While enduring the Enterprise's promotion evaluation process, four junior officers find themselves involved in a top-secret mission.
Plot summary
Four young Enterprise junior officers find their friendship strained during personnel evaluations. Two of the friends, Sam Lavelle and a young Bajoran woman named Sito Jaxa discover that they are being considered for the same job. Joined by their pal Ben, a civilian who works as a waiter, they learn that promotions seem to be already decided on for their other two friends, Nurse Ogawa and the young Vulcan engineer Taurik.
Meanwhile, we learn that Commander Riker and Worf differ on whether Lavelle or Sito should be promoted. At one point, Captain Picard also chastizes Sito for her role in a Starfleet Academy scandal (depicted in the earlier episode "The First Duty").
Considerations of promotions are interrupted, however, by a baffling secret mission that all but Lavelle are involved in. Left out of the loop, Lavelle becomes convinced that this is a sign that he will not be promoted. Coached by Worf, Sito stands up to Picard and is assigned the dangerous secret mission where she will pose as a Bajoran captive taken by the Cardassians.
Tragically, Sito is lost on the mission, and all that is recovered of her escape pod is scattered debris. Lavelle receives the promotion, but is downhearted. However, his friends come to his side to raise his spirits.
