Howard looked surprised. "By the stars, I almost forgot. One of the
ships is trying to make it to Ganymede without stopping at Deimos for
refueling. And another blew up."

Strong gasped. "Which one?"

"_Space Lance_," said Howard. "Exploded over Deimos right after
blast-off. _Knight_ is the one that's trying the long solo hop. Haven't
received any word from him yet."

"But what about the crew of the _Space Lance_?" demanded Strong with a
glance at Walters.

"The pilot, Sticoon, was killed, and they haven't found Cadet Corbett
yet." And then understanding flashed in Howard's eyes. "Say, that's one
of the boys in your unit, isn't it, Steve?" he asked.

"Yes," said Strong grimly. He turned to Walters. "Have I your permission
to contact Deimos for the latest details, sir?"

"Of course, Steve. Go ahead."

Strong turned quickly and climbed into a nearby jet boat. The enlisted
spaceman at the controls sent the tiny vessel skimming across the broad
expanse of the spaceport toward the control tower.

Walters and Howard watched him leave. "I hope nothing has happened to
that boy," said Walters. "Corbett is one of the finest cadets we have."