John Pearce's recent promotion means that he is finally free to follow his own wishes – but the same can't be said for his trio of closest friends. Whilst Pearce is indulging himself in London, they are shipped off to the Mediteranean. Riddled with guilt over leaving them, Pearce vows to liberate them from the brutal tyrant they are serving under. His application to William Pitt finds him sailing off with secret despatches for Admiral Lord Hood. But when Captain Ralph Barclay puts the lives of his crew at risk in his vain search for glory, Pearce is obliged to embark on a dangerous mission before he can free his friends.