While the Orville crew scan a Hemblicite temple structure, Mercer shares with Grayson that he’s been writing letters to Anaya that he hopes to one day give her to read.

The search team finds a door to what they believe is the primary burial chamber. It’s rigged to kill intruders so Isaac takes point.

Once the booby traps are all triggered, they enter the chamber and find a trove of treasures.

Artifacts are brought back to the ship for cataloging and analysis.

On the simulator deck, Topa commands a Moclan ship against a Kaylon armada. Their ship is destroyed and they express frustration by pounding their fists onto a com panel. A shard of glass cut their hand.

A sound notifies them that there is someone waiting and they end the program. Grayson walks in looking to exercise. They discuss the command program Topa was running and they express they’d like to take the Union Point Entrance Exam. They’ve discussed it with Bortus who has given his blessing to the endeavor.

Grayson offers to mentor Topa who gratefully accepts.

Topa arrives early to shadow Grayson as she does her First Officer duties.

They start with daily rounds with Grayson explaining why they are necessary.

In the artillery, Grayson has to negotiate with a naked ensign to get him to put some pants on.

In Engineering, Yaphit greets them enthusiastically.

Topa asks Grayson why she joined the Union. When Grayson asks the question back, Topa reveals they feel incomplete and believe they’ll find their true self out among the stars.

Dr. Finn and Mercer discuss crew health and well-being. Grayson comes in and shares her fears that Topa may have an identity crisis due to the gender reassignment he underwent as an infant.

Mercer suggests talking to Bortus about Topa’s struggles.

Grayson arrives at Bortus and Klyden’s quarters as they are eating dinner. Bortus invites her to join them. She brings up the topic of Topa’s unhappiness and suggests they should speak with their child about their origins.

Klyden is quick to ask her to leave. After she leaves, he and Bortus have an argument about Topa. Klyden insists ignorance is better for Topa.

When Topa next meets with Grayson, they inform her they are forbidden from continuing the training. Klyden has told them they may ask the captain for guidance but not Grayson.

When Topa asks Grayson to plead their case to Klyden, Grayson has to defer to Klyden’s decision as the parent. Topa expresses great sadness with their life.

Topa joins Burke and Isaac in the lab and Burke shows them the reconstruction of a Hemblicite individual they’ve created from DNA data. Topa sees Isaac and excuses themself to speak with him. They ask him about his suicide.

Isaac reports the conversation to Grayson. She seeks out Topa in the mess hall to check in on them. Topa rebuffs her offer to talk. She returns and offers some coded advice about feeling better, advising they search the database for kimbok recipes.

They return to their quarters and run a search. Among the recipes, there is a single password-protected file. When they are eating an incoming message alert comes in, “GOMASKAH488”. Using this message as the password, Topa is able to access the file.

Dr. Finn is treating Malloy for a terrible allergic reaction while Grayson comes into sickbay. They speak privately and Grayson shares that she’s let Topa in on the truth.

Klyden and Bortus find Topa in their quarters and Topa confronts them with the truth. Bortus assures Topa that they are loved as they are and as they were born. Klyden, incensed, storms out of the quarters.

Klyden barges into Grayson’s office and accuses her of harming Topa. She admits to pointing Topa to the file but denies giving him the password. They have an argument and Klyden tries to assault Grayson. She neutralizes his attack and throws him out.

Bortus visits Grayson in her quarters and reports that Topa has stopped talking to both their fathers. Grayson lets him know that Dr. Finn is talking with Topa.

Sitting down to talk, Bortus admits that he sent Topa the password. Bortus breaks down in despair that he cannot help Topa through this crisis.

Mercer and Grayson check in on Dr. Finn after one of her sessions with Topa. Grayson asks to talk with Topa. Topa expresses a desire to meet a Moclan female.

Grayson takes Topa to the simulator deck and recreates the trial from “About a Girl” Orville 103. Topa cries when they hear Heveena’s testimony.

Grayson accompanies Topa to Dr. Finn’s office where Topa asks to be restored to a female body.

Klyden is adamant that Topa remain male. Bortus believes Topa should be what she wants to be. However, the Union order Dr. Finn not to perform the procedure as it endangers their alliance with the Moclans.

Bortus requests that Grayson come with him to tell Topa the bad news. Topa doesn’t take it well and expresses despair. And asks to be excused.

Back at the temple, the Orville crew prepares to pack up and leave as a science team is coming in to complete the survey.

Dr. Finn proposes she resign her commission so that she can perform the procedure on Topa as a civilian doctor and protect the Union-Moclus alliance.

Isaac interjects and reminds everyone that he was never commissioned and that he’s fully capable of performing surgical procedures. He offers to perform the operation on Topa.

Mercer makes it official that anything Isaac does in regards to Topa is without Union knowledge or permission.

To keep the crew away from sickbay during the procedure, Bortus performs a concert in the shuttle bay.

Isaac brings Topa to sickbay for the procedure. She hesitates and Isaac is able to calm her fears with a simulated bedside manner. Klyden comes in to disrupt the procedure but Isaac overpowers him and he leaves sickbay.

Isaac completes the procedure and Topa wakes up and smiles at her reflection.

The Newton arrives with the science team aboard. Admiral Holland has also arrived and requests a meeting with Mercer and Grayson. Holland dresses them down but reveals the Moclans have decided not to withdraw from Union membership. Isaac’s involvement in the procedure has furthered their resolve to destroy the Kaylons.

Klyden packs and leaves Bortus and Topa. His last words to Topa are to wish she was never born.

Dr. Finn visits Isaac in the lab. He explains he performed the procedure because the crew likes Topa a lot and by helping her, they might like him more.

As the ship prepares to leave orbit, Grayson invites Topa to sit in the command chair as they depart.