On patrol in the South Seas, British Type-23 frigate HMS Monarch receives a distress call from the merchant vessel Corona, which has been carrying gold bullion and is under attack from pirates. Responding to the call, the Captain and crew of HMS Monarch find themselves drawn into a struggle against the megalomaniac ambitions of a despotic warlord. With the lives of hostages at stake, the crew HMS Monarch races against the clock to save them... and themselves.