War Paint

In the pre-credit sequence, Commissioner Kirby’s escort is shot and scalped by Taslik and Wanima. This brutal act marks the hidden opposition that will pursue the treaty mission. The moment establishes the antagonists' ruthlessness and foreshadows the peril to come.

Lt. Billings leads the patrol escorting a cartographer to deliver a recently signed treaty to the local chief. They believe nine days is the window to prevent an uprising. The mission's stakes are clear as they set out.

A messenger arrives with orders to join the escort and carry the treaty to the chief. Billings accepts him, expanding the group and tightening the schedule. The messenger's presence adds a sense of urgency to reach Washington's agreement.

At the trading post, Taslik offers to guide the group to the chief. He explains his war paint as proof of past clashes with rival tribes. Wanima shadows the patrol, signaling her covert opposition to the peace treaty.

Taslik and Wanima sabotage the patrol's supplies at various points, pulling off undetected harms that strain the unit. The crew notices occasional shortages but misplaces blame on bad weather or rough terrain. The hidden plan is designed to derail the treaty mission.

The patrol comes across the remains of Commissioner Kirby's escort, confirming a deadly threat lurks ahead. The discovery raises questions about past failures and fuels mistrust. The men press on with a sharpened sense of danger.

The supplies sabotage leads to tragedies within the group as Perkins drinks poisoned water and Hamilton may take his own life. The incident shatters morale and intensifies fear of who among them can be trusted. The patrol's cohesion begins to crumble.

Billings realizes Taslik has deliberately led them in a giant water-wasting loop to exhaust the party. The deception signals a grave threat to their survival and mission. Tensions rise as thirst becomes a weapon.

Billings withholds water and assigns Clancy to trek overland to the village while others conserve. Wanima ambushes Clancy, killing him, and is herself wounded and knocked unconscious. The group loses a critical link to the village and faces deeper peril.

After the ambush, the patrol discovers Wanima's role but Billings chooses not to execute her, sparking dissent among the men who view mercy as weakness. Wanima agrees to guide the others toward water but instead steers them toward an abandoned gold mine.

With the prospect of gold, Tolson, Grady, and Martin plot to seize the treasure and desert, fracturing the group further. The line between ally and traitor blurs as greed corrodes discipline. Wanima's leadership becomes contested as she tries to maintain order.

A violent shootout erupts as the mutineers clash with loyal troopers. Several are killed or wounded, leaving only Billings and Wanima standing. The mission survives on sheer grit as the two continue toward the village.

Billings and Wanima, now the last two, push through harsh terrain toward the village with the treaty in hand. The ordeal has tempered them, leaving a wary, if uneasy, partnership. They prepare for the tense arrival that will determine the treaty’s fate.

Arriving at the village, Billings and Wanima deliver the recently signed treaty to the chief. Despite heavy losses and betrayals, the mission succeeds on paper, achieving peace through a treaty while leaving scars behind.