William Ross William J . Ross was a Human male who served as a Starfleet officer in the mid - to late - 24th century . As an admiral , Ross took command of military operations during the Dominion War and led the Allied forces during the Battle of Cardassia , later presiding over the signing of the Treaty of Bajor , which ended the war . Starfleet career . 2374 . In 2374 , Ross was the head of Starfleet forces during the Dominion War and coordinated his battle plans from Starbase 375 . When Captain Benjamin Sisko and his crew arrived at the starbase , Ross appointed him the lead in a mission to destroy a Dominion ketracel - white facility using a Jem ' Hadar attack ship they had captured a year prior . ( ) Later that year , following the success of the mission , Admiral Ross asked Sisko and his crew to report to the conference room for a full debriefing . ( ) Captain served as Ross ' adjutant during the early days of the war . Following her promotion to command the Seventh Tactical Wing , Ross assigned Captain Sisko as his new adjutant , and gave command of the to Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax . On Sisko ' s advice , Ross later approved a plan in which the " Defiant " , under Dax ' s command , would attack the Dominion ' s new sensor array in the Argolis Cluster . The mission ultimately proved successful . Ross later ordered Sisko to review some tactical reports and present an opinion on the Bolian operation at 0600 the next morning . ( ) Shortly thereafter , Ross was present during the briefing for Operation Return , Sisko ' s plan to retake Deep Space 9 from the Dominion . Ross supported the plan and allayed the concerns of Admiral Coburn that Earth would be left unprotected . Once everything was in place , Ross gave the go - ahead to Captain Sisko , wishing him good luck in the assault . ( ) Towards the end of the year , Ross presented Sisko with the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor for his actions in retaking Deep Space 9 and forcing the Dominion into temporary retreat . Following the award ceremony , Ross had scheduled a briefing to discuss a new plan to strike the Dominion behind the lines . General Martok and Sisko observed the plan would need the help of Romulan forces , who until then , had also been on the defensive , protecting their territory . Martok , optimistic of their chances , believed that in just a year ' s time , all three of them would be drinking blood wine in the halls of the Cardassian Central Command , following their victory over the Dominion . During a meeting with Romulan Senator Letant , Ross attempted to convince him to join the fight , explaining the Dominion would continue to send ships at them one after another . Letant was ultimately swayed and committed his forces to the assault . Ross later ordered Sisko to take the lead in the operation , which was to become known as the First Battle of Chin ' toka . ( ) 2375 . In early 2375 , Ross again visited Deep Space 9 to inform Colonel Kira Nerys , who was temporarily in command , that Romulan Senator Kimara Cretak and her delegation would be establishing a presence on the station for the duration of the war . ( ) After it was discovered that the Romulans had established plasma torpedo launchers on the Bajoran moon Derna , Ross at first refused to get involved , as he felt it could destroy the alliance they had established . However , when Colonel Kira set up a blockade of the moon in protest , he realized her resolve and told Senator Cretak that if she didn ' t remove the weapons , he would . ( ) Later that year , Admiral Ross aided the covert Federation organization Section 31 by helping their agents infiltrate the first Federation - Romulan conference on Romulus , in order to place a mole named Koval at the highest levels of the Romulan government . Doctor Julian Bashir , who had also attended the conference , was deceived by Ross , in a formidable plot to deliver Senator Cretak into the hands of the Tal Shiar in exchange for Koval ' s continued loyalty to the Federation - Romulan alliance . Cretak had been in consideration for a seat on the Romulan Continuing Committee , just like Koval ; but when she was arrested by the Tal Shiar based on a scheme perpetrated by Section 31 and Ross , the seat fell to Koval , insuring his loyalty to the Federation . When he found out , Bashir was furious and confronted Ross . Going off - record , Ross defended his actions of setting up an innocent woman by stating that he had no choice . He saw Cretak as a patriot who would not have had any remorse delivering the Federation into the hands of the Dominion and striking a separate deal with them if it served the Romulan Empire . He admitted he disliked doing what he did . However , he also disliked ordering young women and men to die and felt this was the best way to maintain the alliance . In justifying his actions , Ross quoted Cicero ' s famous line " Inter arma enim silent leges " , translated by Bashir as " In time of war , the law falls silent . " ( ) In late 2375 , Admiral Ross met with Benjamin Sisko and ordered him to take the USS " Defiant " to the Chin ' toka system , where Breen forces had broken through the lines in two places . During the engagement , which became known as the Second Battle of Chin ' toka , the " Defiant " was destroyed and the system was lost to Dominion forces . ( ) Admiral Ross later returned to Deep Space 9 to discuss the Breen energy dampening weapon and Legate Damar ' s newly formed resistance movement . ( ) Following this , Ross met with Sisko , Martok , and Romulan General Velal to discuss the Dominion ' s retreat into Cardassian space . During discussions , Ross agreed with both Sisko and Martok in that to leave Dominion forces to rebuild would be a mistake , and that a major offensive on Cardassia Prime should be launched . ( ) Later known as the Battle of Cardassia , Ross personally participated in the assault , taking command of the Starfleet element aboard a Federation starship . During the battle , he maintained a constant communications link with Sisko and Martok , later ordering Sisko to help the Romulans , who had been hit badly , while he and Martok hit the center of Dominion lines . When the Cardassian forces switched sides against the Dominion , Ross initially suggested they keep the Dominion bottled up at Cardassia Prime . After objections from both Martok and Sisko , he later changed his mind and ordered all forces to press on in a three - pronged attack , eventually defeating Dominion forces and taking Cardassia Prime . On returning to Deep Space 9 , Ross participated in the signing of a peace treaty to end the Dominion War , giving a speech that echoed that of Douglas MacArthur during Earth ' s World War II . ( ) Personal relationships . Benjamin Sisko . Ross ' relationship with Sisko was initially one of a professional nature . Their early meetings on Starbase 375 consisted of tactical reports and mission planning with no room for personal conversation . When Ross appointed Sisko his adjutant , he did , however , note that he was very impressed with Sisko ' s performance on the " Defiant " and felt they would make a good team . Sisko expressed some desire to remain with his ship , especially on the eve of the Argolis mission , and did not return Ross ' expression of congratulations on his new position . During the mission itself , Sisko could not sleep , but instead waited up for news of the " Defiant " s progress . Admiral Ross attempted to remind him he was now responsible for an entire tactical wing with thousands of lives at stake and that he had to get used to the " Defiant " being away on missions . When the crew returned after completing their mission , Sisko relaxed slightly , and both he and Ross shared a drink in the ship ' s mess hall . ( ) As time went on , Ross and Sisko began to discuss matters of a personal nature . Prior to the launch of Operation Return , Ross paid a visit to Sisko to wish him good luck on the mission . As Sisko was reading a book on Bajoran texts , the conversation quickly changed to Bajor , with the captain recommending he visit the planet sometime . Ross joked that he " was already planning [ his ] next R & R there . " ( ) Upon awarding Sisko the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor , Ross noted his remarkable leadership and meritorious service in the fight against the Dominion and his bravery in taking back Deep Space 9 . Due to Ross ' respect for Sisko as a Starfleet officer , he personally chose him to plan the invasion of Cardassia in late 2374 . ( ) Despite his respect for Sisko , the captain ' s role as Emissary of the Prophets did cause friction between the two . This came to a head when Ross ordered him , " " Stop meddling in Bajoran affairs and return the damned tablet , " " referring to Sisko ' s acquisition of the Reckoning Tablet from Bajor and after an official protest from Kai Winn Adami . ( ) The two also clashed after Sisko received a vision from the Prophet s which told him not to go on the mission to Chin ' toka . Sisko asked Ross to let him stay on Deep Space 9 but , unsatisfied by Sisko ' s reasoning , Ross warned him , " " You ' ve got to make a decision . You are either the Emissary or a Starfleet captain . You can ' t be both . " " Sisko ultimately decided to go on the mission as planned . ( ) After Sisko took leave to return to Earth in 2375 , Admiral Ross had his doubts about whether he would return . However , when Sisko did indeed return to the station , his relationship with Admiral Ross began to improve , so much so that he invited Ross to preside over his wedding to Kasidy Yates . ( ) This relationship improved as the year went on . Following the destruction of the " Defiant " at the Second Battle of Chin ' toka , Ross promised Sisko he would find him a new ship , though it may take some time . He later kept this promise when he presented the captain with the on stardate 52861 . 3 , just in time for the assault on Cardassia Prime . Ross even arranged for the ship to be renamed the USS " Defiant " , in honor of Sisko ' s former ship . ( ) Martok . As commanders of their respective fleets , Ross and Martok spent most of their time together discussing the war effort . ( ) In late 2375 , Ross was invited to participate in Martok ' s induction into the Order of Kahless , though appeared noticeably uncomfortable during the ceremony , especially when he learned he was to cut the palm of his hand using a Klingon " d ' k tahg " . Even though this was a learning experience for Ross , he still took to it in honor of Martok ' s service and partook in some blood wine to celebrate . ( ) Following the Battle of Cardassia , Martok opened a bottle of blood wine with both Ross and Sisko , having promised to do so upon their victory over the Dominion . However , Ross and Sisko declined to drink over the bodies of their enemies , much to Martok ' s displeasure . ( ) Kira Nerys . As a Starfleet admiral and Sisko ' s superior , Ross did not come into contact with Kira Nerys until early 2375 , following Sisko ' s decision to take leave on Earth . With Kira in command of Deep Space 9 , Ross informed her Romulan senator Cretak and her delegation would be establishing a presence on the station for the duration of the war . Though Kira voiced her objections to the admiral , Ross firmly rejected them , telling her the decision had already been made and that she didn ' t have a say in it . Though the two of them clashed on the issue , Ross did compliment Kira on her command of the station in Sisko ' s absence , hinting that he didn ' t believe the captain would return . ( ) Their relationship became further strained following the placement of Romulan plasma weapons on the Bajoran moon of Derna . Though Ross sympathized with Kira ' s stance that the Romulans had no right putting weapons on a Bajoran moon , he declined to assist her in removing them , for fear it would jeopardize the alliance . Kira took this to mean the Bajorans weren ' t as important to the war effort as the Romulans , and decided to take matters into her own hands by blockading the moon , thereby preventing any Romulan ships from reaching it . With the blockade in place , Ross attempted to convince Kira to stop what she was doing , to no avail . Realizing the colonel ' s resolve led Ross to his decision to instruct Cretak to remove the weapons " or he would . " Following the incident , Ross jokingly instructed Kira to remind him never to play poker with her . ( ) Ross was later present and approved of the plan to give Colonel Kira a Starfleet commission in order to assist Damar ' s resistance movement . ( ) Memorable quotes . " " The Prophets don ' t see me as a Starfleet captain . They see me as their Emissary . " " < br > " " That ' s the problem , isn ' t it ? For the past six years you ' ve tried to be both , and up to now I ' ve been patient . I ' ve indulged you , I ' ve gone out on a limb for you many times , but this is it . You ' ve got to make a decision . You are either the Emissary or a Starfleet captain . You can ' t be both . " " < br > " " Let ' s get one thing straight , colonel . I came here as a courtesy to you . This decision has already been made . " " < br > " " Remind me never to play poker with you . " " < br > " " I don ' t like it . But I ' ve spent the last year and a half of my life ordering young men and young women to die . I like that even less . " " < br > " " That ' s a glib answer and a cheap way to avoid the fact that you ' ve trampled on the very thing that those men and women are out there dying to protect ! Does that not mean anything to you ? " " < br > " " Inter arma enim silent leges . " " < br > " " Four hundred years ago , a victorious general spoke the following words at the end of another costly war . ' Today the guns are silent . A great tragedy has ended . We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph . From both we have learned there can be no going back . We must move forward to preserve in peace what we ' ve won in war . " " Appendices . Background information . William Ross was played by actor Barry Jenner . The script for " A Time to Stand " described Ross thus ; " " Despite being a man no older than Sisko , [ he ] shows signs of the burden of office . " " As Sisko was born in 2332 , this would put Ross around age forty - two at the time of the episode . Barry Jenner felt he won the part of Admiral Ross by doing basically what he thought any actor should do ; rather than portraying the role as one - dimensional and instead of simply delivering the lines written for him in a technically proficient manner , Jenner thoroughly prepared for his audition and invested more work into imagining the role than he needed to , giving Admiral Ross a backstory . " " He was obviously a line officer who ' d seen a lot of combat , seen a lot of people killed , and he ' s got a lot of memories , " " Jenner pointed out . " " And that really tied into the way I did the audition scene , where he was talking to Sisko about sending young men and women off to battle , knowing that some of them wouldn ' t come back . " " ( " " , p . 477 ) Although Barry Jenner originally meant to play Admiral Ross only in " A Time to Stand " , the probability of the character ' s return was first hinted to Jenner by Sisko actor Avery Brooks , when the two performers met each other for the first time . " " He said , ' So you ' re going to be Admiral Ross , " " Jenner recollected . " " And I said , ' No , I ' m only here for today . ' And he said , ' No , you ' re going to be around a lot . You ' ll be back , you ' ll be back . " " ( " " , p . 496 ) The producers were so impressed by Barry Jenner ' s portrayal of Ross that they quickly wanted to get the admiral into the show as a recurring character . ( " " , p . 476 ) Ira Behr recalled , " " After ' A Time to Stand ' , we said , ' Hey , this guy ' s okay . We should give him another shot . ' And then after we did one or two more with him , it suddenly dawned on us that Barry was a solid actor . " " ( " " , pp . 496 - 497 ) Hence , Behr jokingly told Jenner , " " We ' ve had other admirals on this show . We ' re glad we ' ve found you . Sorry it took five years ! " " ( " " , p . 477 ) When interviewed , Behr enthused , " " Barry Jenner has made Admiral Ross such a well - rounded character . " " ( " " , p . 602 ) As Admiral Ross , Jenner indeed " bucked the trend " – at least in the viewpoints of the DS9 writer - producers – of " Star Trek " admirals seeming untrustworthy , antagonistic , gruff , bland , or unconvincing . Hans Beimler reminisced , " " When we found Barry , we knew we had found someone that we could develop and use on the show . He gave us the right attitude – that " admiral " attitude – that was really intelligent . He seemed like someone who could be Sisko ' s boss , although not his superior , obviously , because the show is about Sisko . " " René Echevarria said in agreement , " " [ Jenner ] seemed like a good foil . Light and droll and all the things we wanted an admiral to be . " " Behr concurred , " " He brings a " gravitas " to the role , and yet you can see there ' s a man behind the uniform . I think that Barry Jenner is one of the unsung heroes of the show , one of the pieces of the puzzle that might not be readily apparent to the audience . But he ' s part of the glue that makes our job easier . " " ( " " , pp . 496 & 497 ) The producers ' interest in and approval of Admiral Ross greatly flattered Barry Jenner . He was particularly appreciative of the fact that his portrayal of Ross influenced how the DS9 writers wrote the character , Jenner saying that their usage of aspects he had introduced into the role made him " feel good as an actor . " ( " " , pp . 477 & 602 ) Admiral Ross was given the first name " Cliff " in one of several wall - mounted diplomas created , during DS9 Season 6 , as set dressing for his office on Starbase 375 , although these documents weren ' t intended to be shown in detail on camera . ( " " , p . 598 ) In " Image in the Sand " , Odo refers to Ross as " Bill " . This was originally put in as a joke by writers Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler , who weren ' t thinking of the diplomas when they gave Ross a new given name . As Behr explained , however , it quickly became popular ; " " At the time Hans and I wrote the line , we weren ' t even sure if that " was " the admiral ' s name , because Odo was making a joke . But it caught on , and after that , every goddam writer had to put the name in his script . You know : ' Oh , there ' s Bill Ross . ' ' Let ' s get Bill Ross to perform the ceremony . ' So he ' s no longer ' Admiral Ross , ' he ' s Bill . " " ( " " , pp . 597 - 598 ) Barry Jenner had evidence that disputed Admiral Ross ' first name as being " Bill " ; in an effort to help develop his role , Jenner had closely scrutinized the details of the admiral ' s office at Starbase 375 and had seen the wall - mounted diploma that referred to the character as " Admiral " Cliff " Ross " . ( " " , p . 598 ) Perhaps Ross ' most notable episode is " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges " , in which his character goes through an important change . Looking back on the episode , Jenner recalled , " " He ' d do anything to save the Federation . And here he put so much value on the success of the war efforts that he ' s willing to do things that might not be thought of as honest and aboveboard . He was willing to bend some rules behind the scenes and go through some soul - searching to defend the integrity of the Federation . " " Behr observed that Ross was , in many ways , like Sisko ; " " Ross is a compromised guy , just like Sisko , " " he commented . " " But it ' s not like he ' s a double agent . If he were , we ' d have never allowed him to marry Sisko and Kasidy . " " ( " " , p . 661 ) Speaking of the wedding itself in " ' Til Death Do Us part " , writer Bradley Thompson revealed Ross ' words were based on the marriage ceremony of Miles and Keiko O ' Brien in ; " " Ron " [ D . Moore ] " had written the speech that Captain Picard delivers when he married O ' Brien and Keiko " [ . . . ] " and he based that on a speech Kirk gives at the wedding in . David " [ Weddle ] " and I looked at both of those episodes , and then modified it a little . We took the tradition and improvised on it , because the words don ' t actually come out of a book . You can say whatever you want . So they ' re similar but not identical to what Kirk and Picard say . " " ( " " , pp . 687 - 688 ) Over the course of the series , actor Barry Jenner put together his own personal backstory for the character . " " He has two children " " , Jenner explained , " " a boy and a girl , both serving in Starfleet . The young man was lost in battle , but his daughter is still alive , and I think that one of he reasons Ross likes Benjamin Sisko is because he would trust for his daughter to serve under the captain . " " ( " " , p . 598 ) In , a news article mentioned Jenner had been asked to reprise the role of Ross in . This reappearance of the character never transpired , though . Apocrypha . William Ross has become a popular character in numerous non - canon works . The novel " Articles of the Federation " reveals he and his parents took a publicly - offered tour of the Palais de la Concorde when he was just seven years of age , during the 2320s . During the tour , he enters the Presidential Office and meets several prominent Federation Councilors . In the " " eBook " Home Fires " , Ross is a Lieutenant Commander working with Starfleet Intelligence in the 2350s . In 2355 he recruits the services of civilian captains Giancarlo and Aldo Corsi of the freighter " Ulrika ' s Hope " to conduct some discreet scans of the Topin system in hopes of gaining intelligence on the workings within the Cardassian Union . Despite Ross ' s assurances , the scans are detected and the " Ulrika ' s Hope " is intercepted by a Cardassian vessel commanded by Gul Mogad , who kills Giancarlo Corsi . Ross and his team manage to save most of the " Hope " s crew , but the grieving Aldo gives Mogad the intelligence gathered in exchange for a cessation of hostilities . Following this , in " The Future Begins " , Ross appears as Second Officer on the USS " Leonov " , during the conflict with the Tzenkethi . During one battle against two Tzenkethi vessels , the " Leonov " s warp core is breached , and the crew barely have time to make it to escape pods . The Tzenkethi kill half of the surviving crew by shooting down the pods . Those who survive , including Ross , find refuge on an L - class planet . A few months later , Ross learns that the ship ' s coordinates had been given to the Tzenkethi by a member of a rogue intelligence network from within the Federation . Ross tracks down the agent to a remote moon in the Arias sector , where he explains the " Leonov " had been about to receive orders to destroy a presumed Tzenkethi industrial complex that had been based on bad intelligence . Section 31 thought that the loss of innocent life would aggravate matters with the Tzenkethi , and took steps to keep the " Leonov " from carrying out its mission . Ross makes the difficult decision not to report the man to Starfleet Command . This is the first time Ross comes into contact with Section 31 during his career . The book also gives Ross ' s middle name as " Johannes " . The non - canon video game " " reveals that Ross served as first officer on the during a mission to locate the orb of the Pah - wraith s in 2361 . During their search , the ship is attacked by a warship and Ross is taken captive by the Cardassians . Furthermore , his character makes several non - speaking appearances on the station ' s promenade in - between missions . In the " The Sky ' s the Limit " short story " Turncoats " , Admiral Ross travels to Draken IV after Vice - Proconsul M ' ret and his aides N ' veran and Revaik defect to the Federation aboard the in 2369 . Ross expresses his desire to oversee their debriefing but the Vulcan s request they be brought to instead . After the " Enterprise " is damaged by a Romulan weapon and Starfleet is unable to contact her , Ross send the USS " Nolan " to investigate . The " Slings and Arrows " eBook " The Oppressor ' s Wrong " reveals that Ross was given his assignment on Starbase 375 following the death of Admiral Eric Hahn and the arrest of Captain Ishmael Snowden for his role in a conspiracy against the Federation government . In the Pocket DS9 novel " Hollow Men " , set in 2374 , Ross is among the guests at a multi - species conference on Earth , which brings together Humans , Klingons , Romulans , and Cardassians . According to the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " relaunch novels " Avatar , Book One " and " Avatar , Book Two " , Ross is kept busy in the months following the war , overseeing the response to an attack by rogue Jem ' Hadar soldiers on starbase Deep Space 9 . The books also state his flagship is the USS " Cerberus " . He is also kept busy coordinating fleet actions in the Gateway Crisis , as featured in the " " novel series . The SCE eBook " " Ross heads an inquiry into the near - destruction of the USS " da Vinci " at Galvan VI , later finding Captain David Gold not at fault for the incident . This takes place in the year 2376 . In the Pocket DS9 novel " Abyss " , also set in 2376 , Ross has access to the Pathfinder Project database and asks the crew of Deep Space 9 for their opinions on the data gathered by the crew of the during their time in the Delta Quadrant . Ross also appears in the " " novel series , during which , in 2379 , he discovers that Federation President Min Zife is responsible for supplying the Tezwan madman Kinchawn with the weapons that were responsible for the deaths of 6000 Klingon warriors . Ross and several other Starfleet admirals resolve to remove Zife from office , with Ross insisting that the President needs to be held accountable for his crimes , even if the public never knew . Ross is later contacted by Section 31 , who write Zife ' s resignation speech and have the President and two of his top advisers quietly executed for their crimes . Following Zife ' s resignation , Ross is considered as a likely candidate for the office but declines to run , instead becoming an advisor to Nanietta Bacco ' s campaign . This story is followed up in " Articles of the Federation " , in which Ross is forced to retire from Starfleet when President Bacco discovers his involvement in Min Zife ' s death . Because of his respected position and history , Bacco allows Ross to disappear into obscurity rather than face public punishment . The novel gives his retirement year as 2380 . In the " " novel " Taking Wing " , set in late - 2379 , Ross orders the to Romulus in response to Praetor Tal ' aura ' s request for relief and humanitarian aid to the stricken Romulan Star Empire , following Shinzon ' s assassination of the Imperial Senate . With regards to Ross ' s personal life , the novelization of reveals Ross had a son who also served in Starfleet , while the novelization of " What You Leave Behind " states he was a friend of Morn . William Ross also appears as a selectable commanding officer in the video game " " , in which he is voiced by his " Deep Space Nine " actor Barry Jenner . He also has a card in the " Star Trek Customizable Card Game " .