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The U.S.S. Voyager beams aboard
three people just before their damaged ship explodes: an Ilari
female named Nori, her injured spouse Tieran and an Ilari male
named Adin. Although the Doctor and Kes try to save him, Tieran
dies. Not long after, Neelix is shocked when Kes announces she'd
like to spend some time apart from him. When Voyager arrives at
Ilari, the local leader, known as "the Autarch," sends a
representative to the ship instead of coming himself.
Inexplicably, Kes pulls out a phaser, kills the representative
and a crewmember, and escapes in a stolen shuttlecraft with Adin
and Nori.
Kes takes the shuttle to a
military encampment and takes command of the waiting troops. In
the meantime, Janeway meets with Demmas, the Autarch's oldest
son, who explains that Kes' body is now inhabited by Tieran, a
former Ilarian ruler who was overthrown by Demmas' ancestor 200
years ago. Since then, Tieran has lived on by transferring his
mind to a series of host bodies. Janeway agrees to help Demmas
stop Kes/Tieran, but before she can, the tyrant has killed the
Autarch in front of Demmas' younger brother, Ameron, and
appointed himself the new Autarch.
Kes/Tieran tries to poison Ameron's thoughts against Demmas and
urges him to cooperate with the new regime. In the meantime, the
Doctor designs a synaptic stimulator that will remove Tieran's
neural pattern from Kes — if they can get close enough to use
it. Tuvok beams into the Autarch's palace, but is caught and
imprisoned before he can succeed in the attempt. When Kes/Tieran
interrogates Tuvok, the Vulcan is able to initiate a mind-meld
and speak directly to Kes, who tells Tuvok she is fighting
Tieran for control.
Kes/Tieran orders Voyager to leave orbit, but the stress of the
mental battle between Kes and Tieran results in a paranoid Kes/Tieran
killing Adin. To Nori's chagrin, Kes/Tieran announces she's
marrying Ameron. Moments later, a coalition of Voyager's crew
and Demmas' forces bursts into the palace. Paris releases Tuvok,
while Neelix places the synaptic stimulator on Kes/Tieran.
Tieran jumps to a new host body — Ameron — but Kes places the
device on him and Tieran is finally destroyed. Demmas, the
rightful heir, becomes Autarch. |
