Picard falls in love with Lt. Cmdr. Nella Daren, the new chief of the ship's Stellar Sciences department, and learns the consequences of such a relationship when he must send her on a dangerous mission on Bersallis III.

Wendy Hughes (Lt. Cmdr. Nella Daren)
R. Cox (Lieutenant Marques)

• Lt. Cmdr. Daren came aboard the Enterprise at Starbase 218.
  
• Data, Daren, and Ensign Chaney play a concert in Ten Forward.
  
• Picard shares his experience from "Inner Light" with Nella to let her know what his music means to him and the two play duets, with Nella accompanying Picard on a portable piano.
  
• The crew reacts differently to Picard and Daren's romance: Deanna is happy for Picard and gives her blessing; Beverly seems jealous; and Riker feels Daren is asking for special treatment because she's the Captain's girlfriend.
  
• 8 crew members in the perimeter team died.
  
• After realizing that they can't work on the same ship, Daren applies for a transfer (and is never seen/heard from again).
  
• The fourth intersect of Jefferies Tube 25 is the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship.