Tom Corbett Space Cadet #4 (1953)

Space Cadets Tom Corbett and Roger discover ancient ruins on Mars, including a mysterious hotel structure that appears on their scanner. While exploring the ruins, they encounter Solar Guards who accuse them of trickery and demand they produce the spacemen they claim created the false images. The cadets must navigate treacherous desert terrain and confront the Solar Guards, ultimately facing a trial by strength with the outlaw leader Tal Mikari, who challenges them under the primitive laws of his people rather than allowing the Solar Alliance to judge the dispute.