The grandfathers' war

"The Grandfathers' War" by Murray Leinster is a science fiction story set during a strange interstellar conflict where medical officer Calhoun and his furry friend Murgatroyd try to make sense of a war that should not be happening. As Calhoun prepares to land on Phaedra II, he thinks about how silly it is for planets to fight each other when space travel is so difficult. But when his ship gets pulled by something unknown, he realizes he might not know as much as he thought. He talks with Murgatroyd and struggles with the idea of war while also trying to do his job as a doctor. This all leads to a bigger look at how generations clash, how society can fall apart, and how important it is to understand each other when things get crazy.