The Gift (Star Trek: Voyager)

"The Gift" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 70th episode overall. The episode marks the transition of Kes, played by Jennifer Lien, out of the main cast of the series, and integrates her replacement, Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan, into the ensemble.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the starship Voyager, stranded on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth and facing a decades-long journey home. In this episode, Voyager has just narrowly escaped being captured by the alien hive mind known as the Borg Collective, and in doing so separated one of their drones from the collective consciousness. Meanwhile, Kes's growing telepathic powers become increasingly dangerous to Voyager, and she chooses to leave the ship to protect it.

The episode marks the last appearance of Kes until a guest appearance in the episode "Fury" in the sixth season.