Star Trek: What The Next Generation Did During the Dominion War (2024)

One of the bloodiest wars in all of Star Trek history was featured onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.When the changelingscalled the Founders decided to move through their Bajoran wormhole, it sparked what became known as the Dominion War. The crew of Deep Space Nine was on the front lines of the attack, fighting to keep the threat out of the Alpha Quadrant.

During this time, Starfleet's most recognizable ship was not featured onscreen. Although Miles O'Brien and Worf,originally from the crew of the Enterprise onStar Trek: The Next Generation, were part of Deep Space Nine during the war most of the familiar group was missing in action. Now, we're taking a look back at the part that Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise played in fighting back the forces from the Gamma Quadrant during the Dominion War.

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The Gorn Crisis

Star Trek: The Gorn Crisis-- by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, and Igor Kordey -- is a graphic novel featuring the Enterprise crew during the Dominion War. Jean-Luc Picard, and crew,were tasked with recruiting the Gorn species to their side during the conflict. However, when they arrived on the planet they found the Gorn were undergoing a crisis of their own. The Gorn, first seen in a memorable encounter with Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series, are a humanoid-lizard race. The warrior class of the Black Crests killed off the council leaders that governed their society just as Picard began negotiations for them to join the Federation, finding humans weak and not worth joining.

Meanwhile, First Officer William Riker and a group of Klingons worked on an outer planet of the Gorn Empire to establish a satellite for the Federation's surveillance network. When the warrior Gorn left their planet, they headed straight for the outpost where Riker worked to establish a communication line. Riker and the Klingons fought against the Gorn, eventually using air conditioning to subdue their cold-blooded enemy.After Data bested the leader of the Black Crests, and Riker took down their away team, the Gorn and Picard were able to establish a peaceful dialogue. Although the Gorn had much to do to rebuild their society, it would have to wait until the Dominion were defeated.

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The Battle of Betazed

During the earlier part of the war, Dominion forces overtook the planet Betazed, an important part of the Federation Alliance whose native people have telepathic abilities.The planet is also the home world of Counselor Deanna Troi of the Enterprise. The Battle of Betazed by Charlotte Douglas and Susan Kearney, published in 2002 by Pocket Books, chronicles how it was liberated.

As Federation forces were already spread out, there was no one coming to rescue the Betazoids from the occupying Jem'Hadar and Cardassians. Lwaxana Troi, Deanna's mother, rallied her people to go against the invaders. The Enterprise, and Deanna herself, came to help. Deanna joined the ranks of the Betazoids while they used their combined mental abilities to free their planet. Even though Deanna is only half-Betazoid, she withstood the mental strain while many full Betazoids died from exertion.

The Dominion Wormhole

The space station Deep Space Nine was located right next to the Bajoran wormhole that joined the Alpha Quadrant, where most planets of the Federation are, as well as the Gamma Quadrant, the home of the Dominion Empire. It is a key piece of space that was the lynchpin of how the Dominion orchestrated their attacks. Behind Enemy Lines and Tunnel Through the Stars by John Vornholtshowed how the Dominion tried to change space itself.

Ro Laren, a former member of Starfleet who defected to join the rebel faction Maquis, came to the Enterprise with secret enemy intelligence. The Dominion and Cardassian forces were trying to find a way to create their own wormhole, gaining another gateway. Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise had to find a way to infiltrate the enemy and prevent this victory before it changed the tide of the war forever.

Although they werenot part of theDeep Space Nine depiction of the war, these sources indicate that Picard and theNext Generationcrew were still a vital part of the war effort.

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