"Pen Pals" is the 15th episode of the second season of the syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 41st episode overall, first broadcast on May 1, 1989.

The series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship Enterprise commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard. In this episode, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher learns to manage a science team, and in the primary plot, focusing on Starfleet's Prime Directive, Data helps a young girl on a troubled planet.

As the Enterprise surveys an area of unexplored planets with unusually short life spans due to severe geological changes, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher is put in charge of a survey team, in order to further his studies toward becoming a Starfleet officer. Wesley selects a team of competent science officers, but as they are much older than he is, worries his authority is challenged; one team member, Davies, challenges Wesley's request to run a time-consuming scan, causing Wesley to doubt himself.

Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Data receives a primitive radio signal from a young girl on one of the planets. Data makes contact with the girl, named Sarjenka, and continues to converse regularly her over the course of the month, keeping the details of his identity secret, as Sarjenka's culture is unaware of life existing outside their planet. When Sarjenka reports that earthquakes are occurring with increasing frequency, Data realizes her planet is beginning to break down, and reports to Captain Picard in the hope that the Enterprise can find a way to reverse the process. Picard sympathizes with Data's case, but sternly orders him to cease communication with Sarjenka to avoid any further violations of the Prime Directive.

Wesley seeks Commander Riker for advice on handling his team. Riker stresses that Starfleet training is about both responsibility and authority, and commends Wesley for his record of responsibility, but urges him to exercise authority with the science team. Wesley returns to the team and requests in a more authoritative manner that Davies perform the planetary scan, and Davies complies without argument.

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