The attempts were futile until the G-boat had entered the atmosphere and was gliding high above the desert on its broad wings. Then, miraculously, the airwaves were clear for a moment. "Marsport to G-boat MC-20," said the loudspeaker. "Go ahead." "G-boat MC-20 to Marsport," said the pilot hurriedly. "Give us a beam. We're coming in for a landing." "Don't land! We're...!" exclaimed the loudspeaker, and exploded into static in midsentence. "What the hell do they mean, don't land?" snorted the pilot, fiddling frantically and uselessly with dials. "They think I've got enough fuel to get back to Phobos?" The G-boat held its glide and swooped down on Marsport, a tiny landing field and a miniature group of buildings set apart from the dome of Mars City. Groups of men were scurrying about at the port like ants. A column of smoke rose ominously from one of the buildings. The G-boat touched ground and skidded to a stop in mid-field. Its passengers unstrapped and the pilot opened the port. Men crowded into the G-boat, men with drawn heat-guns, men in the blue-and-gold marsuits of the Charax Rebels! * * * * * Jonner, a free man again, rode into Mars City in a groundcar with Sir Stanrich O'Kellin. Stein and Aron had remained at Marsport for the time being. Marsport was completely in the hands of the Rebels, and efforts were being made to get through by radio to Phobos to give the Marscorp forces there a surrender ultimatum. "What's happened to the Mars City dome?" asked Jonner in astonishment as they approached the city. The once-transparent dome was cracked and badly discolored. "Plan Blue," answered Sir Stanrich with a smile. "Look, sir, how about telling me what happened?" said Jonner. "When we got captured in the middle of our wild goose chase with Marscorp's Egg, our troops had been driven into the ground at the Isidis base and we got the impression it was only a matter of time before that fell. Then the radio goes out for a few days and we land here to find Mars City overrun with our troops." "Why," said Sir Stanrich, his mustache quirking mischievously, "we counter-attacked. We came out of the base, defeated the Marscorp army there, drove across the desert to Mars City and took it. Task forces are out now, taking over the other cities. That's all there is to it." "Simple!" snorted Jonner. "Except that they outnumbered us four or five to one, and probably outgunned us more than that." "Science wins wars now; my boy, not numbers and guns." They had entered the Mars City airlock and were driving down the broad Avenue of the Canals. Rebel soldiers swarmed through the city. The few men and women they saw in Marscorp uniforms staggered around, groping blindly, their faces and arms fiery red and peeling from sunburn. "You'll get a medal out of it, too," commented Sir Stanrich. "Why? Why me?"