"We are free to go, then?" I asked. "You are commanded to go!" the mechanism answered. "You are ordered to take that message to your galaxy's peoples." "Very well, we will go," I answered. To our followers I said, "Back to the cruiser." * * * * * We strode across the circle with the hosts of machines around it still motionless, watching. As coolly as possible we entered the ship and slammed shut the space-door. I climbed with my two officers to the bridge-room. "Ascend at once," I ordered Jan Allon. The generators hummed and our craft rose rapidly from the dark-star's surface. Around us rose the flying-mechanisms, too. "They're seeing us off to make sure we don't attempt any attack," I said. "These machines leave nothing to chance." "Dur Nal, what will come of all this?" cried Jhul Din as our cruiser rose. "Can those mechanical things actually steal suns from our galaxy?" "They can do it unless we are able to stop them," I said thoughtfully. "And whether or not we shall be able to stop them, I don't know." "Why, if we gather all the Patrol together we ought to be able to beam them and their cursed dark stars out of space!" Jhul Din exclaimed. "We'll do our best, anyway," I said grimly. "The flying-mechanisms are dropping back, sir," reported Jan Allon. We had risen high above the onrushing dark stars, and the machines that had accompanied us were now descending. In a short time we were millions of miles above the twenty dead suns, and we soon made contact with our squadron, which had been hovering overhead. "We return toward the galaxy at full speed immediately," I ordered the ships of our squadron. As our ships put on speed we soon left the dark stars behind us, outracing them toward the galaxy. I took the space-phone and after a little difficulty got through to headquarters at Canopus. In a few moments I was talking to the Chief. Lacq Larus listened with utmost attention as I related what we had discovered concerning the dark stars and the purposes of the machine-things guiding them. "This is almost incredible!" replied Lacq Larus' voice when I had finished. "Cosmic buccaneers coming from another galaxy to steal suns from our own galaxy!" "It is incredible but true," I told him. "They will reach our galaxy within a short time and will start dragging away suns." "You believe that they can do this, Dur Nal?" he asked. "I am almost sure that they can," I answered. "These machines impressed me as being the most formidable creatures I've ever encountered. Korus Kan is of my opinion also."