The action takes place in the twenty-fourth century AD. Two space smugglers travel from planet to planet and face many dangers until they end up on the Serpentine, where a fierce war is being waged against the vicious and predatory reptiles. The colonizers are forced to destroy extremely resilient hostile life forms, and Starship Troopers are inexorably losing strength. To replenish their ranks with new fighters, the military hires adventurers and notorious thugs of all stripes. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the main characters of the book also join the ranks of the mercenaries.