The Void ( episode ) " Voyager " becomes trapped in an empty region of space where other stranded starships prey on each other to survive . Summary . Teaser . While traveling through the Delta Quadrant , with the captain and some of her bridge crew being treated to a special dinner put on by Seven of Nine , is sucked into an area of space that is devoid of star s , planet s or any other form of energy . Almost immediately on being pulled in , " Voyager " is attacked by a starship . Act One . In the ensuing fight , " Voyager " s shields are damaged . This gives the attackers the opportunity to transport away almost 90 % of the food supplies aboard " Voyager " , as well as some of its deuterium stocks . This puzzles the crew , as Paris remarks that deuterium can be found almost anywhere . However , it soon becomes apparent that deuterium can ' t be found within this anomaly , along with any other resources a starship would need . General Valen , who had been watching the fight between " Voyager " and its attacker , tells Captain Janeway that the only way to obtain energy and supplies within is to attack new arrivals . He and his crew have survived for five years in The Void using these tactics . Janeway refuses to consider stealing supplies to survive . Instead she intends to try to escape The Void . Valen tells her that escape is impossible , but Janeway is not deterred . Using the sensor s in astrometrics , Seven of Nine is able to predict when the next funnel , similar to the one that sucked them in , will appear . " Voyager " flies into the funnel , but is unable to break through to normal space . Act Two . Faced with a situation where the ship will run out of energy in a little over a week , Janeway decides to find the supplies that were stolen from " Voyager " . The ship that attacked them is tracked down , but is adrift , the crew dead , and almost all useful components stripped from the ship . The only useful item left is the casing around the warp core , which Torres beams over . Upon inspecting the casing , she and Seven of Nine find a stowaway hiding inside . His leg is injured , so he is transported to sickbay . He appears unable to talk , but The Doctor determines that his physiology is such that he is able to survive for long periods without oxygen . Meanwhile , the current holder of " Voyager " s supplies is tracked down . It turns out to be Valen , who stole the supplies from the ship that attacked " Voyager " . When he refuses to return them , Janeway knocks out his shields and beams the supplies aboard . Despite retrieving only half the original supplies , she refuses to take any of the other supplies aboard Valen ' s ship . Tuvok and Chakotay , as second and first officer , come to her ready room later to ask if the usual operating procedure is going to change due to the extreme circumstances . She replies that she has been consulting the Federation Charter to look for loopholes , but as there are none , she says that they will continue to follow Federation protocols . Instead , she has hit upon the idea of forming an alliance with some of the other ships trapped within The Void . Act Three . " Voyager " contacts some of the other ships , without much success . Janeway tries to convince the captain of a Nygean ship , Garon , to join the alliance , offering him some of their food as a gesture of her goodwill . However , he is skeptical , only saying he ' ll think about it . In sickbay , The Doctor , together with Seven , has developed a method of communication with the stowaway , whom he has christened Fantome . Using a system of different musical notes he is able to converse with him . When a new ship is sucked into The Void , it is attacked by Valen . " Voyager " comes to its aid , but Valen has a second ship , which puts " Voyager " in danger . Fortunately , Garon arrives and helps to fight off Valen . Act Four . With Garon and the new ship , a Hierarchy surveillance ship , and others allies such as the Kraylor , also in the alliance , " Voyager " is able to attract new members more easily . While the ships share different technologies to conserve power , " Voyager " is given technology to reduce the power required by its replicators by a significant amount . The Doctor takes Fantome under his wing , and teaches him various ' words ' . However , when a visiting prospective alliance member , Bosaal , sees Fantome , he calls him and his species vermin . Janeway , although put off by this reaction , offers to beam aboard any members of Fantome ' s species that may be hiding aboard his ship . He agrees to this and decides to join the alliance . Torres needs to build a polaron modulator in order to escape The Void . Although she works with Garon to build it , Janeway looks for a ship that has one so she can trade for it . Later she discovers that Bosaal has provided a fully compatible modulator . On questioning him , she discovers that he stole it and killed the crew of the ship it belonged to . Enraged , Janeway throws him off the ship and tells him to take the modulator with him . Act Five . Even though they need the modulator to escape , she refuses to use it , obtained in the way that it was . This causes some of the other members of the alliance to leave , too . Janeway is annoyed with herself , telling Chakotay she should have trusted her instincts on Bosaal and never let him join in the first place . Torres finishes building the modulator , but needs time to test it . However , Chakotay comes across the members of the Hierarchy survey ship utilizing " Voyager ' s " astrometrics lab without permission . While their intention was to spy on other ships within The Void to find more potential members for the alliance , what they discovered was Bosaal meeting with Valen , plotting to attack " Voyager " , which they show Chakotay . As the alliance ships don ' t have enough power to fight off the attack , Janeway decides that they ' ll have to forgo the test and try to escape as soon as possible . Fantome and the three other members of his species offer to help . Another funnel forms and the alliance move towards it . As the alliance attempts to escape , Valen and Bosaal attack . " Voyager " manages to weaken their shields and beam Fantome and his friends aboard the two ships . They immediately sabotage the engines of the two ships , giving the alliance a chance to escape . As Fantome ' s species believe they are native to the void , they choose to remain there . " Voyager " extends its shield bubble around the other ships and they all manage to escape from the void . Back in normal space , Janeway thanks Garon and the Hierarchy for their help , as they return the gratitude . After they leave , Janeway muses that being in the alliance almost felt like they were part of a Federation again and Chakotay reminds her that the real Federation is only 30 , 000 light years away as " Voyager " resumes its course for the Alpha Quadrant . Memorable quotes . " " The vultures are circling . " " " " Vultures eat the dead , Mister Paris . We ' re not dead yet . " " " " I ' m so glad we taught them the value of cooperation . " " " " Preparing meals myself is the best way to ensure quality . " " " " Each course has been paired with a specific wine . Substitutions are not recommended . " " " " It was almost like being part of a Federation again . " " " " The real one ' s only 30 , 000 light years away . " " " " Then what are we standing around for ? " " Links and references . References . accessory ; airponics bay ; The Alliance ; Annari ; ; apron ; aria ; " Baxial " ; " chadre ' kab " ; Chardonnay ; chicken ; circumference ; cream of leola soup ; computer console ; deuterium ; deuterium tank ; evasive pattern ; Fantome ' s species ; Federation ; Federation Charter ; fetran risotto ; fractal algorithm ; grammar ; gourmet cook ; graviton ; gremlin ; Overlooker ; Hierarchy surveillance ship ; intruder alert ; Jelinian ; Jelinian ale ; Jelinian freighter ; kilometer ; Kinjal ; Kinjal frigate ; Kinjal frigate crew ; Kraylor ; Kraylor starship ; logic ; loophole ; Loquar ' s ship ; Luhvian quail ; lung ; meter ; Milky Way Galaxy ; morality ; murder ; navigational sensor ; nomad ; Nygean ; Nygean starship ; nutritional supplement ; Olian guava ; orchestra ; oxygen ; palate ; parasite ; peanut butter and jelly sandwich ; " " ; phase compensator ; photon torpedo ; physiology ; Pinot noir ; plasma ; polarity ; polaron modulator ; red alert ; replicator ; " Rigoletto " ; salt ; sensor array ; shields ; shield polarity ; subspace ; syntax ; telepathic ; tricesium ; truffle ; United Federation of Planets ; ; Vaadwaur ; Vaadwaur ship ; vegetable ; vulture ; waiter ; warp core