Ro Laren

**Ro Laren** Is a Bajoran woman in the 24th century, born on January 17, 2340 on Cardassian-occupied Bajor to Ro Talia and Ro Gale. She later joined Starfleet and served aboard the USS *Wellington* and the USS *Enterprise*-D, before resigning and joining the Bajorian Militia. Following the Dominion War, Ro served aboard starbase Deep Space 9 as the security chief and eventually rejoined Starfleet with Bajor's admittance into the Federation.

## Biographyedit | edit source

### Early lifeedit | edit source

Ro was born in Jo'kala on Bajor, but was raised in Bajoran resettlement camps under the watchful eyes of the Cardassian overseers. When she was seven, a Cardassian named Joer Varc lured her into a tent with a piece of milaberry candy, then she was forced to watch as the Cardassians tortured her father for hours until he died.

After Ro Gale's death, Ro's mother fell into such a state of despair, that she was no longer able to watch after Laren and Laren was sent to live with her uncle.

Eventually, Ro struck out on her own and quickly learned how to avoid Cardassian orphan catchers and pick their pockets at the same time. She picked up a skill with computers and was able to manipulate security systems and other Cardassian systems.

She lived on the streets of Bajor until she was taken in by a man named Bram Adir, leader of the Bram resistance cell, who was impressed with Ro's talent with Cardassian computers. In 2353, Bram took the teenaged Ro on a salvage operation, in an attempt to bring a derelict Ferengi vessel into the resistance's armory.

Instead, they discovered a Bajoran refugee named Darrah Mace on board, who lived at the Bajoran refugee camp on Valo II. Darrah took Ro and Bram back to Valo, where she was recruited to hack into a Cardassian computer system on Valo VI. Ro successfully infiltrated the Cardassian facility, but was unable to secure the information that she had been sent to retrieve as she again encountered Joer Varc, the man who killed her father. Ro killed Varc and another Cardassian, but left behind the data rod that was her objective.

By 2357, Bram had been killed by the Cardassians, and the rest of the cell, who never cared for Ro in the first place, eventually asked her to leave.

She returned to Valo, where she joined up with a resistance fighter named Akhere Bis, who had a plan to destroy the Cardassian ore processing center on the space-station Terok Nor. At first, Ro went along with the plan, even going so far as to plant a bomb on a ship heading from Valo to *Terok Nor*. However, upon considering the Bajoran lives that would be lost in the attack, Ro warned the vessel's captain of the plan.

Realizing that she would not be welcome back with Akhere's cell, Ro took one of the Valo settlement's warp-capable shuttles and headed for space beyond the Bajoran and Cardassian sectors. (*TLE* - *Terok Nor* novel: *Night of the Wolves*)

### Starfleetedit | edit source

Ro eventually made her way to Federation space where, in 2358, she entered Starfleet Academy hoping for a career in Starfleet. She graduated from the academy in 2362. Her Starfleet service serial number was HL-2133-8947 (APL). (*TNG* episode: "The Next Phase")

Ro's Starfleet career turned out differently than expected. Her time as an ensign aboard the USS *Wellington* was riddled with disciplinary measures. After disobeying orders on the planet Garon II, eight members of an away team were killed. (*TNG* episode: "Ensign Ro")

A later reconstruction of the affair, it was accounted that Ro was sent with an away team to help catch a Seriphami freedom fighter cell. She secretly sympathized with the goal of the revolutionists. When a deadly weapon fight occurred between the away team and the cell, she was the first who realized that the wounded Seraphami could have fallen into a healing stasis, which they could be mortally wounded by accident even with a phaser set on stun. She wanted to warn her teammates about this, thus giving away their hiding place. In the end, it was a Seraphami deceit, and a wounded-looking Seraphami shot Ro's teammates. (*TNG* - *Special #2* comic: "The Choice")

Ro was subsequently court-martialed and imprisoned at the penal facility at Jaros II. One of the officers presiding over her court martial was Admiral Leonard James Akaar. (*DS9* novel: *Lesser Evil*)

In 2368, she was offered a deal by Admiral Kennelly; her freedom in exchange for her assisting the USS *Enterprise*-D in finding the Bajoran terrorist Orta, who was believed to be responsible for attacking Federation targets.

When Ro discovered that the attackers of the Federation facilities were actually Cardassians, she turned to *Enterprise* captain Jean-Luc Picard to uncover the truth. (*TNG* episode: "Ensign Ro")

Ro was at the conn when the *Enterprise* discovered the nature of a temporal causality loop and escaped from a predestined collision with the USS *Bozeman*. Due to the repetitive effects of the temporal distortion, Ro was killed and the *Enterprise* had been destroyed numerous times before this. (*TNG* episode: "Cause and Effect")

Later in 2368, (stardate 45934.7), Lieutenant Worf requested that Ro join him on an away team to Votar VII, to settle a conflict between the colonists there, due to her experience with insurrections. She assisted Worf and participated in a failed, non-lethal assault on a Kaylar-held dam. (*TNG* comic: "A Matter of Dates")

In early 2369, Ro, Geordi and Worf took the shuttlecraft *Goddard* to receive Starfleet briefings. On their return journey, the shuttle was forced to drop out of warp, due to solar flare activity and crash-landed on the planet Riat. The shuttle, damaged beyond immediate repair, the planet inhospitably cold, the away team sought shelter in a nearby Dracon monastery. Unfortunately, the order of monks in the monastery had become violent and cannibalistic, due to radiation from the solar flares causing a mutation in an algae in their water supply. The team was forced to fight the monks off, several times, before another shuttle from the *Enterprise* arrived to rescue them. (*TNG* comic: "Light of the Day")

Also in 2369, Ro was the acting first officer of the *Enterprise*-D, while Will Riker was in command, due to Captain Picard having been transported into the past. She suggested abandoning the search, to ensure that the *Enterprise* arrived at the Gorn Summit in time. Once Riker showed his determination to continue, she would suggest asking the Bon Amar for help in the search. (*TNG* novel: *Requiem*)

After the encounter with Orta and the Cardassians, Ro served aboard the *Enterprise* for over a year (it's closer if we say, two years), before returning to the Academy for Advanced Tactical Training. (*TNG* episode: "Preemptive Strike")

Her final mission on the *Enterprise-D*, before the Advanced Tactical Training, was a flight with a shuttle to transport an ambassador to a near starbase. Her shuttle was shot down by raiders. She awoke in a "fairy castle" with a mysterious landlord, the "Beast," who gave his life for her, when the raiders arrived once again. After Ro was rescued by the *Enterprise-D*, she found out that the mysterious "Beast" was a Cardassian war criminal in exile. (*TNG* comic: "The Bajoran and the Beast")

At the Academy, one of her instructors was Lieutenant Commander Chakotay, who told of her of the resistance movement known as the Maquis. (*TNG* reference: *Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion*; *ST* website: *StarTrek.com*)

### The Bajorian Militia

Upon her return to the *Enterprise* in late 2370, Ro had been promoted to full lieutenant. She stayed aboard the Enterprise until 2371 when she was offered a position in helping Bajor Rebuild. Ro returned to Bajor, where she was given the rank of Lieutenant in the Bajoran Militia.

She served on Bajor throughout the Dominion War once it was over she was promoted to Commander

Upon receiving her commission in the Militia, her new superiors ordered her to Deep Space 9, under the command of Colonel Kira Nerys. In late February of 2376, she was assigned as the station's new chief of security.

In April of that year, Istani Reyla and Gamon Vell were found dead on the Promenade. In the course of the murder investigation, Ro discovered a book of prophecies that had been written by the heretic Ohalu, some 20,000 years previously, which had been removed from the ruins of the city of B'hala by Istani.

Shortly after the discovery, Ro was injured falling from the stairs in Quark's when the station shook, as DS9 was attacked by a group of rogue Jem'Hadar, hoping to restart the Dominion War. Fortunately, Quark witnessed her fall and took her to the infirmary, later sending her a bouquet of Argelian flowers.

Recovering quickly, she got back to work, discovering that Reyla was killed because several members of the Vedek Assembly, led by Vedek Yevir Linjarin, wanted the book suppressed. Stating the book was evidence in Istani's murder investigation, Ro refused to turn it over. Kira interceded by giving the book back to the Vedek Assembly, but uploaded its contents to the Bajoran comnet, making them public. (*DS9* novel: *Avatar, Book One*)

A few weeks later, she then returned to Sindorin, when it was discovered that a rogue agent of the independent intelligence agency Section 31, named Ethan Locken, had refurbished a Dominion Jem'Hadar factory and was creating his own army. Traveling with Dr. Julian Bashir, Ezri Dax and the Jem'Hadar observer Taran'atar, they put a stop to Locken's plans and rescued the Ingavi tribe from Locken's Jem'Hadar troops. (*DS9* - *Section 31* novel: *Abyss*)

Soon after, Ro went undercover as a Dabo girl when Quark found himself in over his head with the Orion Syndicate on the world of Farius Prime, managing to bring down the entire organization of the Orion crimelord Malic. She also freed an Orion Slave Girl named Treir from servitude. (*DS9* - *Gateways* novel: *Demons of Air and Darkness*)

When it was announced that the documentation admitting Bajor into the United Federation of Planets would be signed on the Promenade of Deep Space 9, Ro was put in charge of the security arrangements.

A member of the Trill contingent named Hiziki Gard was assigned to assist Ro and she gave him full access to her security plans. When Gard assassinated Bajoran First Minister Shakaar Edon before the documents could be signed, there was nothing Ro could do to stop him. (*DS9* novel: *Cathedral*)

Ro eventually brought Gard into custody, only to find out that the creature that Gard had killed wasn't Shakaar at all, but an alien Parasite that had consumed his psyche. Shakaar had already been long dead. (*DS9* novel: *Lesser Evil*)

#### Return to Starfleetedit | edit source

After the resolution of the parasite crisis, Ro was prepared to resign her commission and leave DS9 with Quark, with whom she had developed a friendship. Neither of them felt that there would be a place for them in the Bajoran sector, after the planet's admittance to the Federation. It was only after the persuasion of Captain Picard, that Ro stayed with the Bajoran Militia, as it was integrated into Starfleet, with Ro once again being given the rank of lieutenant. (*DS9* novel: *Unity*)

Later, she accompanied Quark and his nephew Nog to Ferenginar, helping them maintain the rule of Grand Nagus Rom from a takeover attempt by Congressman Brunt. (*DS9* novella: *Ferenginar: Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed*)

On 31 December 2376, Ro was attacked and critically injured by the Jem'Hadar observer Taran'atar, suffering spinal injuries and for a brief time, facing the possibility of spending the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair. Fortunately, Dr. Simon Tarses, a doctor in the station's infirmary, had developed an innovative technique that combined several experimental medical theories, which allowed her to return to duty in a matter of weeks. (*DS9* novellas: *The Dominion: Olympus Descending*, *Warpath*)

Despite her injuries, Ro led an investigation into Iliana Ghemor. (*DS9* novel: *Fearful Symmetry*)

By December of 2377, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander.

In the year 2378, DS9 Was infested with Xenomorph creatures Ro is stuck aboard the Station during the infestation along with Commander  Vaughn, Eventually the Xenomorph infestation is stopped by Captain Kira but at the cost of the station.

The Next two years Ro was reassigned to the Embassy on Bajor until the new Station was built and placed in 2380 at which time she was assigned again as Chief of Security.