The Andromeda encounters the Arkology, a society that they believe is the closest to perfection humanity will ever achieve. But the Magog are close, and Dylan and the crew must convince the utopia that peace is not the answer. Conflict arises in the core crew when the leaders of Arkology do not wish to leave. Dylan wants to defend them, and Beka warns him that she's not going to stay and die defending an idea of peace.

Beka decides to leave the crew to fight for themselves, but after all of the promises that everyone will be reunited, Trance tells them that they will never be as they are again. When the Magog Worldship finally re-encounters the Andromeda after two years, Rommie and Harper race to take the Arkology to slipstream, Rhade must teach the inhabitants to defend themselves, and Dylan and Trance fight off the invading Magog. But as the Andromeda becomes covered in swarmships, Trance tells Dylan that he--and only he--may escape this alive.