July, 1793. Since being press-ganged into service in King George's Navy, John Pearce has endured a whirlwind few months, which have seen him survive wild storms and bitter battles with the enemy. He is finally free to follow his own wishes, but the same does not apply for the trio of Pearce's closest friends, who call themselves the Pelicans. When they are shipped off to the Mediterranean, Pearce vows to liberate the men who have stuck by him through thick and thin. But with help being withheld by all higher powers, he is obliged to embark on a dangerous mission before he can free his friends: at stake, the whole British position in the Mediterranean.