Seven of Nine
[Janeway and Seven are behind a forcefield on the bridge of the Dauntless, an alien ship disguised as a Starfleet vessel with Arturis, their deceiver at the helm] Where are you taking us?
Arturis
[without turning around] Home.
Arturis
Particle synthesis. Beyond your understanding.
Arturis
Innocent? Typical of Captain Janeway... self-righteous.
Captain Janeway
[that gives Janeway pause for thought] If I've offended you or your people in some way... please tell me.
Arturis
[wheeling around] Diplomacy, Captain? Your diplomacy destroyed my world!
Arturis
[slowly approaches them both] You negotiated an agreement with the Borg Collective - safe passage through they're space... and in return, you helped them defeat one of they're enemies.
Arturis
In your colourful language, yes... Species 8472.
[back to Janeway]
Arturis
Did it ever occur to you that there were those of us in the Delta Quadrant with a vested interest in that war?
[months of suppressed anger now comes pouring out of him]
Arturis
Victory would have meant annihilation of the Borg... but you couldn't see beyond the bow of your own ship!
Captain Janeway
In my estimation, Species 8472 posed a greater threat than the Borg.
Arturis
Who were you to make that decision? A stranger to this quadrant!
Captain Janeway
There wasn't exactly time to take a poll - I had to act quickly.
Arturis
My people managed to elude the Borg for centuries. Outwitting them... always one step ahead. But in recent years, the Borg began to weaken our defences... they were closing in... and Species 8472 was our last hope to defeat them. You took that away from us! The outer colonies were the first to fall. 23 in a matter of hours. Our sentry vessels tossed aside... no defence against the storm... and by the time they had surrounded our star system... hundreds of Cubes... we had already surrendered to our own terror. A few of us managed to survive. 10... 20,000. I was fortunate. I escaped with a vessel. Alone... but alive.
[pointing at Seven but still talking to Janeway]
Arturis
I don't blame them. They were just drones... acting with they're collective instinct. You... you had a choice!
Captain Janeway
[more sympathetic now] I'm sorry for what happened to your people but try to understand... I couldn't have known.
Arturis
It took me months to find you. I watched... and waited for my opportunity to make you pay for what you'd done. Then, the Starfleet message... and I knew that you're selfish desire to get home would surface again. That I could lure you to this vessel... that I could see to it that you'd all be assimilated and spend the rest of eternity as Borg. I was hoping to get your entire crew... but I'll settle for the two of you.
[he returns to the helm]
Arturis
In a matter of hours, this ship will return to my homeworld... inside Borg space.
Seven of Nine
When that happens, you will be assimilated as well.
Arturis
That's irrelevant.
[to Seven]
Arturis
This is what you wanted all along, isn't it... to go back to your Collective? You should thank me.
[focuses all his attention on piloting the Dauntless now, oblivious to a worried Janeway and a pensive Seven]
