Colonel Jack O'Neill is brought out of retirement to lead a new expedition back to Abydos, only to find an old friend, a new enemy and a far wider use of the Stargate.

General Hammond has tried everything to get the Senate's decision to shut down his Stargate program undone, but the President personally refuses to 'commit political suicide': the Stargate will be buried. Daniel's insistence -that the danger for Earth as a whole outweighs everything- convinces his colleagues to ignore Hammond's command and dial the address that the Goa'uld invasion started from in the alternate reality that he visited. They arrive not on a planet but a new, superior type of starship, already launched by hyper-drive. A 'video' proves it belongs to Apophis, who gives command to his son Klorel, whose host is none other than the team's young Abydonian friend, Skaara. Overpowering Skaara seems their best move, while Sam installs explosives in the death glider deck with a 24-hour timer just in case, but the Jaffa manage to liberate Klorel. Jack discovers that the ship goes far faster than expected.