Ro Laren Ro Laren was a Bajoran national who formerly served in Starfleet aboard the Federation starship before finally sympathizing with , and later defecting to , the Maquis . Childhood . Ro was born on January 17 , 2340 on Bajor to Ro Talia and Ro Gale . ( " personnel file " ) Recalling her childhood as " a long , depressing period of [ her ] life , [ she ] was grateful when it was finally over . " ( ) Ro had grown up in the Bajoran diaspora , as one of the thousands displaced into refugee camp s by the Cardassian occupation of her homeworld . During her youth , she spent some time in the camps on Valo II . ( ) In all , she spent ten years in the camps . ( ) Although most of the time she didn ' t even have a bed while living in the camps , there were times she did , when she was very young , and she would be afraid of the imaginary monsters that were under her bed . ( ) To help ease her fears , Ro ' s father would play the belaklavion for her , which he told her had " special powers " and that " monsters were afraid of it , and they ' d disappear whenever they heard it . " She recalled that when she heard her father ' s music , she was never afraid to go to sleep . ( ) In 2347 , Ro was shown the true nature of the occupation when she was given a piece of sugar candy by a Cardassian , who led her to a room where she found her father sitting inside . For the next two hours she was forced to sit and watch as a Cardassian questioned and torture d her father until he died . Throughout the entire ordeal , Ro felt ashamed of being a Bajoran . She was ashamed of her father for being so weak , as she watched him beg for mercy . Laren eventually found that she could not live in an environment where her people were unable to feed and clothe themselves . Because of this , she ran away . ( ) After his death , she finally realized that even her father could not make all the monsters in her life go away . ( ) Over time , Ro began to understand how misguided her feelings of shame were , and eventually she chose to no longer be ashamed of her heritage . Ro decided to keep her name in traditional form : family name first , given name second . She did this despite the fact that most Bajorans accepted the distortion of their names in order to assimilate . She also strongly favored wearing the traditional Bajoran earring , albeit on the left ear as opposed to the traditional right ear . ( ) Later in her life , she revealed that she never really drew a picture of her mother . It was also revealed that the young Ro Laren was a repressed . ( ) Starfleet career . Academy and early career . Ro Laren entered Starfleet Academy in 2358 and graduated with the class of 2362 . Her Starfleet service serial number was HL - 2133 - 8947 ( APL ) . ( ) One of Ro ' s early assignments was aboard the . During that assignment in the mid - 2360s , Ro was a member of the disastrous away team mission to Garon II . During the mission , Ro disobeyed direct orders , causing the eight other members of the away team to die . Ro was court - martial ed for her actions and refused to speak in her own defense . With little alternative , the court found Ro guilty and sentenced her to imprisonment in the stockade on Jaros II . ( ) Jean - Luc Picard felt that , had Ro not lost her rank following her court martial , she could have been a lieutenant commander by late 2368 . ( ) USS " Enterprise " - D . First mission . In 2368 , Ro was released by Admiral Kennelly and reinstated into Starfleet in exchange for helping locate a Bajoran terrorist . While secretly conducting her mission , Ro was assigned to assist the USS " Enterprise " - D on stardate 45076 . 3 . Due to her familiarity with the Valo system , she was initially assigned as flight controller . Upon reaching Valo II , she suggested the best route for them to take would be to go to the camp on the southern continent to find a man named Keeve Falor . Ro sits alone in Ten Forward , sipping her beverage and turning people away when they offer to sit with her . As Geordi La Forge at the bar nearby expresses his displeasure at Ro ' s presence to Guinan , she decides to get to know Ro . During their conversation , Ro reveals that she was court - martialed for disobeying a direct order , resulting in the death of eight fellow officers . Guinan persists despite Ro ' s efforts to push her away . In her quarters , Ro receives a transmission from Kennelly and tells him that all is going according to plan . When it comes time to beam to the surface , Picard finds Ro is gone and the terrorists never showed up at the designated meeting location . He beams down anyway with an away team , where they find themselves surrounded by armed Bajorans , with Ro among them . Orta emerges , his face mutilated and vocal cords cut by the Cardassians . He tells them that the Bajorans did not attack Solarion IV and lets them go . Back on the Enterprise ' s bridge , Ro discusses the issue of who attacked Solarion IV with the other officers until Picard asks her into his ready room . There he angrily asks her to explain her actions . While her intentions appear to have been good – she hoped to avoid bloodshed by talking to Orta before the meeting – Picard confines her to her quarters for the rest of the mission . That night , Guinan visits Ro to talk about what has happened . She observes that Ro seems to trust no one , least of all herself . After a brief conversation , Guinan recalls a time in her life when she got herself into a bad situation and that she would probably still be there if she had not put her trust in one man . Despite Ro being confined to her quarters , Guinan takes her to Picard ' s ready room . Guinan leaves the two of them to talk , and Ro reveals a secret about her purpose aboard the Enterprise : Admiral Kennelly wanted her to make a secret deal with Orta , in direct violation of the Prime Directive . So long as Orta stopped attacking the Federation , Kennelly would supply him and his fellows with weapons and ships . However , when she learned Orta was not responsible , she did not know what to do . Ro shares a story about how her father was tortured to death in front of her at the hands of the Cardassians , explaining that she felt ashamed to be Bajoran . She and Picard decide to find a way for Orta to help them expose the ones who really attacked the Federation colony . Picard , reluctant to let go of an officer with Ro ' s potential , requests that Ro remain on board for the " Enterprise " s next scheduled mission to survey Sector 21305 . ( ) Later missions . Not long after Ro ' s transfer to the " Enterprise " , a quantum filament caused major damage to the ship . Unable to communicate with the rest of the crew , Ro , Lt . Cmdr . Troi , Chief O ' Brien and Ensign Mandel were trapped on the bridge . The quantum resonance of the filament caused a polarity shift in the ship ' s antimatter containment fields , leading to a progressive degeneration in the fields , threatening the ship . Before Commander Riker and Lt . Cmdr . Data were able to restore control over the containment field , Ro suggested a saucer separation to save the saucer section , while sacrificing the stardrive section , stating that she was not sure whether anyone was still alive there . After Lt . Cmdr . Troi rejected Ro ' s proposal , the " Enterprise " s main computer was brought back online and the antimatter containment was fully restored . ( ) On stardate 45571 . 2 , Ro Laren was at the helm of the " Enterprise " when one of the vessel ' s shuttlecraft crashed on the surface of a moon orbiting Mab - Bu VI . There , a number of the crew became possessed by anionic energy lifeforms superimposing neural patterns . During their attempted takeover of the bridge Ro shot at the possessed Miles O ' Brien , but missed . She was in turn stun ned by O ' Brien . After the lifeform - possessed crew members took over Ten Forward , Ro suggested giving them a plasma shock as a means of causing pain to the beings without causing any physical harm . If the plan worked and they were able to hit all three with a single discharge , they would cause the beings to evacuate the crew members . Geordi La Forge and Ro Laren later attempted a rescue in the small access area between decks 9 and 10 , above Ten Forward . When they finally made their attempt , they were unable to get all three crew members in the beam , which eventually led to the abortion of their rescue attempt . ( ) On stardate 45652 . 1 , Ro served on the bridge during an encounter with a temporal causality loop . She interrupted a staff meeting to report that sensor s were getting unusual readings twenty thousand kilometers off the port bow . She noted that sensors did not detect the phenomenon until the ship was almost on top of it . As she attempted to back the " Enterprise " off from the phenomenon , she reported that the maneuvering thruster s were not responding , and as a ship emerged and she attempted to back the ship off , she reported that the helm was not responding . " In an alternate version of events , when the " Enterprise " collided with the , which had emerged from the phenomenon , Ro Laren reported that the " Enterprise " s inertial damper s were failing and that the ship was losing attitude control , moments before it was destroyed and Ro died . " ( ) While investigating a damaged Romulan ship , Ro and Geordi La Forge were presumed dead in a transporter accident . Finding themselves freely walking around the ship but passing through other objects , Ro suspected that they were dead and simply remaining behind to say their goodbyes to their former lives , but La Forge refused to accept that . Eventually , La Forge figured out that they had actually been sent out of phase with the rest of the ship due to a flawed Romulan attempt to create a new kind of cloaking device , a theory that was proved when they confronted a Romulan in the same position as they . Learning of a Romulan plot to sabotage the " Enterprise " , Ro and La Forge managed to work out a means of canceling out the phase and restoring themselves to normal , thus allowing them to warn their shipmates of the danger . ( ) During a survey mission on stardate 46235 . 7 , Ro , Picard , Guinan and Keiko O ' Brien were briefly transformed into twelve - year - olds due to a transporter accident . Although Ro initially found the experience frustrating , when the ship was captured by a crew of rogue Ferengi , she took full advantage of her childish appearance to deal with the problem , such as slapping com badges onto the Ferengi to allow them to be transported , while declaring , " " Tag – you ' re it ! " " After a process was discovered to return everyone to their proper ages , Ro actually spent a few hours longer in her childhood body , drawing pictures of her mother – something she ' d never done during her actual childhood . ( ) On the recommendation of Captain Picard , Ro attended Starfleet ' s Advanced Tactical Training , where she graduated in late 2370 . Following her graduation she was reassigned to the " Enterprise " with the rank of lieutenant and given quarters on deck four , section eight . ( ) The Maquis . In 2370 , Ro was assigned to infiltrate the Maquis . Although somewhat reluctant , she agreed , partially to validate Captain Jean - Luc Picard ' s belief in her . By having Lt . Commander Data and Lt . Worf faking pursuit on the pretext she had killed a Cardassian soldier , she gained the attention of the Maquis Santos in a DMZ settlement bar . She was kidnapped by Santos and was briefly questioned by him , Kalita and Macias . Macias immediately took a liking to Ro and trusted her even before her alibi was verified by Santos . He eventually became a fatherlike figure . She later gained the trust of the rest of the Maquis by " stealing " medical supplies from the " Enterprise " - D . After gaining the Maquis ' trust , she had them plan to invest significant resources to attack a Yridian convoy , which in actuality was a Federation trap . Soon after , three Cardassians attacked the area near the Maquis cell and killed Macias , who with his dying breath told Ro , " " When an old fighter like me dies , someone always steps forward to take his place " . " She started questioning her loyalties , and tried to have the fake convoy trap canceled by claiming the Maquis would not invest resources to attack . However , Picard saw through her lies and questioned her resolve . She claimed she would carry out her duties , but Picard had Commander Riker accompany her to the attack . During the attack , she drew a phaser on Riker and fired a low - intensity particle beam from the shuttlecraft that revealed a Starfleet attack force hiding in a nebula near the bogus convoy . When the Maquis retreated , she had her ship move towards the " Enterprise " so Riker could leave . When asked why she was going with the Maquis , she replied , " " It ' s been a long time since I really felt like I belonged somewhere . " " Just before she beamed to another Maquis ship , she asked Riker to tell Picard she was sorry for betraying his trust . ( ) Relationships . Jean - Luc Picard . Although initially opposing Ro ' s assignment aboard the " Enterprise " , Captain Picard was impressed with the way she handled the situation . Following the mission , he told her she was free to leave the ship , but as a personal request , he wanted her to consider remaining in Starfleet . During their first mission together , he observed her potential and noticed a certain quality about her that could possibly be harnessed and molded . Although Ro was flattered , she didn ' t feel she belonged in the uniform . Picard believed that she had a lot to learn from Starfleet , and she retorted that she felt Starfleet had a lot to learn from her . Picard felt that attitude was common among the best officers he had served with , and that although she was not one of those officers , someday she could be if she decided to work at it . Ro accepted Picard ' s " interesting challenge , " something she rarely refused , and in return , at Ro ' s request , Picard allowed her to bend the Starfleet uniform code and wear her traditional Bajoran earring . ( ) Picard later sponsored Ro ' s entrance into Starfleet ' s Advanced Tactical Training program . Although the program was exceptionally difficult , Ro graduated and was re - posted to the " Enterprise " as a full lieutenant . When she betrayed Starfleet and permanently joined the Maquis , Picard felt convinced that he had pushed Ro to betray Starfleet , but he also felt angry that she ultimately did . ( ) William T . Riker . Commander Riker was not thrilled with the assignment of Ro to the " Enterprise " , and demanded nothing but the highest standards of performance from her . Upon her initial beam - in , Riker immediately reprimanded her for wearing her traditional Bajoran earring , which was not allowed according to the Starfleet uniform code . Riker later shared his concerns with Picard , stating that there would be members of the crew who would not want to serve with Ro . Riker was infuriated by Ro ' s acceptance of her assignment aboard the " Enterprise " when she stated that " " It was better than prison . " " ( ) Later , during a period in which the " Enterprise " crew lost their memories , Riker and Ro had a brief sexual tryst . Set against their prior antagonistic relationship , this created an awkward situation when the crew ' s memories were restored , but Counselor Deanna Troi indicated that people in such a situation might likely act on what they would subconsciously wish to do . ( ) Riker was set to deliver a eulogy for Ro at a memorial service for her and Geordi La Forge when they were believed to have been killed in a transporter accident . However , he never had an opportunity to deliver it as both Ro and La Forge were revealed to be alive . The mystery of what Riker would have said baffled Ro . ( ) Riker was the last " Enterprise " crewmember to see Ro when he joined her in an undercover effort to stave off a Maquis strike . Ro turned a phaser on him , however , explaining her defection to the Maquis , and asked him to relay her apologies to Captain Picard . Riker wished her well before she escaped . ( ) Geordi La Forge . Geordi La Forge believed that the only reason she was on her initial mission was because of orders , as he believed that she didn ' t belong aboard the " Enterprise " or even in a Starfleet uniform . The two later bonded , however , when they were cloaked and phased by a Romulan interphase generator and forced to find a way to return to normal . ( ) Deanna Troi . While the " Enterprise " was damaged due to an encounter with a quantum filament , Ro was in conflict with Deanna Troi , who was the senior officer on the bridge , about whether to detach the saucer section , thereby saving the lives they could . Troi was opposed to the idea , even though Ro argued vehemently in favor of separating the ship . After Commanders Riker and Data stabilized the ship , Ro admitted to Troi that she was wrong . Troi responded that she might as easily have been right . Ro does not appear to be guided by sentimentality when in a crisis situation , as indicated by her harsh comment to Troi during this incident . ( ) Later the same year , Ro and Troi shared a drink in Ten Forward following the retrieval of their lost memories . ( ) Guinan . Guinan became interested in Ro after learning a bit about her past from La Forge . Guinan defended Ro in front of Picard and encouraged her to reveal the truth to him about the nature of her mission . Picard was willing to listen , as he knew Guinan did not call someone a friend easily . Ro and Guinan remained friends . When they were both transformed into children , Guinan helped Ro take the opportunity to experience the childhood she was denied as a Bajoran refugee . ( ) Appendices . Background information . " Star Trek : The Next Generation " . Ensign Ro was played by Michelle Forbes and first appeared in the fifth season TNG episode named for her , . Forbes was chosen for the role because the production staff were impressed with her performance as in the fourth season episode . ( " " ) According to Rick Berman , Ro was introduced as a sharp - edged character to contrast with the TNG main cast . He explained , " " The other characters in the cast are relatively homogeneous ; some might even say bland . So we wanted a character with the strength and dignity of a Starfleet officer but with a troubled past , an edge . " " ( " " ) Michael Piller was pleased with how Ro Laren turned out . " " I created the Ensign Ro character , and I certainly loved writing for her , " " he enthused . " " She was so fresh because she was one of those people that didn ' t get along with anybody easily , so she always had a lot to learn as a character . " " ( " " , issue 101 , p . 14 ) Indirectly , Michelle Forbes was Michael Westmore ' s inspiration for the Bajoran design and makeup . After her being hired for the part of Ro Laren in TNG , Rick Berman told Westmore , " " We ' ve hired a pretty girl and I want to keep her that way . Think of something that we can take and make her look a little alien , and still get the idea she ' s from another planet , but she ' s still gorgeous . " " ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season One " , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features ) " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " . During the production of , it was intended that Ro Laren be the first officer of Deep Space 9 under Benjamin Sisko ' s command . Michelle Forbes turned down the offer and the character was modified and became the basis for Kira Nerys . ( " " ) In the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " bible of April 1992 , Ro Laren ' s entry stated , " " Established on ST : TNG . She is properly addressed as Lieutenant Ro since Bajorans put their family names first . ( Note : She will receive a promotion from Ensign to Lieutenant on an episode of ST : TNG before this series begins . ) As a Bajoran , Ro cares passionately about her people ' s independence . That ' s why she volunteered for duty on the space station . Sisko originally refused to accept her transfer . . . He didn ' t want anything to do with someone with her undistinguished service record and reputation . But during the first episode , she proves her value to him and becomes his first officer . " " In Jadzia Dax ' s entry in the bible , a friendship between Ro and Jadzia was suggested : " " Ro , who forms a very close relationship with Dax , often tells her to loosen up . Dax admires Ro for her youthful energy , her purpose and her drive and becomes something of a mentor to her . " " In Odo ' s entry , Ro " " finds Odo ' s negative attitude to authority delightful and they have a Bajoran fellowship . " " The bible entry for Quark posited that he and Ro would become adversaries . ( " " ) An unproduced script was to have featured a flashback to Tom Paris ' time at Starfleet Academy , showing that he and Ro were classmates . Apocrypha . In the 1990s , Ro Laren appeared in several unconnected novels and comics . One of these was the " " novel " Wrath of the Prophets " , where she teamed up with Kira Nerys to track down a black market dealer on Bajor . She also appeared in the " " novels " The Devil ' s Heart " , " The Romulan Prize " , " War Drums " , " " , " The Romulan Stratagem " , " Sins of Commission " , " The Last Stand " , " Here There Be Dragons " and " The Death of Princes " . Ro also appeared in the " Deep Space Nine " comic " Friend and Foe Alike " . In the " " novels " Behind Enemy Lines " and " Tunnel Through the Stars " by John Vornholt , Ro Laren and Captain Picard lead a team to destroy an artificial wormhole being constructed by the Dominion in Cardassian space . Ro Laren is a main character in the novels that have been published since 2001 . The novels show that Ro survived the Dominion ' s extermination of the Maquis and joined with a few other Maquis survivors to fight their own war effort against the Dominion . After the Dominion War , Ro returned to Bajor and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Bajoran militia , replacing Odo as Chief of Security on DS9 and eventually starting a relationship with Quark . Initially Starfleet wanted her arrested , but behind the scenes Captain Picard quietly urged Starfleet to reconsider their decision . When Bajor joined the Federation , Ro considered leaving the station with Quark , but her old uniform was sent to her by Picard as encouragement to remain on the station . Ro remained with the militia as it was absorbed into Starfleet and was given a Starfleet commission at the rank of Lieutenant . As of the novel " Zero Sum Game " ( set in 2382 ) , Ro is the commanding officer of Deep Space 9 and a Starfleet Captain . After the destruction of the original station in the " " novels " Plagues of Night " and " Raise the Dawn " , Captain Ro takes command of the new station built in its place , starting in " Revelation and Dust " . Ro wears her Bajoran earring on her left ear rather than her right like every other Bajoran seen on screen , with the exception of those who worshipped the Pah - wraith s . In the aforementioned novels , it is explained that Ro does this because she does not believe in the Prophets , but still wants to acknowledge her heritage . It has the advantage of discouraging vedeks from pinching her left ear to read her " pagh " . " Star Trek Online " < nowiki > ' s backstory differs somewhat , stating that Ro surrendered to Starfleet in < / nowiki > 2379 , pled guilty to desertion , and served two years in a penal colony on Earth . Upon her release she was granted a commission in the Bajoran militia and became chief of security for Deep Space 9 .