French Foreign Legion Captain Edwards, is returning to his post with his desert patrol that is ambushed by an Arab tribe, with Edwards and his sergeant, Benet, the only survivors. Edwards and Benet are later sent to gather a new patrol. While Benet seeks volunteers, Edwards goes to say farewell to his wife, Celie, whom he finds in the arms of another officer, Lieutenant Forbes. Edwards and Forbes, naturally, begin their dangerous mission with hostility between them. Surrounded by the deadly Tuaregs, Edwards loses one man after another, but doggedly pushes on. He learns that even while the leader of the Tauregs is signing a peace treaty at the outpost, rivals within the tribe plan to ambush the leader, blame it on the French and start a new war.