Nolan reading to Irisa from the hero novel about her. She’s annoyed and he’s laughing openly as he reads the ridiculous prose. Irisa tells him the book is garbage and they spar. Then Berlin comes and says the Voton Collective is heading for town. They weapon up and rush out. Nolan tells them to fire on his command but it’s Stahma who gets out.

She says Datak needs a doctor and Nolan checks on him. Datak says it was a miracle they made it out and says Alak is gone and they had to leave him behind. Yewell says Datak will be fine, then Nolan asks where Rafe is. Datak says Rafe, Christie and Quentin are all dead.

He says the VC massacred them all. Nolan storms out angry. Stahma cries until they are alone then they share a look. Amanda sees Nolan arming up and she tells him that Rafe was her first friend but they can’t make it about the McCawley’s. She tells Nolan he needs to scope out the VC and come back with the intel. Nolan says not to worry about it. Nolan and Irisa take off out of Defiance.

Stahma and Datak are relieved to be home but find Andina in their tub and she runs out embarrassed to fix dinner. Stahma tells Datak Rahm will kill her and Datak so they can't trust anyone. Datak says he knows who he can and cannot trust. He asks her to help him get in the tub but she ignores him and sprinkles some happy stones into the bath.

Nolan and Irisa stop the vehicle and they see dead people tied to trees – a sure sign that Rahm is close. After being attacked by some VC goons, Pilar comes to the rescue and hits the last one on the head with a rock.

Stahma hides a transmitter to communicate with the VC. Datak bugs her with details and annoys her. He says to tell them that Nolan is coming. In the Bordeen valley, Alak is prisoner and watches Rahm play with his dad’s dagger when Rahm receives a message. He tells Alak that his parents have successfully set up the communication and warned him the lawkeeper is coming.

Alak tells Rahm Tak about the lawkeeper. Alak starts talking. He says it’s Joshua Nolan and Rahm asks if that’s the same man who’s the Butcher of Yosemite. Rahm says he was in Yosemite. He says there was a lovely waterfall that ran red with Votan blood from Nolan massacring his people.

Pilar asks them why they’re in Oklahoma. Nolan says they’re looking for VC and she asks if they have a deathwish. Nolan says he’s a thrill seeker. She tells him where the camp is and what she knows about it. Irisa tells her that her baby is awake. She lies and says she found him in Kansas a couple of months ago after the VC killed the other humans but missed the baby.

Nolan says they can take them to civilization and he says they’re headed back East to Defiance. Pilar says she also wanted to visit and they can count her in. Nolan gives her a gun to help protect them when they leave.

Datak sneaks in to steal weapons and Berlin shows up. He says he’s retrieving personal effects from his roller. She says the weapons belong to the town but he says he needs the weapons to re-establish his criminal enterprises. He argues with her and reminds her that he saved her life the night of the mass killings. Berlin continues to say no, but he takes what he wants and prepares to leave. She fires a warning shot and then he warns her about those who tell him what to do. She hauls him out in cuffs.

Pilar tells Nolan how to get to the camp and offers to drive. Nolan won’t let her and then Pilar pulls a gun on him. He says if she wants the roller, she’ll have to kill him. She fires at him and realizes he gave her a bum weapon. He tells her he knows Rafe’s boots and the half Casti baby and tells her it wasn't hard to figure out who she was.

Irisa takes the baby and Pilar says to give him back and says she’s not a criminal but Nolan says she just tried to kill her. Nolan says he wasn’t planning on it but cuffs her and tapes her mouth, but did it after she kept fighting to get to the baby. He says they’ll be back for her.

Amanda sees Berlin has Datak locked up and Amanda gives him a slow clap. Datak grouses about her sarcasm. He says he paid dearly for those weapons in torture and insults. Amanda says the guns aren’t why she kept him locked up then she holds out her sister’s necklace. She says she was waiting to hear that he and Stahma were dead.

Amanda says she can make him pay for Kenya or they can move forward. She says if he puts Defiance first and organize the criminals to fight for the common good. He swears loyalty in Casti and she tells him to pledge it in English. He does. She tells Berlin to let him go. Datak asks for the weapons and she tells him to forget it and says they need them for the war.

Irisa, Nolan (and the baby) spy on the VC camp. He counts more than 100 men, 16 vehicles and then says they have a net-cutter. He says it’s built to blast stasis nets. Nolan tells her that the recon mission is now changed and they need to destroy the net cutter. She tells him she should go because she’ll blend better then tells him he’s a better shot and he should cover her. She reminds him she’s also a faster runner and she grabs the bag of grenades and takes off.

Back at the cabin, Pilar is struggling with her bonds and slides around until she pulls a knife from Rafe’s boot. Nolan waits outside camp with his gun watching. Irisa sneaks around camp and watches her progress. He sees her creep for the tank and she opens the pack and pulls out the explosives. She runs for the net weapon then Pilar jumps Nolan and the gun goes off. Irisa is spotted and the guards move in.

Nolan struggles with Pilar and he gets the drop on her. Pilar says he won’t shoot her in front of her grandson but he says kids are resilient then when she lunges forward again, he shoots her. Rahm calls out for Nolan while dragging Irisa behind him. He yells out that he’s not much of a butcher sending a child to do his work. He tells him to come out or he’ll kill Irisa. Nolan opens fire and Irisa gets loose. She has a weapon on Rahm who tells her to do it. She hesitates, then just knocks him out and grabs the bag of grenades and runs towards the net-cutter.

Nolan shoots guards while she runs for the net weapon. She holds up two fingers to let Nolan know what to do. She throws the grenade belt and he fires at it and it goes up in a fireball taking out the critical weapon. Irisa runs to the roller where she and Nolan get inside as the guards open fire and drive away.

Irisa delivers Stahma and Datak’s grandson to them. They are joyous. Staham thanks them both. Irisa and Nolan watch them take the child upstairs then they leave their house. Irisa says he shouldn’t have given the baby to them but he says they’re family. They wonder if Pilar is still alive and Nolan says the baby is safe until Rahm shows up and says because she choked, the town is at risk. He says she’s unreliable and they’re at war.

Irisa walks off from her dad. Rahm curses Nolan under his breath when they tell him that Datak and Stahma planted the shrill infested weapons in the armory and the town’s guns are destroyed. Rahm says when he’s done, Nolan will never forget who he is. Stahma tells Datak that Rahm sent a message and wants them to blow up the St Louis arch. Datak looks at the arch in the distance.