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Overview of Season 1 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine​

Commander Benjamin Sisko is assigned to command the Federation-governed space station Deep Space Nine following the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor. Sisko is resentful of this assignment, as he is concerned about the well-being of his son, Jake Sisko. Upon arrival, he finds that the station has been stripped of all but its bare essential systems by the departing Cardassians. He meets the staff already on the station, including Major Kira, Odo, Chief O’Brien, and Lt. Kelly, the latter two of which have been dropped off by the Enterprise. O’Brien informs Sisko that Captain Picard is waiting for him on the Enterprise to give him his briefing. Sisko and Picard share a tense exchange, as Sisko blames Picard for his wife’s death at Wolf 359, where Picard tells Sisko that he is to “do everything, short of violating the Prime Directive” to ensure that Bajor is ready for entry to the Federation, while Sisko reveals he is planning on leaving Starfleet.​

Sisko convinces Quark to remain on the station to keep it active as a stopping point for ships passing through the area. Later, he is brought to the Bajoran spiritual leader, Kai Opaka, who informs him that he is the “Emissary”, a “Bajoran not of Bajor”, who is a messiah-like figure in Bajoran culture. She shows Sisko an “Orb” which lets Sisko relive the moment he met his wife for the first time. She entrusts Sisko with the Orb for him to study.​

Upon returning to the station, Sisko finds that the remainder of his staff have arrived, meeting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julian Bashir, and reuniting with his new Science Officer, Lt. Jadzia Dax, a joined Trill whom Sisko had been friends with in their previous host. Sisko lets Dax study the Orb, who discovers a pattern of strange events in the Denorios Belt near Bajor. The station’s old Cardassian commander, Gul Dukat, visits the station, meeting Sisko.​

Dax and Sisko take a runabout to investigate the Denorios Belt while Odo disables the Cardassians’ sensors, so that they are not followed. Upon arrival at the location, they find themselves inside what they determine to be a stable wormhole, appearing inside the Gamma Quadrant, over 70 years away from Federation space. They return through the wormhole, but are stopped by an unknown force. Dax is sent back to the station, while Sisko is stuck in a white void.​

Dax relates the findings, and Major Kira orders that the station be moved to the mouth of the wormhole, to ensure Bajoran control of it. Dukat also detects the wormhole, and takes his ship to investigate it. When the staff of Deep Space Nine try to follow, however, they find that the entrance no longer opens. Three more Cardassian ships arrive, demanding to know what happened to Gul Dukat’s ship, dismissing the possibility of a wormhole. The Cardassian prepare for an assault after being delayed by O’Brien creating the illusion of the station being heavily armed.​

Inside the wormhole, Sisko communicates with the entities, who speak to him through images of his friends, family, and crew. When Dukat’s ship enters the wormhole, they are enraged and close the wormhole. Sisko discovers that the entities do not experience time in a linear manner, and tries to explain how linear time works. The aliens however, keep on taking him to the moment of his wife’s death, explaining that he “exists here”, and Sisko realises that he has been unable to move on from her death.​

As the Cardassians prepare to open fire, the wormhole opens again, and Sisko tows Dukat’s ship back with a tractor beam. Dukat orders that the Cardassians stand down, while Sisko reveals that he has negotiated with the wormhole aliens for safe passage through the wormhole. The Enterprise returns, responding to Kira’s request for aid. Sisko explains to Picard that he has had a change of heart, and intends to remain as the station’s commander.​

Guest Star: Patrick Stewart as Captain Julien Picard​

The USS Lakota arrives at Deep Space Nine for resupply. Its captain, John Sheridan, meets with Sisko, and they find that they share certain experiences after they reveal that they are both survivors of Wolf 359. The Lakota was previously assigned to mapping out the Badlands, but is now to be a part of the Federation’s initial exploratory mission to the Gamma Quadrant. However, the ship soon finds itself suffering from computer failures, and Sheridan suspects foul play.​

A former Bajoran terrorist, Tahna Los, arrives at Deep Space Nine, fleeing Cardassian ships. He requests political asylum, backed up by Major Kira, with whom he has ties. Later, Odo spots him talking with the Duras Sisters, who have just arrived on the station. Bashir, on the advice of his new friend the Cardassian tailor Garak, investigates, and discovers that Tahna is likely planning on constructing a bomb for unknown purposes.​

Guest Stars: Barbara Marsh as Lursa of Duras, Gwynyth Walsh as B’Etor of Duras​

Odo spots a man on the station that he recognises as a smuggler during the days of the occupation. While Odo dislikes the man, Ibudan is seen as a hero by most of the Bajorans. Some time later, Ibudan is found dead in one of Quark’s holosuites, and the public soon blame Odo for his death, becoming increasingly unruly. Meanwhile, Keiko O’Brien sets up a school on the station, persuading Sisko, Rom, and Sheridan to enrol their children (Jake, Nog, and Anna respectively).​

Admiral Gardener, Sisko’s commanding officer, contacts Sisko to tell him that Starfleet intends to send a new officer to Deep Space Nine to replace Odo as Chief of Station Security. Sisko objects, as Odo knows the Bajoran people better, and his shapeshifting ability offers him an advantage over other officers. Sisko and Odo put a case together for Odo to remain as the Chief of Security.​

While repairing the station’s replicators, an overworked and tired O’Brien unknowingly activates a device hidden in one of the replicators in the crew quarters. Soon after, he begins to show signs of aphasia, unable to comprehend speech or to speak comprehensively. When the condition spreads, Bashir suspects a virus may be at play, and sets about creating a cure, while Kira investigates the possibility of it being made by an old Bajoran terrorist cell.​

A damaged vessel arrives through the wormhole, its pilot, Tosk, is the first known life form to visit from the Gamma Quadrant. O’Brien helps to repair his ship, finding evidence that it was fired on, but Tosk refuses to disclose any information, and is found stealing from a weapons locker. Soon, more aliens arrive, revealing that they are hunting Tosk. Under the Prime Directive, Sisko believes that he has no choice but to hand Tosk over, but O’Brien sets about helping him to escape.​

Dax returns from the Gamma Quadrant with a woman that Kelly recognises as Vash, from his time on the Enterprise. Unbeknownst to them, Q is also hiding in the vessel. While en-route back to Deep Space Nine, the runabout has a series of power failures, which continue on the station after their arrival. Quark arranges to auction Vash’s items off, while O’Brien warns Sisko that Q might be responsible for the power failures when he spots him. When the power drains increase in severity, a gravitational field begins to pull the station towards the wormhole.​

Annoyed at a lack of trained nurses on the station, Bashir begins training Kelly to fill in for emergencies. Kelly and Bashir, while similar ages, have very different opinions of their positions on Deep Space Nine. While Bashir is excited to be doing medicine on “the frontier” that will offer him unique challenges, Kelly is having difficulty adjusting from the Enterprise and her relative luxuries. Kelly’s nursing skills are soon put to the test when multiple Bajorans are injured in a fight on the Promenade.​

Dax is abducted by aliens while on her way back to her quarters. The aliens nearly escape, but Bashir is able to raise the alarm, and their ship is caught by the station’s tractor beam. One of the abductors, Ilon Tandro, accuses Dax of having committed treason in her previous host, Curzon Dax. Sisko tries to stop the extradition on the grounds that Jadzia should not be punished for crimes that, in his view, she did not commit.​

Kira and Bashir respond to a distress call from a Kobliad freighter, rescuing a security guard, Kajada, but are unable to save her prisoner, Vantika. Despite Vantika’s clear death, Kajada is convinced that he is somehow still alive, and intending to hijack a shipment of deuridium, a rare compound that Kobliads need to survive. Dax and Bashir find that Vantika may have hijacked someone’s brain, while Vantika contacts Quark to hire mercenaries to hijack the shipment.​

The senior crew prepare to undergo formal first contact with a species from the Gamma Quadrant called the Wadi. The Wadi forgo formalities, instead heading straight to Quark, to play games. After their leader, Falow, has a winning streak at Dabo, Quark rigs the game. Falow catches on, and challenges Quark to a “truly honest game” called Chula. Sisko, Kelly, Dax, and Kira find themselves in an abstract world, and when Odo reports them as missing, Quark realises that they are his pieces.​

After she falls ill with a new disease from the Gamma Quadrant, Bashir realises that he needs to separate Jadzia from Dax to treat and save them both. While they are separated and recovering, Jadzia and Bashir find themselves falling in love. However, in order for Jadzia to live, she must be rejoined with Dax. The two struggle with their feelings knowing that Jadzia will no longer reciprocate when Jadzia and Dax are rejoined.​

Zek, the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, arrives on the station, taking an interest in Quark. Zek uses Quark’s bar to stage a conference, where he reveals that Quark will be his successor. Soon after, Zek dies, leaving Quark to adjust to his new position. Meanwhile, Sisko deals with his son’s friendship with Nog. At first, when Rom demands that Nog stops attending school, he is relieved, but find that this leads to Jake and Nog just spending more time together. Eventually, Zek is revealed to have faked his death, and Sisko is reassured when he finds Jake teaching Nog how to read.​

Odo takes a Gamma Quadrant visitor called Croden into custody after he kills one of a pair of Miradorn twins. The surviving Miradorn, Ah-Kel, vows vengeance. Croden reveals that he knows of Odo’s people, and offers to take Odo to a colony of his people. Croden’s homeworld demands Croden’s return, and Odo takes him back to the Gamma Quadrant, pursued by Ah-Kel.​

The Bajoran spiritual leader, Kai Opaka, visits Deep Space Nine, requesting a tour from Sisko. She subtly asks him to take her through the wormhole, which Sisko agrees to. While in the runabout, Sisko receives a distress signal, and they investigate. However, the runabout is brought down by a satellite around the planet they investigate, killing Opaka. On the planet, they find that the dead are brought back to life by nanomachines, but cannot leave the planet without dying. After help arrives in the form of Dax and Kelly, Opaka decides to stay on the planet to help the warring inhabitants make peace.​

On Bajor, Bashir and O’Brien respond to a request for medical assistance, finding that a village’s spiritual leader, a man called the Sirah, is dying. The Sirah’s job is to stop a cloud-like creature called the Dal’Rok from destroying the village five nights a year. The Sirah stops the Dal’Rok on the penultimate night, but dies, naming O’Brien his successor. O’Brien is reluctant to take the role, seeking a way out. On the station, Jake and Nog help a young leader to negotiate a treaty.​

Bajor intends to tap the core of one of its moons for energy, which will render the moon uninhabitable. One elderly farmer, Mullibok, refuses to evacuate, and Kira goes to convince him. Kira grows to like Mullibok, but is unable to convince him to leave. Sisko tries to buy her time, but it is clear she will have to betray either Bajor or Mullibok. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog make a succession of trades to make a profit off of Quark’s surplus sauce he is unable to sell.​

Dax observes heightened emissions from the nearby Denorios Belt. She and Sisko hypothesise that this is due to the increased traffic at Deep Space Nine. O’Brien reads his daugher, Molly, Rumpelstiltskin as a bedtime story, but soon Molly comes in, claiming that Rumpelstiltskin is in her room. O’Brien finds that this is the case. Meanwhile, an alternate Jadzia attempts to seduce Bashir, while Jake Sisko is followed home from the holosuited by Buck Bokai, a famous baseball player. Soon, the crew find that their wishes are coming true, but an anomaly threatens the station.​

Deep Space Nine plays host to a group of Federation ambassadors, including Betazoid Ambassador Troi. When Odo captures a thief that stole Troi’s broach, the Ambassador becomes infatuated with him, openly flirting with him. Meanwhile, a vessel comes through the wormhole and downloads a large amount of data onto the station’s computers. Soon, O’Brien finds that the computer is less hostile to him than normal, but it breaks down when he is not away. The crew hypothesise that the data is actually a non-sentient life form that has taken a liking to O’Brien. They question what to do while Bashir deals with the Ambassadors.​

Lt. Kelly finds himself unable to move on from the death of his close friend Leslie Crusher. As he knows that many of his colleagues have experienced loss, he asks them for help with dealing with his grief. From this, he learns more about many of his commanding officers, and strikes up a friendship with Captain Sheridan.​

A damaged Klingon vessel arrives through the wormhole. Moments before the ship explodes, a man beams onto the station, proclaiming “Victory!”, but dies moments later. Soon, the crew of the station find themselves clashing with each other, with the exception of Odo. While Kira plans a mutiny against Sisko, Odo plays both sides to try to come up with a cure for whatever is happening to the crew.​

A freighter docks at Deep Space Nine so that one of its passengers, Aamin Marritza, may receive treatment for a condition called Kalla-Norra. Kira objects, revealing that Kalla-Norra could only be developed if Marritza was present during a mining accident at the Gallitep mines during the Cardassian Occupation. She has Marritza arrested as a war criminal, but Sisko orders his release when it is revealed he is listed for no crimes. A photograph reveals that Marritza is actually Gul Darhe’el, to which the prisoner proudly admits. Cracks soon appearing in his story, however, and Kira continues interrogating him, confronted by her own prejudices.​

O’Brien and his wife walk along the Promenade, discussing her school, and how it teaches Bajoran culture. Keiko reveals that she teaches the scientific view of the wormhole and its inhabitants, rather than the Bajoran religious one. When one of her classes is interrupted by a Bajoran spiritual leader, Vedek Winn, she is questioned as to why she does not teach the Bajoran religion. When it becomes clear that religious tensions are rising on the station, the crew must stop an attack on another religious leader, Vedek Bareil.​