About the book: year / The third book of the "Star Recruit" Cycle. There is a war going on in the Galaxy. The Earth is a tasty morsel for many civilizations that surpass us in their level of development. But there are galactic rules that no one can break. One of these laws is that no civilization can colonize a planet that already has at least one species of intelligent beings. Mantises - a race of intelligent beetles - have chosen a different tactic - for centuries they have been purposefully and systematically destroying people, throwing cysts with deadly viruses onto Earth in order to cleanse it of us, people. They are opposed only by star recruits - cadets of the Star Academy, created by the immortal Dita many decades ago. Alexander and his friend, the green brute Ar'rahkh, are now cadets of this “training” for star recruits. They will have to survive in a deadly cross-country race, learn to fly combat aircraft, and most importantly, win the Day of the Patrol - gladiatorial battles of young pilots, organized by Dita for the inhabitants of the City of the Gods - the planet of the immortal Eloi. Defeat and find a friend from the enemy's camp - a small black praying mantis, which they will call by the Russian name Masha...