Stardate not given: Gwyn broke her leg when her shuttle crashed, but she can use her mind-controlled device as a cast. The Protostar landed safely ten kilometers away and is now being attacked by the planet. The away team has to proceed to that position on foot after the runaway has been swallowed. However, the topology of the planet keeps changing, making them run in circles. In the meantime, Janeway successfully frees the Protostar from the vines, using the photonic scrubbers. But she notices that one system that she can't shut down consumes a lot of precious power: the protostar confinement. The crew finds refuge from acid rain in the wreck of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. They decide to follow the stars to find their way back to the Protostar. However, the Diviner's ship has already arrived. Drednok appears and orders Gwyn to step aside and leave the prisoners to him, but she refuses. He shoots at the cast around her fracture, leaving her unable to walk. Before Drednok can harm anyone else, he gets entangled in vines. The Diviner beams down, and although he could save his daughter, who is caught in plants, he proceeds to the Protostar. However, Dal and company are the first to arrive, whereas the Diviner falls for another illusion. The ship lifts off and Dal sets out to rescue Gwyn as well. Back in space, the Protostar is pursued by the Diviner's ship. But Gwyn has figured out how to activate the protostar drive, a propulsion system that allows the ship to outrun the pursuers.

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