Cadets Lim, Jie, Lam and Chan are on punishment parade at the navy academy before Commander Palaiologos for an assortment of offenses. While the Commander deals with cadets Lam and Chan himself, cadets Lim and Jie soon find themselves face to face with their academy sponsor, Commodore Coburn.

Sailors will be sailors as a bar fight has broken out between the cadets at H.M.S. Tamar and the crew of a visiting ship. Commander Palaiologos is not amused, this incident taking place right in the middle of a navy inquiry on academy discipline. Lieutenants Li and Chen have been told to punish those involved and find out who threw the first punch, but that may prove to be a tricky question...

Lieutenants Li and Chen finish up punishing the cadets. Meanwhile Commodore Coburn has had enough of delays in the finding out of who started the bar fight and intends to bring the matter to a conclusion one way or another.