Hornblower is not in official command of the HMS "Renown," but is virtually at the helm. His nemesis, the mentally unstable Captain Sawyer, is straightjacketed, but alert enough to cast aspersions that do not go unnoticed by certain members of the crew. Hornblower and his fellow lieutenants rise to the occasion in battle, deciding that their best chance at avoiding court martial is to successfully complete their mission of securing a fort held by the Spanish.
Hornblower, Bush and Kennedy lead an attack on the Spanish fort. They soon are in battle not only with the Spanish, but with a platoon of rebel slaves as well -- a group that has slaughtered 33 deserters from the ship. Hornblower succeeds in capturing the fort and returns a hero. In the middle of the night, the Spanish prisoners attempt to capture the "Renown." Hornblower comes to the rescue yet cannot save the life of Captain Sawyer. In court, Buckland claim that Hornblower pushed the Captain into the hold. Ignoring Pellew's pleas for mercy, the post-captains insist that Hornblower stand in court and, as a man of honor, answer truthfully when asked whether he pushed Captain Sawyer into the hold. Hornblower's innocence comes out when a man dying from battle wounds enters the court and reveals who pushed the Captain. Hornblower is rewarded the command of the captured Spanish ship, renamed "Retribution."
