Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 — 1999)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) is a popular American science fiction TV series co-created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. As the fourth installment in the Star Trek franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993 to June 2, 1999, consisting of 176 episodes across seven seasons. Set in the future, where Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, the show revolves around Deep Space Nine – a space station situated near a wormhole connecting Federation territory to the Gamma Quadrant on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy. After enduring a long and brutal occupation by Cardassians, the Bajorans turned to Starfleet and the Federation for help in rebuilding their world. Using Terak Nor – an old Cardassian station orbiting Bajor which has been renamed Deep Space Nine – as their new base of operations, Starfleet’s new commander Benjamin Sisko and Lieutenant Dax stumble upon an unexpected discovery: a stable wormhole that leads to the distant Gamma Quadrant. This wormhole is inhabited by beings who exist outside of time and are worshipped by the Bajorans as Prophets.

Consequently, the Bajoran people bestow upon Sisko the title of Emissary of the Prophets. Despite his Starfleet career and outsider status among the Bajorans, Sisko feels uneasy about this. Not only does it create tension with Starfleet, who view it as interference in their culture, but it also causes conflict with certain Bajoran religious figures who find an outsider being chosen as the Emissary sacrilegious. In order to balance his duties as a Starfleet Officer aiding in Bajor’s recovery and as the Emissary, Sisko must navigate carefully while also following Starfleet’s Prime Directive of non-interference. Eventually, the crew uncovers that The Dominion controls the Gamma Quadrant – a powerful race known as The Founders created them to bring order to the galaxy. They have genetically-engineered soldiers called Jem’Hadar who are ruthless and efficient, unconcerned with traditional war tactics. The day-to-day operations of The Dominion are overseen by genetically enhanced Vorta who give orders to the Jem’Hadar.