After recovering from severe wounds suffered in American waters, Kydd resumes command of Thunderer and is sent to Bermuda. The remote station protects Atlantic routes during the War of 1812 but also places the ship within a network of divided loyalties and uncertain intelligence.
Evidence of betrayal threatens the squadron from within as Kydd attempts to distinguish personal grievance from a wider conspiracy. The investigation turns routine station duty into a contest over trust, command and the security of British operations in the western Atlantic.