Ep 10. The Dauphin

The Dauphin is the 34th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season.

As the episode begins, the USS Enterprise is tasked with transporting a young alien princess named Salia from her home planet to take up her rightful place as ruler. Salia is escorted by her stern, protective guardian Anya and her meddlesome advisor, Chancellor Alrik. The crew is tasked with keeping Salia safe and ensuring her coronation goes smoothly.

However, when Salia arrives on board the Enterprise, she immediately captures the attention of Wesley Crusher, who becomes smitten with her. This infatuation is not well received by Salia's guardians, who insist that Wesley keep his distance from her. The crew becomes increasingly concerned about Salia's safety when they learn of a group of rebels who intend to disrupt her coronation.

As the Enterprise approaches Salia's home planet, strange occurrences begin to happen on board. The ship begins to experience malfunctions, and the crew suspects that someone is deliberately sabotaging it. It soon becomes clear that Anya, Salia's guardian, is not who she appears to be – she is in fact an alien shapeshifter who has been tasked with protecting Salia since birth. Anya explains that the rebels are actually trying to free Salia from her predetermined fate as ruler and allow her to choose her own path in life.

Meanwhile, Wesley continues to pursue Salia despite her guardians' objections. As the two spend time together, Wesley learns that Salia harbors a secret – she has the ability to transform into a glowing, sentient ball of energy. Her transformation is triggered by intense emotions or stress, and Wesley promises to keep her secret safe.

As the ship lands on Salia's home planet, tensions run high. The rebels launch an attack on the Enterprise, determined to free Salia from her fate. Anya, now in her true form as a shapeshifter, confronts the rebels and is killed in the crossfire. Salia is devastated by Anya's death and the realization that she must go through with her coronation as planned. Nevertheless, she decides to take up her duties as ruler, invoking her transformation to do so.

In the end, Wesley is forced to come to terms with the fact that he and Salia cannot be together, as her duty as a ruler takes precedence over her feelings. The crew of the Enterprise bid a tearful farewell to Salia as she embarks on her new role, aware that they have played a small but important part in shaping her destiny.

The Dauphin is a poignant episode that explores themes of duty, destiny, and young love. The show's writers do a fantastic job of developing the central characters and weaving together the various plot threads to create a satisfying narrative. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will appreciate the episode's complex storyline and emotional depth.