 Admiral Maxwell Forrest is having a discussion with ambassador Soval in the Earth embassy on Vulcan about joint-fleet operations. Then a bomb explodes, killing 43 people including Forrest. The Vulcans suggest Syrrannites, a group that has a different interpretation of the teachings of philosopher Surak, may be responsible and evidence supports that theory. DNA of a certain T Pau is found on a bomb, a well known Syrrannite. The Vulcan chief investigator Stel however demands that Vulcan takes the matter entirely into its own hands. T Pol gets an unexpected visit from her husband Koss, bringing an artifact from her mother. She is a Syrrannite and is hiding. The artifact shows a map that leads into a dangerous desert known as The Forge, following the same route Surak once did 1800 years ago.