Andromeda is escorting a convoy to bring medical relief to a world infected with a deadly plague. In order to reach their destination quickly, they must travel through the Acheron system, where the Drago-Kazov Pride has taken control of a High Guard missile battery.

Dylan and Tyr are on the surface of Acheron, attempting to find a way into the cliffside control center. As they work their way through the woods, Tyr shoots several Nietzscheans. Dylan disapproves of this – he wanted to take prisoners.

After one slipstream transit, Andromeda finds one ship, containing key supplies and personnel, missing. Beka sets out on the Maru to find it, leaving Harper in command, much to Rommie's chagrin. Beka locates the missing ship, but three Nietzschean fighters move to intercept her.

After crossing a canyon with a grappling hook and cable arrangement, Dylan and Tyr find an isolated entrance to the control complex. On the communications channel, they hear a Nietzschean sergeant warning his troops of their presence. They force their way through the entrance with explosives, and are fired on by a large, automated gun, which they disable.

Beka runs interference, allowing the supply ship to make it to slipstream, and destroying one of the Nietzschean fighters. She is reluctant to follow directly, because she does not want to lead the Nietzscheans back to the Andromeda. She opens a slipstream portal to blind their sensors, reverses course, and heads straight back at them. She destroys the second fighter, and disables the third, but the Maru is crippled in the process.

On the Andromeda, Harper is concerned that Beka missed the rendezvous. Andromeda states that it is his choice whether to continue the mission or search for Beka, but he decides to continue and trust Beka to catch up.

Dylan and Tyr make their way deeper into the fortress, where they find a dead end and a Dragan trap. A squad of Nietzscheans attack them, but they fight their way through and escape.

Beka evaluates the damage – it will take her four hours' work to fix either the weapons or the engines, and she knows that the Nietzschean pilot is also working on repairs, so she chooses to work on the engines. The Nietzschean pilot hails her, and Beka is surprised to find that it is a woman, Parvati Quechua. Quechua offers to let Beka surrender, since she has nothing against her personally. Beka says that she knows Quechua is also damaged, and offers to accept her surrender. She declines, and it becomes a race to make the necessary repairs.

Cuchulain, leading the Nietzschean forces on Acheron, sends a demand for surrender to Dylan on the communications channel. He says that he wants Tyr, and if Dylan will turn him over, he will let Dylan go, let the relief ships through, and perhaps even consider joining the Commonwealth. Realizing that Dylan still does not know the details of Tyr's expedition to the Dragan homeworld, he makes it clear that that incident is at the heart of his interest in Tyr. Tyr, however, is still not volunteering any information about it to Dylan.

Andromeda is one jump from Acheron, and Beka still has not returned. Harper is very worried, as well as angry at the Dragans. He holds a grudge against them, since they controlled Earth while he was living there. Andromeda tries to keep him focused on the task at hand.

Tyr is explaining his plan to deal with Cuchulain and the Dragans when Dylan draws his forcelance and points it at Tyr. He demands to know what Tyr stole from the Drago-Kazov Pride. Tyr shares all the details, and explains how the Nietzscheans believe that one day a genetic reincarnation of Drago Musevini will be born, and re-unite the Nietzschean people. The corpse is the only means of verifying this Nietzschean Messiah's identity, so holding it is both power over and protection from other Nietzscheans. Tyr observes that Dylan is attempting to re-shape the universe according to his will, and this could be used to his advantage.

Quechua hails Beka again, claiming to be bored. She says that she respects Beka for "testing her will against a hostile universe". Beka wonders aloud why a Nietzschean female is a fighter pilot, and Quechua explains that she is sterile, but by being a good pilot, she can raise the status of her family. Beka tries to take a shortcut in her engine repairs, which does not work, and almost blows her engines. She cuts the connection with Quechua, saying she is busy.

Andromeda arrives in the Acheron system, and is immediately attacked by a large Nietzschean fleet. They realize that the entire situation was orchestrated by the Drago-Kazov as a trap for the Andromeda: They released the plague, knowing the Andromeda would escort the medical convoy, and they would have to travel through Acheron. Harper is ready and willing to fight the Dragans.

Beka is, once again, on the line with Quechua. Quechua says that she is impressed with what Beka has done with the life she was given. While they are talking, the Maru computer detects and intercepts an attempt by Quechua to transmit a computer virus. Beka proposes that they both go their separate ways without trying to kill each other, but Quechua claims that allowing Beka to escape would count as a failure for her, and diminish her family's status.

Dylan calls Cuchulain, telling him that he is willing to hand Tyr over.

Andromeda is taking heavy damage, but the convoy is getting through. Harper has to make a decision, balancing his own safety against that of the convoy. Andromeda provides him with advice, but says that the final decision is up to him.

Cuchulain meets with Dylan, who has Tyr in handcuffs. Cuchulain tells him that the Andromeda is under heavy fire, and if Dylan will hand over Tyr, he will call his fleet off. Tyr, however, breaks free of his bonds and attacks the Dragans, killing and injuring several before both he and Dylan flee – it was a trick; Dylan never intended to hand Tyr over. Cuchulain orders his soldiers to capture Tyr, because he needs information from him, but they are free to kill Dylan.

Harper is taking an aggressive stance, but Andromeda reminds him that they need to protect the convoy. Trance presents the following analysis to him: If the convoy gets through, the Drago-Kazov lose, and Harper has beaten them, even if the Andromeda is destroyed. Harper takes this advice to heart, and moves to protect the convoy.

Dylan makes his way to the command center, and finds Tyr there. Tyr proposes that they "blow this place up and leave", but Dylan has something he wants to do first.

The convoy gets through to slipstream, and Harper turns the Andromeda to attack the Nietzscheans, despite the odds. Suddenly, the Nietzschean ships start exploding – Dylan has set the missile batteries to fire on them.

Quechua has finished her repairs, and hails Beka one last time, and asks her if she has any last messages to be conveyed. Beka, desperate, bypasses the life support systems to enable fire control, and destroys Quechua's fighter, but she regrets the necessity.

Cuchulain and his troops enter the command center, cornering Dylan and Tyr. Dylan has prepared, though, and begins to bombard the command center. He estimates that it will take 5 or 6 missiles to destroy it. After the third one hits, Cuchulain starts to negotiate with him. After the fourth one, he agrees to call off his fleet. He cautions Dylan, however, that while previously he was only interested in Tyr, now Dylan has made himself a target.

Beka returns to the Andromeda, shaken, but the relief efforts are now underway.

Tyr confronts Dylan on the Command Deck: Dylan has removed his access to the storage area where he is keeping the corpse. Dylan says that Tyr is welcome to leave the ship any time he wants, but the remains of Drago Musevini are going to stay here. Tyr concedes that as long as Dylan keeps them safe, he will accept this arragement for now – but, some day, he will want them back. Dylan allows that he might even give them to Tyr, depending on "the shape of the universe".