The First Duty (episode)

Following an accident during an Academy training exercise that leads to the death of one of his friends, Wesley Crusher must decide whether loyalty or truth is the first duty.



Summary

"Captain's Log, Stardate 45703.9. We are en route to Earth, where it will be my pleasant duty to deliver this year's commencement address at Starfleet Academy. I'm also looking forward to seeing Wesley Crusher again. His flight team will perform a demonstration near Saturn that will be transmitted to the graduation ceremonies."

The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Earth where Captain Picard will give this year's Starfleet Academy commencement speech. But before reaching Earth, the captain receives a message from Rear Admiral Brand, the Academy superintendent: there's been an accident involving Cadet Wesley Crusher.

Act One



Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher
visit Wesley after the accident
(Notice the model of a
Constitution Class Starship
in the foreground)

Picard brings the news to Dr. Crusher: her son's flight team, Nova Squadron, has suffered a catastrophic collision, one pilot has been killed, and Wesley has been seriously injured. While she is worried, Picard assures her that he will be fine, and their thoughts turn to Wesley's lost friend, Joshua Albert.

Upon arrival at Earth, Admiral Brand briefs the Nova Squadron parents, and Captain Picard, about the upcoming inquiry into the accident. Joshua's father, a lieutenant commander in Starfleet, is consulted and requests that commencement ceremonies go forward despite plans to cancel them due to the tragedy. After all, there are still duties to perform and life must go on.

Picard and Dr. Crusher go to Wesley's quarters. Picard attempts to talk to Wesley about what happened during the accident but he refuses, saying that he has gone over it too many times over the past two days. Their reunion is interrupted by the leader of Nova Squadron, Cadet Nicholas Locarno, who says that he was there to check on Wesley. Locarno tells them that he feels horrible that he has lost a member of his team. Picard replies that unfortunately for a commanding officer, it never gets easier. Wesley then asks Picard and his mother to leave, saying that he has to talk to Locarno about some things. After Picard and Crusher leave, Locarno tells Wesley not to worry about the inquiry and everything will be fine, as long as the team sticks together.

Act Two

Captain Picard walks through the quad of Starfleet Academy and finds Boothby, the Academy groundskeeper. He catches up with him and reminisces about his days in the Academy. Meanwhile, Locarno gives a pep talk to his team before entering the room for the board of inquiry investigating the accident.

To open the deposition, Cadet Locarno gives a description of the maneuver they performed. He explains that, while approaching Saturn, the group turned toward Titan, and moved into a diamond slot formation. They turned again in preparation for a Yeager loop. Soon after, Albert's ship, in the starboard position, collided with Jean Hajar in the center and eventually all five ships were destroyed just after the crew was transported out. Admiral Brand asks the team navigator, Cadet Hajar, if they had changed their flight plan after filing it with Starfleet. When the navigator gives a cryptic response of "we were still within flight safety parameters," Admiral Brand becomes angry, stating that Hajar did not answer her question. She then says yes, they did change their flight plan en route. Captain Satelk, a Vulcan, then asks Cadet Sito Jaxa, who was flying in the rear of the formation and thus had the best vantage point of the crash, if she saw either the collision itself or any indication beforehand that Albert was having problems. She says that she didn't see him because she was flying on sensors alone, which was extremely unusual for the maneuvers listed in the team's testimony. After being continually probed by Admiral Brand and Captain Satelk, not believing the answers they received, Locarno helps out Hajar and Sito by blaming the accident on Cadet Albert. Locarno says that Albert crashed into Cadet Hajar when he panicked while performing the Yeager loop maneuver near Titan.



Cadets Locarno and Crusher

Admiral Brand says that she is disturbed over what has happened. She says that Nova Squadron has displayed a large degree of misjudgment and she is dismayed that the team did not release the information on Albert's insecurity on flying before the accident. Admiral Brand says that the first data from Wesley Crusher's flight recorder would be available that evening. Pending the results, the board of inquiry will be in recess and will reconvene at 1300 hours tomorrow. Cadet Albert's father is visibly dismayed over what the team has said about his son. Locarno tells Wesley Crusher that there's nothing to worry about and to trust him.

Act Three

Captain Picard asks Chief Engineer La Forge and Data to make their own independent investigation into the crash. La Forge is unsure what they will find outside of the Academy investigation, as they have the most sophisticated accident reconstruction simulation equipment available. Picard agrees but notes that Wesley is one of their own and they must help in the investigation.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the flight team meets together to get their stories straight on the next round of questioning in the board of inquiry. Wesley and the rest of the team are angry that they lied to the board of inquiry, but Locarno insists that it is now time for them to save their own skins. They are convincing themselves that Albert did have some kind of trouble. Locarno then starts to brief Wesley on his flight recorder data that was highly damaged during the accident and only covers the time before the crash. Wesley doesn't believe he can lie to the board, but Sito tells him not to volunteer any additional information. With Locarno's emphasis on Wesley's knowledge that a team must support each other when their lives are in each other's hands, he silently agrees.

Wesley goes to practice his deposition where he meets Cadet Albert's father. He brings Wesley his sweater from Joshua's quarters. Wesley identifies it as a memento from a ski trip to Calgary, as Joshua had forgotten his. They reminisce on Cadet Albert, talking about his problems in math and how he never gave up on anything. Cadet Albert had a lot of respect for Wesley. Joshua's father admits that he knows that it was his son's fault and apologizes for letting the team down.

The next day, Wesley begins his deposition, following along with the video account of the crash from his flight recorder. After his flight recorder shorts out, he gives a narrative of his version of the events. When Admiral Brand asks if he has anything to add, he says no. Captain Satelk suspiciously asks Wesley to describe a Yeager loop. The Captain asks Wesley if Nova Squadron had ever gone out of formation after completing the Yeager loop. Wesley says no. Admiral Brand asks if he is absolutely sure about that. He says he is. Captain Satelk then confronts Wesley with the image from a satellite orbiting Saturn that shows their squadron's ships in a very different formation while they were in the satellite's field of view, approximately seven seconds before the accident. When Admiral Brand asks what Wesley's explanation is for this, he has none.

Act Four

Doctor Crusher comforts Wesley in his quarters and assures him that the Enterprise is going to find out what has happened. She thinks it is strange that the satellite view makes it look like he is lying when she knows he is not. As a result, Doctor Crusher and the other parents got together and decide that they want to delay the inquiry. Wesley is shocked and tells his mother to stay out of the inquiry and not to protect him.

Picard has another talk with Boothby on the Academy grounds, asking him to tell him more about Nova Squadron. Boothby says that after Nova Squadron won the Rigel Cup the other students treated them like they were gods, and that was a difficult thing to live up to. Boothby also says that Nova Squadron would do anything for the team leader, Locarno, even if it meant "going right over a cliff." Captain Picard returns to the Enterprise and asks if La Forge and Data have come up with anything in their investigation. They say no, stating that there are too many variables to determine exactly what happened; however, one item of note was that Wesley's plasma interlock was open when it is supposed to be closed during flight. It is extremely dangerous, as the interlock may ignite the drive plasma. Given this information and the imagery shown from the satellite, Picard realizes what Nova Squadron was trying to do that caused the accident.

Act Five



The third step of the Kolvoord
Starburst; the ships involved
empty their plasma exhaust,
forming a pattern similar to the
arms of a five-pointed star.



The final step of the Kolvoord
Starburst, where the plasma is
ignited, forming a starburst
pattern.

Captain Picard invites Wesley Crusher to his ready room on the Enterprise. Picard asks him to watch an animation simulation on his display. Wesley identifies a Kolvoord Starburst, and admits that the maneuver hasn't been performed at the Academy for a hundred years because it had been banned after an incident where all five cadets who attempted the maneuver died after an accident. Captain Picard says that he thinks that Locarno wanted to end his Academy days in a blaze of glory and manipulated the team to perform the maneuver. He asks Wesley if he is correct. Wesley chooses not to answer. Picard says that he has already answered the question at the board of inquiry – a lie. Wesley says that he has told the truth; however, Picard tells him that he has told a partial truth, leaving out important details, which in his opinion is still a lie. Captain Picard reminds Wesley of how he knew every control on his chair when his mother brought him to the bridge on the day he first boarded the ship, and that he chose to make him an acting ensign due to his belief that Wesley had the potential to be a great Starfleet officer, a belief Picard had never questioned until this incident. He then tells Wesley that the first duty of every officer is to the truth, one of the principles upon which Starfleet was founded on and gives Wesley a simple choice – either he tell Admiral Brand the truth about what happened or he will before angrily dismissing him.

Back on Earth, Wesley calls Locarno to his quarters where Wesley tells Locarno everything that transpired on the Enterprise. Locarno says that Picard has no hard evidence of what has happened and that it will be okay – they simply have to dispute Picard's account. Wesley says he can't call Picard a liar and decides to tell Admiral Brand what really happened. Locarno becomes angry because Wesley has made the decision alone to turn them in. Locarno informs Wesley of the duty to his friends. As an alternate plan to coming forward, Locarno tells Wesley to resign his Academy commission to save the team. After all, Locarno would do it without hesitation if he were in Wesley's position.



Wesley is reprimanded by Picard

At the board of inquiry, Admiral Brand tells Nova Squadron that the disputing testimony of the satellite and their accounts are troubling; either the satellite has recorded inaccurate data or the cadets have lied to the inquiry. It is clear that Brand believes there is a cover-up going on between the four, but as there is no hard evidence either way she is left with no choice but to close the inquiry. Admiral Brand issues her judgment – she revokes Nova Squadron's flight privileges and issues a formal reprimand to the cadets' permanent records. She then closes the investigation with the ringing of a bell.

Wesley then stands up and says he has something to add. The admiral lets Wesley proceed and admit the truth. Wesley says that Albert died because they pressured him into executing the Kolvoord Starburst – a maneuver that Albert admitted he wasn't ready for. Admiral Brand asks if Locarno has anything to say. He remains silent.

The inquiry has concluded and Wesley is sitting on the grounds of the Academy. Captain Picard arrives and informs Wesley that Locarno has been expelled. Wesley thinks they all should have been expelled and Picard tells him they very nearly were, but were saved when Locarno took full responsibility for the incident to keep everyone else in Starfleet. "Just as he said he would," Wesley comments. Picard then informs Wesley of additional consequences Admiral Brand handed down. In addition to the reprimand, she has canceled Wesley's academic credits for the previous year and he will not graduate with his class. Captain Picard says that there will be difficult times ahead for Wesley and that it will not be easy for him to remain on campus with everyone knowing what he did. Wesley thanks Picard for his help. Picard says that Wesley knew the right thing to do; Picard just pushed him in the right direction (just like Boothby did for him). The two then bid a farewell to each other.

Memorable quotes

"What happened to your hair?"

- Boothby, to Captain Jean-Luc Picard

"Look, don't worry about it, Wes. Everything's gonna be all right. As long as we stick together."

- Nicholas Locarno, before the hearing

"You don't have to lie, just don't... volunteer any new information."

- Sito Jaxa, to Wesley Crusher before his deposition

"And you told the truth, up to a point. But a lie of omission is still a lie!"

- Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to Cadet Wesley Crusher

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform. I'm going to make this simple for you, Mr. Crusher; either you come forward and tell Admiral Brand what really took place, or I will."
"Captain-"
"Dismissed!"

- Picard and Cadet Wesley Crusher – Listen to this quote file info

"He got to you, didn't he? Picard told you some big story about duty and honor. Well, that must've been a pretty good speech to make you turn your back on your friends."
"We're Starfleet cadets. We have a duty to the truth."
"What about your duty to your friends? I got you on this team. I gave you a chance when there were upperclassmen waiting in line. I said: 'He won't let us down. He was on the Enterprise. He knows what it's like to trust somebody with his life.' Well, I guess I was wrong."

- Locarno and Wesley Crusher – Listen to this quote file info

"You made a mistake. There isn't a man among us who hasn't been young enough to make one."

- Boothby, to Picard

"Do you remember the first day you came aboard this ship? Your mother brought you on the Bridge. And you even sat in my chair! I was annoyed! A presumptuous child playing on my ship! But I never forgot how you already knew every control, every display. You behaved as though you belonged on the Bridge. And then, later, when I decided to make you an acting Ensign, I was convinced that you could be an outstanding officer. And I never questioned that conviction... until now."

- Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to Cadet Wesley Crusher

"Yesterday I testified that the crash occurred following a Yeager loop. That is not entirely true. We performed the loop, and, afterwards, broke formation and attempted a Kolvoord starburst. We knew it was prohibited and we knew it was dangerous, but we wanted to do something spectacular for the commencement demonstration. We pushed Josh into it and he wasn't ready. We thought we could do it. We thought we could do anything. We were wrong, and Josh died."

- Cadet Wesley Crusher

"You have difficult times ahead."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, captain."
"You knew what you had to do. I just made sure that you listened to yourself. Goodbye, cadet."
"Goodbye, captain."

- Picard, bidding Wesley Crusher farewell at Starfleet Academy when the investigation is concluded (last lines)