Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ
[1] About the series
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the fourth Star Trek series (or the third 'official' one). It is a spin-off from Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, two extremely popular and successful series. The story behind the series runs thus:
Deep Space Nine is a space station in the Bajoran solar system. Bajor is a planet from which a race called the Cardassians recently withdrew after a long and bloody occupation, in which they stripped the planet of raw materials. The Cardassians (using Bajoran slave labour) built the space station to process ore. They abandoned it when they withdrew, and the Bajoran provisional government asked the Federation (the United Federation of Planets, an alliance of over 150 civilisations, of which Humans and Vulcans were the founding members) to take charge of the space station and organise relief efforts for the Bajorans from there.
However, things became more complicated, as in the opening episode ("Emissary"), a wormhole is discovered which leads to a distant part of the galaxy. This opens up huge new opportunities for the rather remote star system.
Actors' names in brackets and italics; episode references also in brackets and quotes in the text, with season number.
Main Cast
Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks)
[Commander, Seasons 1-3; Captain, Seasons 4-7]
Sisko is in charge of the station. He lost his wife in a Borg attack at Wolf 359 several years before the series starts (S1 "Emissary", The Next Generation: S3/4"The Best of Both Worlds"). He has a son (14 in Season 1, 20 in Season 7) named Jake. He is strong minded, and a good Starfleet officer. However, at DS9 he is also the Bajoran people's Emissary of the Prophets - an important religious figure - because he discovered the wormhole. See [2.3.5] (Who Are the Prophets?).
Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor)
[Major, Seasons 1-6; Colonel, Season 7]
Kira (that's her surname) is the highest-ranking Bajoran on the station, and so she's the Bajoran liaison to the Federation. She's strong-minded, and in early episodes often becomes annoyed with Sisko, the Federation, the Bajoran Provisional Government and anything or anyone else who comes in her way. She softens up a little in later seasons. She was a member of the Bajoran Resistance in the times of the Cardassian occupation, and because she's Bajoran she hates all things Cardassian (well, most of them).
Lieutenant Commander Worf (Michael Dorn)
[Seasons 4-7]
Worf was originally from the Enterprise-D and correspondingly Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is a Klingon, and he values honour, duty, and all that sort of stuff. He started a relationship with Jadzia Dax in early Season 5, and married her in Season 6's "You Are Cordially Invited".
Lieutenant Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell)
[Seasons 1-6]
Jadzia is the host of Dax. Dax is a symbiont, a being that depends upon another body (the host) to live. Essentially Dax is a parasite, but a nice one. However, it is also very complex. When the symbiont is joined with the host, their thoughts combine, so that the host has all the memories of the symbiont, and vice versa. In this way, when the host dies and the symbiont is transferred to another host, the new host gains all of the memories and some of the characters of the previous hosts.
Jadzia is the station's science officer. Terry Farrell left the series at the end of Season 6 ("Tears of the Prophets") and the character was written out. However, with this special nature of Trills (the species to which Jadzia belongs), the character kind of lived on. See the next entry.
Lieutenant Ezri Dax (Nicole deBoer)
[Season 7 only. Ensign, S7 Episodes 1 & 2; Lieutenant, rest of Season 7]
Ezri, a Starfleet counsellor, is the next host of the Dax symbiont. However, Ezri was joined with Dax in an emergency situation, and Ezri had none of the years of preparation that potential hosts normally go through. As such, Ezri Dax turned out a little different from other symbiont-host combinations - instead of being a smooth mixture, bits of previous hosts pop up every now and then, and she's never quite sure whether her feelings or thoughts are her own, Jadzia's, or one of the other host's.
Nicole deBoer joined the cast for the final season to fill the space left by Terry Farrell.
Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney)
O'Brien is another Enterprise transfer. He is a non-commissioned officer (NCO), and so has no "real" rank, aside from Chief. He is the station's chief engineer, and has a difficult job on his hands as the station is often incompatible with Starfleet technology and is constantly breaking down in one place or another. O'Brien has a wife (Keiko), and two children (Molly and Yoshi).
Doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig)
At the start of the series, Bashir is pretty much fresh out of Starfleet Academy, and a little arrogant and cocky. He soon loosens up, however, and in Season 5's "Doctor Bashir, I Presume", a secret about his past comes out into the open and he becomes a lot more realistic, and sometimes even depressing, especially when it comes to the war.
Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois)
Odo is the station's chief of security. He is pretty unique, in the fact that he is a shapeshifter (a Changeling) - a being who can change their shape and size at will to make themselves looks like something else entirely. Odo's feats include birds, picture frames, bar stools, even reflective surfaces. However, with the humanoid figure being a lot more complex than these other objects, he still has trouble forming the face correctly.
Odo is gruff, and intent on doing his job, and as head of security he often comes up against Quark, whose illicit activities Odo often can never quite uncover.
Quark (Armin Shimerman)
Quark runs the station's bar and holosuites. He is a Ferengi - a member of the greedy race whose entire cultural system is based on business, and the acquisition of wealth. Of course, often the acquisition of wealth means engaging in, well, activities that aren't quite legal.
Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton)
Jake is the son of Ben Sisko. We've seen him grow from a small fourteen-year-old in Season 1 to a twenty-year-old in Season 7, now a freelance reporter. He is good friends with Nog, but also spends time with his father playing their favourite game, baseball, in the holosuites.
Recurring Characters
Garak (Andrew Robinson)
Garak is the Cardassian owner of a tailor's shop on the Promenade of the station. In exile from Cardassia, he has a long and complicated past; partly spent in Cardassia's secret police (the "Obsidian Order") although he's loathed to admit it. Garak has some impressive skills that the station crew knows about - and no doubt some that the crew doesn't know about. Lately (Seasons 6-7) he's been helping Sisko and company in their fight against the Cardassian-Dominion alliance.
Rom (Max Grodénchik)
Rom is Quark's brother. He has gone from being one of Quark's nervous workers at the bar to having a non-commissioned rank in the Bajoran militia. He got the rank because he is an excellent engineer - although not many people knew until the middle seasons (3-4). Rom devised the concept behind the minefield (Season 5 "Call to Arms" - Season 6 "Sacrifice of Angels").
Lieutenant Nog (Aron Eisenberg)
Nog is Rom's son - what happened to Nog's mother, we don't really know. Nog joined Starfleet in Season 5, and progresses from Cadet in Season 5 to Ensign in Season 6 and then Lieutenant in Season 7. He's the first ever Ferengi to join Starfleet - something which Ferengi wouldn't usually dream about, because in the Federation there's no money…
Leeta (Chase Masterson)
Leeta is a Dabo girl who works in Quark's Bar. (Dabo is a gambling game that looks kind of like roulette.) She marries Rom in S5 "Call to Arms", and often ends up in bad situations with the Ferengi gang (Quark, Rom, Nog etc.)
Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo)
Dukat is a Cardassian, and a much-loathed one by the Bajorans (especially Kira). He was the Prefect (commander) of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. Dukat becomes less important in the years after the occupation, and he tries to climb back to a position of power again. In Season 4, when the Klingons attack Cardassia, he steals a Klingon ship to fight back. And in Season 5, he oversees Cardassia's entry into the Dominion ("By Inferno's Light"), becoming the head of the new Dominion-controlled state. However, a traumatic experience in Season 6 ("Sacrifice of Angels") leaves his psychological condition in a sorry state, and he vows revenge against Bajor, Bajorans, and Sisko.
Damar (Casey Biggs)
Damar is Dukat's deputy during Dukat's time as head of Cardassia, and when Dukat goes mad Damar takes over. However, by Season 7 he is less than happy with the way Cardassia is under Dominion rule, and decides to do something about it ("Till Death Do Us Part").
Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs)
Weyoun is a Vorta, the administrative race of the Dominion (genetically engineered by the Founders, see [X.X]). He is in charge of the Dominion's activities in the Alpha Quadrant.
Female Changeling (Salome Jens)
The Female Changeling (we don't have a proper name for her) seems to be the head of the Dominion. She is intent on seeing Odo come back to the Great Link (see [X.X]) - actually, she wants this above anything else, even the Alpha Quadrant itself (she says so too!).
Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher)
Winn is a devious Bajoran woman who took the title of Kai (the Bajoran spiritual leader) in Season 2. She is often scheming, and she uses the Bajoran religion to try and make her activities acceptable ("It is the will of the Prophets"). She secretly questions Sisko's role as Emissary. In Season 7 she starts scheming even more, this time with a little help…
There are many recurring characters in DS9 (over 20), but if you want a more detailed list, try looking through DS9 websites. The above should be enough to get you started.
Well, if you read this FAQ then hopefully you'll know most of the back-story. However, DS9 is based heavily on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the best way of finding out the story behind some of DS9's own arcs is by watching TNG. Try this list if you want a detailed picture:
| DS9 Story | TNG Episode |
| Sisko and the Borg attack (S1 "Emissary") | S3/4 "The Best of Both Worlds" |
| The Cardassians | S4 "The Wounded" |
| The Bajorans | S5 "Ensign Ro" |
| The Maquis | S4 "The Wounded" S7 "Pre-emptive Strike" |
DS9 is showing in a whole host of countries! Obviously the United States shows it, along with Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, plus many other countries in Europe, and a few in other parts of the world (I've heard that Israel, Brazil and Malaysia all show it). To find out when it is showing, you can try the official site, Star Trek Continuum (www.startrek.com), which has an area called "Viewing Stations". Unfortunately it is only ever accurate for American stations - for other countries you're only likely to find out that it's showing. The airdates are hopelessly outdated.
For airdates in the UK, visit:
http://www.excelsior.free-online.co.uk/sttc/ (and go to News > TV Observation Unit)
These airdates are also carried by newsletter ODN:
If you just want to know what’s on today, then TrekToday is a good place to visit. It carries a "Today on TV" feature with today’s Start Trek listings, including the UK info from above, US dates, German dates, plus sometimes dates for some other countries, which include the Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium & France. http://www.trektoday.com
It depends where you live. In the United States, only early episodes available on VHS. In the United Kingdom, all DS9 episodes will be available by the end of 1999 (Season 7 is currently in release), with two episodes per video. You will probably be able to find exports of these videos from the UK if you live in Western Europe, although they are only available in English.
As for other formats, there is possibly a UK release of S4 premiere "The Way of the Warrior" on laserdisc, and various episode have been packaged into special Star Trek video and laserdisc sets (e.g. S5 "Trials and Tribble-ations). As of spring 1999, no DS9 episodes are available on DVD.
[2] On Screen
[2.1.1] What is the Defiant?
The Defiant is DS9's own ship. It was written in by the writers to get the station-bound crew, well, off the station, since the only way they could leave otherwise was by runabout, and they needed something with a little more firepower.
In Season 3's premiere, "The Search, Part I".
It was built a while prior to their getting it in "The Search" (built 2366, "The Search" is in 2371). It was originally built as a ship designed for battle with the Borg.
Good question. Usually, it's Worf who commands the Defiant, unless Sisko's there (because he's a higher rank). If neither Worf nor Sisko are there, then the next highest-ranking officer is Kira.
Being picky are we? It's NX-74205. The NX means "naval experimental" (as opposed to the regular registration, which is NCC, or Naval Construction Contract).
This is the subject of heated debate amongst loyal fans in some newsgroups. Some people believe that it's Defiant Class, because it's a prototype and classes of ship are named after the prototype (usually). Others believe that it's Valiant Class. A quick reference to the Star Trek Encyclopaedia says that it's Defiant Class - and the Encyclopaedia is the "official" word.
A space station, duh… It was an ore-processing station, now it's a Starfleet outpost, the most important in the area.
Deep Space Nine! Terok Nor is the Cardassian name for the station. That's why you'll hear the Cardassians refer to the station by this name in Season 6's first few episodes, when they're on board.
Officially, the Bajorans, but it's run by the Federation and Bajorans together as a Federation station. Since the Bajorans are supposed to be joining the Federation some day, it should eventually become a Federation station. It used to belong to the Cardassians, until they withdrew from Bajor.
The Cardassians made DS9, using Bajoran slave labour. You can tell by the distinctive Cardassian architecture (trust me, it's Cardassian).
Empok Nor is an abandoned station identical in design to Deep Space Nine/Terok Nor (obviously "Nor" means "station" in Cardassian). However, this one was never re-occupied, and so is dark, gloomy, etc… plus it still has dozens of Cardassian booby-traps designed to dissuade anyone from setting foot on it (except the Cardassians, of course). You'll see Empok Nor in Season 5's "Empok Nor" (what a surprise), Season 6's "The Magnificent Ferengi", and Season 7’s "Covenant".
A wormhole is a shortcut through space through which things can travel almost instantaneously across the distance between the wormhole's two openings. The Bajoran wormhole is a link between Bajor and a place called Idran, in the Gamma Quadrant, about 60,000 light years away. Normally the journey would take 60 years at top speed; the wormhole does it for you in about 60 seconds. Neat, huh?
The Prophets (see [2.3.5]) created the wormhole - it's artificial. In Star Trek, very few stable natural wormholes are known to exist. Actually, there aren't any at all - the ones that are stable all have something wrong with them and blow up, or become unstable, or something (see Star Trek: Voyager, S1 "Eye of the Needle" and S3 "False Profits").
To a place called Idran, in the Gamma Quadrant, about 60,000 light years away.
Well, in Seasons 1 and 2, there are hints of a powerful empire somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant, an alliance of worlds like the Federation, but an "evil" version. We finally find out about them properly in Season 2's finale "The Jem'Hadar" and Season 3's premiere "The Search". They're called the Dominion, and they consist of several "tiers" - the military, who are a genetically engineered race called the Jem'Hadar; the Vorta, another genetically engineered race who control the Jem'Hadar and organise the political side of things; and the Founders, who are the leaders of the whole thing. The Founders, much to Odo's chagrin, are the same species as him - Changelings or shapeshifters.
The Dominion objected whole-heartedly to people coming in and out of their territory all the time, so they blow up a Galaxy Class Federation starship (a very big and powerful one that took a long time to make, and would no doubt annoy the Federation if it got blown up). So, wormhole traffic was kind of limited.
In Season 5's finale, "Call to Arms", the Defiant mines the entrance to the wormhole ("mines" as in exploding things), for reasons you'll find out if you watch the episode. That also doesn't help with the traffic flow. And in Season 6's "Sacrifice of Angels", the Prophets [2.3.5] who happen to live in the wormhole, and who happen to like Sisko (who is about to have something nasty happen to him), do something to some Dominion ships (watch the episode!) which won't make anyone go back into the wormhole in a hurry.
In Season 6's finale, "Tears of the Prophets", again something else happens to the wormhole which doesn't help with traffic flow. You'll see.
The Prophets are the strange aliens who live in, and who created, the wormhole. They exist out of normal time, so they have no proper idea of what "linear existence" is (see the premiere, "Emissary"). The Prophets have another role, however - they have become rather fond of the Bajorans and they have been an integral part of the Bajoran civilisation for millennia. The Bajorans correspondingly worship the Prophets, and often refer to the wormhole as the Celestial Temple.
The Dominion is a forced alliance of planets based in the Gamma Quadrant. It's a bit like an evil version of the Federation.
From Season 5's "Call to Arms" onwards, the Federation is officially at war with the Dominion. The situation was already extremely tense - dozens of Dominion warships were coming through the wormhole to Cardassia in a continuously flow, and if the war had waited longer then the Federation would have stood less and less chance of being able to defend itself. The war was sparked off by the Defiant laying a minefield at the wormhole's entrance so no more ships could pass through (S5 "Call to Arms").
The Klingons immediately go to war with the Dominion, at the same time as the Federation. By S6 "In the Pale Moonlight", the Romulans are fighting too. Bajor is pretty much at war with them after helping the Federation reoccupy Deep Space Nine (S6 "Sacrifice of Angels").
The Founders, or Changelings (or shapeshifters) are in charge of the Dominion. At their head is the Female Changeling (played by Salome Jens). Underneath the Founders are the Vorta, a genetically engineered race which plays an administrative part. In turn, the Vorta are in charge of the Jem’Hadar.
Well, with an alliance of worlds, it's hard to say what it should be officially. The Founders' homeworld is now at a secret location in the Gamma Quadrant (S4 "Broken Link"). The base of operations for the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant is Cardassia Prime.
Ketracel White is an enzyme that the Jem'Hadar soldiers must be given to survive. They were engineered with this dependency deliberately, as a way of keeping them loyal to the Dominion. The Vorta in command of the Jem’Hadar have a supply of White at their disposal, and they supply it to the Jem’Hadar – as long as the Jem’Hadar stay loyal.
The Star Trek galaxy is divided into four quadrants – Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta:
| Gamma | Delta |
| Alpha | Beta |
Earth is situated on the border between the Alpha and Beta quadrants. The Federation spans a large portion of the Alpha quadrant and a small portion of the Beta quadrant. Cardassia and Bajor are at the far edge of the Alpha quadrant, and the Klingons and Romulans live in the Beta quadrant. The Dominion is in the Gamma quadrant. The wormhole leads between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants. There’s no physical border between the quadrants (so it IS possible to go between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants without the wormhole – but it would take much longer because the wormhole deposits travellers right in the middle of the Gamma quadrant).
Just to confuse you, on the series, the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Bajorans & Cardassians (and pretty much everyone they know) are referred to as being the Alpha quadrant, even though the Klingons & Romulans live in the Beta quadrant. It’s a minor nit-pick that might confuse a few people. However, nearly all the action takes place in the Alpha or Gamma quadrants, so there’s no need to worry about it (these two are much more distinct – you can tell by which side of the wormhole you’re on).
[3] Off Screen
You're only half-right there. DS9 came to the end of its seven-season run in the US in May 1999. It was never intended to run for longer than seven seasons, so it wasn't really cancelled - it just lived out its life period. Seven seasons is an incredibly long time for a 45-minute (an hour on commercial channels) weekly series - the nearest rivals include popular series Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation (also seven seasons), and The X-Files (in a seventh season).
Probably not. Now that the show has finished, there is speculation over whether a movie will be produced (like predecessors Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation). Despite the success of the series, it is unlikely - the writers feel that the series should be left after a spectacular closing nine-part arc in Season 7, and ST:TNG movies may have not yet finished.
My definition of a good episode guide is one which lists all the episodes of the entire series in order, by season, along with a short synopsis of each one; preferably all on a single page for easy downloading.
The next update of this FAQ should give a list of some good guides.
Meanwhile, you can get lists of episodes with links to synopses at:
Yes! There are now over twenty DS9 novels, published by Pocket Books, with more coming every month. There are also a variety of non-fiction books, from Simon and Schuster. Do a search on Amazon, or visit Subspace Databank, which is an Amazon associate with Star Trek specialisation. Psi Phi also has a list of upcoming ST novels.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com
Subspace Databank: http://subspace.virtualave.net/databank/
Psi Phi: http://www.psiphi.org
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