#752. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...from a Certain Point of View

Ever since the debut of the Defiant in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (oh...about twenty years ago) and the later introduction of the Breen body armor, it's become easier to view the third live action TV entry in the franchise from a Star Wars kind of light.  That being said, I'm going to have another look at it.

I've made a few special modifications...

Call this An Emissary of Hope.  Our lead character is Jake Sisko, who has long dreamed of ending Dominion tyranny in Federation space, ever since a disastrous war gave way to a new order.  He's recently become aware of a part of his late father's life that he'd never dreamed of before, from the old shape-shifter Odo, who once served under Starfleet but whose life became complicated when his people in the Founders were revealed to be behind the Dominion.  Odo tells Jake that his father was the only one capable of closing the so-called Celestial Temple, the wormhole located in Cardassian space, thanks to his connection to the Bajorans.  Benjamin Sisko's mother was what the Bajorans called a Prophet, or least that's what they thought.  This effectively gave him great temporal powers among other gifts.  Except he wasn't imbued by the Prophets but the Pah-wraiths.  Jake can make things right by embracing the ways of the Prophets.

Jake joins forces with unlikely allies in order to confront the forces of Dukat, ruler of the Dominion who possibly also wields the powers of the Pah-wraiths.  Jadzia Dax and Worf have long had private command of the Defiant, last surviving ship of Starfleet, and they have allies in Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien (at least when they're getting along).  Jake values the support of Major Kira most highly, however, a Bajoran whose relationship with Odo goes back a long time and one of the few who will be able to resolve the conflict with her peoples' gods.

Along the way, they will also have to deal with challenges provided by Garak, a Cardassian who works only for himself, and Quark, a Ferengi of considerable influence who has long held a grudge against the meddling Jadzia.  The final conflict, however, will be between father and son, Prophet and Pah-wraith. Tthe fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of the Siskos.  Which one will prevail?

...And here's a handy cheat sheet:

Benjamin Sisko = Anakin Skywalker
Jake Sisko = Luke Skywalker
Odo = Obi-Wan Kenobi
Gul Dukat - Emperor Palpatine
Jadzia Dax = Han Solo
Worf = Chewbacca
Defiant = Millennium Falcon
Julian Bashir = C-3PO
Miles O'Brien = R2-D2
Major Kira = Princess Leia
Garak = Boba Fett
Quark = Jabba the Hutt

The scenario I've presented isn't so far-fetched.  Jake and Ben actually did square off against each other (albeit with Sisko backed by the Prophets and Jake the Pah-wraiths) in the sixth season episode "The Reckoning."  Feisty Jadzia and Quark indeed had an association, although an unusually friendly one for the Ferengi.  The Defiant was introduced at the start of the third season in "The Search" as Starfleet's answer to combating the Borg (which finally happened in First Contact...with Worf as its commanding officer!), although it much more frequently went into war with the Dominion.  Ben Sisko learned of his role as the Emissary of the Prophets in the first episode, appropriately entitled "Emissary," and that his mother was a Prophet in the seventh season premiere "Image in the Sand."  Jake and Kira had some key moments together in the fourth season episode "The Visitor" (which also heavily features the Siskos) and are the last two characters seen in the series finale, "What You Leave Behind."  Recasting the Dominion War, which dominated the final two seasons of the series, as a longer conflict, seems easy and fitting.

Here are a few additional associations:

Michael Eddington = Lando Calrissian
Weyoun = Yoda