
In the far reaches of a galaxy torn by endless conflict, Captain Duke O'Neill finally brings his battered flagship back from the hostile world of Meloa. After fourteen years of fighting and loss, the crew’s hard‑won victory feels hollow as Earth, once a promised ally, watches from a safe distance. Duke’s return is marked by a mixture of relief, bitterness, and the strange ritual of shedding his war‑worn gear for a clean uniform.
As the ship limps toward the home port, Duke learns that Earth has offered free passage home to surviving veterans—a gesture that feels more like a surrender than a triumph. The captain wrestles with the reality that the planet he left behind chose neutrality while countless other worlds fell to alien hordes. Listeners are drawn into his inner conflict, the stark alien landscapes, and the uneasy question of what it truly means to win a war that may never have been fought for the right reasons.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (98K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2008-01-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1915–1993
A major figure in American science fiction, this writer helped shape the genre both on the page and behind the scenes as an editor. He is especially remembered for early classic stories, popular books for younger readers, and his role in building the Del Rey Books imprint.
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