Natural Law ( episode ) En route to a scientific conference on Ledos , Chakotay and Seven ' s shuttle is driven out of control by a force field layer over a wilderness area . Meanwhile , Paris gets a speeding ticket in the " Delta Flyer " , and is sentenced to a three - day safety course . Summary . Teaser . Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine are in a shuttle heading to a four - day conference on Ledos about warp field dynamics . Since they have some time before the beginning of the conference , Chakotay takes a scenic detour to admire the lush forests of the planet . When Seven objects that they may be late to the conference , Chakotay points out that warp field dynamics can be studied any day , but opportunities to enjoy natural beauty are rare . However , they suddenly detect an energy barrier right below them , and they start bouncing off it . They quickly lose engines . Seven of Nine reconfigures the phaser s and punches a hole in the barrier , just in time for them to beam to the surface as the shuttle tumbles and breaks up . Act One . Chakotay has a deep cut and a hairline fracture in his leg , and at Chakotay ' s insistence , they decide to walk to the debris field , still hoping to make the conference on time . In orbit of Ledos , Tom Paris is in the " Delta Flyer II " navigating orbital traffic when a controller notifies him of an infraction . He is ordered to shut off his engines , and to take the standard punishment . When he returns to , he finds out that the punishment is flight lessons . He considers this ridiculous , but Captain Kathryn Janeway says that local laws must be followed , much to Paris ' dismay . Seven and Chakotay find the wreckage of the shuttle and find it is unrecoverable . However , they also detect some humanoid life sign s which are similar to those of Ledosian s , but aren ' t Ledosian . When they examine the people , they are found to be primitives of pre - Bronze Age level . Chakotay ' s leg becomes infected , and he hides out of sight while Seven goes to recover more parts . When she finds something useful , she contacts him . Unfortunately , he is surrounded by the primitives , amazed at the talking com badge , and can ' t answer . They smash it out of fear and take him with them . When she finds their camp , they are startled by her , but Chakotay says they are friendly . He suggests they get some rest , since this is shelter , after all . Act Two . On " Voyager " , Harry Kim , B ' Elanna Torres , and Neelix are talking about beaming down to the planet for shore leave , and teasing Paris about his flying lesson . When the instructor , Kleg , beams up , Paris gets off on the wrong foot ; they have to review safety procedures for four hours just to start , and Neelix , Torres , and Kim beam down to the surface . Chakotay learns to communicate with the primitives . They use sign language to communicate , and trade him for one of his collar pips . Seven is unimpressed , but says she has found the shuttle ' s deflector , and can use salvaged components to create a tetryon - based signaling device . The commander suggests she have the natives guide her , but she wants to limit contact with them , and goes alone . Before long , she trips , and loses her tricorder down a hole . When she cannot recover it , she leaves it . Chakotay receives a walking stick to support his weight , and finds that some of the natives are beginning to paint symbols on their foreheads like his . Act Three . When Seven gets stuck by a thunderstorm , a native girl ( who has been following her ) starts a fire using an exothermic reaction from rocks . Seven is appreciative , and goes to sleep . On " Voyager " , Tom Paris fails to make any headway with his piloting lessons . Kleg first goes over the ship , finding safety violations in everything from access of the pilot ' s seat to the polarity thruster s they use . When Paris suggests he blame his mistake on the ship , not him , Kleg informs him that he researched the ship thoroughly , and finds it was Paris who was its chief designer . When Seven of Nine awakens , the native leads her first to an oasis , where she stays for a while . Chakotay begins to worry about her , especially when some of the natives take shuttle debris as jewelry . He has them take him where she ' s going as well . Eventually , she does find the shuttle ' s deflector , with the native girl following her , and begins to work on it . On " Voyager " , Tuvok informs Captain Janeway that Chakotay and Seven never showed up for the conference . Their scans show a wing floating in midair , resting on an energy barrier which required their Borg sensors to detect . They cannot scan below the barrier , so while Tuvok suggests they may have survived , there is no way to know . The captain contacts the Ledosian ambassador , and he doesn ' t believe they survived . Even if they did , there is nothing they can do about the barrier . It was put up by aliens to protect an indigenous society , the Ventu , from the Ledosians in their past . He cannot see " Voyager " knocking down the barrier . Act Four . Torres finds burn marks consistent with tetryon flux , and Tuvok identifies the technology , as Seven did , in the Borg database . Based on the damage feedback from the phasers destroyed the shuttle , meaning they could have used that to cut through the barrier . If " Voyager " tried the same thing , the risk of breaking the ship apart would be the same . As Seven assembles the transmitter , the native girl plays with some magnetic rocks . When the deflector fails , and Chakotay shows up to assist , Seven scans the area . There is a magnetic field which is preventing her from generating a deflector beam . She could generate one several kilometer s away if the natives helped them move the 500 kilogram deflector , and also add a dampening field to get it through the barrier . Chakotay , having changed his mind , says no initially , but Seven assures him they can beam themselves ( and all of the loose technology ) off the planet once this is all over . Paris has moved on to actually flying . He fails to get out of the test again , because Kleg insists that all of his students take the entire course . The natives finish hauling the deflector , and while they are connecting it , " Voyager " attempts to penetrate the barrier with phasers . However , they begin to overload within seconds . As Tuvok is configuring a photon torpedo , Seven activates the deflector on the surface . The natives are fascinated , and the young girl reaches out to touch the ship , and is shocked unconscious . The captain is surprised to see the barrier go down , but opens a channel to Seven . She tells the captain to beam up Chakotay and down a medkit . The Doctor is impressed that the pulp the Ventu used to treat Chakotay ' s leg has healed the fracture and the infection . Chakotay says that all of the shuttle debris should also be beamed aboard , and the captain agrees . Seven of Nine says goodbye , and accepts a blanket from the girl as part of their customs . However , she encounters a Ledosian expedition , led by Barus . They intend to study and develop these people , now that the barrier has finally been lowered . Act Five . When she returns aboard , Chakotay says they should restore the barrier , but Seven isn ' t sure ; she believes the Ledosians could help improve their potential , but doing so would also end their resourcefulness and unique way of life . The captain decides the barrier will have to be returned , if anything to recover their technology . She tells this to the ambassador , but he doesn ' t like it . He says they have been waiting a long time . She cites the strict sharing of technology policy , and asks if an hour will be enough for an evacuation . The response of the government is to send a fighter to disable " Voyager " s transporters with a well - targeted shot . The ambassador calls it restrained , and tells the captain to leave orbit . With transporters down , the captain calls upon Tom Paris , who is still taking his piloting lesson . She transmits encrypted orders , and he exhibits reckless behavior , which is necessary to carry them out . He rushes within transporter range of the surface , and beams up the expeditionary force , dodging an attack by the same Ledosian vessel . After being told by Kleg that he cannot pilot a vessel in Ledosian space again , his transporters are knocked out , and so he flies close to the surface , destroys the deflector , and rushes into orbit just before the barrier reinitializes . Afterward , Seven worries to Chakotay that her modifications may be duplicated by the Ledosians someday . She also thanks him for their adventure , since warp mechanics can be studied any day . Memorable quotes . " " So you can execute a turn at less than three hundred kph . Well done , lieutenant . " " " " Seven , are you all right ? " " " " I need your tricorder . " " " " Nice to see you , too . " " " " You don ' t see natural beauty like this everyday . " " " " They ' re impressive people . " " " " You ' re getting very close to becoming an " adequate " pilot . " " " " I ' m sorry to inform you , Mister Paris , but you have failed this examination . You will no longer be allowed to operate a vessel within Ledosian space . " " " " Something tells me that ' s not going to be a problem . " " " " Well , if we have to be stranded somewhere , you couldn ' t ask for a better place . " " " " We wouldn ' t be stranded at all if you hadn ' t insisted on admiring the view ! " " Links and references . References . arboretum ; assimilation ; auxiliary power ; Barus ; beacon ; blanket ; Chell ; Class 2 shuttle ; dampening field ; debris ; " Delta Flyer II " ; docking permit ; distress signal ; Earth ; energy barrier ; evolution ; Flame Gardens ; flight safety course ; foliate ; gesture ; hairline fracture ; impulse engine ; kilometer ; lateral sensor array ; Ledos ; Ledos Port Control ; Ledosian ; Ledosian patrol ship ; logic ; magnetism ; medkit ; navigational deflector ; phaser ; photon torpedo ; piloting violation 256 ; polarity thruster ; poultice ; relay ; sensor analysis ; shore leave ; socks ; Species 312 ; tetryon ; tetryon - based signaling device ; tricorder ; Ventu ; Ventu language ; visual display system ; warp field dynamics ; weapons array