Several episodes ofStar Trek: Voyagerhinted that Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) would eventually become a Starfleet Captain. Seven’s Starfleet career seemed impossible after her initial application to join Starfleet was rejected, despite being endorsed by Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). After spending nearly two decades as a Fenris Ranger, Seven of Nine earned a field commission of Commander from Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Seven was quickly promoted for her innovative leadership and incredible valor, and Captain Seven of Nine took command of the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G at theend ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3.
Even inStar Trek: Voyager, Seven of Nine shared qualities withStar Trek’s best starship captains, which embody the ethos of theStar Trekfranchise as a whole. Starfleet captains must first be competent, with excellent communication skills and the ability to manage a crew. Starfleet’s goal of exploration is best served by captains with curiosity, courage, and a desire to understand the galaxy. Good captains are compassionate and empathetic, with respect for unique individuals and cultural differences.Star Trekcaptains exhibit integrity with judgment calls that uphold Federation values, even if their decisions go against orders.
7Star Trek: Voyager Season 4, Episode 16 - “Prey”
Seven of Nine Stands Up For Her Beliefs
Seven of Nine’s long journey to becoming Starfleet captain material starts inStar Trek: Voyagerseason 4, episode 16, “Prey.” Just months afterSeven’s liberation from the Borg Collective, Seven is learning the rules about being an individual and trying to integrate with the USS Voyager crew.Seven of Nine advocates destroying a lone, injured Species 8472 that’s loose on Voyagerto protect the crew from both it and the Hirogen hunter in pursuit. Captain Janeway, however, disagrees, since Janeway upholds Starfleet’s policy of respecting new life forms—even dangerous ones.
Seven of Nine: “You made me into an individual. You encouraged me to stop thinking like a member of the collective to cultivate my independence, my humanity. But when I attempt to assert that independence, I am punished.”
Captain Janeway: “Individuality has its limits. Especially on a starship, where there’s a command structure.”
Seven of Nine: “I believe that you are punishing me because I don’t think the way that you do, because I’m not becoming more like you. You claim to respect my individuality, but in fact, you are frightened by it.”
Captain Janeway: “As you were.”
Even though Seven’s solution is still based on the ongoing war between the Borg Collective and Species 8472, Seven demonstrates her newfound independence. Janeway understands that solutions are rarely as simple or efficient as Seven would like them to be, and there is much more at stake. In this case, Janeway’s compassion supersedes the policy of protecting the crew at all costs—just as it did when Seven came aboard. Seven of Nine may be wrong, butSeven stands her ground and shows integrity in her own beliefs, which is an important quality for a Starfleet captain.
6Star Trek: Voyager Season 4, Episode 21 - “The Omega Directive”
The Omega Directive Is Seven Of Nine’s Kobayashi Maru
Seven of Nine is caught between morals and orders inStar Trek: Voyagerseason 4, episode 21, “The Omega Directive”. Starfleet’s Omega Directive dictates the destruction of the catastrophically powerful Omega molecule, superseding even the Prime Directive.Seven of Nine agrees to join Janeway’s mission for the chance to witness a stable Omega moleculebecause the Borg consider Omega a specimen of perfection—the closest thing the Borg have to religion. While Seven disagrees with the Omega Directive, she understands its importance and reluctantly carries out Janeway’s orders.
“The Omega Directive” is an interesting reversal of the conflict between Janeway and Seven in “Prey”. It’s Janeway’s turn to follow a directive while Seven of Nine demonstrates curiosity about the universe, and the fabled molecule in particular.
“The Omega Directive” presents Seven of Nine with a no-win situation like Starfleet’s famousKobayashi Maru test. Asking Seven of Nine to choose between stabilizing the Omega molecule or avoiding the destruction of subspace is a lot like asking cadets to choose between saving Federation citizens or avoiding war with the Romulans. Like cadets taking the test,Seven of Nine learns that sacrifices must sometimes be made to make difficult command decisions.It’s a heartbreaking lesson that every candidate for the Captain’s chair must eventually realize.
5Star Trek: Voyager Season 5, Episode 2 - “Drone”
Seven Of Nine’s First Experience As A Mentor Ends In Tragedy
Star Trek: Voyagerseason 5, episode 2, “Drone”, sees Seven of Nine taking responsibility for another person for the first time. A transporter accident combines Seven’s Borg nanoprobes with the Doctor’s (Robert Picardo) mobile emitter to create an advanced Borg drone that takes the name One (J. Paul Boehmer). One exists independently ofall ofStar Trek’s Borg Collectives, soSeven takes it upon herself to educate One,passing on the knowledge that she’s gained in the time since her own liberation. When the Borg do find One, he sacrifices himself to protect Voyager from assimilation.
Star Trek: Voyager’s 8 Borg Episodes Ranked Worst To Best
Captain Janeway’s USS Voyager encountered the Borg repeatedly in Star Trek: Voyager, in some of the series' greatest and not-so-great episodes.
“Drone” prepares Seven of Nine for command by making her a mentor figure for the first time, whilelosing One after such a brief period teaches Seven that those under her command are never truly safe. One is the closest thing that Seven has to family, while also being her student, so Seven forms a personal bond with One. Seven’s growing compassion for One makes his death far more devastating than the sacrifice Seven made in “The Omega Directive”.
4Star Trek: Voyager Season 5, Episode 14 - “Bliss”
Seven Of Nine Takes Command When Voyager’s Crew Are Incapacitated
Encountering a telepathic lifeform posing as a wormhole to the Alpha Quadrant leaves only Seven of Nine andNaomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers)unaffected inStar Trek: Voyagerseason 5, episode 14, “Bliss”. While most of the USS Voyager crew are elated to have a way back home, Seven and Naomi can see through the ruse because they have no emotional ties to Earth and no desire to return. That meansit’s up to Seven of Nine to work out a plan to save the crewwhen they become incapacitated.
Despite being a Delta Quadrant native, Neelix (Ethan Phillips) is also bamboozled by the creature’s false promise of a quick route to the Alpha Quadrant, because Neelix’s visions see him meeting with the Federation and becoming an Ambassador.
“Bliss” sees Seven of Nine taking command of the USS Voyager while the crew is incapacitated by the hungry entity, and the ship is slowly being destroyed. Seven’s crew consists of just Naomi, the Doctor, and a fellow victim named Qatai (W. Morgan Sheppard), who has been battling the creature for 40 years.Like any good captain, Seven considers suggestions from each of these crew members.When simply killing the “telepathic pitcher plant” doesn’t work, Seven goes with the Doctor’s plan to force the creature to expel Voyager.
3Star Trek: Voyager Season 5, Episode 24 - “Relativity”
Seven Of Nine Determines When To Break The Temporal Prime Directive
Star Trek: Voyagerseason 5, episode 24, “Relativity”, proves Seven of Nine can make important executive decisions on a solo mission when the Federation timeship USS Relativity recruits Seven to save the USS Voyager from a saboteur in its past. Seven’s Borg implants make her uniquely equipped to locate the temporal disruptor that will destroy Voyager, so she agrees to work for the 29th-century Captain Braxton (Bruce McGill). While aboard the past USS Voyager,Seven is faced with the challenge of upholding Starfleet’s laws or breaking the Temporal Prime Directiveto get Captain Janeway’s help with saving Voyager’s future.
According to Braxton, Captain Janeway is responsible for “more temporal incursions than anyone in history”. InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 5, episode 6, “Trials and Tribble-ations”, the Department of Temporal Investigations attributes this honor to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).
InStar Trek, a Starfleet captain’s choice not to follow orders can be just as important as actually following them. Seven of Nine isn’t actually Starfleet yet, but being on a mission for Braxton means Seven is still bound by its laws. Like other captains inStar Trek’s time travel episodes,Seven of Nine decides that breaking the Temporal Prime Directive is worth the risk. Telling Captain Janeway the truth in the past will ultimately save the most lives and fulfill the mission objective, whereas not doing so could mean Seven’s own death.
2Star Trek: Voyager Season 6, Episode 16 - “Collective”
Seven Of Nine Takes Responsibility For Abandoned Borg Children
After losing One over one year earlier, Seven of Nine has another opportunity to be a mentor—this time, to a small collective of abandoned Borg children.Seven of Nine agrees to take responsibility for the four Borg kidsafter the USS Voyager finds them on a derelict cube.Seven of Nine’s Borg childrenstay on Voyager for the remainder ofVoyagerseason 6, with three of them eventually finding new homes with families in the Delta Quadrant. The oldest, Icheb (Manu Intiraymi), returns to the Alpha Quadrant with the rest of the USS Voyager crew.
Voyagerseason 6, episode 16
Borg children are found & brought to USS Voyager
“Ashes to Ashes”
Voyagerseason 6, episode 18
Seven of Nine implements the children’s schedule
“Child’s Play”
Voyagerseason 6, episode 19
Icheb is reunited with his family, but returns to Voyager
Voyagerseason 6, episode 25
Neelix tells the children a scary story
Voyagerseason 7, episode 2
Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi leave USS Voyager
The ex-Borg kids teach Seven of Nine a lot about managing other people, particularly inStar Trek: Voyagerseason 6, episode 18, “Ashes to Ashes”, when Seven learns that her strict schedule for the kids is doing more harm than good.Seven of Nine learns that good leadership is more nuanced than just dictating commands and enforcing consequences.This time, Seven is a successful mentor;Star Trek: Picardreveals that Seven and Icheb remained close after Voyager’s return, until Icheb’s untimely death.
1Star Trek: Voyager Season 7, Episode 13 - “Repentance”
Seven Of Nine Fights To Save A Reformed Criminal’s Life
After the USS Voyager rescues a prison transport inStar Trek: VoyagerSeason 7, Episode 13, “Repentance”, Seven’s nanoprobes inadvertently heal a congenital defect in an injured murderer named Iko (Jeff Kober). The treatment gives Iko the ability to feel remorse for his actions, fundamentally changing who he is as a person, soSeven advocates for releasing Iko from his death sentence. Even though capital punishment is against Federation ideals, andStarfleet’s Prime Directivedoesn’t apply, Captain Janeway has agreed to abide by the laws of Nygean society.
Despite Janeway’s promise, Seven knows that Federation law would permit Iko to seek asylum on the USS Voyager. Janeway correctly guesses that Seven of Nine is seeking absolution for the thousands of people Seven assimilated, but that doesn’t make Seven wrong. Janeway blocking Seven inStar Trek: Voyagerpredicts Seven becoming a Fenris Ranger who can act without Starfleet interference—but when Captain Seven of Nine is finally granted command of the USS Enterprise-G, her crew of “criminals and ne’er-do-wells” reflects Seven using her power to help rehabilitate people.
