Human mercenary Athol Morrison returns to Earth after serving in the legions of the Master Race.

There, he runs into old friends, and finds it easy to give into his old feelings with his childhood girlfriend, Alexandra (Alix) Moreno.

Soon afterward comes war with the Hu, the most advanced race yet encountered—they developed hyperspace travel either on their own or stole it from a Master facility.

After that war is over, Athol and one of his concubines visit his alien comrade Shrêhht on her home planet.

He returns to Earth a second time and learns that he and Alix have a daughter, Kaye Moreno, and takes her off-planet to be trained as a soldier herself.