Friday July 20 |

Title: The First Duty
Season: 5
Episode: 19

The Enterprise returns to Earth, where Captain Picard is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Starfleet Academy's graduation ceremony. However, the crew comes to learn of an accident during flight training that has injuredWesley Crusher, and caused the death of another squad member, Joshua Albert. Picard, concerned, orders his crew to investigate the accident, and discovers evidence that Wesley's squad was attempting to perform a banned maneuver called the “Kolvoord Starburst.” Picard accosts Wesley and demands to know the truth, but Wesley refuses to answer him. Picard reminds him of his Starfleet duty.

Wesley is torn between telling the truth and the demands of his squad leader, Nick Locarno, who insists that he state the accident was Joshua's fault. Locarno attempts to coerce Wesley into keeping with the lie, making Wesley question his friendship at odds with his role and duty as a Star Fleet Officer.

At the tribunal, Wesley is driven by Picard's trust in him, and the emotions of Joshua's father. The Admiral decides, in the absence of conclusive proof of any further wrongdoing (aside from rendering an incorrect flight plan, and allowing a squad member to fly unprepared) to take away the squad's flight privileges and issue formal reprimands, just as Wes subsequently reveals the truth at the last moment.

Locarno, realizing he cannot hide it any longer, admits that he instigated the lie and made the rest of the squad cover up his actions. Locarno is expelled from the Academy while Wesley and the rest of the squad lose the past year's academic credits. Wesley is crushed but Picard encourages him that the immediate future will be difficult, but he will eventually regain the trust of his classmates.