OVEG: Day of Honor

Description: Belana is having a bad day: she's late, she hasn't showered (Klingon funk, whew!), and Chakotay announces her new engineering officer: Seven of Nine. To top it off, today is the "Day of Honor", a Klingon tradition that Belana does not want to go through.

Meanwhile, the Caatati show up, a race of interstellar panhandlers. They look like the Spanish Inquisition got ahold of a muppet. They come around begging for food and Thorium isotopes, in between insulting the Voyager crew for being greedy SOBs for not giving over everything they have. Janeway provides whatever they can spare and the aliens go on their way. (Everyone feels a little sorry for them, because the Borg assimilated their civilization)

Now with the hobos out of the way, Voyager attempts to open a Transwarp Conduit (Tech: a Borg method of travel that can cause a ship to cover large distances very quickly). But there's an accident and they have to dump the warp core. It doesn't blow up though, so Paris and Torres are sent out to retrieve it, only to find that the Caatati are digging through the galactic dumpster and are trying to swipe the warp core. When Tom and Belana interfere, their shuttle is destroyed (again) and they're left floating in space, running out of oxygen.

Meanwhile, the Caatati come back to Voyager, demanding everything they have in exchange for the warp core (and they want Seven of Nine, too[who wouldn't]). Seven realizes that she can build a device the Caatati can use to manufacture Thorium isotopes. The Caatati grudgingly give back the warp core and scurry along. Voyager returns to Tom and Belana to rescue them just before death, but not before the two confess their love for one another.

Comments: The Caatati are probably one of the most unpleasant aliens to come along for a while; not terrifying or threatening, just generally unpleasant to be around. Some might say it's a manifestation of the prejudice we harbor towards those in need, and that if we were more understanding we wouldn't have these problems. I just think these guys are jerks, whatever stupid metaphore you want to use. Let's see, they complain that people treat them "like vagrants, even criminals!" Then they steal the warp core, attempt to extort from those who had just helped them, and demand to be given another being so they can torture her. Here's a news flash: You ARE criminals!

Rating: 5

Best Moment: Of course, that would be the moment when Torres and Paris, near death, confess their love for one another. Aw heck, I'm a romantic at heart.

Seven Of Nine Moment: Her reaction to Belana's question about whether or not she feels any sort of remorse because of the billions murdered by the Borg. "No."

Not-So-Stupid Neelix Moment: Quite possibly the only semi-cool thing he's ever done, when he chews out the alien for insulting the Voyager crew when they say they can't provide enough suplies for all the Caatati people. I never thought I'd say this, but bravo Neelix.

Continuity Question: Not really continuity, but just something I've noted: why is it that Cochran's name is suddenly being mentioned in just about every single episode. The Cochran award, the Cochran shuttle, the Cochran unit of measurement.... no wonder he didn't want to be their statue!

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