Hey!
I'm soooo sorry I didn't update earlier! I had already finished the 2nd chapter and then decided to change some things...
anway, here we go. Thanks to those who were as kind as to review, you are GREAT! Now, let's start with the story, shall we?
Oh, and please review!!

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize belong to Q, the others are invented by me. Any resemblance to any living or
dead persons is totally unintentional.

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Sparkling - Chapter 2
by lys

"Cadet Thomas"
Miral sat up as if stuck by lightning. "Yes Sir?" she smiled at her 'artificial intelligence'-instructor.

"Would you be as kind as to answer my question, Cadet?" The middle-aged woman looked at the girl expectantly.
"Well..." Miral's voice trailed off. "Could you maybe repeat the question? The acoustics in here are quite bad."
She looked at the woman, smiling her most innocent smile. "Indeed." was the sarcastic reply. "Well, I asked what you
do if a CP3 is not working after you have installed the cerebral cortex?"

Miral looked at her dead-pan. "I kick it?" Her fellow students started giggling, but were stopped by their Professor's sharp
words. "No. Mr. Cartright?"
The lesson went on and Miral once more settled down in her chair comfortably - if that was possible - and yawned. It
was her third and thankfully last lesson for that day. And because it was a friday it was also basically weekend, the best
time of the week.

Ten minutes later the instructor dismissed them, not before giving them tons of homework to do over the weekend.

Slipping out of the classroom before she could get an extra homework for her dozing-off, she found herself standing in
the comforting warmth of the afternoon sun. As she reached the corner, Savio Albert, a boy from her class, walked up to
her. "Hi Sav," she greeted him. "What's up?" The brown haired boy smiled at her smugly. "I got an 'A' on my
warp-technology project!"

"Hey, that's great!" Miral said warmly. Savio was what could be considered as one of her closets friends at the academy.
He was only a year older than herself and thought of as a genius by the teachers. He was not bragging about his excellent
grades but really a nice guy and liked by almost everyone.

"So what about you? What did you get?" He asked her curiously. She was about to reply that she had not as much as
handed the project in, when she heard someone call her name. "Miral?"

Turning around she saw a man with pepper-and-salt hair and a tattoo over his left brow walking towards her. "If that's not
little Miral" the man said, smiling at her. "Your parents must be proud you are at the academy now!" He wore black pants
and a brown shirt and, for a man his age, looked quite handsome. Do you know him? Sav mouthed, as he saw the puzzled
expression on Miral's face. "Excuse me, but do I know you?" she asked the man in turn. "Oh, of course. I should have
known you would not remember me. You were four or five when we last met." For a moment he seemed to be lost in memory.
"I'm a friend of your parents. My name is Chakotay." Besides her, Miral heard Savio gasp.
"Of course! You were the first officer of the Voyager! You-"

"Savio!" Miral glared at her friend. "Your psychology class is about to start. You better get on your way."

He shook his head. "Oh no, I'm not due for another ten minutes, I-"

"S a v i o ! Go. Now!" Miral replied sharply. The boy looked at his friend with a stunned expression. "Ok. No reason to
start shouting!" He looked at her with confusion all over his face. "See you later I guess. Sir, it has been an honor meeting
you!" he said to Chakotay and left without looking at Miral at all.

Chakotay had watched the scene quite puzzled and was even more so as Miral now turned to him. "What do you want?"
she inquired hostilely. Seeing his stunned expression she continued. "You see, I do not know you. If you want to talk or anything
you better go, see my parents. But. leave. me. alone!" She started walking away.
"Cadet!" she turned around annoyedly. "Miral... what is the problem? If you do not wish to talk to me then that is sad, but I
can accept it. I would like to know why, though." He looked at her questioningly. "Leave. Me. Alone!" she repeated.
"I can order you to do it," he replied calmly. "You what?!" A furious yelp escaped her lips.

He smiled and shook his head.

"What are you smiling at?" Miral asked, irritation in her voice. "You reminded me of your mother. B'El-" Miral now stood
mere inches away from him. "Don't say a word," she said, the threat in her voice quite obvious. She took a step back,
aware of the glances they were getting from other cadets and officers. "I am a normal girl and I want to be left alone.
Is that so hard to understand?" her voice was now barely above a whisper. She turned around and walked away, leaving
the man, who had held her in his arms when she was a child, looking after her, dumfounded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ End of Chapter Two ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, what do you think? Please review! ~lys