Star Trek: Deep Space Nine The Maquis: Part I (1993–1999) Online

Picking up where the Next Generation episode Journey's End leaves off, the viewer is treated first to witnessing the explosion of a Cardassian freighter just off of DS9. When Benjamin Sisko's friend, Commander Calvin Hudson arrives on the station from the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone to assess the matter, it's revealed that all the Federation colonists in the zone have refused relocation out of Cardassian space and that they're all dissatisfied with the recent border treaty. We soon learn the colonists' belief that the Cardassian settlers are being armed by their Central Command through third-party couriers in direct violation of the treaty, while the Federation defectors are arming themselves through other providers (including Quark). After a skirmish in the DMZ involving Cardassian ships and converted Federation couriers, both sides deny responsibility for the situation to Sisko, Hudson and Gul Dukat; Cardassian attache Gul Evek going as far as calling the Federation colonists "terrorists" and revealing the corpse and recorded confession of a colonist responsible for the destruction of the Cardassian freighter. After Sisko returns to DS9 with Dukat, the latter is kidnapped by a Vulcan woman named Sakona who'd purchased weapons through Quark and taken back to the DMZ. The paramilitary group claiming responsibility for both the destruction of the freighter and Dukat's kidnapping is named over subspace - THE MAQUIS! In pursuing Sakona's Maquis cell into a volatile region of space known as the Badlands, Sisko discovers that Commander Hudson (who believed the colonists' assertions of injustice by the Federation and Cardassians) has shed his uniform and sided with the Maquis.

The second part of the episode includes Sisko's reaction to Hudson defecting from Starfleet to join the Maquis, the rescue of Dukat and apprehension of his Maquis kidnappers (including Sakona), the "official" cessation of weapons shipments from Cardassia to the DMZ and Sisko's successful attempt to stop Hudson's Maquis cell from attacking a suspected weapons depot - all in the name of preserving the treaty.

Though this episode and its second part hold up by themselves, it helps to keep in mind that it propels into motion a much bigger course of events. The Star Trek producers created the Maquis as a catalyst for Voyager, which would launch in the wake of Next Generation's conclsion, but their story was first brought to life in Journey's End, this episode and a handful of episodes to follow to establish a back story. And after Voyager's beginning, the Maquis presence on DS9 would unfortunately become superficial.

When a Cardassian ship explodes as it leaves DS9 the is concern that the action could lead to renewed hostilities between Cardassia and Bajor. With a fear of hostilities in the air Commander Calvin Hudson, from the demilitarised zone along the border between Federation and Cardassian space. He is an old friend of Sisko's and it soon becomes clear that he is not happy with the treaty between the two sides that left several colonies on the wrong side of the new border. Surprisingly there is no official comment from the Cardassians although Gul Dukat turns up in DS9 and suggests that Sisko accompanies him to the border colonies. On the way they come across Federation ship which is being attacked by Cardassians who refuse to answer even when ordered to do so by Dukat. It looks as though the colonists on both sides are trying to start their own private war. When they arrive at the colony tensions are high; a Federation colonist has confessed to the destruction of the ship but as he is now dead and the confession was made after an interrogation the colonist claim he only confessed as he was tortured. With nothing resolved they return to the station but soon Dukat has been kidnapped by a Vulcan woman and a man dressed as a Federation security officer. While Sisko was away we had seen the Vulcan attempting to negotiate an arms deal with Quark.

This was a decent episode which had an intriguing mystery and a nice cliff hanger ending. While the main story is good the scenes between Quark and Sakonna, the Vulcan woman are the most fun, he is clearly interested in her and she doesn't appear to be totally disinterested in him.

A Cardassian transport with 75 aboard is destroyed by people from the Federation. The cease fire that has largely benefited the bad guys is under the control of Sisko and Starfleet. But someone has taken matters into their own hands and set the table for a war. If you have that mindset, you will embrace these guys. The ending to this sets up some very dicey stuff, leaving Sisko to confront his duty.

This two-part episode marks a radical departure for this series. Usually, the shows are very cerebral and subdued, however, here we have shows that are violent and full of intrigue...yippee!!

The episode concerns a new rebel group called the Maquis. These folks hate and distrust the Cardassians and instead of making peace with them (which is the boring Federation way), they are in favor of confrontation and attack. Naturally, the Cardassians are not happy about the Maquis and their attacks but they don't complain too loudly. Why? Because through the course of these two episodes, it turns out that the Maquis is generally right--the Cardassians are lying scum who cannot be trusted. But Sisko and his crew are very duty-bound and don't quite know what to do--to side with their friends (with the Maquis) or the Federation? This one ends with Sisko and others being captured by the Maquis.

Exciting and a nice change of pace--this on is worth seeing.