Back on earth, someone attempts to come through the stargate without sending an authentication signal, forcing Stargate Command to go on full combat alert.

The iris seals the gate, while men stand poised ready to kill what ever comes through.

However, the iris loses its cohesion to allow a cat to walk through.

Carter tells the men to stand down -- she recognizes the cat as Shroedinger, a present she gave to Narim, a member of the aliens known as the Tollan.

Narim himself then follows his cat through the gate. He informs the members of SG-1 that they are requested to appear at "triad," a tribunal-like procedure.

In only a short amount of time, the Tollan have created a beautiful environment for themselves on their adopted planet.

Narim leads his Earth guests into an impressive building down a white corridor where a beam of energy disables their weapons. O'Neill is a little peeved that they were not informed of this enforced pacifism, but the rest of his team convinces him that there is nothing to fear here.

The hall leads them to spacious room where they are introduced to the Tollan chancellor. She explains the basic workings of triad -- two litigants, or "seekers," each choose an "archon," or lawyer. A third archon is neutral.

All three archons vote at the end of the proceedings to determine the outcome.

Narim then takes the humans to see Skaara, who is dressed in the ornate "Egyptian" that marks the Goa'uld court of Ra. He is also wearing a medallion shaped like an eye that emits a red glow.

Skaara turns to them with the glowing Goa置ld eyes and tells them that they will pay for what they have done to his father, Ra.

Then the eye turns from red to blue and Skaara speaks. He tells them how he came to be here -- shot down the Goa'uld attack on the planet we saw at the beginning of the episode -- and expresses how happy he is to see his friends.

He chooses both Jack -- who is "strong" -- and his brother-in-law Daniel -- who is "wise" -- to defend him.

Narim tells them that both can argue, but they only get one vote.

But why is Skaara involved in a trial, anyway? Narim goes on to explain that when they came across Skaara in the downed fighter, he asked the Tollan to remove the Goa置ld Klorel from his body.

Because Klorel naturally refuses to cooperate, under Tollan law they have to hear both sides before determining a course of action.

When Jack asks who will serve as Klorel's archon, a Goa置ld -- "Lord Zipacna," dressed in pseudo-Mayan clothing -- enters with his entourage.

O誰eill then further objects about not being informed that "a freaking Goa置ld" would be present before they were disarmed. The two Goa'uld go off to talk privately, leaving our heroes to meet the third archon, whom they've already met before -- Lya, a member of the ultra-advanced "primitivist" species known as the Nox.

O'Neill is obviously happy with this development, but Daniel is not so sure. To keep Carter and Teal'C busy, Jack orders them to watch the Goa置ld contingent.

In the triad room, the chancellor reiterates the reason for the triad. Jack makes a colorful outburst, to which Lord Zipacna immediately objects.

Already frustrated by all these savage aliens in her courtroom, the chancellor asks Skaara to speak in his own behalf. His chest medallion turns blue, indicating that the Tollan's device has prevented the Goa'uld Klorel from controlling its host.

Skaara tells the heartbreaking tale of how his life was taken from him. Daniel builds on this, arguing that Ra enslaved the Abydonians through superstition and fear.

Zipacna then makes the argument that the Abydonians keep animals as food and slaves, and the Goa'uld enjoy the same relationship with the "lower-caste animals," humans.

O'Neill argues that humans are more intelligent then animals, but Zipacna counters that this is a matter of perspective -- the Goa'uld are clearly more intelligent than humans.

Daniel then counters that the Goa'uld do not have greater intelligence, but only steal what they possess -- as they have stolen their technology and hosts like Skaara.

O'Neill then asks Skaara why he once told him that death would be better then living with the Goa置ld. Skaara goes on to tell the triad of the atrocities he has witnessed while bonded to Klorel.

Zipacna objects, explaining that Skaara could not really witness these things because "nothing of the host survives" the symbiotic relationship with a Goa'uld.

Outside, Carter and Tealc observer the Goa'uld servants tampering with the planetary defenses. They report this to O誰eill, then Carter has a bittersweet chat with Narim, who hopes to rekindle their previous relationship.

Sam, however, explains that with her bonding with Jolinar has left her incapable of having a relationship until she sorts out her feelings.

She then informs him that she has witnessed the Goa置ld sabotage. He seems upset that they would spy on the Goa置ld but he informs the chancellor. Since no evidence of tampering emerges, O'Neill orders Teal'C and Carter to stand down.

Teal'C then goes to talk to Lya about what he believes is a coming invasion. He asks for her help.

Back at triad, Zipacna makes a challenge. He argues that Tollan law does not include the penalty of death and so, if the archons find for Skaara, Klorel will likely die after being removed from its host.

O'Neill argues that this is a double-edged assertion. Since "nothing of the host survives" the bonding experience, Skaara will certainly die sooner or later if the symbiote remains within his body.

Pointedly, Daniel states that life as a slave is not life at all.

Narim shows up and informs the chancellor that a Goa'uld ship is in orbit, a fact which upsets her.

The archons then vote. Daniel and O'Neill naturally vote for Skaara, Zipacna votes in favor of Klorel and the Nox archon rewards priority to Skaara -- the body's original owner.

A sore loser, Zipacna pulls some sort of orb weapon. While Teal'C and Jack quickly disarm him, the Goa'uld seize the opportunity to destroy all of the planetary defense cannons simultaneously, having marked them during the previous round of "sabotage."

Teal'C informs his teammates that Zipacna escaped through the gate, but also says that he has disobeyed orders and, with Lya's help, has hidden one of the cannons through her advanced illusory powers.

They then uncover this cannon and destroy the mothership and its fightercraft.

After receiving thanks from the Tollan, the team is reunited with Skaara and, with much celebration, we fade to black.