It was uncomfortable for Aron, climbing out of the airlock, but Jonner threw the ship into a full G acceleration. The Marscorp ships loomed suddenly to each side, then faded behind them. A few futile flashes of gunfire blossomed from their noses. Then rings of fire appeared behind them as they gave chase. "Strapped down!" called Aron, and Jonner gave the rockets full blast.
The ship leaped like a frantic old war-horse. Jonner was pressed down heavily in his control chair. Its beams and plates groaned as G was piled on G.
The Egg was gone from the rearward screens, released and floating free in an Earthward orbit. The Marscorp ships fell farther behind. Then they stopped receding and began to grow on the screens again. Newer and more powerful, they were overtaking the Rebel ship.
Suddenly the ship's rockets ceased firing again, and they were in free fall. A moment later, Aron popped up from below.
"Are we hit?" he asked.
"No, they aren't back in range yet," answered Jonner. "We're out of fuel. Maybe it's just as well they came along, because I don't believe this clunk had enough fuel to overtake Mars again, even if we hadn't blown it in that escape try."
The Marscorp attackers apparently interpreted the Rebel ship's dead rocket tubes as a surrender. Within half an hour they had drawn alongside, and armed men in spacesuits came through the airlock. Farlan was freed of his chains, and Jonner, Stein and Aron were herded onto the centerdeck of one of the Marscorp ships an............