, the ships of the Ganymede garrison.
"Stand by for acceleration," he called. "We're going to show the Solar Alliance who's boss, beginning right now! I'll give you the target in a few minutes but head in the direction of Earth!"
He faced the three cadets and sneered. "By the time I'm finished with Luna City, the only thing active will be radioactive!"
Suddenly Gus Wallace could be heard screaming over the teleceiver, his