 Michelle Forbes (qv), who had played Ensign Ro in  _"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)_ (qv) and turned down the  chance to continue the character in  _"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993)_ (qv), was invited to return as  Ro in Voyager, but once again turned down the role. It is speculated  that the character of BElanna Torres was developed as a result.