“You lack technological distinctiveness. Your culture is irrelevant.” You might think that the term “Borg Pakled” is an oxymoron. And you would be correct. The Borg never had any intention of assimilating Pakleds. A race who creates nothing, relying on technology stolen from other civilizations, cannot help the Borg in their quest for perfection. Anything the Pakleds might have to offer, the Borg already have. Yet here Ghalenar stands, one of the first Borg of his kind. Even more surprising is the fact that Ghalenar sought out the Borg. Perhaps he did not fully understand the reality of assimilation, or perhaps the Pakleds had a plan. A plan to infiltrate the Borg in order to gain access to their technology. A plan that hinged on building a big, shiny ship to prove their worth to the Borg. A plan that was, unsurprisingly, a failure. Instead of being accepted by the Borg, Ghalenar was turned away time and again, until he and his crew decided to cut their losses and face the Borg directly. If you can’t join ‘em, steal from ‘em. The Pakleds now posed a threat to the Borg. Their raid was unceremoniously quashed, and the entire crew was assimilated. Thus the Collective embraced species 95012 as one of its own, and took one step forward in its quest for perfection... and two steps back.