Starship Troopers

In the not-too-distant future, humanity has colonized other planets across the galaxy, but their freedom is threatened by a relentless and alien enemy - the Bug, an arachnoid species with insatiable hunger for human life. The Bugs, with their seemingly endless numbers and military strategy that negates humanoid tactics, are determined to eradicate all human colonies from the universe. The story begins on a high school campus, where a group of teenagers, including Johnny Rico, a charismatic and ambitious young man from a well-to-do family, are dreaming of adventure. Among the group are several notable individuals, including Zander Barcalow, Rico's best friend and confidant, Carmen Ibáñez, the vivacious daughter of a military general, and Ace Levy, a suave and spoiled playboy who lacks genuine intellectual and physical fortitude. Johnny's fascination with the military only grows stronger when, attracted by Carmen's charisma, he convinces himself that he must be part of the Mobile Infantry to be worthy of her affection. Dropping out of school to join the military, Johnny leaves behind his dull life to transfer to an interstellar academy run by the military, Camp Currie Infantry Academy. Along with a handful of other new recruits, he begins his grueling journey to become a part of the elite Mobile Infantry. Cassius Ash, a highly respected drill instructor, takes Johnny under his wing and instills in him the tough lessons of the military way of life. Ash, notorious for his strict discipline and tactical expertise, is initially at odds with Ace, but a bond of mutual respect eventually develops. Zander, who enlists under a false identity, faces mounting pressure from his position as a cadet and also faces scrutiny for being openly gay in the rigidly militarized society of 2087. The grueling training academy experience shatters the bonds between Johnny and his friends as they struggle through intense combat simulations, rigorous fitness exercises, and grueling boot camp struggles. Among the other recruits he meets is a young smart man named Carl, who envisions strategy through intellect rather than reckless spontaneity. Upon graduation, the Mobile Infantry sends its recruits to the planet Klendathu to go to war against the Bugs, the epicenter of conflict where the government promotes a vital war effort. Klendathu, a remote and unyielding tropical planet controlled by the Bugs, tests the endurances of Rico and his fellow soldiers as the Mobile Infantry fights a fierce battle to ground troops and aerial troops alike under the orders of seasoned Lieutenant Jenkins from a neighboring spaceship carrying command staff. Johnny's selfless devotion to Carmen, driven by her duty as a nurse, helps him keep her with him, but Zander is inevitably captured and executed by the Bugs, saddening everyone who came to know him. Throughout his transformation into a seasoned officer, Johnny gradually loses some of his naive instincts while discovering his leadership potential, partly through tragic memories and cruel lessons from war but ultimately learns the harsh truth about human nature, authority, and existence in a war. Carl's genius reveals a dark theory to the team; a connection between a shared biological brain mapping mechanism connecting between different forms of life as the root of the conflicts that escalate between rival species. However, once this information falls into the wrong hands of the politician's underlings, the Mobile Infantry unit finds themselves at war with the nation when they try to present it.