TNG Season 7 Episode 15: Lower Decks

This one provides a rare glimpse into the lives of junior officers aboard the Federation Starfleet flagship, two of whom are up for promotion. Meanwhile something is going on, involving a rescued unknown from the border with the Cardassian Empire, and the Bajoran ensign who was part of the Nova Squadron cover-up at the academy with Wesley Crusher (see season 5’s The First Duty).
This is possibly the most popular episode of season 7 and deserves to be. It gives a different perspective on the daily lives of those aboard the Enterprise. At one point Sito Jaxa (the Bajoran ensign) was due to reappear in Deep Space Nine, and this rumor developed at one point to include Thomas Riker, but alas, it never happened.

Plot

Four young Enterprise ensigns find their friendship strained during personnel evaluations. Two of the friends, Sam Lavelle and the Bajoran Sito Jaxa, discover that they are being considered for the same job. Joined by their friend Ben, a civilian who works as a waiter, they learn that promotions seem to be already decided on for their other two friends, Nurse Ogawa and Vulcan engineer Taurik.
Worf soon detects an escape pod inside Cardassian space, which is off limits to the Enterprise, and Geordi and Taurik work to transport the passenger on board amidst a cloak of secrecy. Taurik burns the hull of a shuttlecraft with phaser fire on Geordi's instructions, and deduces that the goal is to make the craft appear as if it sustained damage while fleeing an attack.
Impressed by Ogawa's performance, Beverly Crusher decides to recommend her for promotion. She orders Ogawa not to reveal what she is about to see in Sickbay, and Dr. Crusher takes her to where an injured Cardassian has been brought on board.
Captain Picard chastises Sito for her role in a Starfleet Academy scandal. She leaves the meeting exasperated, as Picard has left her without the opportunity to defend herself. A pair of poker games take place, one involving the senior officers and another the junior officers, with Ben shuttling from one to the other. During the senior game, Commander Riker and Worf differ on whether Lavelle or Sito should be promoted, with Riker noting that Lavelle seems overly eager to please. Considerations of promotions are interrupted by a baffling secret mission that all but Lavelle are involved in. Left out of the loop, Lavelle becomes convinced that this is a sign that he will not be promoted.
After teaching a martial arts class, Worf tells Sito to stay and take a test for admission to his advanced course. He blindfolds her and engages her in a one-on-one fight. Sito is powerless to stop Worf's attacks, adding insult to her already bruised self-esteem, but finally stands up to him, saying that the test is unfair. Worf admits that getting her to stand up for herself when she is being judged unfairly is what he intended all along. She uses her newfound confidence to confront Picard about his earlier interrogation. To Sito's surprise, Picard admits that its purpose was to assess both her personal growth and her potential readiness for a dangerous secret mission. He also states that he had specifically asked for her assignment to the ship so she would be given a fair chance. Sito is to pose as a captive of Joret Dal, the injured Cardassian brought to Sickbay. Joret is actually a Federation operative who has just delivered vital information to Starfleet and must now return to Cardassia. The plan is for Joret and Sito to enter Cardassian space in the "stolen" shuttlecraft damaged by Taurik, and for Joret to send Sito back over the border in an escape pod. Acknowledging the risks, Sito accepts the mission and leaves to prepare.
When Sito's escape pod fails to arrive at the prearranged rendezvous point after 32 hours, Picard orders a probe to be launched into Cardassian space, despite being warned that doing so could be considered a treaty violation. The probe detects scattered debris that appears to be the remnants of a Starfleet shuttle escape pod. The Enterprise later intercepts Cardassian communications which report that a Bajoran prisoner overpowered her Cardassian captor and attempted to leave Cardassian space in an escape pod, which was then destroyed, leaving no survivors.
Captain Picard announces Sito's death over the ship's general address. Lavelle receives the promotion, but he and his friends, as well as the senior crew, are downhearted. Even the emotionally distant Worf has been affected by the loss they all feel. They comfort each other, and Worf joins them as the episode concludes.