The episode begins with Janeway playing phaser tennis with Seven. Despite her physical and Borg advantages, Seven is frustrated by Janeway's experience and loses, badly. Advantage Janeway.
We are then tracked back to the problem with the encrypted Starfleet message from the earlier episode when Voyager received a data stream from home via an alien array. This was not completely recovered due to the intervention of the Hirogen hunters who owned the array: Advantage Hirogen.
In the intervening months both Seven and Janeway have attempted and failed to decrypt the message, which everyone believes contains the key to their getting home. They have so far failed. I now come to my first real criticism of this dramatic thread: why would Starfleet encrypt a message that could not be easily decrypted by the recipient? Even if it contained some sensitive information (which it does in fact not) they would presumably use an encryption protocol available to Voyager. Instead they make it so hard to decipher that not even Borg decryption algorithms work. Advantage: Plot Device.
Now there comes serendipitously to their aid an Alien called Arturis who happens to be on hand during some trading activities when the universal translator fails. He is (like most strange aliens) taken on board and given free rein of the ship. He turns out to be a linguistic expert who proceeds to quickly start decoding the message. Advantage Arturis.
After decrypting a small amount of the message the crew are directed to a nearby system which has an unmanned experimental Startship parked ready and waiting. This has more orders from Starfleet, an experimental Slipstream drive which can get them home quickly and instructions to abandon Voyager. As Paris says "they came through for us". Advantage: Starfleet.
However, Janeway smells a rat and quickly Mr Kim discovers anomalies which lead them to realise that this is one gift horse worth getting to a dentist. Advantage: The Voyager Crew.
Janeway and Seven then attempt to decrypt more of the message, declared by Arturis to be irrecoverable, during which they argue about Seven leaving and not going home. Their argument is quite explosive but is interrupted when the computer starts playing the message. This is another convenient development as it reveals the real information from Starfleet and shows Arturis to be responsible for an elaborate deception. Arturis presumably gave Janeway the means to decrypt this by not removing his decryption algorithm (foolish). Foot fault against Arturis.
On the fake ship, Janeway confronts Arturis about his deception. Turns out he set an elaborate trap for Voyager to punish them for helping the Borg which led to the wipeout of his race. He is the only one left. There is no explanation of how he found out about the message. Arturis evades attempts to arrest him and captures Janeway and Seven before they can beam out. He powers up the fake ship (his ship disguised) to flee to Borg space so that he, Janeway and Seven can all be assimilated. Advantage Arturis.
Meanwhile back on Voyager, Chakotee and Paris get Slipstream working on the ship and pursue Arturis and his two captives. Janeway and Seven work on escaping and discover that Seven's reluctance to return home is simply fear. They bury the hatchet. Then Voyager overtakes them just as the ship enters Borg space and rescue the Captain and Seven. Advantage Chakotee.
They use the Slipstream drive to get a bit nearer home before it conks out, never to be repaired or resurrected, conveniently. Advantage The Writers.
I'm not sure what the moral of this story is. Clearly there is one about the consequences of actions (Janeway's collaboration with the Borg). It is sad to see Arturis, the last of his civilisation cruising to assimilation and the end of him. He expended a great deal of effort on a revenge plan which completely failed.
We are then tracked back to the problem with the encrypted Starfleet message from the earlier episode when Voyager received a data stream from home via an alien array. This was not completely recovered due to the intervention of the Hirogen hunters who owned the array: Advantage Hirogen.
In the intervening months both Seven and Janeway have attempted and failed to decrypt the message, which everyone believes contains the key to their getting home. They have so far failed. I now come to my first real criticism of this dramatic thread: why would Starfleet encrypt a message that could not be easily decrypted by the recipient? Even if it contained some sensitive information (which it does in fact not) they would presumably use an encryption protocol available to Voyager. Instead they make it so hard to decipher that not even Borg decryption algorithms work. Advantage: Plot Device.
Now there comes serendipitously to their aid an Alien called Arturis who happens to be on hand during some trading activities when the universal translator fails. He is (like most strange aliens) taken on board and given free rein of the ship. He turns out to be a linguistic expert who proceeds to quickly start decoding the message. Advantage Arturis.
After decrypting a small amount of the message the crew are directed to a nearby system which has an unmanned experimental Startship parked ready and waiting. This has more orders from Starfleet, an experimental Slipstream drive which can get them home quickly and instructions to abandon Voyager. As Paris says "they came through for us". Advantage: Starfleet.
However, Janeway smells a rat and quickly Mr Kim discovers anomalies which lead them to realise that this is one gift horse worth getting to a dentist. Advantage: The Voyager Crew.
Janeway and Seven then attempt to decrypt more of the message, declared by Arturis to be irrecoverable, during which they argue about Seven leaving and not going home. Their argument is quite explosive but is interrupted when the computer starts playing the message. This is another convenient development as it reveals the real information from Starfleet and shows Arturis to be responsible for an elaborate deception. Arturis presumably gave Janeway the means to decrypt this by not removing his decryption algorithm (foolish). Foot fault against Arturis.
On the fake ship, Janeway confronts Arturis about his deception. Turns out he set an elaborate trap for Voyager to punish them for helping the Borg which led to the wipeout of his race. He is the only one left. There is no explanation of how he found out about the message. Arturis evades attempts to arrest him and captures Janeway and Seven before they can beam out. He powers up the fake ship (his ship disguised) to flee to Borg space so that he, Janeway and Seven can all be assimilated. Advantage Arturis.
Meanwhile back on Voyager, Chakotee and Paris get Slipstream working on the ship and pursue Arturis and his two captives. Janeway and Seven work on escaping and discover that Seven's reluctance to return home is simply fear. They bury the hatchet. Then Voyager overtakes them just as the ship enters Borg space and rescue the Captain and Seven. Advantage Chakotee.
They use the Slipstream drive to get a bit nearer home before it conks out, never to be repaired or resurrected, conveniently. Advantage The Writers.
I'm not sure what the moral of this story is. Clearly there is one about the consequences of actions (Janeway's collaboration with the Borg). It is sad to see Arturis, the last of his civilisation cruising to assimilation and the end of him. He expended a great deal of effort on a revenge plan which completely failed.