In the Victorian era in the mid-nineteenth century, brothers Geoffrey Vickers and Perry Vickers are both stationed in Calcutta as part of Britain's position in India and Western Asia, Geoffrey a member of the 27th Lancers of the British Army and Perry in a diplomatic role, although he still retains his British Army rank of Captain. While Geoffrey is on an extended absence from Calcutta, his fiancée Elsa Campbell, the daughter of his Commanding Officer, and Perry mutually fall in love, something that Perry knows is his responsibility to tell Geoffrey as early as possible in his return to Calcutta in Perry and Elsa wanting to marry. Relaying that information does not end up the way either Perry or Elsa envisions. That information takes on new meaning when Geoffrey follows orders against his better judgment of his read of the situation on the ground resulting in Surat Khan, the head of Suristan, he who controls much of the surrounding region, able to invade the British fort in Chukoti not only massacring many of the British military stationed there but also massacring a legion of innocent women and children, especially painful for Geoffrey in once having saved Surat Khan's life. When Surat Khan repositions to Crimea in support of his allies, the Russians, Geoffrey defies orders in able to exact revenge on Surat Khan and his troops, all the while knowing that the British will suffer major casualties in the process regardless of what happens in the end.—Huggo