The connection was already established. "Thompson? We got twenty-two. Thirteen definites and nine more-than-probables. Seven with light damage. Lost nine." "Good, Stellor. Now don't try it again. They're wise and they'll clean you out." "I'd like to take my chance on one more run." "Don't do it. You'll be cleaned." "But they'll make a base here." "They'll make it anyway. How's their numbers?" "Terrific. They've got everything." Thompson grunted. "I'm not surprised. After all, they have a quarter of the Galaxy full of them, and even though slave labor isn't the best, a planet full of slaves is better than half a planet of free men if you accept that a slave is fifty percent efficient." "I'm beginning to see futility ahead," said Lane. "Well, don't. Terra has a secret weapon that will win for us, you know." "I know, but you can't swing it yet. It's the waiting and the back-breaking fight that must come first." "Too bad we can't just let 'em roar in close enough to use it all at once." "Wouldn't work. We've got to wait until the psychological moment. Then--we'll swing it." "O.K., now what?" "Don't toss away any more ships. Not right now. Let the Loard-vogh establish their base," explained Billy. "We can't stop 'em anyway. Let them come on in. I want them close enough so we can get at them without having to go all the way out to get them." He thought a moment. "Tell your boys not to use the atomic sphere any more than necessary. You know why." "We got a few with it." "All right," answered Thompson. "At that time it was expedient. We had to dent them to make them cautious." Lane said: "I don't see why we just don't let 'em roar on in close and then use Plan One on them." "Wouldn't work that way. They are too numerous. Before Plan One is efficient, we must give them a tough fight. Otherwise they will not understand that we mean business. We'll win only after we convince the Loard-vogh that we are worthy opponents in their own type of fighting. Otherwise they will wipe us out by sheer weight of numbers despite Plan One." "I know," grumbled Lane. "We've been through all that." "Well, then you know that Plan One will work only after a certain number of them have reason to fear our arms." "O.K., Billy, we're coming in." "No--not yet. Head in for Procyon IV and wait for them there. Give them as good a fight as you can." * * * * * Inward swept the grand fleet of the Loard-vogh. The other six planets of Procyon were push-overs; the Loard-vogh hit the planetary defenses, knocked them down by outnumbering them, and landed. The colonial population headed for the hills and hid out. And as the mop-up squads beat the bush, many of them did not come back. Yet it was futility, for Vorgan's vicious minions held the planets eventually. But on Procyon IV, they had trouble. The fleet came down in a multiple line and encircled IV. Terran forces fought back.