Ensign Ro ( episode ) The " Enterprise " takes on Ensign Ro Laren to help track down Bajoran terrorists who attacked a Federation colony . Summary . Teaser . It is a typical day as Mot trims Captain Picard ' s hair while dispensing advice on strategy with the Romulan s . The conversation is interrupted by a call from Commander Riker , who reports that the " Enterprise " has just received a distress call from a colony on Solarion IV . As Picard leaves , Mot observes how close Solarion is to the Cardassian border and points out that he told them not to colonize it . When Picard arrives on the bridge , there is an audio - only communication from a Bajoran man claiming responsibility for destroying the colony and threatening more violence if their homeland is still kept from them . Act One . Picard is holding a private meeting in the observation lounge with Admiral Kennelly , who is ill with a Cardassian virus . Picard replicates him ginger tea with honey , his Aunt Adele ' s cure for the common cold . They move on to discussing the Bajoran terrorism issue . It seems the Cardassian Empire annexed Bajor forty years ago and the Bajoran people were subsequently driven from their own land . While the Cardassians have had problems with terrorism ever since the annexation , this is the first time the Bajorans have attacked the Federation . Kennelly wants Picard to stop Orta , the Bajoran terrorist leader , at all costs . While the two discuss the issue , Riker learns that Ensign Ro Laren is waiting to beam aboard the " Enterprise " . The ensign has come at Kennelly ' s request , for he thinks she will be useful on the mission even though she was imprisoned previously . Picard recognizes the name and protests due to an incident on Garon II while she was on the , but the admiral is insistent she is right for the job . Picard tells Riker to proceed . When Ro Laren arrives aboard the " Enterprise " , it is revealed that Bajoran surnames come first , and thus Ro Laren is Ensign Ro . There is visible anger on the part of Riker , as he tells her to respect uniform code . She takes off her earring . Act Two . Riker expresses his concerns with Picard in his ready room . He says many officers won ' t want to serve with her . Picard assures him it will be temporary . Ro enters with a casual disregard for respect and procedure . Riker is insulted by Ro ' s disregard for what he considers the honor of being stationed on the " Enterprise " ; in her words , it is " better than prison " . At a staff meeting , Picard and the crew discuss how to get in contact with the Bajoran people . Data suggests that a man known as Jas Holza might be the best choice , and that he may be found on Valo III . Dr . Crusher is familiar with the man , as she met him at a medical symposium and adds that he is quite charming , as well as a good dancer . However , Ro points out that Jas holds no real sway over the Bajoran people . She does , however , know a man named Keeve Falor who lives on Valo II . They decide to go there instead . On the surface of Valo II , Picard meets with Keeve , who does not condone the terrorist attack against the Federation . However , at the same time he refuses to help Picard or the Federation , as he feels betrayed by the way they sat idly by while Bajor and its people were ravaged by the Cardassians . Picard determines to help the people of the planet using the " Enterprise " s replicators to produce blankets for every man , woman and child in the settlement , which makes Keeve much more cooperative . Ro tells Picard she ran away because she could not live as the Bajorans do and would not be lost nor defeated . Act Three . Ro sits alone in Ten Forward , sipping her beverage and turning people away when they offer to sit with her . As Geordi La Forge sits at the bar nearby and expresses his displeasure at Ro ' s presence to Guinan , she decides to get to know Ro . During their conversation , it is revealed that Ro was court martial ed because she disobeyed a direct order , resulting in the death of eight fellow officers . Guinan persists despite Ro ' s efforts to push her away , intent on making a new friend . 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 . Act Four . Orta emerges with Ro to face the " Enterprise " crew , 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 says she is not to beam down without authorization and confines her to her quarters . 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 telling the Captain that she considers Ro a friend , convincing him to hear her out . Guinan leaves the two of them to talk , Ro reveals a secret about her purpose aboard the " Enterprise " . As she reveals , 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 never made the offer ( something Picard notes almost certainly saved her from another court martial ) and did not know what to do next . 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 . Act Five . As the " Enterprise " prepares to escort a Bajoran transport with Orta and his compatriots aboard , they find the ship can only travel at half impulse and match speeds accordingly . Picard tells Data to monitor the Cardassian border , and as they travel , two top of the line Cardassian warship s seem to take up a parallel course . Upon reaching the point along their path closest to the Cardassian border ( they are in neutral , unclaimed space at this point ) , the warships cross the border and move to intercept the transport . When the Cardassians order Picard to let them destroy the transport , Picard contacts Kennelly who states that the " Enterprise " should retreat in the interest of protecting the peace treaty with the Cardassians . Picard argues with Kennelly that the Cardassians may be using Starfleet to flush out the Bajorans , but Kennelly isn ' t interested and gives him a direct order to withdraw . Apparently forced into a corner , Picard has the " Enterprise " leave the transport unprotected and it is promptly destroyed by Gul Dolak ' s starship . However , when Kennelly hails the " Enterprise " seconds later , it is revealed – in a conversation Picard makes a point of having on the bridge rather than in the privacy of his ready room – that no one was aboard the transport . It turns out that , just as Picard suspected , the Cardassians were the ones who attacked the colony in an attempt to bring the Federation onto their side . They were hoping to find someone – like Kennelly – who was gullible enough to do so . Kennelly , Picard tells Ro , will likely be called to a hearing and will probably be court martial ed . Back on the surface of Valo II , Picard sees in Ro some of the qualities shared by the finest Starfleet officer s he has ever known . While she has not yet become one of those officers , he believes she can be in time . He asks her to stay , and at this point it is clear that the two of them have taken a liking to one another . The one provision is that , despite Starfleet uniform code , she must be allowed to wear her Bajoran earring . Picard smiles and agrees , beaming them back on board the " Enterprise " . Memorable quotes . " " I understand you ' ve been discussing alternative adversarial engagement strategy with Mr . Mot . " " " " It ' d be more accurate to say he was discussing them with me . . . He ' s the best barber in Starfleet – what can you do ? " " " " This is the Bajora . We claim responsibility for the destruction of the Federation colony on Solarion IV . As long as we are without our homeland , no one will be safe in this sector . " " " " There are other Bajorans in Starfleet . Assign one of them ! " " " " It was not necessary to abduct us . " " " " I am sorry but after speaking with Ro Laren , I decided that it was . " " " " Yes , Ensign Laren , please sit down . " " " " Ensign " Ro , " sir . " " " " I beg your pardon ? " " " " The Bajoran custom has the family name first , the individual name second – I am properly addressed as Ensign Ro . " " " " I ' m sorry , I didn ' t know . . . " " " " No , there ' s no reason you should . It ' s an old custom – most Bajora today accept the distortion of their names in order to assimilate . . . " I " do not . " " " " They ' re lost , defeated . I will " never " be . " " " " You are innocent bystanders , and I cannot condone violence against those who are not our enemies . " " " " Then I don ' t understand why you ' re unwilling to help us . " " " " Because . . . you ' re innocent bystanders . You were innocent bystanders for decades as the Cardassians took our homes . As they violated and tortured our people in the most hideous ways imaginable . As we were forced to flee . " " " " We were saddened by those events , but they occurred within the borders of the Cardassian Empire . " " " " And the Federation is pledged not to interfere with the internal affairs of others . How convenient that must be for you . To turn a deaf ear to those who suffer behind a line on a map . " " " " Mind if we join you ? " " " " Yes . " " " " Am I disturbing you ? " " " " Yes . " " " " Good . You look like someone who wants to be disturbed . " " " " And so now , you ' re sitting in crowded rooms just staring at your drink . I think you enjoy it . " " " " I enjoy it ? " " " " Well , you ' re working so hard at torturing yourself . I can only think that you enjoy it . " " " " You ' re not like any bartender I ' ve met before . " " " " And you ' re not like any Starfleet officer I ' ve met before . And that sounds like the beginning of a very interesting friendship . " " " " I ' m not interested in making friends . " " " " Too late . You just did . " " " " All is not what it seems to be , captain . Perhaps someone " is " using you to get to me . Perhaps you are a victim of this deception as well ; I do not know . " " " " Deception ? ! " " " " Your mission was to seek out the Bajoran terrorists who destroyed the Federation settlement on Solarion IV . " " " " Yes . " " " " As I have informed Ro Laren , it was " not " the Bajora . " " " " Subspace signal , coming in from Starfleet , sir – Admiral Kennelly . " " " " On screen . " " " " It is on a secure channel , sir . . . in your ready room ? " " " " No , " here . . . " on screen . " " " " The Cardassians have destroyed the Bajoran ship , admiral . " " " " All hands lost ? " " " " No , sir . " " " " Survivors ? " " " " No , sir – no one was on board . " " " " What ' re you talking about ? ! " " " " The ship was controlled from the ground . . . " " " " This was " your " idea , Picard ? " " " " Actually , no . . . it was Ensign Ro ' s idea , but I fully endorsed it – I suspected something like this might occur . " " " " Do you know how many people they killed on Solarion IV ? ! " " " " The Bajorans did not attack Solarion IV ! " " " " Who told you that ? Orta ? " " " " Yes . " " " " And you believed him ? ! " " " " Admiral , Orta ' s ships are old and obsolete . They don ' t even have warp capabilities – they couldn ' t have " reached " another star system , let alone attacked one . " " " " Then who ' s responsible ? ! " " " " I suggest you ask your friend , the Cardassian liaison , admiral – the only explanation " I " can think of is that the Cardassians staged it . " " " " The " Cardassians ? ! " Why ? " " " " Perhaps they were hoping to find someone in Starfleet – like " you " , admiral – naive enough to solve their Bajoran problem for them . " " Links and references . References . Aunt Adele ; annexation ; " Antares " - class carrier ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; barbershop ; bluff ; Cardassian s ; Cardassian Empire ; Cardassian Militia 41 ; Celsius ; class M ; common cold ; dance ; family name ; Federation ; ; Garon II ; ginger tea ; honey ; Jaros II ; Jas Holza ; liaison officer ; Lya Station Alpha ; Lya Station Alpha planet ; " Misummer Night ' s Dream , A " ; Milky Way Galaxy ; molecular displacement trace ; Occupation of Bajor ; parallel course ; reader ; red alert ; refugee ; Ro Gale ; Ro Gale ' s torturer ; Romulan s ; Sector 21305 ; soirée ; Solarion IV ; Solarion IV colony ; Solarion system ; splinter group ; Starfleet uniform code ; symposium ; tricorder ; Valo I ; Valo II ; Valo III ; Valo system ; vocal cords ; ; Wellington away team ; yellow alert