One of the most beloved Star Trek characters of all time, hands down, is the ex-Borg bombshell, Seven of Nine. Even though she didn't join Voyager until its last two seasons, she knocked every episode out of the park and grew a sizable fanbase before the series ended. With the return of Jean-Luc as the titular character in Picard, fans also get their beloved Seven of Nine fix. She's only appeared in one episode (so far) but she's already got fans wanting more.
It seems, after those years on a Starfleet ship, Seven didn't end up the first Borg in Starfleet (that honor belongs to her pseudo-son, Icheb). Instead, she ended up a vigilante on the fringes of Federation space. So how did that happen? Here are some of the reasons why she may have ventured down that path.
10 She Became Accustomed To The "Wild West" Of Space
Seven of Nine only got to spend two years in full control of her body and mind before being rocketed into the complex individualism and civility of the Federation. While she thought Voyager's rules could be overly complicated and too sentimental, she was never prepared for Starfleet's level of that.
It's no surprise that after spending her early years in basically the "wild west" of the galaxy, she would feel more comfortable going back to a place like that than stay in safe, Federation space. Between her skills and knowledge, the newly unprotected Romulan Relocation zones would make sense for her.
9 She Was Saved From A Helpless Situation
When in the Collective, drones have no choice. They are influenced by the goals and plans of their group mind. So, it's not like any of them aren't fighting hard enough to break free, it just simply isn't a real option unless they get cut off from the Collective by accident. And even then, the Collective often wants to dismantle or re-assimilate those that do get left behind.
Voyager broke Seven of Nine out of a hopeless situation where she didn't even know she was a slave. After that kind of experience, of course the ex-Borg would be drawn to helping other people in similar hopeless situations.
8 Her Romance Likely Ended
The only things officially tying Seven of Nine to Starfleet were her relationships with the crew. She even had her first romance with Commander Chakotay, the first officer.
However, clearly that romance fell apart once they hit the Alpha Quadrant. Not only does Seven of Nine not mention him, but it seems like no one even acknowledges him as a piece of her story. Assuming there was an epic fallout from the relationship, Seven of Nine could easily be pushed further away from Starfleet and instead want to do something all on her own.
7 She Never Felt Quite Human
Both Picard and Seven have been assimilated, and the two share a connection over that in the new show. However, unlike Picard, Seven never lived a memorable human life. She was a child with scarce memories that got repressed, forgotten, like lost dreams. He truly remembered what it was like to be a human and live a full, human life. She didn't.
So, when it came to moving forward with that life, she'd never quite feel like the cool kid's club that Starfleet sometimes was. Instead, she'd always feel like an outsider. And what do outsiders who want to change the galaxy do? Become vigilantes.
6 She Understood What It Felt Like To Lose Everything
Seven of Nine, or Annika Hansen, has lost everything dear to her several times over. Her parents, her entire world, and her humanity were all assimilated before she was old enough to understand it. When she got de-assimilated, she lost everything she understood, the clarity that she grew up in. Unimatrix Zero's collapse took away the closest thing she had to friends, family, and love in her time as a Borg. When Voyager came home, it's clear that she lost closeness with the family she once cared for.
And when Icheb lost his life? Well, it probably felt like she lost the only person in the galaxy that could really understand her, an adopted son that meant the sun and the stars to her. While she can't turn back time, saving people can protect others from losing everything as she did.
5 She Faces Borg Prejudice
Between the events of Wolf 359 and the synthetic attacks on Mars, Borg hatred seems at an all-time high, even though the power of the Borg seems feeble at best. As a free Borg with Starfleet vouching, Seven of Nine may have a leg up over others, but it doesn't make the galaxy a kinder place to her.
With so many parts of the universe on high alert, hating, hurting, or destroying her people, Seven probably wouldn't do well under The Federation's rose-tinted glasses. And, like Picard's Romulan rescue mission, they probably wouldn't care much about helping her save Borg. No wonder she went off on her own.
4 Unorthodox Logic
Ever since she was de-assimilated, Seven had to reconcile the hard, even cruel, logic of the Borg with the more sentimental views of humans. While she eventually found her own middle ground and the Voyager crew became accustomed to it, the whole of Starfleet? Probably not so much. They can be a little difficult and unkind to people with different perspectives.
Seven's point of view probably meant that Starfleet, an organization that otherwise treated her well on Voyager, was cold to her overall on Earth. It's easy to see how that could drive her away.
3 She Didn't See Earth As "Home"
There are quite a few arcs in Voyager that tackle Seven's feelings about heading back to Earth. After all, unlike almost everyone else on the ship, she felt no nostalgia for the watery planet. Instead, all she knew was that's where her parents came from. It was like a far off place in a book.
While she did eventually find some long-lost relatives, there really was nothing tying her to Earth. So, when they got back home, Seven would go where she was compelled to go. It was easy for that place to be the Badlands where innocent Romulans and Borg were getting hurt, not Earth.
2 Borg Poaching
As the opinions about synthetics and Borg worsened, so did the protection of any free Borg in the system. Regardless of if they were free of the Collective or not, people started poaching Borg like they were animals for sport. After all, lone Borg were easier to hunt down and break into pieces for parts. And in a chaotic galaxy, people will do many awful things for money.
Seeing people exactly like her destroyed for financial gain probably lit a fire under Seven of Nine that Starfleet could never quench. Borg like her were suffering and she could do something about it, as long as she played the part of a Ranger, not a Starfleet officer.
1 Losing Icheb
True, Seven of Nine was already a ranger when she lost Icheb. However, his passing definitely pushed her to go even further, push beyond a more "Starfleet" like rules of conduct and instead push even harder to protect people who no one else protected. After all, even though he wore a Starfleet uniform, Starfleet couldn't save Icheb.
Seven of Nine truly became the tough, hard as nails vigilante fans saw in Picard because she had to watch Icheb's last moments as he faded away in her arms. It was the final tipping point that turned her from something that was likely more like an extension of Starfleet ideals into something else.
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