| abstract | - Commander-in-Chief Buzz Corry takes Happy for a ride in Buzz's space ship to the planet Terra to visit Space Patrol headquarters. Happy won the "Corry Scholarship", making 'Hap' a full cadet in the Space Patrol. Major Gorla, Corry's erstwhile rival for Commander-in-Chief, waits in his fortress on Mars for the arrival of Tonga, the Lady of Diamonds. Informed of Corry's departure from Earth on the way to Terra, Gorla fires a "cosmic missile" at Corry's ship. Tonga, the Lady of Diamonds arrives to pass on stolen documents to Gorla. Gorla points out Commander-in-Chief Buzz Corry's immanent demise from the missile. Buzz orders Happy to fire the "repellor ray", destroying the missile. Buzz plans to land on Mars to investigate the missile's origins. Gorla orders F6 to have his captain of the guard 'liquidated' for the failure to destroy Buzz. The Major then discusses his plans with Torga to use the documents to destroy the Space Patrol unit on the 'Peritian' peninsula of Mars. He plans further to raid the interplanetary freighters and use the spoils to launch a campaign to control the universe. Landing on Mars, Corry and Hap attempt to sneak into Gorla's fortress. Gorla anticipates this, and prepares with F6 to surprise the commander. Major Gorla and F6 get the drop on Buzz and Hap, but the tables turn quickly and Gorla and F6 are taken prisoner. Commander Corry plans to use a "brainograph" on the prisoners to find out the depths of their plans, but Gorla is terrified at the thought. The Lady of Diamonds watches, planning to ensure her involvement is not revealed.
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