"We're not completely beaten, Jhul Din," I told him. "They've won the first round, but when they come back again it will be a different story." "But we've let them take twenty of our suns away from us," he said, "as easily as though we weren't there at all!" * * * * * When our remaining forces re-entered the galaxy we found it in uproar. News of the success of the machine-corsairs in robbing us of twenty suns had already flashed everywhere across it. It was known that the machines would return for more suns, and in view of what had happened it seemed probable that they could loot our galaxy of as many suns as they wished. Lacq Larus broadcast a statement to allay the general fear. "The machines greatly outnumbered our forces and for that reason we were unable to prevent them from towing away twenty suns," he stated. "But they will without doubt return to plunder us of more suns, and before then we must construct as many ships as possible with which to meet them. If we have forces enough we should be able to prevent the theft of any more suns." Preparations were begun almost at once to build up sufficient forces to meet the cosmic corsairs on their return. Thousands on thousands of new Patrol cruisers were hastily laid down to replace those destroyed in the battle. Beams of greater range and power were installed in them. It was estimated that we would have twice as many ships to meet the next coming of the corsairs as when we first had combated them. We would be meeting them on something like even terms as to numbers. "By the suns, we'll blast them out of space when they show up next time!" Jhul Din vowed. Korus Kan was not so sure. "Their weapons are more powerful than our own," he reminded. * * * * * Our new ships were hardly completed when there came warning of the corsairs' return. Our astronomers had watched them closely as they towed our score of suns steadily across the void toward their own distant galaxy. Now the astronomers reported that the twenty dark stars were on their way back to our galaxy. Lacq Larus ordered a patrol far out into space in the direction of the oncoming corsairs. Our main forces remained just inside the galaxy's edge. All worlds of suns there had been evacuated. Soon came word from the patrol that the dark stars were close. Lacq Larus ordered our scouts not to engage but to keep just ahead of them. Again Jhul Din and Korus Kan and I looked down from a great height at the oncoming dead suns of the buccaneering machines. They swept steadily, purposefully, toward our galaxy's edge again, but this time Lacq Larus did not wait for them to attach themselves to suns. He ordered the attack at once. If our first battle with the machines had been wild, our second one was madness. The flying-mechanisms still outnumbered our ships slightly, and they fought like the machines they were, with cold, relentless purpose.