(DS9) premiered in 1993, and was the third incarnation within the Star Trek franchise. DS9 is the only Star Trek series who's primary setting took place on a stationary object rather than a starship, and is often referred to as the darkest and most dramatic of all other incarnations. Throughout its run, DS9 dove deeply into varying issues from warfare to religion to politics. Because of its central location, the series was able to incorporate a large list of recurring characters, many of which made appearances in all seven seasons.
The series opens just following the Cardassian withdrawal of Bajor, after a violent occupation that lasted for over forty years. The Bajoran Provisional Government, put in place following the Cardassian withdrawal, seeks out the Federation for protection and guidance, fearing that the Cardassians would soon return. Starfleet Command assembles a crew to command the former Terok Nor station, now named station Deep Space Nine, orbiting Bajor.
Against his better judgment, Commander Benjamin Sisko accepts his difficult assignment as Deep Space Nine's commanding officer, who's main mission is to provide whatever assistance he can to the Bajorans, while attempting to prepare them for Federation membership. Major Kira Nerys is the Bajoran liaison officer to Deep Space Nine, and the station's first officer. A former member of the Shakaar Resistance, Kira is audacious and contemptuous - an outspoken proponent of Starfleet's arrival. It won't be easy, but Kira and Sisko will have to learn to overcome their diversity and learn to work together before the weak Bajoran government collapses, and the planet slips into a civil war.
During the premier episode, "The Emissary", we learn from Kai Opaka, spiritual leader of Bajor, that the Bajorans have deep spiritual beliefs. Over the past ten thousands years, their gods, known as the Prophets, have sent the Bajorans various orbs in an attempt to make contact and help shape Bajoran evolvement. Opaka reaches out to Sisko, believing he has been sent by the Prophets as their emissary, and gives him the Orb of Prophecy and Change, firmly believing he can unite the Bajorans.
Deep Space Nine's Trill science officer, Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, the eighth host to the Dax symbiont, begins an analysis of the orb, hoping to determine its origin and purpose. Dax plots coordinates of known orb activities and determines that most of the orbs were found within the nearby Denorios belt. Sisko and Dax take a Runabout to set out for the belt to begin a closer examination of the area, only to stumble upon a hidden wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant.
Within the wormhole, Sisko is contacted by the Bajoran Prophets. He concludes that the Prophets are not gods after all, but actually non-corporeal life-forms who reside within the Bajoran wormhole, known to the Bajorans as the Celestial Temple.
In an effort to protect the newly discovered wormhole from the Cardassians, Deep Space Nine is relocated to the mouth of the wormhole, where it remains throughout the series.
CARDASSIANS & BAJORANS
The original premise of the series revolved around the unstable and fragile Bajorans following a violent forty-year occupation by the neighboring Cardassians. The first three seasons deal heavily with these issues, and the series continues to deal with the internal issues on Bajor throughout its run. The Cardassians are identified as the chief villains in the series premier, and remain as such throughout the series.
THE WORMHOLE & PROPHETS
The wormhole is discovered in the premier episode, and provides quick transportation into the Gamma Quadrant. Because of its importance and value, Deep Space Nine is repositioned at the mouth of the wormhole, often making it a prime target. Living within the wormhole is a species of non-corporeal beings, known as the Bajoran Prophets. The Bajoran people belief that the wormhole is the gateway and Celestial Temple to the prophets, who were responsible for the creation of the wormhole.
THE MAQUIS
Star Trek Voyager's foundation is laid out in Deep Space Nine's second season
, with the introduction of the Maquis. The Maquis are revisited frequently within the series, until the rebellion ends in the fifth season episode"Blaze of Glory".
THE DOMINION
The Dominon are first mentioned in "Rules of Acquisition" and again in the compassionate episode "Shadowplay". They are officially introduced in the Season Two finale, "The Jem'Hadar" - a story that is picked up in the two-part Season Three premier. From that point onward, the Dominion slowly become the guiding force throughout the remainder of the series. Although dealt with slightly in the third season, it is not until Season Four that the Dominion become an integrate part of the series. The Dominion War slowly evolves until escalating at the end of the fifth season, leading to one of the most exciting season finales of all time, "A Call to Arms".
FERENGI
Due mostly to the fact that the station's bartender was the conniving Ferengi, Quark, the series has many episodes that has significant Ferengi involvement. These episodes are usually intended to provide a humorous antidote to the often dark and dramatic episodes of the series.
WORF, O'BRIEN, AND THE NEXT GENERATION CONNECTION
The success of Deep Space Nine was reliant on that of the prior Star Trek series, most notably Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). In fact, Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien was a recurring character on TNG, appearing in both its premier and finale episodes. Captain Jean-Luc Picard makes a cameo appearance in DS9's premier, which involved a tense conversation between him and Benjamin Sisko, who blames Picard for his wife's death following his Borg involvement. Two other first season episodes had direct ties to TNG; "Past Prologue" and "Q-Less". Lwaxanna Troi, mother of the Betazoid ship counselor in TNG, also makes her first DS9 appearance in "The Forsaken". Lieutenant Commander Worf joins the Deep Space Nine crew in the Season Four premier, "Way of the Warrior".
FAMILY & PERSONAL ISSUES
Deep Space Nine has a far bigger involvement in personal struggles than any other series. Although families were seen in TNG, it was never dealt with on nearly as large of scale as on DS9. Benjamin Sisko himself had numerous interactions with his son, Jake Sisko, who made frequent appearances throughout the series. The series tackles Sisko's struggle to move on with his life following the sudden death of his wife. Sisko is introduced to freighter captain Kassidy Yates in "Family Business" and later marries her in the seventh season episode"Til Death Do Us Part". Miles O'Brien has many stories involving marital problems with his wife, Keiko. The young daughter of Miles and Keiko, Molly, also makes several appearances in the series, in addition to their son, Kirayoshi, who was born in the fifth season episode "The Begotten". Jadzia Dax and Worf marry in the sixth season episode"You Are Cordially Invited...". Upon Jadzia's death ("Tears of the Prophets"), and subsequent replacement by Ezri Tigan Dax, we explore the implications of Trill symbiont involvement in past relationships.
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