Soval appears before theVulcan High Command to answer forhis use of amind meld onCorporal Askwith insickbay onEnterprise NX-01. Soval states that he needed to conceal his abilities for the best interests ofVulcan. He felt that the service he performed outweighed his crime.V'Las states that although Soval's record is impressive, there is no excuse for deception. Soval states that deception is no stranger to the High Command. V'Las dismisses Soval from service and orders him to return all confidential material. In addition, V'Las reminds Soval that his oath of loyalty is still in effect.

Act One[]

On Vulcan, the mysterious people who have capturedArcher andT'Pol in theT'Karath Sanctuary are revealed to beSyrrannites under thede facto command ofT'Pau. Archer, who still believes that T'Pau bombed theEmbassy, angrily confronts her over thedeath of his friend,Admiral Forrest and 42 others. T'Pau denies involvement in the bombing and chides Archer for crossing theForge with false information. Afterward, as T'Pol and Archer explain they befriended the lateArev while crossing the desert, they are welcomed with sorrow. As T'Pau explains, Arev was in factSyrran, their leader.

Locked in a room at the sanctuary, Archer slumps over near a window. T'Pol goes to his side and asks if he is all right. Archer recalls that before Arev died, he put his hand on his forehead and now he feels something inside his head. Archer confides to T'Pol that since the incident, he has not felt like himself. Meanwhile, T'Pau confrontsT'Les, T'Pol's mother, over her decision to lead her daughter and Archer to their hiding place with a modifiedIDIC pendant. She explains that she only wanted to assure her daughter that she was fine. T'Pau regretfully remarks that if Syrran is indeed dead, all they have worked for is lost.

In thecaptain's ready room,Commander Tucker expresses his disbelief on Soval's expulsion from the High Command. Soval notes that he can file a protest but V'Las is not one to change his mind. Soval remarks that his lost position and future career plans are the last thing they should be concerned with now and asks the commander if they have been able to contact Archer or T'Pol. "We can't reach them and they can't reach us." Soval reveals that V'Las is planning on bombarding the Syrrannite's sanctuary in the Forge – which is where Archer and T'Pol were headed. Soval remarks that they are in grave danger.

After some time, T'Pol is brought to her mother. Their discussion goes nowhere as the daughter can't understand her mother's choice to join people she considers to be extremists. Even after she hears T'Les' explanation, the High Council's propaganda still holds.

In his cell, Captain Archer has a vision. He sees explosions in the far distance. "The war is taking its toll. Vulcan is tearing itself apart", an elderly appearing Vulcan man says. The man stands at a distance from Archer. "Who are you?", Archer asks. "You know who I am, captain". Archer quickly deduces that the Vulcan man isSurak himself, the father of Vulcan philosophy. Archer tells Surak that this does not feel like a dream. Surak tells Archer that he is viewing the past through his eyes. From what he tells Archer, Syrran transferred Surak'skatra to Archer's mind before he died. Surak tells Archer that he must return his people to the right path and that, to use aEarth expression, they are stuck with each other now.

Just then, T'Pol snaps him out of it. Stunned, he sits down.

Act Two[]

V'Las informs the Council that the Syrrannite camp has been located. V'Las intends to order its eradication, which prompts objection from another council member,Kuvak. He proposes simply arresting them when they inevitably need to leave the camp. V'Las dismisses this through a goal of maintaining order most of all, which could be obtained by destroying them. V'Las ends the meeting with his decision, leaving Kuvak disturbed.

With the strange vision, Archer informs T'Pau and the group about what he saw. He says he thinks it was Surak, and this stuns the others, though Syrran would certainly have tried to transfer thekatra if he sensed he was about to die. T'Pol stateskatras are amyth, but T'Pau ignores that and offers to mind meld with the captain to be sure, despite her misgivings about melding with a Human. In the meld, T'Pau sees the desert and the refuge that Archer took earlier, but then also senses Surak. She steps back, now sure.

Soval, now determined to prevent the tragedy, helps Tucker with a plan, starting with disrupting one of thesatellites near the Forge. During, Tucker asks Soval why's he's helping them when he seemed so against Humans. Soval reminds him he lived on Earth for 30 years and did develop a fondness for Humans. Tucker says he did a good job hiding it, to which Soval thanks him. Meanwhile,Travis Mayweather rigs together ashuttlepod to get to the surface. Later, Tucker gets a hail from V'Las, who informs him the investigation is complete and that they can go back to Earth. Tucker wants to stay, but V'Las is insistent, having even called AdmiralGardner.

Even with the new facts about T'Pau sensing Surak'skatra, T'Pol is still skeptical. She tells Archer about thekatric arks that were discovered nearP'Jem, allegedly used to preservekatras, and, upon study, it was concluded they did nothing of the sort. T'Pol says it's more likely Archer is has Syrran's memories, transferred before death, since Archer's vision included the Sanctuary, where Syrran spent a great deal of time. Archer feels like it's more than that, but also wants it taken out of him. T'Pau then plans a dangerous ritual to transfer thekatra from Archer. T'Les objects to this, since T'Pau has never performed it before, and it may not be what Surak or Syrran would have wanted. T'Pau says Syrran didn't choose Archer for thekatra – he was dying and needed to save it, and T'Pol was not able. T'Les asks her one last time to reconsider, as Archer could die, but she doesn't, unwilling to follow Archer or sacrifice thekatra.

Act Three[]

Back in the cell, T'Pol is still dwelling on her mother's choice to join the Syrrannites. Archer talks to her, noting she is alright, and that he doesn't think these people are responsible for the bombing anymore. Before they can continue, T'Pau enters the cell, announcing she's decided to take thekatra from Archer. Archer agrees, as he is eager to get Surak'skatra out of his mind, but T'Pol objects when they note the danger to him. T'Pau says they will use force if necessary, which prompts further objection from T'Pol, throwing a glare at T'Les.

In the meantime, V'Las finds thatEnterprise is still inorbit despite orders from Gardner. Kuvak is further alarmed at V'Las' behavior, as he is obviously monitoring their communications and using Gardner to get rid of witnesses to his plan. V'Las ignores it and deduces that Tucker has a plan, and goes to find out what it is.

Archer kneels down and T'Pau to performs the ritual, holding his head from behind. Archer goes back to the place with Surak, who, now suffering fromradiation poisoning from the fallout of Vulcan's war, recalls his time and his people's conflict. Surak decides to stay with Archer, saying Syrran wasn't able to help him, and that in fact, no Vulcan can. Archer, being Human, isn't burdened by his people's history. He falls, insisting that the captain must find the long lostKir'Shara, so that the Vulcan people can find a new path of enlightenment. T'Pau senses that Surak wants to stay inside Archer and, stunned, releases him.

Soval, fromEnterprise, disables the satellite, giving Mayweather six minutes to get to the surface.Malcolm Reed andWoods ride out the very bumpy ride. Soon, unfortunately, two Vulcan patrol craft fire on them. Reed is able to fire back, but the shuttle loses part of its wing and is forced to return toEnterprise. Soval surmises that they must have been monitored, and, sure enough, V'Las hails them and demands to know why they're sending a shuttle. Tucker, forced to admit Archer is on the surface, receives a direct order from V'Las to leave, or be fired upon.

Act Four[]

Archer is unconscious for three hours, under T'Pol's care. T'Les comes to check on her, but she coldly says she wants nothing to do with her, noting her hypocrisy with forcing Archer under the procedure yet condemning the High Command. She accepts that, and then Archer wakes. He soon heads for where he thinks the Kir'Shara is, but then the Syrrannites realize they're in danger and begin to evacuate. T'Les goes with them, but Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol remain behind to attempt to locate the Kir'Shara. T'Les holds a look on T'Pol and then goes.

V'Las sends three Vulcan ships to interceptEnterprise and they begin firing. No match for them, theEnterprise becomes damaged and Tucker finally withdraws under Soval's advice to retreat. As soon as the Humans are away, V'Las orders bombardment of the sanctuary. In the Forge, Archer leads his party down a corridor. He finds themummified corpse ofT'Klaas, one of Surak's students and one of the firstkolinahr masters. T'Pol expresses surprise at Archer's identification of the master, as there is no inscription or nothing to indicate his bloodline to be found. They continue on as the bombardment starts. Archer opens a door to the room where the Kir'Shara is kept. T'Pau is stunned to see it, as she almost believed it didn't exist. A stronger blast prompts them to leave immediately. Archer then leads them out of the sanctuary, which they see has been reduced to rubble. At the Vulcan council, V'Las is pleased to hear the destruction and orders troops to search and kill survivors. Kuvak, with Vulcan distaste, notes V'Las is ordering a massacre, but V'Las insists they are eliminating a threat.

In the remains of the sanctuary, T'Pol finds her mother T'Les gravely injured and holds her in her arms. T'Les remained behind as she was afraid T'Pol was still inside. T'Les admits she came to the sanctuary for her, as T'Pol has always struggled with her emotions. While Archer and T'Pau look on, T'Les apparently dies just after she tells T'Pol she has always been so proud of her. T'Pol cradles her mother's lifeless body in her arms and sheds atear.

Commander Tucker is in command of theEnterprise, still moving away from Vulcan. Privately, Soval (who is still on board) informs Tucker in Archer's ready room of another threat: that Vulcan is planning to attackAndoria, believing they are developing a weapon based on theXindi weapon. V'Las is advancing an agenda, and wanted the Syrrannites eliminated due to their pacifist views. Tucker knows what he must do, immediately leaving and ordering Ensign Mayweather to set a course to Andoria at maximumwarp, to the surprise of the bridge crew.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Memorable quotes[]

"Your accomplishments have been noteworthy."
"They don't justify deception…"
"Deception has neverbeen a stranger to this room."

-Kuvak,V'Las, andSoval

"There's a great deal that needs to be said, Excellency, but no one's willing to listen."

-Soval, to V'Las

"I'm here to find the person who bombed the Earth embassy. Her name is T'Pau, and she looks a hell of a lot like you!"

-Jonathan Archer, to T'Pau, on their first meeting

"You have a lot to learn about Syrrannites."
"You have a lot to learn about Humans! We don't sit back and do nothing while our people are attacked."
"No, you traverse vast wastelands based on false information."

-T'Pau andArcher

"Right beforeArev died, he grabbed me, he put his hand on my forehead. I felt something inside… my head."
"Do you think he was trying tomeld with you?"
"I don't know… but ever since I haven't been myself."

-Archer andT'Pol

"You don't trust Vulcans, Captain, and given your experiences with them, I can't say I blame you. The culture you've come to know isn't the one I helped to create. My people have strayed, and someone must restore them to the path."
"You've got the wrong man."
"Sorry, Captain, there's an Earth expression: 'We're stuck with each other.' Don't fight what's been given to you. Open your mind and your heart and the way will become clear."

-Surak andArcher

"You know, I'm the one with the Vulcan ghost in his head – depending on who you believe – but, I don't feel half as bad as you look."
"I'm considering our options."
"At least we know your mother's okay."
"She's joined a violent cult – she'snot okay."
"I don't think these people hadanything to do with the embassy."
"You sound convinced."
"Let's just say it's more than a gut feeling."

-Archer andT'Pol

"I've had my fill of mind-melds."
"The prospect doesn't appeal to me, either. I've never melded with a Human before. Your… unchecked emotions will, no doubt, prove distasteful."

-Archer andT'Pau, before she attempts to confirm that he is carrying Surak'skatra

"Mind if I ask you something? Why are you doing this? I never got the impression that you cared that much about Humans. Seems like… you were always finding something new to complain about."
"I lived on Earth for more than 30 years, Commander. In that time I developed an affinity for your world and its people."
"You did a pretty good job of hiding it."
"Thank you."

-Tucker andSoval

"They found nothing to indicate the presence of akatra."
"The Vulcan Science Academy was just as skeptical about time travel"
"Do you really believe you possess the living spirit of Surak, inside you, a man who died eighteen hundred years ago?"
"Not when you put it like that."

-T'Pol andArcher

"So I'm suffering from… a mind-meld hangover?"
"I wouldn't characterize it quite that way… but essentially."

-Archer andT'Pol

"Why did you launch ashuttlepod?"
"Why the hell did you fire on it?"

-V'Las andTucker

"Son of a bitch hung up on us!"

-Tucker, after V'Las abruptly ends transmission

"How many warning shots do Vulcans usually fire?"
"None."

-Tucker andSoval, after the Vulcan ships fired a shot that missedEnterprise by just twenty meters

"You're presiding over a massacre."
"Weare eliminating a threat."

-Kuvak andV'Las

Background information[]

Bruce Gray playsSurak in this episode. The same character, though based on a memory extracted from the mind of Captain Kirk, also appears in theStar Trek: The Original Series episode "The Savage Curtain" in which he is played byBarry Atwater.
This episode establishes thatSurak died of radiation poisoning following the explosion of one or more atomic weapons onMount Seleya during the the last battle against "those who marched beneath the Raptor's wings" (i.e. those Vulcans that opposed Surak's teaching, eventually becoming the Romulan Star Empire). The allusion of the Raptor's Wing refers to the bird-of-prey symbol that represents the Romulan Star Empire.
This is the last of ten episodes of the series to be directed byRoxann Dawson.
Bruce Gray previously playedChekote in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Circle" and theStar Trek: The Next Generation episode "Gambit, Part I".
Several costumes and props from this episode were sold off on theIt's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, includingJeff Doba's costume[1]^(X) and boots.[2]^(X)