- Picard falls for the new head of the stellar science services department, but has feelings of misgivings when he's forced to assign her to a dangerous mission.
- Wondering why an experiment at stellar cartography has most of the ship's resources reserved for hours, Picard goes see the stellar sciences section's obnoxiously assertive new head, Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren. Spending some time together they find they share several interests and enjoy playing music together. The relationship gets tested by balancing his authority and her tendency to sort of abuse his feelings for her. Then she suggests a way to help colonists about to suffer a severe stellar storm, and joins one of the rescue teams, which is badly hit...—KGF Vissers
- An experiment at stellar cartography has most of the ship's resources reserved for hours. Picard is informed that he cannot even make routine communications call for more than 3 hours, till the experiment is completed. Even the library systems are offline. Picard cannot do his job, or kill the time reading some books, or have some tea since even replicators are offline.
Picard goes see the stellar sciences section's obnoxiously assertive new head, Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren (Wendy Hughes). Nella is trying to create a mathematical model for an emerging star system. Which is why she needed very precise readings and hence requested all non-critical systems of the ship to be shut down. If she gets the model right, scientists will be able to predict the configuration of star systems millions of years before they are born.
Spending some time together they find they share several interests and enjoy playing music together. Soon, they bond over their music and Picard finally has someone to share his interests with. Nella takes Picard to the acoustically most perfect spot on the ship to practice their music. The Enterprise arrives to study a nebula. Riker has assigned the main sensor array to engineering for their warp field tests. But Nella wants the array to continue her tracking of the gas flows in the nebula.
Picard is very conflicted and seeks Deanna's counsel. She gives her permission to Picard to date Nella. The relationship gets tested by balancing his authority. Picard will kiss her in private but would only call her Commander in public. Nella tends to sort of abuse his feelings for her. For example, she overrides other departments by reserving a larger share of time on the ship's main sensors for her research.
Picard tells Nella that he learned the flute after his experience on the planet Kataan. He says he lived an entire life on the planet in a space of 25 minutes, while being controlled by the Kataan probe The Enterprise encountered in space. He had a wife, kids and even grand-kids. Picard says this is what his music means to him and what it means for him to share it with someone. Nella and Picard end up having sex. The next day she uses her influence with Picard to insist Riker to transfer a crew member to her department. Riker speaks to Picard that Nella's requests make him uncomfortable, due to her relationship with him. Picard says that Nella is doing her job and advises Riker to do his.
Nella and Picard agree not to let their relationship interfere with their duties.
The Enterprise is on its way to the Bersallis system who are about to be hit with a severe stellar storm. The storm develops when solar flares interact with high energy plasma on the surface. The Enterprise will reach one hour before the storm hits and will need 2 hours to evacuate everyone. Then she suggests a way to help Bersallis colonists by erecting a series of deflectors in the path of the oncoming storm to create a firewall, and joins one of the rescue teams. Riker assigns her in charge of erecting the firewall.
Nella erects the firewalls but has to calibrate them manually till the storm hits in 4 minutes. Meanwhile Riker still has 73 colonists to evacuate and needs 10 minutes. Picard orders the perimeter team to hold the firewall till the colony is evacuated. Nella does her job and holds the storm back and allows Riker to evacuate the colonists, but she herself goes missing on the job. Picard goes sad on thinking that Nella died. But a few minutes later the Enterprise locates survivors and Nella beams up.
When she is back, Picard and Nella both realize that this won't work out as Picard would questions every decision of his, and Nella would blame him for everything. They break up. Nella transfers out.
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