Editing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (section)

==Premise==
The main setting of ''Deep Space Nine'' is a space station near the planet [[Bajor]], built by the imperialistic Cardassians during their long, brutal occupation of Bajor. After liberating themselves through a [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla war]], the Bajorans invite the [[United Federation of Planets]] to jointly administer the station. The station is renamed [[Deep Space Nine (space station)|Deep Space Nine]], and a mixed [[Starfleet]] and Bajoran crew is assigned to manage it, led by Commander Benjamin Sisko.

Shortly after his arrival, Sisko discovers a [[Bajoran wormhole|stable wormhole in Bajoran space]] between the [[Alpha Quadrant]] and the unexplored [[Gamma Quadrant]], and the station is moved near the wormhole's entrance. The wormhole is the home of powerful, noncorporeal aliens whom the Bajorans worship as "the Prophets". Sisko is revered by the Bajorans as the Prophets' "Emissary"; although he is initially uncomfortable with being a religious figure, he gradually grows to accept his role.

Deep Space Nine and Bajor quickly become a center for exploration, [[space trade|interstellar trade]], political maneuvering, and finally open conflict. Threats come not only from Cardassians, [[Klingon]]s, and [[Romulan]]s from the Alpha Quadrant, but also later from the [[Dominion (Star Trek)|Dominion]], a powerful empire in the Gamma Quadrant ruled by a species of [[Shapeshifting|shapeshifters]]. The starship USS ''Defiant'' is assigned to help protect the station. When the Dominion and the Cardassians take up arms against the Federation and its allies starting in the fifth season, Deep Space Nine becomes a key Federation base in the [[Dominion War]].

According to co-creator Berman, he and Tiller considered setting the new series on a colony planet, but they decided a space station would appeal more to viewers, and would save the money required for a land-based show's on-location shooting. They did not want the show set aboard a starship because ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' was still in production, and in Berman's words, it "seemed ridiculous to have two shows—two casts of characters—that were off going where no man has gone before".<ref name="boldnew">The DVD set ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—The Complete First Season'' includes the featurette "A Bold New Beginning", in which Berman and others explain the series's early design phases and their goals in creating it.</ref>

While its predecessors tended to restore the ''[[wikt:status quo ante|status quo ante]]'' at the end of each episode, allowing out-of-order viewing, ''DS9'' contains story arcs that span episodes and seasons. One installment often builds upon earlier ones, with several [[cliffhanger]] endings. Michael Piller considered this one of the series' best qualities, allowing repercussions of past episodes to influence future events and forcing characters to "learn that actions have consequences."<ref name="boldnew" /> This trend was especially noticeable toward the series finale, by which time the show was intentionally scripted as a serial.<ref name="boldnew" /><ref name="frontiers" />

Unlike ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', interpersonal conflicts were prominently featured in ''DS9''. This was at the suggestion of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''{{'}}s writers, many of whom also wrote for ''DS9'', who said that Roddenberry's prohibition of conflicts within the crew restricted their ability to write compelling dramatic stories. In Piller's words, "People who come from different places — honorable, noble people — will naturally have conflicts".<ref name="boldnew" /> The series took a more cynical view of human nature and the United Federation of Planets than the utopian vision presented in ''The Next Generation'', and unlike its predecessor, it featured main characters who were not from the Federation and could offer an alternative perspective.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 1, 2018 |last=Tremeer |first=Eleanor |title=To Boldly Stay: How ''Deep Space Nine'' Upended ''Star Trek'' by Exposing Utopia's Dark Side |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/to-boldly-stay-how-deep-space-nine-upended-star-trek-b-1823186821 |access-date=February 1, 2021 }}</ref>