After serving his allotted term, the mercenary Klaus Lander returns home to the planet Bristol, where there is no land—only ocean, swamps, and coral reefs. But a soldier can’t really rest: killers are on his trail, eager to settle accounts for the past. And an unexpected quarrel with sea hooligans leads to a conflict with the mafia. There’s nowhere to retreat—Lander is at home and has no intention of running. He chooses war; he’s used to it. But are his enemies ready for it?