Star Trek Voyager: The Gift

Star Trek Voyager: The Gift 7. Misunderstandings

Chakotay heaved an exasperated sigh as he stared down at his overflowing suitcase. He’d always considered himself a relatively organised person, but the last couple of days of frantic preparation for exchanging his family home for Starfleet Academy had taught him otherwise. Anxiety churned in his stomach as he glanced at a family photograph, one of his parents, Sekaya and himself standing in the garden about five years ago, taken before his mother had gotten ill or he and his father had inked their distinctive tattoos on their foreheads. The thought clawed at his mind while he stared at it was that maybe his father was right, maybe he’d never be accepted there and would lose his place here if he left? Gulping hard he walked over to his open wardrobe, empty excepting the crisp Starfleet cadet’s uniform that had been sent out for him all the way from Earth, they were far too prestigious to be replicated after all, and ran his fingers up the sleeve, imagining multiple gold pips on the collar with a smile. He had to be doing the right thing; he’d wanted this for years…

“Whoa, have you got any clothes left to wear to the party tonight?” Sekaya asked incredulously from behind him as she entered his room; it was in such disarray that it looked as if some sort of natural disaster had hit this part of the house.

Chakotay frowned at her irritably, “Yes, I do have something to wear tonight, not that I wouldn’t take any excuse not to go.”

“It’s your going away party! Why are you so damned ungrateful? I’ve put a lot of effort into planning it for you…”

“Well, maybe because I have a lot of better things to do than listen to your friends rant about the Cardassians and Starfleet, and because I know you’re only throwing it as an excuse to invite Ryac over here without Dad being suspicious.”

Sekaya flushed at the mention of her obviously not so secret boyfriend, “So what if I am? Once you’re gone, Dad’s going to be watching me like a hawk…”

Chakotay sighed in exasperation; he’d had enough of being berated by his baby sister for having the nerve to leave her in this backwater while he went off to enjoy himself on cosmopolitan Earth. “He’s not that bad…” He retorted defensively, “Have you ever considered that you might need some of that protection to stop you doing anything stupid?”

“Protection from what exactly?” Seven inquired curiously as she appeared at the doorway with Lucky, now well on the way to being full grown and her near constant companion, by her side. “This planet is impressively peaceful.”

“Nothing!” the siblings reassured her in unison, neither of them in the mood for dealing with Seven’s social naivety, before Sekaya took Seven’s arm, “Come on, let’s leave my brother to his grouchiness and go and get ready for the party shall we?” she asked cheerfully.

Seven glanced down at her cropped trousers and lightweight top, “What is wrong with this attire? It’s only our classmates and neighbours attending the party.”

Chakotay chuckled in agreement, “Yeah, why do we have to change Sekaya?” he teased.

Sekaya shot him a hot glare and quickly made an excuse to Seven, “Because I asked everyone to dress up quite fancy Seven, so that Chakotay will see us all at our best before he goes.”

“Oh…” Seven mumbled, giving Chakotay an unreadable sidelong glance before nodding her acceptance. “If that is what you have arranged Sekaya then I will of course do as you wish.”

Sekaya beamed a satisfied smile. “Great! I’ll go and get ready and then we’ll deal with you okay?”

Seven nodded silent assent, breathing a heavy sigh as Sekaya disappeared into her room, catching Chakotay’s eye and sharing a small knowing smirk with him before her eyes scanned the messy room with a professional eye. Walking up to the suitcase in her fallback stance of poker straight spine and hands tucked behind her back, she asked in a businesslike tone, “Would you like me to assist you?”