Enterprise visits an ancient Vulcan spiritual sanctuary, despite T'Pol's concerns that her human colleagues will be an awkward and disruptive presence there. Upon landing, they discover that the monastery has been forcibly taken over by the Andorians, a paranoid and highly excitable race of aliens with a long history of conflict with the Vulcans.

While investigating a gas giant, Enterprise comes across a damaged vessel hovering in the atmosphere, and T'Pol, Hoshi and Malcolm board the vessel to investigate. However, once aboard, they are ambushed by a hostile female Klingon who hijacks their shuttlepod and strands them on the Klingon ship, which threatens to implode under the pressure of the planet's atmosphere.