Britain sends a major fleet to Copenhagen to prevent Denmark’s navy from falling under Napoleon’s control. Kydd joins the operation while Renzi attempts a parallel diplomatic solution, leaving both men caught between military necessity and the rights of a neutral state.
Bombardment, capture and the surrender of the Danish fleet turn Copenhagen into a political as well as naval disaster. Kydd must survive captivity and reach Renzi as the expedition secures its objective at a cost neither diplomacy nor victory can disguise.