Arriving on the planet of Tophet, the Roughnecks are surprised to meet an advanced indigenous species. They claim the bugs came, but couldn't adapt to their climate and died... But where are all the corpses then?

As the war moves to the planet Tophet, the Roughnecks go after Razak and Higgins, who are trapped behind enemy lines and about to be blown up by their own air strike.

On a mission to capture an important mountain pass, Rico has trouble trusting the squad's newest member, a cyborg.

The Roughnecks are captured by the skinnies, and held for interrogation.

The capture of the "skinny" Colonel T'Phai reveals that the entire race are being mentally controlled by the bugs and that they are using the planet for fuel and plan to blow it up after they are done. Can the Roughnecks stop the bugs in time?