In the latter stages of the Second Boer War, three Australian lieutenants serving in the British Army are arrested and charged with the murder of captured Boer fighters and a German missionary. The incident brings to light the complexities and brutalities of war, as these men are used as scapegoats by their higher-ups to divert attention from war crimes committed by the British. Facing trial, the lieutenants are drawn into a legal battle that highlights the murky ethics of wartime actions and the expendability of individual soldiers in the grand scheme of military strategy. The case becomes a contentious issue, drawing attention to the difference between lawful conduct and the moral dilemmas soldiers face on the battlefield.

Assigned a military attorney who is initially inexperienced in such matters, the defence of the accused men uncovers a web of intrigue and duplicity. As the attorney delves deeper into the case, he confronts the challenges of defending men who acted under orders in an environment where the lines between right and wrong were blurred by the exigencies of war. The trial exposes the conflicting loyalties and pressures faced by soldiers and the often arbitrary nature of justice in wartime. Through their ordeal, the broader themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the cost of moral compromises in the heat of conflict are explored, raising questions about the nature of duty and the heavy burden those who serve in war must bear.