Noah Lysander, son of the former Marine Commandant and Chairman of the Federation, followed his twin sister in enlisting as a Marine. While Esther excelled, getting commissioned as an officer, Noah is not so driven, and when he proposes to Miriam, he makes a pledge to be a better husband and future parent than his own father had been.

Reenlisting for armor, Noah becomes a crewman on an M1 Davis, the most powerful tank ever developed. He quickly finds out that despite nominal peace within the Federation, the deployment demands placed on his platoon are heavy, and his relationship with his growing family begins to suffer. As a Marine tanker, he's a natural and has found his niche in the Corps, but at what cost?