“Lower Decks” is episode fifteen of season seven of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Troi and Riker are in Ten Forward doing crew evaluations; Riker is tired and suggests giving everyone a promotion and calling it a night. Four crew members are at another table, and one, Lavelle, is worrying about his evaluation and starts trying to psych it to happen. A Vulcan, Taurik, thinks this is foolish. Nurse Ogawa says it’s traditional and a Bajoran, Sito, seen in “The First Duty” as part of Red Squad, says the Bajoran Vedecs do something similar for their people. Taurik thinks, given the history of Bajor, this doesn’t exactly validate the method. Lavelle wants his own room. He’s sharing with Taurik. Who suggests Lavelle put in for another room assignment. Just in case he isn’t promoted. Riker and Troi are now talking about both Lavelle and Sito for ops. Their waiter, Ben, heads over to the other table and tells them they are apparently up for the same job.
Riker is running a simulation on the bridge with Sito at tactical and Lavelle at helm. Afterwards, he gives Sito some advice and Geordi tells Taurik to write the evaluation in engineering. Riker tells Lavelle to resume previous course and speed, but Captain Picard enters the bridge. They have new orders from Starfleet and these will be discussed in the observation lounge. Riker tells Sito to take over at ops as he, Worf and Data follow the captain. Sito tells Lavelle she’d like to be a spider under that table. She also thinks Riker has it in for her. Lavelle doesn’t, because why would she be in that chair rather than him? Sito suggests maybe she needs more practice.
In engineering, Taurik wants to show Geordi something. He’s been experimenting with new techniques for the warp field, based on a preliminary report he got a look at in the Academy. Geordi needs to see a sim before running tests on the warp drive, but if Taurik has any other ideas to run them past him. Taurik does.
Nurse Ogawa wants a word with Dr Crusher in sickbay. The doctor says if Ogawa is worrying about her evaluation, it couldn’t be better. Actually, Ogawa was going to tell her that a patient’s condition was improving. The doctor says she’s recommending Ogawa for promotion, then talk about the nurse’s relationship with her boyfriend.
In Ten Forward, Sito is telling Worf she can’t figure out why she was considered for ops; she’s a security officer. Worf recommended her, that’s why. Lavelle is with Taurik wondering what Sito and Worf are talking about, as Ben stands with them. Taurik suggests Lavelle learn to lipread. Riker enters and Ben calls him by his first name. Ben isn’t Starfleet and when Riker is in Ten Forward, he wants to be treated like a civilian. Lavelle is convinced Riker doesn’t like him. Taurik suggests Lavelle go and talk to Riker about something they have in common. Awkwardness ensues from that conversation.
The captain enters the bridge; they are holding position 5,000 km from the Cardassian border. Worf detects what looks to be an escape pod 50K km inside Cardassian space. They need to transport it out, but the transporter beam needs boosting. Taurik is going to scan for lifeforms, but Geordi tells him not to. Dr Crusher is in sickbay, as the escape pod’s occupant will be transported directly there, and she tells Ogawa she has to leave now. Ogawa sees Sito outside, whose orders are to prevent anyone but senior officers entering, and Captain Picard is arriving.
When the captain leaves sickbay, he tells Sito to come with him. In the turbolift he checks she is a certified pilot. However, in his ready room, the captain questions whether Sito is actually ready to serve at ops, given what she did at the Academy, which led to the death of a fellow cadet, and then her attempt to help cover it up. Sito says she could have quit, because she had no friends, but she kept up with it. She thinks that says something about her character. The captain thinks she should have been expelled and he doesn’t know how she made it onto the Enterprise. Which makes his question about her being a pilot odd.
Taurik is damaging a shuttlecraft with Geordi, using a phasor to do what Geordi says is evaluate hull resiliency. Taurik, however, works out that the shots are being fired in such a way as to simulate the pattern for a shuttle under fire making evasive manoeuvres. An amazing coincidence, according to Geordi. In sickbay, Dr Crusher summons Nurse Ogawa back to help her with a patient. The nurse can’t tell anyone else. That they’re working on a Cardassian.
Most of the episode is told from the point of view of the four lower-ranked officers. Sito and Ogawa seem to be protégés of their superiors and are on good relationships with them. Lavelle is trying too hard. Meanwhile, a secret operation is ongoing with the Cardassian they rescued.