'I look at the sea again. The unpredictable sea. All around me the fleet slips into the night and uncertainty. I am overwhelmed by contradictory emotions mixed with fear and desire.'Onboard one of the ships of the Russian Imperial Navy, Countess Irina Rostova prepares for the upcoming battle against the Japanese Imperial Navy. As the Court's official memorialist in St. Petersburg, the Countess was appointed to immortalise the fight. But, as the only woman on board among superstitious officers, she encountered unspoken and false pretences. Determined to know what was being hidden from her, she questions the mysterious Captain Voronov. Will she find some comfort in the dark hours ahead? A body to dock to?