[ "the end of the war." such a simple phrase, and yet it brings to mind a wide variety of things. the death of his father, for instance, and chakotay's decision to resign his commission as a starfleet officer and join the maquis to fight in his father's place. he recalls the letter from home he received over a year ago, stating that the war wiped out the entirety of the maquis fleet, what little they were. ]

War is never pretty or nice, but it's good to see the beauty that can come from it.

[ he speaks of war as though he knows it, as though he understands the duties that bind one and the reasons someone might have to fight, and his face betrays that sympathy. he's been through a war of his own, would've been killed if he hadn't been whisked off to the delta quadrant. not for the first time does he wonder what ginny's life was like back home. ]

We don't choose the form our spirit guide takes, either. They choose what they believe suits us best, what we'll relate to and what shows the best and worst of us. I can't tell you what my animal guide is, but I might be able to guess at your Patronus form.

[ somehow talking about a patronus form doesn't seem as offensive as speaking about a private spirit guide. after all, everyone can see a patronus, so it isn't as intimate, and he somehow doubts that a spell can be offended. ]