“Homestead” is episode twenty-three of season seven of Star Trek: Voyager.
There’s a party in the mess hall, though the Doctor doesn’t approve of some of the food. Neelix says they were Zefram Cochrane’s favourite; the Doctor objects that they have no nutritional value. Captain Janeway congratulates Neelix and Naomi; she’s never seen First Contact Day celebrated quite like this. Tuvok is apparently going to do a presentation, though he isn’t keen. Neelix asked him to recite the first words spoken by Vulcans to humans. ‘Live long and prosper.’ Neelix wants Tuvok to dance. Vulcans do not dance. The captain threatens to make it an order. Then Chakotay arrives; there’s interesting news that Neelix might want to hear. Long range sensors have picked up Talaxian lifesigns.
Neelix arrives on the bridge as Voyager comes out of warp. The lifesigns are coming from within an asteroid field. There are no vessels and no response to hails. Neelix wants to get closer, but Voyager is too big to do it safely. Tom suggests using the Delta Flyer.
Tuvok, Tom and Neelix head out in the Flyer. The lifesigns are coming from inside a large asteroid. Then an explosive detonates nearby, followed by quite a few more. Shields and propulsion are offline and they have to do an emergency landing on the asteroid that the lifesigns were coming from.
The captain arrives in astrometrics and Seven tells her they’ve lost contact with the away team. She detected energy discharges that appear to be thermolytic explosions, several in close proximity to the Flyer. The captain wants Seven to work with B’Elanna to modify the shields on one of the shuttles to withstand the explosions.
Neelix comes around, apparently within the asteroid, to find a Talaxian woman treating him. He asks about his friends. If he means the aliens, they are safe. What were they doing in the asteroids? Looking for you. Well, not her specifically, but they detected Talaxians. They haven’t come across any in years. Neelix introduces himself, as does the woman, Dexa. The Talaxians got the hails but didn’t respond as they avoid contact with outsiders. They didn’t fire at the Flyer either; miners use explosive charges on the asteroids. Dexa’s son comes in; it seems he was told Neelix might be dangerous. Dexa says she isn’t supposed to be talking to him at all, and activates a force field to keep Neelix where he is.
The shuttle’s shield modifications are nearly finished but they are approached by another ship before an away team can be sent. They are contacted by a Commander Nocona who says this is their asteroid field. The captain explains that they’ve lost contact and that they were going to see the Talaxians. Nocona says they should have asked permission. They aren’t going to stop mining, either; his people will conduct the search. If Voyager‘s crew go in, their safety cannot be guaranteed.
The Talaxian boy, Brax, comes to see Neelix, then hides when he hears his mother returning. She enters with another Talaxian that she introduces as Talaxian Council Regent Oxilon (Rob LaBelle). Oxilon says Neelix is free to go. His friends are not hostile so their injuries have been treated and they’ve been asked to leave. They’re aboard the shuttle repairing it. Neelix would like to talk, and Oxilon has no problem with this. But not his friends. In that case, Neelix will leave.
Dexa is showing Neelix around on the way to the Flyer. The asteroid is their home. Somehow, a group of Talaxians has managed to travel a long way from Talaxia, through Borg space, a journey that Voyager struggled with. They talk; this is probably the last time Neelix will see another Talaxian.
The Flyer is being repaired and when it’s powered up the intruder alert goes off. Brax had sneaked onboard. Neelix returns him, to find two miners threatening to demolish the asteroid whether or not the Talaxians have left. Things start to get violent but Neelix intervenes.
The Talaxians have only three days to evacuate, which isn’t enough time to get them all off, along with their belongings. Neelix wants to help.