Star Trek The Next Generation
S3E8
· The Price

Conscience Offered, Duty Chosen

In Troi's quarters Devinoni Ral makes one last intimate, self-revealing appeal—part confession, part seduction—asking Troi to abandon her post and act as his conscience. He admits moral compromise and stages a tender moment that tests Troi's boundaries. She resists the emotional lure, names her obligation, and refuses. His retreat marks both an ending to their personal entanglement and a narrative turning point: Troi chooses ethical duty over personal escape, cementing the moral consequences of Devinoni's manipulations and setting the political fallout in motion.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Devinoni makes a final plea for Troi to run away with him, offering her a role as his conscience.

vulnerability to desperation

Troi firmly rejects Devinoni's offer, reaffirming her commitment to her duty.

desperation to resolution

Devinoni exits, leaving Troi to reflect on her choice without regret.

resolution to closure

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Devinoni Ral
Chrysalian Negotiator
 primary

Remorseful and pleading on the surface, but still calibrated and tactical—his vulnerability is sincere yet still serves persuasive ends.

Admits being recalled, offers partial confession about tactics used in negotiations, pivots to an intimate plea for Troi to accompany and reform him, kisses her, then accepts rejection and quietly retreats and exits.

Goals in this moment
  • • Win Troi's personal commitment to help him change and act as his moral anchor
  • • Mitigate the consequences of his recall by securing a private refuge or ally
Active beliefs
  • • A close personal bond with Troi could transform his behavior and absolve him in ways bureaucracy cannot
  • • His emotional honesty can override political fallout if he secures Troi's loyalty
Character traits
charming self-aware manipulative vulnerable
Follow Devinoni Ral's journey
Deanna Troi
Counselor
 primary

Conflicted yearning undercut by firm ethical resolve; intimate vulnerability surfaces but is deliberately contained by duty.

Answers the door, listens to Ral's explanation, resists his rationalizations and seduction, responds with a succinct, professional refusal that reasserts her role and duty before and after the kiss.

Goals in this moment
  • • Preserve her professional integrity and refuse complicity with Ral's schemes
  • • Protect the negotiation process and Starfleet principles by not abandoning her post
Active beliefs
  • • Her primary obligation is to her role as counselor and to Starfleet ethics
  • • Succumbing to personal escape would enable manipulation and cause political harm
Character traits
resolute professional emotionally guarded moral clarity
Follow Deanna Troi's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Troi's Quarters

Troi's private quarters provide the intimate, domestic setting for this final confrontation. The room's warmth, personal mementos, and quiet create a refuge where professional boundaries are tested and a moral decision is made.

Atmosphere Quiet and intimate with a charged undercurrent; private and contemplative yet edged with tension.
Function Sanctuary for private reflection and the stage for a climactic personal appeal that determines ethical …
Symbolism Represents the divide between private desire and public duty — a refuge that ultimately reasserts …
Access Privileged private officer's quarters — typically limited to invited guests and senior officers; not public …
Warm lamplight and candlewax scent (intimate, comforting) Small seating alcove with personal objects and the clinical shipboard interface juxtaposed against tactile comforts

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 3
Character Continuity

"Troi's emotional turmoil over Devinoni culminates in her rejection of his offer to run away."

Troi Chooses to Fall
S3E8 · The Price
Character Continuity medium

"Riker's critique of Devinoni's values resonates later when Devinoni expresses remorse."

Riker Unmasks Devinoni; Devinoni Pivots to Goss
S3E8 · The Price
Character Continuity medium

"Riker's critique of Devinoni's values resonates later when Devinoni expresses remorse."

Ral Pivots — Lures Goss with Chrysalian Promise
S3E8 · The Price

Part of Larger Arcs

Deanna Troi's internal moral crisis: torn between immediate personal attraction to Devinoni Ral (and the private intimacy he offers) and her professional/ethical duty to protect the negotiation's integrity and the crew.

Key Dialogue

"DEVINONI: "I had to do it, Troi...""
"DEVINONI: "Deanna... I once asked you to run away with me. I'm asking you again. I need you. You could help me change. You could be my conscience.""
"TROI: "I already have a job as a counselor.""