A war is raging in the universe and humanity had created war worlds - place where people are bred and grown to be soldiers. Of course, this is not where the command stuff is coming from - they are Earth born and bred.

After a particularly bad battle, one of the best soldiers decides that after 20 years, he wants to take his retirement - this is what the contract says that he can do. Except that unlike everyone else before him, he does not want to go back to the barracks - he wants to go to Earth, the planet he is fighting for, the one he had never seen. But there is a reason why people do not do that.

The end is probably planned as a surprise but it was easy to see it coming. It still is a good story - Martin had his craft under control even that early in his career. ( )