Nikita is assigned to evaluate Karyn, a recruit who is nearing the end of her two year training period. During her first live mission, Karyn kills her mentor, Brian, in cold-blood. When Nikita confronts her, Karyn confides that Brian had repeatedly raped her during her training. This reason, coupled with the fact that everyone in Section One seems to like Karyn, makes Nikita more insecure about her decision whether Karyn should have full status or be cancelled. Nikita realizes that Karyn is definitely not Section material when Karyn exhibits psychotic behaviors during a mission and decides that Karyn should be cancelled. Operations and Madeline inform her that Karyn was already set for cancellation, they were just testing Nikita and if she had made the wrong decision, she too would have probably been cancelled.

One of the members of a criminal organization that steals classified information to sell to the highest bidder is Operations' long-lost son, Steven. Section One's mission is to eradicate this group along with a dangerous terrorist that plans to buy a smart missile chip from them, but Operations asks Nikita to keep Steven alive at all costs. Nikita agrees, only if Operations will let her finally leave the Section for good. He agrees, but Nikita threatens to kill Steven if Operations doesn't keep his word. Unfortunately for Nikita, she is unaware of Michael's true role in the mission.