John W. Campbell Award. Stalker and Geffen Award winner. Locus, Hugo and Seiun Award finalist. John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he enlisted in the army. There are two pieces of news. Good news: humanity has finally reached the stars. And the bad news: there are few planets suitable for life, but there are many alien species ready to fight for them. Far from Earth, the war continues for decades: brutal, bloody, constant. Responsible for protecting humanity, the Colonial Self-Defense Forces do not need young people; they need people with knowledge and skills accumulated over decades of life. John Perry is confident he knows what to expect. But the real struggle is much, much more difficult than he can imagine. And John has no idea who he will become.