It is AD 45, and centurions Macro and Cato, formerly of the mighty Roman Army, are trapped in Rome awaiting investigation for their involvement in a fellow officer's death. But it's not just their future that hangs in the balance...

Ruthless pirates have captured scrolls vital to the Emperor's safety. Knowing that only Macro and Cato have the courage and ingenuity to retrieve them, the devious Imperial Secretary makes the centurions an offer they can't refuse, employing the duplicitous Vitellius to keep them in line. The Officers set sail with the Imperial fleet- but the pirates have been forewarned, and the Romans pay heavily.

Outnumbered by the enemy and endangered by Vitellius's desire for glory, Macro and Cato fear their mission is impossible. But amidst the chaos one thing is certain: if they fail, the Empire will fall.