Liberated Borg

The term **Liberated Borg** applies to any former Borg drone who has been severed from the Collective and whose individuality has been restored. Also known as **ex-Borg** or **xBs**, these former drones often retained Borg implants to one extent or another, usually varying according to the amount of time between their assimilation and liberation.

Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard was the first known being to be liberated from the Borg Collective, having been assimilated as Locutus of Borg in order to speak for the Collective to the humanity and Federation. Picard's time in the Collective was only a matter of days at most, and the restoration of his body and mind were near-complete. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Family"; *Star Trek: First Contact*; PIC: "Stardust City Rag", "The Impossible Box")

The second individual liberated from the Collective by Starfleet was Hugh, formerly known as Third of Five. After a brief stay aboard the USS *Enterprise*, Hugh was returned to the Collective, but his newfound individuality spread like a virus, resulting in many more liberations, though for a time these Liberated Borg fell under the control of Lore. (TNG: "I, Borg", "Descent, Part II")

Arguably the most significant xB of all was Seven of Nine, formerly known as Annika Hansen, who was assimilated as a child aboard the SS *Raven*, and was eventually liberated by the crew of the USS *Voyager* in the Delta Quadrant in 2373. Seven joined *Voyager'*s crew, and eventually returned with them to the Alpha Quadrant. During that journey, several Borg children were also liberated by *Voyager*, including Icheb. (VOY: "Scorpion, Part II", "The Gift", "Raven", "Child's Play", et. al)

While in the Delta Quadrant, *Voyager* also encountered a group of liberated Borg on a planet in the Nekrit Expanse, who were severed from the Collective in 2368 when their cube was damaged by an electrokinetic storm. Many of these ex-drones turned on each other, but one faction sought peace, and were known as the Cooperative. (VOY: "Unity")

In early 2382, the USS *Ross* discovered a colony of Liberated Borg, mostly Klingon, though some human, Vulcan and others, on the moon Pa'thor in the O'karess system in Klingon space. (*Clear Skies*: "Before Hell", "Before Hell, Part 2")

By the late 2380s, numerous other individuals had been liberated from the Collective. These xBs were sometimes hunted by unscrupulous individuals, such as Bjayzl, looking to profit from the sale of the implants and technology within them. Icheb was among those who were pursued and tortured for their implants, and he died on Vergessen in 2386. (PIC: "Stardust City Rag")

After the collapse of the Romulan Star Empire circa 2387, some xBs found settled on Carraya IV, joining the colony of survivors and refugees there. (*Star Trek: Pendragon*; *Endeavour: Through the Maelstrom*)

By the year 2399, Hugh held the position of Director of the Borg Reclamation Project at The Artifact, overseeing the attempts to restore more former drones after their cube suffered a submatrix collapse. These drones included the Disordered Romulans formerly of the IRW *Shaenor*. Many of the xBs aboard the Artifact were later exterminated by the Tal Shiar under the direction of Zhat Vash operatives, including Hugh. Answering Hugh's distress call, Seven of Nine arrived shortly thereafter and took control of the Artifact, regenerating the Cube as the Romulans left for Coppelius. (PIC: "The End is the Beginning", "Nepenthe", "Broken Pieces")

In the 2400s and 2410s, numerous Liberated Borg served as tactical, engineering, and science officers in Starfleet, the Klingon Defense Force and the Romulan Republic Navy. They were still reviled by the remnants of the Romulan Star Navy and the Tal Shiar, even though those organizations continued to experiment with Borg technology in their weapons research. Taelos and Kahbel were two such XBs. (*Star Trek Online*)

## External links

* xB article at ***Memory Alpha***, the canon *Star Trek* wiki.
* Liberated article at ***Memory Beta***, the non-canon *Star Trek* wiki.
* Liberated Borg article at the official ***Star Trek Online*** wiki
* Liberated Borg article at ***Star Trek Expanded Universe***, the fanon and fanworks *Star Trek* wiki.