The French Revolution is turning in on itself even as the war with the English drags on. As the armies move towards Italy, George Markham and his Marines find themselves assigned to the sloop Sylphide under the impetuous Captain Germain. Set ashore in the midst of the French army, Markham is charged with escorting a group of loyalists on a secret mission and is soon wishing he was back in the thick of it at sea. His wits and courage are tested to the limits as he tries to untangle the web of subterfuge surrounding young Germain's insane mission. Just as Markham looks like making headway, the unexpected arrival of a ghost from his past overturns everything and the fight is on again…