Deep Space 9 Infront of the Bajoran Wormhole (note: DS9 does not sit that close to the Wormhole)
Deep Space 9
Universe	Star Trek Universe
Type	Orbital Docking Station
Overall diameter	1451.82 meters
Overall draft	969.26 meters
Mass	10,120,000 metric tons (Tonnes)
Levels	98
Crew	300 to 1,200 (Starfleet and Bajoran)
Maximum capacity	7,000
Docking facilities	6 large docking pylon ports; 3 medium docking ring ports; 9 small docking ring ports; 6 landing pads
Armament	48 phaser arrays (rotary mounts); 36 phaser emitters (stationary mounts); 3 phaser emitters (sliding mounts); 48+ torpedo launchers, 5,000+ photon torpedoes (after 2372 refit)
Defenses	Deflector shields
DS9 2nd view

"Think of it. Five years ago no one had ever heard of Bajor or Deep Space 9. Now all our hopes rest here. Where the tides of fortune take us, no man can know.
They're tricky, those tides"

―Chancellor Gowron and Sisko (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

One of the single most historically, politically, and strategically important space stations in the Alpha Quadrant, Deep Space 9, originally known as Terok Nor, was an orbital space station constructed by the Cardassians in orbit of Bajor. Under Federation administration following the Cardassian withdrawal, DS9 became a vital commercial port and defensive outpost because of its strategic location near the mouth of the Bajoran wormhole. It later became a key tactical location in the Dominion War.

History Edit

Terok Nor and the OccupationEdit

Terok Nor was built between 2346 and 2351. (DS9: "Babel", "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") Its original purpose was to serve as a refinery for uridium ore that was mined from Bajor's surface. Therefore, Terok Nor had extensive ore refining and transport facilities that occupied the large docking pylon structures. The station also served as a command post from which the Cardassian Prefect of Bajor, Gul Dukat, would oversee the military aspects of the Occupation. Like the planet it orbited, the station operated on a 26-hour day.

In 2362, Gul Dukat took the unusual step of appointing a non-Cardassian as the chief of security aboard Terok Nor. Odo, a shapeshifter discovered on a derelict ship near Bajor some years before, had ties to both the Cardassians and the Bajorans on the station. (DS9: "Necessary Evil")

In 2369, the Cardassians decided to withdraw from Bajor after sixty years of occupation. Unable to move the station across interstellar distances, they were forced to leave the outpost in its high orbit. Before departing, however, Cardassian soldiers rampaged across the station, removing or destroying a large portion of the station's equipment and killing several shop owners. (DS9: "Emissary")

Deep Space 9 and the FederationEdit

Following the Cardassian retreat, the Bajoran Provisional Government petitioned for Federation membership, and also for Starfleet assistance in repairing and maintaining Terok Nor. A complex arrangement was established, where a Starfleet commander would have overall authority in running the station, while the station remained sovereign Bajoran territory. A representative of the Bajoran Militia would serve as the station's first officer and as liaison to the Bajoran government. The station was renamed "Deep Space 9", and Benjamin Sisko was appointed as commander, at Admiral Leyton's recommendation. (DS9: "Emissary", "Homefront")

As station commander, one of the most important facets of the station Sisko sought to develop was commerce. The Cardassians had allowed a small series of businesses and entertainment facilities to operate in a central, dual-level market area called the Promenade. Because almost all of the shops were owned by non-Bajorans, Sisko hoped to convince many of them to stay to help build a trade network through Bajoran space. In particular, Sisko convinced Quark, owner of "Quark's" (the largest establishment on the Promenade) to maintain his business on-station as an example for others, as well as to become community leader and Chairman of the Promenade Merchants Association. (DS9: "Emissary", "Call to Arms")

The station quickly became an important facility for Starfleet. Over time, several hundred starships docked at the station for various reasons. The USS Enterprise-D was the first Starfleet ship to dock at the station in 2369, when it transported the majority of the station's Starfleet crew to take up their posts. The Enterprise also offloaded three runabouts. (DS9: "Emissary") The Enterprise returned to DS9 several weeks later to help repair the Bajoran aqueduct systems that had been damaged during the Occupation. (TNG: "Birthright, Part I") The USS Voyager docked at Deep Space 9 in 2371 on its way to the Badlands, to search for a Maquis ship. It was the last Alpha Quadrant locale the crew of Voyager visited before being transported to the Delta Quadrant. (VOY: "Caretaker"). A few years later, in 2376, the station helped Starfleet Command try to contact Voyager in the Delta Quadrant by providing interstellar phenomena forecasts. (VOY: "Pathfinder")