JC's Trek Talk

Episode Spotlight TNG's "The Wounded" Stardate 44429.6.  The Enterprise is on a routine patrol near Cardassian Space.  Picard tells the crew about the last time he was in this area, fleeing a Cardassian ship on the Stargazer.  Meanwhile newlyweds Miles and Keiko O'Brien enjoy breakfast in their quarters.  The Enterprise is attacked by a Cardassian warship.  After several exchanges of phaser fire the Cardassians stand down and open communications with the Enterprise.  In response to Picard asking the reason for the attack, the Cardassian captain, Gul Macet (Marc Alaimo), says that another Starfleet ship attacked and destroyed an unarmed Cardassian outpost near the border 2 days ago. In the interest of maintaining the peace treaty Picard asks for one hour to investigate Macet's claims.  After speaking with Admiral Haden Picard learns that Macet's claims are true, the USS Phoenix under Captain Benjamin Maxwell has gone rogue, stopped answering hails and a...

Thoughts on the Maquis In the buildup to Star Trek Voyager's premiere TNG and DS9 introduced and established the Maquis, a resistance movement founded by a group of disenfranchised Federation colonists whose planets were summarily turned over to the Cardassians by an ill-advised border treaty.  This created an interesting political situation: the Cardassians secretly arming their colonists to fight the Federation colonists and drive them out while the Federation, unwilling to risk a conflict with the Cardassians and ostensibly hiding behind the Prime Directive were unwilling to actively interfere in the situation in the Demilitarized Zone.  The Federation colonists were caught in the middle of this, in fear of the Cardassians and with no protection from the Federation.  What other option do they have?  They band together as a resistance (or terrorist depending on your point of view) called the Maquis (the name borrowed from the French resistance in WWII).  The C...

The Post Dominion War Years 2376-2380 Following the end of the Dominion War and the signing of the Treaty of Bajor, the Alpha Quadrant found itself in disarray-to put it mildly.  The Federation had lost in total at least 500 ships, the Klingons at least as many.  Romulan numbers are not known, although inside sources have indicated that losses for the Romulan fleet could be as high as 30 percent.  The Federation would provide aid to many devastated worlds, including core members like Betazed and Benzar.  Cardassia Prime was left in ruins and the Cardassian Union found itself leaderless and on the brink of societal collapse.  Repairs and rebuilding of Starfleet Headquarters in San Franscisco on Earth after the Breen attack would continue into mid 2376.  Although the most destructive war in the history of the Alpha Quadrant was ended, it would be some years before affairs returned to anything resembling normalcy.   Starfleet Starfleet would focus sh...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter Finale: What You Leave Behind The computer announces the time as 05:00 hours, waking Bashir and Ezri, who are sleeping together.  After discussing their night they along with the rest of of the senior staff prepare to leave on the Defiant.  O'Brien admits to Keiko that he hasn't yet told Bashir about the offer for him to teach at Starfleet Academy.  Sisko comforts Kasidy who is experiencing pregnancy-related morning sickness.  Jake walks him to the Defiant.  Odo walks with Worf to the Defiant, they discuss their hopes that Kira is well.  The Defiant departs with the fleet for Cardassia Prime.  On Cardassia Weyoun and the Founder monitor the incoming fleet.  The Founder says that the outcome of the battle will determine the outcome of the war.  Broca reports rumors that Damar is alive and in the capital on Cardassia Prime.  While sneaking through the streets Garak and Damar are stopped by Jem'Hadar patro...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter 8: The Dogs of War On DS9 the crew wait expectantly in ops for the arrival of their new Defiant-class ship.  When the ship, the USS Sao Paulo, arrives they notice how it looks almost identical to the Defiant.  On the Sao Paulo's bridge Admiral Ross transfers command to Captain Sisko.  Ross also gives Sisko special dispensation from Starfleet Operations to rename the ship to USS Defiant!  On the stolen Jem'Hadar ship Kira, Garak And Damar beam down to Cardassia Prime to meet with some of Damar's loyalists.  However they discover that one of the officers, Gul Revok, has betrayed them.  The resistance is massacred.  In orbit the Jem'Hadar ship is attacked and destroyed.  The three are stranded on Cardassia.  They make their way to the capital and hide in the basement of Garak's childhood home, the former home of Enabran Tain with Mila, Tain's housekeeper.  In the infirmary Bashir clears Odo for duty and te...

Deep Space Nine The Final Chapter 6: Tacking Into the Wind Kira and Garak continue teaching Damars officers about resistance strategy, tensions increase between Kira and Gul Rusot.  After returning from a mission to destroy a Dominion shipyard, Odo, fatigued goes to rest and has difficulty maintaining his shape.  Walking into the bunk room Garak discovers this, Odo admits that he is ill and tells Garak not to let Kira know.  On DS9 Bashir and O'Brien hit a dead end in the search for a cure for Odos disease.  Bashir refuses to go to Sisko, Sisko would be obliged to report to Starfleet, which would alert Section 31.  Gowron tries to blame Martok for a recent defeat at Avenal VII, despite being outnumbered 6 to 1.  Sisko agrees with Martok, blaming Gowron for bad strategic decisions.  On Cardassia the female Founder, showing signs of the disease, asks Weyoun when the cloning facility will be repaired.  She orders the Jem'Hadar to search for Damars fa...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter 5: When It Rains... O'Brien briefs Sisko and Martok on the Breen energy-dampening weapon and the fact that one ship, a Klingon Bird of Prey, was immune to the weapon due to modifications to its reactor.  However this modification won't work on Federation or Romulan ships.  Martok agrees to have all Klingon ships modified and use them to keep the Dominion distracted.  After the attack on Rondac III Damar has gone into hiding.  Sisko and Admiral Ross agree that Damar's resistance could use some help in resistance fighting and guerrilla tactics, they decide to send Kira to help them, Kira agrees.  Garak and Odo will accompany her.  In the infirmary Bashir convinces Odo to give him a sample of his "goo" to study for medical research.  On Bajor Winn continues to read the Kosst Amojan.  Dukat offers to help but she refuses.  On DS9 Martok is to be inducted into the order of Kahless.  Kira and Garak inform Sis...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter 4: The Changing Face of Evil As O'Brien and Bashir welcome Worf and Ezri back to the station, and Sisko tells Ezri that's he's willing to overlook stealing and losing the runabout as he's much more interested in the Dominion-Breen alliance, Kira reports that they've received a priority one message from Starfleet: the Breen have attacked Earth.  In Siskos office Martok comments on the boldness of the attack, saying that it is something even the Klingons never tried.  He also points out how little they know about the Breen.  On Cardassia Weyoun and Thot Gor celebrate the attack and Weyoun gleefully announces that the casualty numbers are being revised upwards.  Weyoun leaves to report to the Founder, Damar tells Thot Gor that the Dominion once sung Cardassias praises, but now they blame Cardassia for the war dragging on.  In his quarters Sisko finds Kasidy trying and failing to cook him dinner, having burned his peppers.  Si...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter 3: Strange Bedfellows Weyoun has Worf and Ezri put in the same cell on the Dominion ship for the trip back to Cardassia.  After struggling to maintain her form the female Founder enters and addresses the Breen leader Thot Gor about the alliance and a formal treaty which will allow them to eliminate the Federation alliance.  Reading the treaty Damar is outraged that the Dominion is handing over Cardassian planets to the Breen without his knowledge.  Weyoun shuts him down, ordering him to sign the treaty without reading the fine print, saying that the big picture, wiping out the Federation is more important.  Seething, Damar wants reinforcements sent to Septimus III, currently under siege by Klingons.  Weyoun promises that Septimus III will be dealt with.  On DS9 Martok and Sisko finish talking about war plans and turn to talking about Sisko's new marriage to Kasidy.  Martok likens marriage to a "long, grueling, intoxic...

Deep Space Nine: The Final Chapter 2: 'Til Death Do Us Part While explaining his Prophet vision to Jake, Sisko gets a surprise visit from Kai Winn, who offers to perform the wedding ceremony.  Sisko tells Winn about his vision, except for the Prophets warning him not to wed.  Before going to her guest quarters Winn has what she believes is her first ever Prophet vision, the Prophets say that the Emissary has faltered and she must bring about "the Restoration of Bajor".  They also tell her to wait for a guide who will carry the "wisdom of the land".  While Worf and Dax remain imprisoned on the Breen ship, on Cardassia Weyoun tells a heavily hung over Damar to prepare to leave but does not tell him where they are going.  He also tells Damar that he knows about Dukat's visit.  Damar later meets with Dukat to give him forged ID documents.  Dukat points out how Weyoun is controlling Damar and says that Damar needs to be a strong leader for Cardassia.  ...

Episode Spotlight DS9's Duet On a seemingly run of the mill day on Deep Space Nine (at least as much as a day on Deep Space Nine can be run of the mill...) a freighter contacts Ops to dock and reports that they have passenger aboard needing medical attention for Kalla-Nohra syndrome.  The passenger is beamed to the infirmary and Kira asks to go see them, saying that the only known cases of the condition are from victims of a mining accident at Gallitep, a forced labor that she helped liberate in the resistance.  Arriving at the infirmary she is shocked to see that the patient is a Cardassian.  She calls security and orders Odo to lock him up in a security cell.  In Sisko's office Odo reports that despite Kira's claim of the Cardassian Aamin Marritza being a war criminal he cannot find his name on any official list.  Kira says that she doesn't care whether or not Marritza's listed, and emotionally describes the horrific brutal conditions at Gallitep.  Sisko ...