Star Trek: 10 CORE Seven Of Nine Moments
8. The Trauma Of Species 8472
Much of Seven's early life aboard Voyager was shaped by her experiences within the Collective. As a drone, she was part of the temporary alliance against Species 8472, working with the Starfleet crew to overpower the deadly foe. The Borg failed to mention that they were the ones who initiated hostilities.
Despite being freed from the Collective, Seven harboured a deep fear and resentment toward these organic beings. When a single survivor was discovered in the year after she joined Voyager's crew, hunted by the Hirogen, she was not inclined to help.
For months, Seven had been encouraged by Janeway to express her individuality. In this instance, she demonstrated her lack of understanding. While she was no longer part of a Collective, she was part of a crew, and there were rules to follow. She disregarded those rules when she chose to beam the alien to a Hirogen vessel, essentially sentencing it to death.
Janeway was not simply furious with her, but she was disappointed. Seven argued that as an individual, she chose to act, thus saving the ship from a conflict with the giant hunters and their prey. Janeway rebuked her sharply as the lesson she had hoped Seven would learn would be one of cooperation.
In dressing Seven down and confining her to the cargo bay, Janeway reminded her that, at that point at least, Seven still had a long way to go in understanding her place aboard the ship.