Asteroid Crisis: Star Challengers Book 3 by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers

Each module requires three people, just enough to accomplish the mission. One to guide each ship and two to place the warheads.”
    Fox looked at JJ and her friends. “You aren’t planning to go along with us, are you? This is most likely a one-way mission. The modules don’t have enough air, food, or water for the three required crewmembers to make the return trip.”
    Ansari nodded. “The volunteers aren’t coming back. We’ll be sacrificing our lives to plant the warheads and destroy the asteroids.”
    King started with surprise. “There’s got to be another way.”
    “I’m afraid not,” Fox said gravely.
    “Yes there is,” JJ said. She drew close to Fox and Ansari and spoke in a whisper.
    “The modules might not have enough supplies for three people to make it back, but they can take one or two. When you’re close to the asteroids, we can transport in, help plant the warheads, and transport out.” Her gaze was serious. “It’s the only way this will work.”
    Ansari nodded. “It could work, indeed. How will you be able to make such an exact rendezvous?”
    JJ removed her pinger, the small hand-held object that looked like a bracelet with faint glimmering lights inside. “If you carry one of these aboard each mission module, we can catch up to you as you approach the asteroid.”
    “But don’t we need that pinger?” Song-Ye asked.
    “We’ve each got one,” JJ reminded her. “Dyl, Tony, we’ll need yours, too—to track the other two mission modules.” After her brother and friend reluctantly removed their pingers, JJ handed them to Ansari.
    The Stationmaster looked curiously at the strange devices.
    “We’ll use these to pinpoint your location. Then we transport in and help you,” JJ explained.
    Dyl leaned toward Song-Ye and pretended to speak into a voice recorder. “Cadet’s Log: The fearless blond cadet once again demonstrates her grasp of classic Star Trek problem-solving.”
    Ansari gave JJ a wan smile. “Something else I need to take on faith, Cadet Wren?”
    “We have to believe in ourselves,” JJ said. “And I hope you can believe in us, too.”
    The Stationmaster gave them all a fond look. “So far you’ve surprised me, all right—I don’t doubt your potential.” She held the three pingers. “I’ll place one of these aboard each module.”
    After Ansari left, the Star Challengers went into the small node room at the end of the Mess module. Everyone else had quickly gone back to their own duties. With the asteroid mission preparing to launch, the ISSC was a hive of activity. As soon as they were alone together in the chamber, and King had sealed the hatch, Song-Ye blurted, “Are you crazy? Now only two of us have pingers! Are the rest of you going to stay in the future? What are you thinking?”
    King had already guessed JJ’s plan. “Commander Zota didn’t need locators to find us on our first two missions.
    If we stand close together—like here in the node room—one signal should be enough for him to find all of us.”
    “That’s just a theory,” Song-Ye said.
    “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Dyl said with a chuckle. “Only one way to find out for sure.”
    Tony took JJ’s arm, and she flushed when she realized he was closer than he needed to be.
    Song-Ye activated her device. Although the lights grew brighter, her lips drew down in a frown. “I don’t think it’s working.”
    JJ gave Ansari a thumbs-up and suddenly felt a lurch, as if she had just dropped from ten feet up and landed heavily. Gravity pulled on them again, weighing them down. Dyl looked crestfallen, and Song-Ye grabbed his arm, helping him remain upright. “I’ll be fine,” he said.
    “At least we know we’re back home.” JJ opened the door of the dark transport chamber.
    Commander Zota was there, his face filled with curiosity. “Were you successful? You all appear to be safe.”
    “Kylarn ships did a flyby of the ISSC,” Tony blurted, “but they didn’t fire on