| Ro Laren |
|
| Starfleet Rank Ensign |
| Species Bajor |
| Planet Bajor |
| Affiliation Federation |
| Gender Female |
| Portrayed Michelle Forbes |
|
FEDERATION CIVILIAN DATABASE FILE — Ro Laren[]
Status: Maquis rebel and wanted felon Former position: Resigned as Starfleet lieutenant, j.g. SD 47944 Species/gender: Bajoran female Date of birth: Terran equivalent: Jan. 17, 2340 Place of birth: Refugee camp, Bajor Parents: Ro Talia and Ro Gale Education: Starfleet Academy, 2358-64; Advanced Tactical Training, 2369-70 Marital status: Single Former Quarters: U.S.S. Enterprise: Deck 8/Room 4711 Last known whereabouts: Ronara Prime, DMZ area
Starfleet Career Summary[]
2364 — As ensign, posted to U.S.S. Wellington; later convicted for disobeying orders on Garon II leading to eight fatalities
2368 — Released from Jaros II stockade for covert mission with U.S.S. Enterprise, later made permanent as con officer with ensign rank
2369 — On leave for Starfleet Advanced Tactical Training under Lt. Cmdr. Chakotay
2370 — Resigned to join Maquis after return to Enterprise from ATT
Starfleet Career Summary[]
As with many others of her long-occupied world, Ro has led an extremely tragic life which has unfortunately burdened her intelligence, heroism and courage as a potential officer with a troubled, unstable career and personal life. Only some five years after her Academy graduation, Captain Jean-Luc Picard felt she would have attained lieutenant commander's rank if not for her court-martial.
Ro was made to watch her father be tortured to death by the occupying Cardassians at age 7; when she was presumed dead circa Stardate 45892.4, her captain did not know of any other surviving family. She had never drawn a picture of her mother until she was transformed into a child by an anomalous energy field in 2369, but the incident helped her heal the childhood anger that blocked that part of her life out. She ran away from the camps sometime soon after her father's death so she would not grow up "defeated" and knew Keeve Falor, an eventual refugee camp leader on Valo III.
As a sign of her inner strength and drive, Ro was able to overcome her tortuous childhood and won sponsorship as part of the stricter admission requirements of a non-Federation citizen to Starfleet Academy, graduating within the regular four-year curriculum with at least one class in botany that she later felt embarrassed by.
Within three years, Ro was court-martialed for an incident on Garon II while aboard the U.S.S. Wellington in which she "didn't follow orders" and eight away team members died, although she never defended herself at the trial.
Ro was pardoned on Stardate 45077.1 from her resulting prison term on Jaros II by Admiral Kennelly, who needed her to offer arms and lure into the open the Bajoran resistance leader Orta, wrongly blamed for a raid on a Federation colony. The Cardassians themselves staged the strike to dupe Kennelly into helping them get Orta, but a tortured Ro revealed the deception at Guinan's urging and planned the ruse to reveal them all, with Picard's blessing.
Ro's service record on the Enterprise was mixed. Her reputation preceding her, she got off to a rocky start with much of the crew, although Guinan spoke up for her with Picard. It was Riker who initially forbade her from wearing her native Bajoran earring per Starfleet dress code. She clashed with the more conservative O'Brien while trying to sway senior bridge officer Troi on procedure after the quantum filament disaster. The counselor decided against giving up on the starship's drive section with a saucer separation, a gamble later seen to be correct, and Ro apologized to Troi.
After just a few months, she realized how much she owed Picard for giving her a second chance, though he still intimidated her. Her ingenuity began to show as she helped track a downed shuttle on the Mab-Bu VI moon and tried in vain to free her overcome crewmates, once with shuttle transporters and again with a make-shift exorcising energy field. She carried a Phaser II weapon while on bridge con duty during normal operating status.
With her memory blanked by the Satarran scan, Ro's hostility to Riker swings all the way to intimacy and they were lovers at least once. Laid-back, yet assertive and a tinge jealous of his obvious feelings for Troi, she has no problems laughing with Troi about Riker when memories are restored.
While not strict in following Bajoran ways, an interphase transporter accident with La Forge in 2368 proved so humbling she reconsidered her disbelief in life after death.
Finally, after returning from a grueling year in 2370 at Starfleet's Advanced Tactical Training under Lt. Commander Chakotay and promoted to lieutenant, she followed her heart guiltily and joined the Maquis after a covert operation among them near Ronara Prime. It was reported her greatest sense of regret for that decision was in reneging on the trust Captain Picard had shown in her.