Sharpe’s Challenge

A patrol led by Sergeant Sharpe reaches a remote East India Company outpost, only to be hit by a surprise attack. Major William Dodd's forces massacre most of the garrison and abscond with the payroll. Sharpe is wounded but survives by feigning death and playing dead.

In 1817, Sharpe has retired to farming in France, but the Duke of Wellington calls him to London for a final assignment in India. The mission is to identify a turncoat officer advising a rebellious Maratha rajah. Sharpe learns the missing agent is his old friend Patrick Harper.

Sharpe departs for India and, on the road to report to General Burroughs, crosses paths with Celia Burroughs. After a brief exchange, he rides on. He is attacked by marauders and is rescued just in time by Patrick Harper.

Dodd captures Celia during the escort's assault and delivers her to the fortress of Khande Rao. The young rajah is under a regent and under Madhuvanthi's influence, with Dodd acting as the traitor adviser. Celia's capture heightens Sharpe's resolve to confront the rebellion.

Sharpe and Harper pose as deserters and gain entry with the rebels. They meet veterans Gudin and Bonnet, hired to train the insurgents. The plan is to weaken the rebellion from within while Burroughs begins the siege.

General Burroughs recovers enough to resume operations and dismisses the treacherous Simmerson. Sharpe is granted permission to infiltrate the enemy lines, a dangerous move that unsettles the old foe. The stage is set for a full siege against Khande Rao.

Sharpe uncovers Dodd's plan to breach the fortress by explosive barrels hidden in the wall. During clashes, British soldiers are captured and coerced, with Sergeant Shadrach Bickerstaff breaking under pressure. Bickerstaff betrays Sharpe to avoid his own torture.

Gudin and Bonnet, appalled by the barbaric treatment of prisoners, help Sharpe and Harper escape just as the British assault begins. They escape with their lives and continue to fight alongside the British. Their loyalty strengthens Sharpe's resolve.

Gudin tries to free Celia but is murdered by Bickerstaff in the fortress. The loss of a trusted ally galvanizes Sharpe to complete the mission.

Sharpe and Harper trigger Dodd's explosion by sabotaging the gunpowder prematurely, creating a massive wall breach. The blast collapses defenses as Harper shoots Bickerstaff, and Sharpe continues to hunt Dodd through the rubble. The assault shifts the battle in favor of the British.

Sharpe finally fights Dodd in a final confrontation and ends his treachery with a killing blow. Madhuvanthi attacks Dodd in a knife-driven confrontation, and he murders her in a fit of rage. The treacherous turncoat's demise brings the internal conspiracy to an end.

Khande Rao signs a peace treaty that lets him keep the throne, much to Sharpe's disgust. Celia is reunited with her father, and she pleads with Sharpe to stay, but he declines. The mission ends with Sharpe and Harper riding away from the fortress.

With the conflict resolved, Sharpe and Harper depart, their bond intact after one last dangerous assignment. They ride off into the distance, leaving behind a fraught political landscape.