Jake's retirement consists of beer, brats, watching beach bunnies pass by his patio deck and trading wisecracks with Arlo, his pet chameleon. OK, so it's a one-sided exchange, Jake doesn't mind. That all changes when they are conscripted into service for the Federation of Thirteen Galaxies. (Twelve actually. They lost one of the Galaxies but it's too expensive to change all the letterhead, so there you go.) Book One, 'Arlo and Jake Enlist', follows the adventures of our dippy duo as they are snapped off the beach and into service as ABSs (Able Bodied Spacemen).

The adventure continues as our heroes are shipped to Camp Balator, a Federation of Thirteen Galaxies (FTG) boot camp, reserved for the cream of the crop recruits. The training is designed to push recruits to their limits and beyond. Jake and Arlo meet new friends and become part of a Triad, a group of three recruits and their partners. Together they struggle to make it through the intensive training and get back the FTG Triumph, where Pixie and Leeta eagerly await their return. But there are other forces in the Universe who have nefarious plans for the prestigious camp; deadly plans. Can Jake...