Janeway's risky plan to seize Borg technology reaches its conclusion as the Borg Queen closes in.
The Borg Queen tells Seven of Nine that the Borg let Voyager free her and now want her human insight, so she keeps her individuality. Made to help assimilate a species, Seven secretly lets some of its people escape. Janeway follows in the Delta Flyer, using the stolen transwarp coil and shielding based on the Hansens' research to avoid detection.
The Queen plans to use her to help assimilate Earth, and taunts her by revealing that one of the drones beside her is her father. Janeway boards the Borg ship to confront the Queen, and with Seven's help disrupts the Queen's link so they can beam out. Pursued through a transwarp conduit, the Flyer is saved when Voyager collapses the opening behind it, and the coil takes the ship years closer to home before it burns out. The episode begins the rivalry between Janeway and the Queen that runs to the series finale.