13 years earlier, Starfleet Lieutenant Icheb ran into a trap on a planet in the former Neutral Zone. He was captured and his Borg implants were forcibly removed on behalf of a woman named Bjayzl. When Seven of Nine, then already working for a peace force known as the Fenris Rangers, arrived for his rescue, all she could still do for him was release him of his pain. In the present, the crew of La Sirena prepares to free Bruce Maddox from the clutches of a person in Stardust City on Freecloud, who turns out to be Bjayzl. Raffi beams down to meet her son, Gabriel Hwang, and Jurati stays on the ship to operate the transporter. Rios, Elnor, Picard and Seven beam to Bjayzl's bar in Stardust City. They pretend to operate on behalf of the Romulan Tal Shiar, and on Seven's suggestion they propose a deal to Bjayzl: Seven, with her valuable intact Borg implants, in exchange for Maddox. Picard is unaware of the past dealings Seven had with Bjayzl, and to his surprise Seven grabs the woman's neck, threatening to kill her and forcing her guards to put down their weapons. Picard convinces her to relinquish her revenge, and they beam back together with Maddox. When Seven is about to leave the ship, she asks for two phasers. But instead of returning to the Fenris Rangers, she beams down and kills Bjayzl. Raffi returns to the ship after a disillusioning encounter with her estranged son and his pregnant wife. On La Sirena, Maddox is in urgent need of medical treatment. He reveals that Dahj's sister Soji exists, and that he sent her to the "Artifact", the Romulan Borg cube, to "find the truth". Jurati used to be closer to Maddox and has been involved to a greater extent in the creation of the twins than anyone knows. When she is alone with Maddox in sickbay, she deactivates his life support, and Maddox dies.

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