There was a dead silence. "You're being very inspirational," Elal said after a moment. "But I don't think you're being very practical." Stan glanced around the compartment. The pilot was young. He looked expectant, and somewhat hopeful. He would be willing to dare, Stan thought. The others had never fought a war, they didn't know how. Stan turned to the pilot. "Take it down--towards the lead ship in the Thuscan Fleet!" "How do we know he's changed?" a voice bleated. "Maybe he's still in league with Thusca!" Stan turned, the blue of a heat gun shining in his fist. "I have no time to argue--but it's not true." To the pilot: "Take it down!" "You forget that I'm the leader here," Elal said quietly. "You've abdicated your position," Stan said softly. "A leader is a man who can lead. You can't. _I_ can." His eyes blazed. "_We're going down!_" CHAPTER XIV They plummeted through space, towards the lead ship in the Thuscan fleet that was circling ever closer to the planet below. Stan glanced at his watch. Barely an hour remained before the planet below would be fighting a hideous, futile battle. Barely an hour left in which he had to accomplish the impossible. "Look!" somebody shouted. "Look at the screen!" Stan glanced at it briefly. There was the Thuscan fleet laid out below--much nearer now--and the small, flashing dot that represented his own craft. Behind him, strung out like a lazy figure C, was the rest of the Aurelian fleet. They were following the leader down, even though they recognized the enormous odds at which they were going to be fighting. Courage, Stan thought, feeling something catch in his throat. The unknown weapon. But just how much could it accomplish? "Contact in half a chrono," the pilot said. Stan walked over to him. "Show me how this works." It was simple enough, Stan discovered. The firing studs for the different, directional rockets could be played like the keys of a piano. And the radar that indicated distance from another object was accurate to the yard. Stan studied the pilot for a minute, trying to guess at his reflexes. "When we make contact, do exactly as I tell you." He shifted his gaze to the viewscreen. The Thuscan fleet was much nearer now, but the formation was changing slightly. The triangle was more ragged, more uncertain looking. They weren't sure of what was going to happen, Stan thought, and they were worried. Which was just what he wanted. "You'll kill us all!" a voice behind him screamed. "Maybe I will," Stan mused softly. "I don't promise you a thing!" They were brief miles away now. "_Fire left!_" The port rockets lifted the ship slightly and they flashed directly over the Thuscan lead rocket, a bare half mile beneath them. The wash from Stan's rockets flared lightly over the Thuscan ship and then they were pulling away. "Try again."