stardate 51501.4. The U.S.S. Voyager has at last made contact with Starfleet Command by using a far-flung array of alien relay modules to communicate with Earth and let them know that they are alive. However, for Captain Janeway and the others, their joy is tempered by bittersweet news. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine and Neelix are kidnapped by the Hirogens.

stardate 51652.3. The U.S.S. Voyager encounters a Hirogen ship, adrift, with a critically wounded Hirogen hunter on board. Janeway orders that the alien be beamed into the U.S.S. Voyager's sickbay. His presence brings even greater danger when the creature that he has been hunting across space-Species 8472-boards the U.S.S. Voyager