Voyager is traversing an enormous desolate region of space which the crew call "the Void", knowing that are unlikely to see any stars for the next two years. At the start of the episode it has been 53 days since Voyager entered "the Void". An astrometric scan of the region shows no star systems within 2,500 light-years. There are heavy concentrations of theta-radiation which are clouding Voyager's sensors, so the crew cannot see beyond the region.

Voyager in the vortex

After Voyager leaves the Void, via a spatial vortex, they are two years closer to home.

Voyager after leaving 'the Void';
Kim: "I see a densely packed region with thousands of star systems. Looks pretty lively."

Since it will take two years to cross the Void, Chakotay has ordered all departments to create an energy reserve, using power cells to stockpile deuterium. The screenshot below shows two crewmembers carrying a power cell along a corridor. Torres reports that the warp core is at peak efficiency. Kim reports that all systems are operating within normal parameters. To boost crew morale, Neelix suggests rotating crew assignments for a little variety and adding holo-emitters to Cargo Bay 2 to turn it into a holodeck.

Two crewmembers carry a power cell along a corridor

When the power goes down, the last things we see go offline is the formation lights, warp core and main deflector. During the loss of power, Seven and Paris try to re-route power from the holodeck to emergency relays, but the hologrid is frozen. Meanwhile, Torres hooks a power cell up directly to the EPS manifold to get emergency power back online.

Voyager's residual antimatter is processed in a transkinetic chamber, where it is broken down on a subatomic level. The theta-radiation from the Void is absorbed by a series of radiometric converters, and the energy is recycled to power everything from life support to replicators. Tuvok uses the deflector to reinforce the aft shields.

Tuvok reconfigures a photon torpedo to emit a sustained polyluminous burst to function as a warp flare, and in this way manages to see the attacking alien ships.

a "warp flare" reveals the ships of aliens indigenous to 'the Void'

As seen throughout the series, Voyager's windows do not have curtains. Neelix resolves to replicate curtains after suffering from nihiliphobia (fear of nothingness) in his private quarters.

Neelix in his quarters

Opening a control access panel, Kim uses a handheld tool to try tapping into the energy reserves. Tuvok provides light from a twin-beam wrist-mounted torch. Pictures below show two engineers (female on left, in shadow - you can see the twin beams of her torch - and male on right) on the upper level of main engineering, who each wear the device.That torch is unofficially (or maybe now even officially) known as a Sims (or SIMS) beacon which the production crew named after Alan Sims, the properties master. One is seen in a few other episodes e.g. worn by Paris in [#170 Renaissance Man].

During the shipwide loss of power, Janeway, Chakotay and Neelix bring a power cell with them to main engineering. Janeway tells Torres: "This power cell should be enough to get emergency power back online." Torres orders her staff to "hook it up directly to the EPS manifold!" Emergency power comes back online throughout the ship.

Janeway orders a class-2 shuttle to be armed with photon explosives, ready for her plan to destroy the vortex, but her plan of self-sacrifice is never implemented.

The hologrid blows out in holodeck 1 after Paris and the Doctor fight over the controls.

The manual holodeck controls are seen in this episode, pictured below. They are seen also in [#24 Persistence Of Vision], [#56 Alter Ego] and [#137 Spirit Folk], though the controls vary a bit.

Aliens indigenous to the region cause a shipwide power loss, forcing everything offline including main and auxiliary power. Independent subsystems are operational, such as environmental controls and holodecks.

After emergency power is restored thanks to a power cell hooked up directly to the EPS manifolds (see EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES), on the bridge Tuvok regains tactical and raises shields. With sensors now operational he reports that Voyager is surrounded by three alien vessels and there are seventeen intruders on board. When Chakotay reports they have weapons online Janeway orders Tuvok to target the ship off the port bow and fire a few warning shots. The aliens respond by firing almost continuously at Voyager. The shields go down to 64 per cent. The aliens re-initialise the dampening field and power is lost again. At that point the aliens break off their attack with the arrival of the Malon ship.

Voyager manages to evade spatial charges fired by the Malon ship as it tries to stop them entering the vortex. But under attack from the Malon ship, Voyager's port nacelle ruptures and vents plasma. Voyager suffers a direct hit to the starboard nacelle causing both engines to go offline, leaving the ship riding on inertia. If they are hit again the ship will be dead in the water.

Voyager is buffeted by Malon spatial charges

Voyager suffers a direct hit to the starboard nacelle and both engines go offline

Without warp drive Voyager cannot outrun the shockwave after firing to collapse the vortex at 'the Void' end. Janeway orders Tuvok to reinforce the aft shields with the main deflector, which he does by adjusting shield harmonics - Janeway has decided that Voyager will ride the shockwave out of here, let it push the ship to the other side of the vortex.

Chakotay says that the crew has gathered enough data on the Delta Quadrant to keep Starfleet scientists busy for decades.

Janeway wryly notes that mutiny is still an offence punishable by hanging. In [TOS: The Menagerie] it is stated that, as of 2267, the only death penalty left on the books is for violation of General Order 7 which forbids contact with the planet Talos IV.