Ep 7. Dragon's Teeth

A synopsis for Star Trek: Voyager season 6 episode 7, titled "Dragon's Teeth," follows.

Voyager continues its journey through space, encountering a debris field that suddenly opens up to an ancient graveyard of ships and planets. The graveyard is the site of a long-forgotten civilization that has been sealed off from the rest of the galaxy for thousands of years. The crew of Voyager discovers that this civilization— the Vaadwaur—is still alive, surviving on a planet whose defense mechanisms require any visitor to pass through a deadly maze of tunnels.

Upon discovering a Vaadwaur city, the team is attacked and injured, and are taken to the planet's underground tunnels. They discover that the Vaadwaur were once a great empire that spanned multiple galaxies but was destroyed in a war with their neighbors. The crew also finds out that the Vaadwaur have been sleeping in a state of suspended animation, guarding their secrets, waiting for the day they could reclaim their former glory.

Meanwhile, Chakotay leads a shuttle mission to find the planet's surface entrance while Janeway negotiates with Gedrin, one of the Vaadwaur, for their release while exploring the Vaadwaur's asceticism ethos. As they delve deeper into the planet, the crew begins to discover the secrets of the Vaadwaur people. They realize that the Vaadwaur had been harassing their neighbors, the Turei, and had been taken down by a Turei weapon that trapped them in an energy bubble— insulating them from the outside and causing them to sleep for thousands of years.

The crew must now balance the survival of the Vaadwaur exiles with the danger they pose to the Voyager crew. As Voyager continues its journey through space, the crew must navigate this new reality, and the effects that these discoveries have on their own behaviors and motivations.

As the episode progresses, the tension between the Vaadwaur and Voyager escalates, with the Vaadwaur seeking to use Voyager to regain their lost empire while Janeway tries to balance the safety of her crew with the moral obligation to help the Vaadwaur. The episode climaxes with a high-stakes confrontation between Voyager and the Vaadwaur empire, with the crew forced to make some very difficult decisions along the way.

"Dragon's Teeth" is a thrilling episode, full of suspense, intrigue, and action. The episode's central conflict between the Vaadwaur and Voyager highlights the complexities of diplomacy and the moral responsibilities that come with great power. The episode also offers viewers an opportunity to learn about the mysterious Vaadwaur people and their ancient civilization, adding a new layer of depth to the Star Trek universe. With its engaging storyline, dynamic characters, and striking visuals, "Dragon's Teeth" is a standout episode of Star Trek: Voyager season 6.