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Ensign Ro (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"Ensign Ro" is a fifth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
, introducing the recurring character Ro Laren
(played by actress Michelle Forbes
), and her race, the Bajorans. The episode has an average rating of 4/5 on the official Star Trek
web site (as of November 8, 2009).
to draw attention from the United Federation of Planets
.
Picard
meets with Admiral Kennelly, who tells him that the Bajoran responsible is a terrorist named Orta. Picard's mission is to find Orta, and to send him back to the Bajoran settlement camps where he can do less damage.
Kennelly assigns a controversial person to assist Picard: Starfleet Ensign Ro Laren
, a Bajoran whose reputation is very poor. Kennelly insists she can help, and she comes aboard the Enterprise.
Despite a difficult attitude, and a previously unknown Bajoran custom of having their surname first, Ro works with the crew to locate Orta. Ultimately, they head to the third moon of Vallor One where they believe he is based.
Meanwhile, Ro receives a secret communication from Admiral Kennelly and tells him all is going according to plan.
The next day, the Away Team prepares to beam down, but discover Ensign Ro had preempted them by beaming down six hours ago. They follow her, and are promptly captured by Orta and his people. Orta, who was disfigured by Cardassian torture, tells them that he felt abducting them was necessary, and says that the Bajorans were not responsible for the attack.
Picard finds himself inclined to believe Orta, but confines Ro to quarters for her unauthorized beam down. Guinan, who has befriended Ro, goes to see Ro, and after learning there is more to what is going on that meets the eye, convinces Ro to talk to Picard.
Ro reveals that she is on a secret mission by Kennelly to offer Orta Federation weapons in exchange for returning to the camps. Given her experiences, she no longer knows what to do or whom to trust. Picard decides that the best course might be to actually take Orta back to the camps, and see what occurs.
As the Enterprise escorts a Bajoran cruiser to the camp, however, two Cardassian ships cross the border and demand the Enterprise leave the ship to them. Picard initially refuses, and the Cardassians give him an hour to reconsider. Kennelly, far from helping, insists that the Cardassian treaty is the more important issue and orders Picard to withdraw.
Picard withdraws, and the Bajoran cruiser is destroyed. However, suspecting a chain of events like this might occur, Picard had ensured no one was aboard, and had the ship operated remotely. Picard informs Kennelly that the Bajoran ships are so old and obsolete that they were incapable of attacking the Solarion Four settlement, and suggests that the Cardassians staged everything, hoping to find someone like Kennelly, naive enough to help them solve their problems.
With the mystery solved and the mission accomplished, Ro accepts Picard's offer to remain in Starfleet and join the Enterprise crew.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, introducing the recurring character Ro Laren
Ro Laren
Ro Laren is a recurring fictional character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, played by Michelle Forbes.Ro Laren was also planned to be a main character in the two following Star Trek television shows, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager...
(played by actress Michelle Forbes
Michelle Forbes
Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo , known professionally as Michelle Forbes, is an American actress who has built a career of work in television and independent film and has acted in productions in both the United States and in the United Kingdom...
), and her race, the Bajorans. The episode has an average rating of 4/5 on the official Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
web site (as of November 8, 2009).
Plot
The Solarion Four settlement is destroyed, and the Bajorans claim responsibility. The world of Bajor was annexed by the Cardassians generations ago, and the Bajorans have been refugees ever since, and apparently some of them are using terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
to draw attention from the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
.
Picard
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
meets with Admiral Kennelly, who tells him that the Bajoran responsible is a terrorist named Orta. Picard's mission is to find Orta, and to send him back to the Bajoran settlement camps where he can do less damage.
Kennelly assigns a controversial person to assist Picard: Starfleet Ensign Ro Laren
Ro Laren
Ro Laren is a recurring fictional character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, played by Michelle Forbes.Ro Laren was also planned to be a main character in the two following Star Trek television shows, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager...
, a Bajoran whose reputation is very poor. Kennelly insists she can help, and she comes aboard the Enterprise.
Despite a difficult attitude, and a previously unknown Bajoran custom of having their surname first, Ro works with the crew to locate Orta. Ultimately, they head to the third moon of Vallor One where they believe he is based.
Meanwhile, Ro receives a secret communication from Admiral Kennelly and tells him all is going according to plan.
The next day, the Away Team prepares to beam down, but discover Ensign Ro had preempted them by beaming down six hours ago. They follow her, and are promptly captured by Orta and his people. Orta, who was disfigured by Cardassian torture, tells them that he felt abducting them was necessary, and says that the Bajorans were not responsible for the attack.
Picard finds himself inclined to believe Orta, but confines Ro to quarters for her unauthorized beam down. Guinan, who has befriended Ro, goes to see Ro, and after learning there is more to what is going on that meets the eye, convinces Ro to talk to Picard.
Ro reveals that she is on a secret mission by Kennelly to offer Orta Federation weapons in exchange for returning to the camps. Given her experiences, she no longer knows what to do or whom to trust. Picard decides that the best course might be to actually take Orta back to the camps, and see what occurs.
As the Enterprise escorts a Bajoran cruiser to the camp, however, two Cardassian ships cross the border and demand the Enterprise leave the ship to them. Picard initially refuses, and the Cardassians give him an hour to reconsider. Kennelly, far from helping, insists that the Cardassian treaty is the more important issue and orders Picard to withdraw.
Picard withdraws, and the Bajoran cruiser is destroyed. However, suspecting a chain of events like this might occur, Picard had ensured no one was aboard, and had the ship operated remotely. Picard informs Kennelly that the Bajoran ships are so old and obsolete that they were incapable of attacking the Solarion Four settlement, and suggests that the Cardassians staged everything, hoping to find someone like Kennelly, naive enough to help them solve their problems.
With the mystery solved and the mission accomplished, Ro accepts Picard's offer to remain in Starfleet and join the Enterprise crew.