“Equinox, Part II” is episode one of season six of Star Trek: Voyager.
In the season five finale, “Equinox”, Captain Janeway had discovered the Equinox was harvesting an alien species for fuel additives. The Equinox‘s EMH, whose ethical subroutines had been deleted, had freed the Equinox‘s crew, who had fled to their ship and stolen the field generator protecting Voyager from the aliens.
Voyager is under attack. Janeway and Chakotay are knocked down on the bridge, but the captain manages to reinforce the shields. She contacts sickbay but gets no response. There are 2 dead, 13 wounded and heavy damage to the engine. The Equinox hasn’t enabled its enhanced drive yet. On the Equinox, Captain Ransom is told that Voyager is under attack. He says to maintain course.
On Voyager, Neelix hands the captain the Doctor’s mobile emitter; he thought she might want to take it to sickbay. In sickbay, there are injured everywhere and Tom is struggling when the captain arrives. The Doctor is activated and starts with his usual spiel when he sees injured on the floor. He says he was taken hostage by the Equinox crew and deactivated himself to escape. Which isn’t true; this is still the Equinox‘s EMH. Captain Janeway wants to find the Equinox; their enemies aren’t aliens but the humans aboard the Equinox.
On the Equinox, Burke brings Seven of Nine to Ransom. Ransom says they are heading home but it will still take months. She can either spend the time in the brig or join the crew. He’d prefer the latter. Seven would not. She thinks Ransom is an inferior role model. Ransom states that Janeway clung to morality at the expense of her crew. Seven thinks the captain’s only mistake was trusting Ransom. Ransom tells Burke to get Seven’s wound taken care of. In sickbay, Burke tells a joke. Seven is supposed to smile. Seven is familiar with human banter; his is crude and predictable. Then Burke discovers something. Voyager‘s Doctor has been downloaded into their database.
In engineering, Gilmore contacts the bridge. They’re ready to try the enhanced warp drive. It doesn’t work; the power relays have been encrypted. By Seven of Nine. Burke and Ransom want the codes and tell the Doctor he will help or his program will be erased. The Doctor is perfectly happy with that, but Ransom just deletes his ethical subroutines. He will be more cooperative now.
On Voyager, Captain Janeway has something for Harry to try to transmit to the aliens. Chakotay orders weapons away, but the captain thinks that’s too optimistic. Shields are dropped on the bridge and a fissure opens. An alien comes out and investigates Harry, then retreats. The ship is attacked. Chakotay wants to try again abut Janeway wants to follow ransom. They speak privately in her ready room. Janeway knows what advice he’s going to give her. Yes, he’s right she’s angry. Ransom betrayed his oath and is torturing and murdering innocent lifeforms. She will track him down, no matter what it takes.
The Equinox is hiding in orbit around a planet with deuterium deposits. The Doctor is working on Seven. She offers to fix him. No; being unfettered makes her more efficient. Ransom arrives; the Doctor is extracting Seven’s cortical array. Afterwards her higher brain functions will be severely damaged. Ransom would prefer that not be done, but will do it. Seven is not impressed with his repeated insistence he’s being left no choice.
Chakotay speaks to Janeway in her ready room. He submitted a proposal in writing; he wants to find the aliens who introduced the Equinox to their spirits of good fortune; those aliens attacking. Janeway wants to find Ransom first. She’s been looking at his service record. When pursued by hostile aliens, he tends to hide. The captain wants Chakotay to find a good place to hide a damaged ship.
Equinox‘s away team is on the planet they’re orbiting when they are ambushed by Voyager‘s crew. Equinox receives a transmission from their EMH, warning them they’ve been found. Ransom orders battle stations. Voyager attacks and manages to take down the Equinox‘s weapons. However, the Equinox heads into the atmosphere and Voyager‘s shields start failing. They have to break off pursuit or risk having the aliens attack. The Equinox leaves but Voyager is unable to follow.
Janeway and Chakotay speak to Lessing in a cargo bay. They aren’t playing good cop, bad cop; Chakotay says everything is up to the captain. Who plans to drop the shields around the cargo bay and let Lessing be attacked. Chakotay isn’t happy when she does exactly what she said and intervenes.
Ransom seems to be finally considering his actions. He’s also seeing something in a relaxation device. Voyager has a mole inside that they don’t suspect. And Captain Janeway seems to be channelling another famous captain. Called Ahab.