[What If] The Defiant Does The Delta Quadrant

Time is broken, according to Q. So why not break it some more? Over the years we’ve seen alternate glimpses of our Starfleet heroes. From Terran Counterparts who’s lives moved in rapidly different directions, to small changes as Worf zapped through parallel worlds to alternate futures threatening to destroy all of humanity. Looking back at what could have been, we’re blatantly copying Marvel’s ongoing What If series to look at how Star Trek could have changed with a few small differences and to start, we’re putting our focus on the Maquis…

Formed by angry settlers who’s land was handed to the Cardassians while settling a border dispute, the Maquis are one of the most sympathetic villains in the Star Trek landscape. Mainly as they aren’t villains at all. They are people lost in the shuffle of bureaucracy. In negotiating with the Cardassians, both sides traded parts of their border and inherited new worlds. For many Federation citizens, this meant their homes were no longer theres. Those that refused to resettle had to live under Cardassian rule and their harsh laws.

Trying to quell the uprising, Sisko worked with Gul Dukat to stop the conflict only to learn that the Starfleet representative and Sisko’s long time friend, Cal Hudson, wasn’t there to help stop the Maquis from forming; he was there to lead it.

The Maquis would turn up again in the Next Generation with Ro Laren defecting to their side during an undercover mission, but it was Voyager that tried to adapt these freedom fighters into their cast. Janeway tactical officer being undercover with the group, she was the one sent to retrieve him and the ship he had infiltrated. But it was then that the Caretaker scrooped them out of the Badlands and into the Delta Quadrant, too far from home to come home within their lifetime.

Sisko’s connection to the Maquis was personal as well as political. He was of course doing his job, even if he did understand their motives. But his close friend betraying him never sat well with him. In the years to come he’d have more conflicts with them, from his partner Kassidy Yates working for them, forcing Sisko to arrest her, to his security officer Eddington revealed to be a key leader within the faction.

Being stationed at Deep Space Nine, just down the road from the Badlands where the Maquis were hiding, and already having a connection and understanding of them, what if Starfleet decided Janeways connection to Tuvok’s undercover mission was too personal for her to engage in? Sisko had just been given the Defiant a few months earlier to help tackle the Dominion threat. So what if it was Sisko who was sent to capture Chakotay and his crew?

THE CARETAKER

Having a reputation for being a little more centred on the moral compass, the Sisko of this era hadn’t quite teased his dark side just yet. Much like Janeway, it’s safe to assume he’d take the same decision to investigate what was going on but with the benefit of Dax in tow. Though after dealing with the Prophets for years, as well as Dukat and the vast political nonsense of his territory, he’d likely be more confrontational with the Caretaker at first.

With a different team behind him, it’s a safe bet to say that the mission would carry out jkust as it did under Janeways leadership. Captain Sisko was always willing to take a few risks, Commander Sisko was still playing mostly by the book.

Where it’s likely to differ is with the Caretakers end. Janeway opted to destroy the array so the Kazon wouldn’t get hold of it. With he overpowered Defiant, the Kazon might not have been much of a threat in comparison and with both O’Brien and Dax at his side, they’d easily come up with a cunning plan to have the station self destruct after they sent themselves home.

Sure, maybe Sisko would stay behind to make sure. But if there’s one constant in his life, it’s Jake. No matter what the mission was, there’s no way he’d just accept his son would be left back on the station alone.

Assuming he did stay behind, there’s some interesting points to be made. Mainly the Defiant itself. Voyager was a small ship. The Defiant is smaller. With a crew of less than fifty and very limited space and supplies, it’s going to be a far more tense environment. There’s no holodeck, no recreation facilities and the ships designed to be used short term. That means bunk sharing aplenty wand even more need to stop by any planets they can for resources or – more importantly – some much needed fresh air after living in such close quarters.

Sisko’s crew merged with those of the Val Jean could also change the dynamics of how the Defiant solves problems. Sisko is more tactically minded, and with Kira by his side – as well as Eddington, Tuvok and others – there may be less diplomacy and more fight in them. Which could be beneficial against the Kazon conflicts that plagued Voyagers early missions. But at the same time, having a warship that packed a lot more of a punch would only make them a target and give Seska, when she eventually betrays the crew, more leverage. And more reason to steal the ship for the enemy side…

THE CREW

Another element is the crew itself. Sisko’s no stranger to integrated crew set ups. On Deep Space Nine he commanded not only his own people, but the Bajoran Militia as well. And over the years he wasn’t shy in using outside help such as Garak or Quark when needed. So once everyone all together, it’d make sense for him to invite the Maquis crew on board.

How that crew would adapt is another issue. Janeway needed a first officer and for the Maquis to trust them, so Chakotay was a good choice for that role. With Kira around, that role would be an unessential one. However, Sisko could offer the same position in a shared capacity which could set up an interesting dynamic: Chakotay and Kira have a lot in common with their backgrounds and motivations, but while she is known to be impatient and explosive, his calm demeanour could make for an interesting contrast for Sisko to balance.

Other characters may not integrate as easily. Torres was given a post as Chief Engineer, much for the same reasons Chakotay gained his position. While that would be a possibility, O’Brien’s long history and ability to improvise – as well as his knowledge of the Defiants unique properties – would instantly block that role. And O’Brien’s not Joe Carey, he’d find a better way to handle her early outbursts and potentially find a place for her in his crew.

The Maquis element also makes an intriguing prospect. Tuvok being recovered would cause a conflict with Eddington, who’d likely retain his post due to both outranking Tuvok and having a better relationship with Sisko. However, Eddington was revealed to be a Maquis in Deep Space Nine’s fifth season. Would Chakotay know about him? Would it be revealed, or would it even matter? With his hero complex it’s likely that he’d eventually find a way to betray Sisko, perhaps even alongside Seska? Or perhaps something more internal. After all, why follow Seska’s plan of going back to the Kazon when you can still place yourself as the heroic leader of the Maquis by hosting a mutiny and taking the ship under his own control?

It’d make an interesting story dynamic. Much like the tension between Eddington and Odo working for the same cause, Eddington and Tuvok would easily come to blows once the formers true nature is revealed. And theres a fair chance, due to his undercover work, Tuvok would have caught Eddington before he could switch to another side.

Under Sisko’s command, and in such uncomfortable circumstances, the tension between the two factions could even worsen instead of improving. Which again could cause an interesting dynamic if there was more infighting in an enclosed space. Perhaps making the idea of Eddington leading a mutiny as inevitable as Thanos’ finger snap….

Oh, and lets assume Neelix still comes on board as an advisor. Do you really think Sisko would let him near a kitchen without forcing him to cook things they way his dad does? If Neelix is on board, you can bet Sisko would make sure the crew was fed far better meals under his watch!

THE BORG

As Voyager moved on, one of the most defining parts of the show came down to the Borg’s involvement. The two-parter Scorpion had Janeway form a temporary alliance with the Borg, and safe passage through their territory, with neither side able to defeat Species 8472.

For Voyager this was as much a cast reshuffle as much as it was a regeneration of the show itself, similar to Deep Space Nines fourth season opener changing the dynamics of the show to include Worf and the Klingons. Merging Deep Space Nine’s core crew with the Maquis might already be too stacked to bring in another heavy hitter in Seven of Nine, but it’s another that would make for a significantly different situation than Janeway presented.

Much like the EMH, Bashir’s interest in restoring Seven to humanity would work well. After all, he likes a challenge and assuming without Worf around, Dax continues to not show any interest in his advances, it could be another romantic option for him to chase much like his relationship with Sarina Douglas. With Sisko however, there’s be another layer to having a Borg on his ship in comparison to Janeway.

While Janeway was a scientist with an inherent interest in being a mentor to Seven and helping restore her humanity, Sisko has the potential to be more standoffish towards the new arrival. After all, when meeting the legendary Captain Picard he held nothing but resentment. The Borg are the reason the love of his life died. Even seeing a calm and peaceful man in front of him, despite knowing Picard’s own struggle with the incident, all Sisko could see was the drone, the people responsible for destroying his life.

Picard was merely a tool to the Borg, a temporary one at that as he was quickly disconnected. Seven was raised by the Borg from a young age and fully integrated. Her personality was closer to that or a drone than it was a person in her own right and she struggled with that identity. Would Sisko be able to handle that struggle? Or would he fail to see past his own anger and resentment at what Seven was.

Kira would be a safe bet for someone to stand in her corner. Not only because she does like to get shouty, but she understands the idea of having a lost childhood. Sure, the situations were different, but of the whole line up she’d be the one to be most sympathetic with Sevens situation, much like she was with Ziyal being trapped between two worlds and outcast amongst both.

In facing other enemies there’d also be some interesting prospects. If Sisko can go toe to toe with the Jem’Hadar, how would he fare against someone like the Hirogen? Surely the Defiant would be an excellent trophy for them to obtain, even without any holodeck tech to steal and manipulate. But with a cloaking device on board, the Defiant could make an excellent opponent for them in simple hit and run techniques to combat the aggressive hunters.

With that cloak they’d also perhaps face less issues. Need to go through someone’s territory and they object? Fine. Cloak. No need to add extra time onto the journey or get into any fights without just cause.

GETTING HOME

Promotion to Captain and a rising threat of the Dominion – as well as a shaved head – helped to bring out the boldness within Sisko. In his early years he was more of a builder than a fighter, but once those conflicts came to his front door.

Without that fourth pip and being far from the Dominion threat, Sisko would still find plenty of challenges within the Delta Quadrant to bring out his darker side, and would likely become just as much of a fighting war captain as he did during the war. Especially with threats from the Kazon, Annorax, Species 8472 and many more ready to challenge a tougher, but more vulnerable crew.

Assuming The Defiant stays on the same course as Voyager, getting home would likely be a significantly different endeavour. For one, seeing as there’s no EMH to make contact with Starfleet and tell them the ships safe and well, there’d be no Barclay waiting for them. There’d also very likely be no time travel. A future Janeway sending themselves back wouldn’t be a solution Sisko would lean towards. So it’d all be about finding another way to use the Borg Queens transwarp drive. And you can bet it’d be more action than plotting.

It’s safe to assume that over the years, the Defiant would have needed some patch work. But that’s not a problem. Between Dax and O’Brien, the ships in good hands and likely received plenty of upgraded between new ideas, adapting to new enemies and picking up a few bits and pieces along the way. Upgrade or not, the Defiant was built with one task in mind: Defeat the Borg. IT’s small, hard to hit, overpowered and with more guns than a drunken Texan. It might not have fared well when it did encounter the Borg during the events of First Contact, but with Sisko and his team at the helm and some experience against them under their belts, it’s not hard to imagine them trying to take the Queens base by force.

Sure, they could wait it out and keep flying straight forward. But as we’ve seen with Sisko’s Starfleet career, he does like a good plan, which is what made his working relationship with Admiral Ross so successful. Having the mind to create successful tactical operations, mixed with insight from the renegade tactics Chakotay and Kira could collectively create as well as Tuvok’s logic and Seven’s inside knowledge, Sisko’s Delta Quadrant team could in theory take the Queen’s transport hub by force.

Using their collective knowledge and skills, as well as the cloak and heavy armour, the Defiant could skip the timey wimey deception and just storm the gates. It wouldn’t be an easy fight, and the deck would be heavily stacked against them. But using the cloak to sneak attack, boarding teams led by the soldiers of the team – which are fairly plentiful – and the Defiant holding off any Borg defences until the mission is over, the crew can take the queen, use her Cell to unlock the transwarp network and get back home before th e full force of the Borg fleet arrives.

And of course, having Seven backed up with Dax, O’Brien and Dr Genetically Enhanced Bashir on board, you have all the brain cells you need to set the Queens ship, the hive and even the transwasrp hub to self destruct so no one follows.

And if they fail? Well, they die. Horrible, horrible deaths. As likely as it could be that they’d fight their way back home, it’s just as likely that the queen will be ten steps ahead of them all and too powerful to take down; especially with multiple heavy hitting Borg Cubes within reach leaving their entire effort as one huge failure.

But of course, he’s the Sisko. He may be trapped in the Delta Quadrant, but he does have a purpose. Even if he and his crew died in a blaze of glory, they’d wake up floating outside Deep Space Nine after Sisko had a quick chat with the Prophets in a brightly lit room.

“I don’t care if the odds are against us! If we’re going to lose, then we’re going to go down fighting.”

More often than not in a fantasy scenario of the Caretaker sweep comes up, it’s usually a focus on the Enterprise and how much easier life would be on a fully stocked ship. The Defiant leads a more interesting question. The environment is tense and Spartan with little to no recreational facilities and no private quarters. The mix of Sisko’s crew and those on board the Val Jean have some interesting potential dynamics and replacing a fighting Captain in place of a scientific one offers a new perspective of how to survive in the Delta Quadrant.

As a narrative, where Voyager failed to uphold all of the struggles of being stranded, the Defiant makes it completely unavoidable. In many respects the situation may fall into the dire straits seen on Battlestar Galactica when the flight crew were forced to eat what was essentially goo. The set up of the Defiant and it’s cloak also leads to interesting prospects, as does the open questions over Seska, Eddington and having a completely different person leading the charge.

Having the Defiant taken away does harm the Prophets plan, and does make you wonder how they’d cope. But it also lends itself to what could potentially be a more dramatic, more action packed and more tense voyage home than Voyagers with a much larger struggle to overcome.

The Defiant Does Delta edition of What If first featured in our ‘Make It Snow’ edition of Comms released in December 2021. The edition in full, along with other editions before the emagizines hiatus, can be found in our Comms Archive for all SFCQ2 members.

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