When Teal'c enters the room, an immediate look of recognition appears on his face. He states that he knows Sho'nac, greeting her with warm eyes and some strange but apparently meaningful hand gesture.

When O誰eill hints to Teal'c that introductions are in order, Sho'nac says it is unnecessary -- Bra'tac has told her who everyone is. She identifies O誰eill as Teal'c痴 "apprentice" and Hammond as "Hammond of Texas," a great and strong leader among humans.

However, this is a business visit. She insists to be taken to the Tok'ra immediately, as she has information that will destroy the Goa'uld. Shock, interest and disbelief flash across the faces of our heroes.

Teal'c protests that this is impossible, but she responds that the Goa'uld train the Jaffa to believe this in order to keep the hosts from interacting with their unborn "gods."

Carter asks how mental contact of this sort can take place if the symbiote is completely isolated from its host. Dr. Fraiser explains that the two organisms are always communicating unconsciously, on a chemical level.

While this contact has taken Sho'nac years to achieve, it appears to be strategically useful -- she has convinced her own larva that the Goa'uld are evil and it now wants to give all the Goa'uld secrets to the Tok'ra.

All it needs is a host to allow it to communicate directly. Sho'nac has convinced her symbiote to wait, but it is overdue to take a permanent host.

Dr. Fraiser indicates that a Jaffa's immune system breaks down after the symbiote departs, meaning that Sho地ac has put herself at great risk. Nonetheless, Sho地ac says this is a risk she is willing to take.

Teal'c and Hammond do not believe this happy story, and Sho'nac's request to meet the Tok'ra is denied.

She gets upset and stands, only to reveal her symbiote, which decides at this moment to poke its ugly little head out of her stomach and have a look around. The guards go to shoot it, but Teal'c stops them. Once it retreats back into her body, Doctor Fraiser orders the guards to take Sho'nac to the infirmary.

Sure enough, the symbiote is fully adult. Shanok痴 immune system is breaking down, and Dr. Fraiser is concerned that it will not be long before the symbiote is forced to look for a new host in order to ensure its survival. Quarantine is recommended.

Sho地ac refers to the symbiote as her child but Teal'c refers to it as a demon. She indicates that she has been like a mother to the symbiote and is disappointed in Teal'c for not being more open-minded. He asks to speak to her privately. Sho地ac says that her symbiote has promised her that it would not manifest itself again.

Once alone with Teal'c, Sho地ac confronts him about his lack of faith in her, pointing out that he has known her since before she became a priestess. However, since she has spent most of her life in service to the "gods," he questions her motives, even after she admits that she now considers the Goa'uld false divinities.

Back at Carter's lab, the rest of SG1 discuss their current predicament. O'Neill quite rightly feels that Teal'c and Sho地ac have a romantic history, but Carter and Jackson doubt this, as she is a priestess.

In either case, Jaffa cannot survive without larvae, so Sho地ac won稚 live long once the symbiote leaves. Carter explains that every symbiote is important because each carries the genetic memory of all the Goa'uld. This information is especially useful to the Tok'ra, because the Tok'ra left the Goa'uld mainstream gene pool over 2,000 years ago, cutting them off from recent developments in the species as a whole.

Teal'c, meanwhile, has decided to test the technique himself. He burns incense and candles in order to help bring about an enhanced trance state and stop his heart. He warns the team he might have to be restrained.

In the trance, Teal'c sees his father killed by the Goa'uld system lord Cronus in a gruesome and painful manner. Once he recovers, he realizes that Sho地ac spoke the truth.

Shortly thereafter, our friendly Tok'ra Anise tells the story of the birth of the Tok'ra faction. Queen Agirea, a Goa'uld worshipped by the Romans as goddess of fountains, tried to free the slaves of Earth, only to be killed by Ra. Her offspring and a very few sympathizers started the Tok'ra movement.

Teal'c pleads for Sho'nac's life, asking for another larva to replace hers so that she may live. Anise takes the request to the Tok'ra High Council.

Later, Sho地ac spends what could be her last hours with Teal'c. Although she is in great pain, they reminisce about how his example of challenging the gods motivated her to do likewise. She asks him to come back to Chu'lak and help Bra'tac take up the cause, accusing Teal'c of abandoning his people.

He is about to leave when she asks about his chat with his symbiote. She explains that her communication was very similar in the beginning, as her symbiote tried to cause her fear, but in time the images changed to thoughts of sadness and beauty. Teal'c then revels his feelings for her and tells her he fears losing her again. They embrace and kiss.

Daniel stops Teal'c in the hall later, offering a shoulder to lean on. However, the now-elated Jaffa explains that this method of teaching symbiotes the Tok'ra philosophy may truly be the end of Goa'uld rule.

Since the Tok'ra themselves have requested a visit, the team gates to a red desert planet, beaming down to an intricate underground chamber using the Goa'uld transporter rings.

Anise and some guards welcome them, but Jack responds less than enthusiastically.

Sho'nac meets Hebron of Pareebel, who is slated to be the host for her symbiote. She then falls down, exclaiming that time is short, and the tiny hooded snake leaps from her stomach down Hebron's throat.

When Hebron wakes up, he declares that he is Taneth. He pledges his allegiance to the Tok'ra.

Anise introduces Hebron/Taneth to SG-1, revealing in passing that Sho'nac is healing nicely, having received a new symbiote.

Taneth and Sho'nac then have a conversation, although Anise does not seem interested in hearing all the secrets of the Goa'uld quite yet. This annoys O'Neill, who marches off with his team in tow.

Teal'c stays behind to tell Sho'nac that he has decided to leave SGC to come back to Chu'lak with her to spread the communication technique. They pledge their love and he beams out.

Shortly thereafter, Taneth is staring at his new reflection in an ominously symbolic broken mirror when Sho'nac comes by, hoping to share some time with her "child."

He belittles her "audacity," saying that a priestess who would touch the mind of her god is blasphemy. Confused, she tells Tanath that he hates the Goa'uld.

Taneth replies that he is the Goa'uld. He grabs her mouth, his eyes glow and she falls.

Cut to the boardroom at SGC. Teal'c resigns his commission yet again, this time to announce his plans to lead a revolution on Chu'lak by Sho'nac's side.

The gate klaxon interrupts this discussion, forcing the group to rush to the gate chamber to confront Anise -- in a hood -- escorted by a funeral procession carrying Sho'nac's body.

Ominously, Anise seems unaware of Taneth's moral difficulties, saying only that the priestess was too weak to survive giving up her symbiote and died before her new larva could repair her wounds. She has brought Teal'c the body so he can perform what rituals are required.

Teal'c is obviously shaken, reciting a Chu'lak saying that Daniel translates as "our love does not end in death."

Back in his chamber, Teal'c tries to reestablish contact with his symbiote, only to learn that Sho'nac was actually murdered.

He and Jack gate back to the Tok'ra stronghold to explain Teal'c's claims that Taneth has not been truthful and has murdered Sho地ac. As evidence, traces of her new symbiote痴 blood were found in her system, indicating that she was killed in the same way as Teal'c's father -- Taneth forced her and her larva to exchange blood, killing both.

However, the Tok'ra will not allow Teal'c to take vengeance, even though this refusal drives him into a berserk rage.

As appears to be her way, Anise explains that the Tok'ra know that Taneth has deceived them, but they plan to use him to feed the Goa'uld false information. Neither Jack nor Teal'c seem happy with the situation, but they understand this kind of warfare.

Later, Teal'c, O誰eill and Anise visit Taneth. Teal'c leans for a few intimate words -- the reason he is here is to make sure that Sho地ac's death was not in vain.

Taneth says he hopes they will meet again. Teal'c promises they will.