

When the younger team members reminesce about birthday's, Ec'co thinks back to his own torn life. The team convinces Gus to take Ec'co to his homeworld. An electrical storm shorts out their Stargate while Gus and Ec'co get taken into custody by the hostile Hrathi, who know of Gus' alleged betrayal. The rest of the team rig a way to recharge the Stargate using lightning while the Tlak'khan launch an attack on the Hrathi. Gus helps to drive them off and then are taken to a cache of data crystals. It turns out the crystals are a fake, but one of the Hrathi reveals he is a shapeshifter. Gus and Ec'co pass the test and receive the real Tlak'khan data crystal they need.
A group of trainees and their leader, veteran gate traveller Gus Bonner, must help an alien named Draga, who is being pursued by both alien forces and bounty hunters from Earth, get back to her homeworld.
The team stay on a jungle planet, cut off by Nephestis who has framed Gus as a traitor. The local Thorn aliens are dying of a disease which Gus believes he left there on a previous expedition. The others choose to head out with the Ancient chrysalis but are ambushed by the Tlak'khan but escape...as the chrysalis hatches and the winged Ancient escapes. The Tlak'khan leader De'kyll takes the Thorn village hostage and Bonner surrenders but the Ancient intervenes and the cadets take them prisoner (except De'kyll escapes). The Ancient learns English through Seattle and asks the team for help, and after being named Draga. Draga heals the ailing Thorn but knows nothing about the Stargates and remains with the team.