The higher one climbs, the further there is to fall. As war with Napoleon seemingly draws to a close, opportunities for advancement are limited and Jack Aubrey faces the ultimate indignity - the possibility of being 'yellowed', or retired, and set aside with no squadron of his own. But the blockade of Brest presents dangers to equal those of the furthest shores. Who poses the greater threat to a naval man through and through? A resurgent Bonaparte or the Admiralty itself?