Hi, Ric here again. Deep Space Nine, or Terok Nor has been in the Bajor system for its entire
life, but has changed hands numerous times. For the majority of its life, it was in the
hands of the Cardassian Union but passes out of their control, so this video is too look
at this history of the station that bore host to some of the greatest quadrant shaping events
in Star Trek lore. This video will contain occasional apocryphal content, but nothing
too wild like the station being blow’d up in the 2380s and rebuilt with an identical
one. The station itself is a Nor-Class base, designed
by the Cardassian Kotan Darek and the coercion of the Bajoran architect Charna Sar. Dubbed
“Terok Nor”, several other stations of this design were made by the Cardassians in
other areas of their territory, such as Empok Nor. The occupation of Bajor was a move on
part of the Cardassian Union to expand and conquer other planets to force them into servitude
to their might. Such goals had brought them into conflict with entities such as the United
Federation of Planets before in the past, but the UFP’s dealings with much of Cardassia
had been reactionary. Terok Nor was constructed to further this
agenda. Bajor itself was rich in agriculture and mineral wealth so as the Cardassians conquered
it, they instilled a Bajoran Occupational government which they could control in order
to export that wealth through slavery. From 2346 to 2351, the orbital station was constructed
over Bajor. When completed, its function was to refine uridium ore which was mined on Bajor
in labour camps, before being brought to the station. From there, it was loaded on to Cardassian
vessels which took the haul deep into their territory to make new vessels and structures.
The Bajoran slaves who built Terok Nor were then sentenced to death to keep the plans
for the station being passed on, but this was foiled by the Bajoran Resistance. Command
of the Station was transferred over to Gul Dukat and under his rule, he appointed a non-Bajoran
security chief in Constable Odo and actively encourage non-bajoran business to open on
the promenade, the inner ring of the station, below the command levels. This was for the
comfort and provision of his forces, although he’d probably twist it to seem more benevolent.
2365: Odo made chief of security. At its peak, the refineries could churn out
over 20,000 tons of uridium per day on the labours of its over 7000 Bajoran slaves. The
station also served as the seat of the Prefect, the Cardassian official who oversaw the occupation
of Bajor. Being an incredibly military-minded state society, the position of Gul, akin to
a captain in rank, also came with numerous political obligations, such as managing the
occupation. The Cardassian conquest focused rule in the end would cut them too. With many
of their goods being brought in from captured territories, Cardassia weakened its own agriculture
and production in the long run, meaning it needed others to exploit, spiralling the military
state further. Anyway, eventually, the Cardassians withdrew
from Bajor for an unknown reason. There are some say that the Bajoran resistance emerged
victorious, while most Cardsassians simply say it was a political decision to let go
of a system the no longer had use for. This withdrawal extended to Terok Nor, but before
they left, the Cardassians were ordered to trash the station. They salvaged everything
that might be of value, broke what was left and even killed several of the supposedly
non-affiliated shop owners on the promenade. In 2369, after the withdrawal of the Cardassians,
Bajor dissolved its occupational government and reconstituted it into the Provisional
Government, styling itself a republic. Sorely aware of the state of the ravaged planet and
with many of its resources spent (or razed as part of the withdrawal order), the government
made the decision to reach out to the Federation of Planets. Not only in request for support,
but as consideration as a member world. After all, Bajor now had a unified planetary government,
no societal segregation or caste inducing laws and had technically been a warp-capable
species for longer than even humans. This was a contentious choice in of itself.
The Federation had publicly refused to help Bajor directly as it would violate the prime
directive. Moral or not, technically it would have, as the Bajoran occupational government
still existed, technically was the primary political power of Bajor, and had made no
such requests for aid. But I would point out, that the Federation was at war with Cardassia
at the time too, the “Border Wars” and many point to this as a factor in the Cardassian
retreat. Now free, Bajor created their own militia,
so called as it recruited from the civilian populous and many of the former freedom fighters
joined up, their work in taking back the planet done, now looking to rebuild. In the same
vein of reclaiming their planet, Bajor took ownership of the abandoned Terok Nor with
an eye to utilise its facilities for their own benefit, only to find the place a complete
wreck. It was in short order that they Provisional
Government then came to an agreement with the Federation, that they could run their
operations in helping to rebuild Bajor from Terok Nor, but the station would remain under
Bajoran sovereignty. As such, it would support crews of both Bajoran Militia and Starfleet
personnel, but the ultimate running of the station would be managed by Starfleet. What
to do with the station however, was Bajor’s decision and they appointed Major Kira Nerys
to oversee those interests serving as the station’s executive officer.
Starfleet in the meantime sent Commander Benjamin Sisko to rebuild and prep Bajor for UFP membership
should they continue this route. The UFP even sent the Enterprise D as a show of the importance
with which they regarded this endeavour. As a Federation run station, it was termed Deep
Space 9 and would be run like a Federation Starbase. This too rubbed some shoulders the
wrong way on Bajor, as they felt like the Federation would impose its own rules over
Bajor and threaten the independence they had worked so hard to achieve.
Nevertheless, the governments agreed and reconstruction of the Station began while similar agriculture
and infrastructure projects were conducted on Bajor itself. It helped that Bajor was
on the track to Federation membership, as it enable a freer exchange of technology and
the like than with a planet completely outside the UFP’s jurisdiction, even if help had
been requested. Might be a bit cynical to look at it this way, but in effect the Federation
was making an investment in a prosperous, future Bajor.
Exactly what the Bajorans had planned for the station, we’ll never know for sure,
because soon after Federation administration was completed, it was relocated to the Denorios
Belt to guard the newly discovered wormhole and orbited the bridge to the Gamma Quadrant
at only 1000km away. This order notably was given not by Starfleet, but by the Bajoran
Militia X.O, Major Kira. Again, Starfleet runs the station, but Bajor decides what to
do with it. This new discovery changed how DS9 was viewed
overnight and the importance of the Bajor System exploded. Now, instead of reopening
the refineries, the station became a centre of trade and commerce to a new, unexplored
region of space. The shops of the promenade were being encouraged to remain, even before
the discovery of the wormhole, but now the Bajor system suddenly was the place to be,
a new frontier. Bajor suddenly was managing requests and trade from several other species,
all looking utilise the wormhole and the UFP was at the head of the queue. This would have
gone a long way in aiding the rebuilding of Bajor.
Starfleet would continue to manage exploration and the policing of the wormhole from Deep
Space Nine, but was mindful of the fact the phenomena was also a Bajoran site of cultural
significance, their “Celestial Temple”, as well as being in their space. The balance
between the UFP and Bajor was not always smooth, there were often arguments about access to
the temple and Sisko’s appointment as reluctant Emissary to the Prophets served to both aid
and hinder the efforts. Overall, the Federation would protect Bajor and its interests in return
for priority access to the Gamma Quadrant, but also was aware that it needed to allow
others access too, in order to encourage the growth of Bajor.
With brewing turmoil with the Dominion, Starfleet saw fit to drastically upgrade the station,
converting it from a site of trade into a strategic compound too. What qualms Bajor
may have had about this were quashed to with the decisions to halt its Federation membership
application and sign a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. This politically distanced
the recovering Bajor from the Federation and saved the planet much more grief, an act that
ultimately would affirm the notion that Starfleet, unlike the Cardassians before, prized Bajor
as world, not a resource. The order was given to untangle the Federation presence on the
station from Bajor and Starfleet was formerly asked by Bajor’s representative, Kira to
leave. Side note, I loved that scene, the episode is “Call to Arms” if you’re
interested. Starfleet installed much equipment on the
station, which would remain their property, although Bajoran personnel were trained in
its operation, including numerous axillary craft in the form of the runabouts and eventually
the USS Defiant. This is also why Bajoran security on the station still only use Bajoran
phasers and the like. This equipment was notably destroyed when the Federation had to abandon
the station to the Dominion. When the order was given by Kira to sabotage the station
itself, it was not only to spite the Dominion, but maintain the prime directive.
The Dominion effectively then instils its presence on the station, taking up the position
the Federation once had, in that Deep Space Nine, or Terok Nor as it was renamed, was
still a Bajoran station, ceded to them five years earlier by the Cardassians. However,
as the Cardassians were now part of the Dominion’s “partnership”, in practice Gul Dukat had
regained control of the space station. This second rule was not as dire as the Cardassian
occupation however, as Cardassia was restrained by the Dominion’s non-aggression pact and
so could not reengage in its monstrous actions as before, without violating the Dominion’s
policies, and the Dominion was far more powerful than Cardassia.
When Starfleet retook the Station in operation return, Bajor clandestinely supported this
decision but remained technically neutral until the end of the Dominion War and the
signing of the treaty of Bajor. At the end of it all, Bajor’s petition to join the
Federation continued, despite the pause but throughout the entire show, the Station remained
property of the Bajorans. As for what happens when Bajor joins the Federation in full? Most
Starbases constructed by Starfleet are their creations, but Deep Space Nine is a special
case. It would in all likelihood remain outside of Federation property, but still be run as
a Federation station. Basically, I think in order to maintain the level of commerce that
flows through DS9, the status quo as of last time we saw it would generally be maintained.
So thanks for following me into this lookback over the history of the Bajoran Station, Deep
Space Nine. I’ve always liked how it was this place of grimness and harshness, which
is reflected in its spikey design, but its heart was kind of redeemed? Purified? Ultimately
it was built to do great harm to Bajor, but ended up supplying much in the way of its
salvation. Thanks again for watching, I’ve been Ric and I’ll see you next time. Goodbye!