Lessons

Picard is irritated to find stellar cartography diverting power for an experiment, and he meets its new head, Lt Cdr Nella Daren. He sees her again at a recital, playing the piano, and the two discover a shared love of music. Soon they are playing duets, Daren at a portable keyboard and Picard on the Ressikan flute he brought back from his life on Kataan, which he tells her about. Their relationship deepens into romance. Then firestorms threaten a Federation outpost, and Daren's skills make her the right officer to lead a team holding back the flames while colonists are evacuated. Picard sends her into danger and fears she has been killed before she returns safely. Both accept that he cannot command someone he loves. Daren asks for a transfer, and they part sadly.