During his training, Johnnie’s world shifts from peacetime toward war. After graduation, he ships out on the spaceship Valley Forge with a company known as Willie’s Wildcats. Alien forces attack and destroy Buenos Aires, and the Valley Forge is sent to Klendathu, the home planet of the “Bugs,” as one of the first acts of “The Bug War.”

Bugs are large arthropod creatures: “they are communal entities, the ultimate dictatorship of the hive” (142), with queens and a “brain caste” of leaders who control the warriors. Johnnie’s force drops onto Klendathu, hoping quickly to end the war with a decisive attack, but the operation is undermanned and quickly turns into a rout. Johnnie is one of the few who get out alive; 80% of his company is killed. The Valley Forge is destroyed; Johnnie ships home on the Voortrek.

His next posting is to the Rasczak’s Roughnecks company under Sergeant Jelal aboard the Rodger Young. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Rasczak, is friendly but remote except in battle, when he worries over each of his men, somehow managing to keep track of their individual dispositions at all times.

The Roughnecks keep to their quarters and shun Navy personnel—a certain snobbery exists between the two services—but occasionally they perform guard duty at the forward bulkhead, beyond which are the Navy women’s quarters.