A discredited, strong-willed Bajoran Starfleet ensign, Ro Laren, is assigned to the Enterprise to help contact Bajoran terrorists that supposedly attacked the Federation colony Solarion IV. Picard and Ro uncover a conspiracy by a high-ranking Starfleet officer, Admiral Kennelly.

Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)
Cliff Potts (Admiral Kennelly)
Michelle Forbes (Ensign Ro Laren)
Scott Marlowe (Keeve Falor)
Frank Collison (Gul Dolak)
Jeffrey Hayenga (Orta)
Harry Venton (Transporter Chief)
Ken Thorley (Mot the Barber)

• The Cardassians attacked the colony and were using the Federation to track down the Bajoran refugees.
  
• This episode introduces the Bajorans, whose homeworld of Bajor was annexed by the Cardassian Union 40 years ago. The Cardassians killed millions of Bajorans, and forced the Bajorans to work as slave labor while they raped their resource-rich planet. (Cardassia Prime has very few natural resources remaining.) These events will later become a key part of Deep Space Nine's history. (The Cardassians built DS9 using Bajoran slaves and it is located in the Bajoran System.)
  
• Admiral Kennelly offers to get Ro out of the Federation prison on Jaros II if she goes on this mission. (She was court-martialed when she disobeyed orders and 8 members of a U.S.S. Wellington away team were killed on Garon II.)
  
• Ensign Ro becomes a recurring character on TNG, usually taking the conn.
  
• Bajoran custom dictates that the family name comes first and the given name last; Ro is her last name, and Laren is her first name.