Astronomers are gathering at a major planetarium, where Da'an is presenting a lecture about his home planet. Da'an is only moments into his lecture when nerve gas begins to emit from the wheelchair of a nearby spectator. As the humans in the room collapse, Da'an is apprehended by several men with guns.
Boone and Sandoval awaken to find Da'an gone. The FBI agent blames Doors and the Resistance for the kidnapping, but it soon is discovered that they are rogue soldiers, a squad who was recruited for Taelon ID flight engineering. Da'an tries to communicate with the men while they drive him to a hideaway, but they refuse to talk.
The leader, Major Raymond McIntyre, is trying to rescue some of his men. They were bioengineered by the Taelons into a partly-energy form, and one, Lucas Johnson, has escaped. Johnson is furious at Da'an, and wants revenge.
Drugs and mental intervention do nothing to extract the information from Da'an, as he has no nervous system and no localized brain. When he states that humans have minimal risks in the bioengineering procedures, Johnson slams his fist onto a table, where it shifts size.
Boone speeds up the investigation when he is told that the Synod won't bargain for Da'an's life. Doors, meanwhile, is afraid that if Da'an dies, the public will see and revere him as a martyr, jeopardizing the hopes of the Resistance. He orders Boone and Lili to find and save Da'an, even if they must kill the soldiers in the process.
Sandoval was working extremely hard to find Da'an, and became even more motivated to save the Companion when he was told that Da'an had chosen to die, following the will of the Commonality.
Augur and Boone dissect a transmission in which Da'an specifies the terms for his release, then blushes. In the reflection of his blushing face, they manage to see a dial that shows where he is being hidden. Boone arrives at an abandoned warehouse, to find Da'an dying in a secluded room. They have barely staggered a few meters before being apprehended by McIntyre.
Boone tries to convince the soldiers that Da'an is killing himself, and that if he dies he'll be of no use to them. McIntyire doesn't believe him. Elsewhere, Johnson visits Da'an after an interrogation, realizing that the Taelon is killing himself. Da'an admits that, despite what he has been taught, he is afraid.
Doors arrives and convinces McIntyire to see reason. As Sandoval storms the building, they escape into a helicoptor on a rooftop.
Da'an asks to touch Johnson's hand, which somehow speeds up the process. He loses his human facade, and glittering sparkles begin to fly around the room. Johnson calls for help, and makes a suicide run toward Sandoval's troops, both to release himself from his tortured body and to help his squad.
Boone, Sandoval, and Lili arrive to see Da'an's dying form. Boone manages to convince Da'an to stop what he's doing and return.
Later, Da'an makes a highly enigmatic speech to the astronomers, before going to a hospital where Lucas Johnson is being kept in life-support...
