Having been fired from the Corps Diplomatique Terestienne, the hard-hitting diplomat, Retief, takes it upon himself to end the war between the imperialist Krll and the Terrans while at the same time putting a stop to the dope-dealing gangster Mr. Bug. The quest takes Retief from the peaceful planet of B'ruckley inhabited by native B'rucleyans and a host of joyweed smoking Terran students to the planet Odiousita where he ends up in the middle of a warzone, having to ward off both Terran forces and the might Krll war machine while helping the native Bloggies preserve their culture and identity.