cardassian star trek ds9

Star Treks Badlands In DS9 & Discovery Explained

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths"

• The Badlands in Star Trek are a dangerous area of space plagued by plasma storms.
• The USS Discovery journeyed into the Badlands to find the final Progenitors' clue hidden in the Eternal Gallery and Archive.
• The Badlands' plasma storms and gravitational anomalies make it a volatile yet strategic hiding spot.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, the USS Discovery ventured into the Badlands, a dangerously stormy area of space that has popped up in multiple Star Trek stories. First introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, the plasma storms of the Badlands served as the perfect cover for the group of resistance fighters known as the Maquis. After their introduction in connection with the Maquis, the Badlands were not fully revealed onscreen until the premiere of Star Trek: Voyager. The USS Voyager soon became one of the ships to vanish in the Badlands, as it was transported to the Delta Quadrant by the mysterious Caretaker.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8 , "Labyrinths," the USS Discovery entered the Badlands for the fifth and final clue to the Progenitors' ancient technology hidden in the Eternal Gallery and Archive, an intergalactic library located in the heart of the Badlands. Now pursued by Moll (Eve Harlow) and the Breen, Discovery navigated this treacherous region of space so that Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) could acquire the final clue. Discovery now joins the short list of other Star Trek ships that have survived "the largest plasma storm in the quadrant."

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star Trek is ending series like Discovery and Lower Decks but renewed Strange New Worlds while setting up new streaming and theatrical movies.

What Are The Badlands In Star Trek?

"been there. it's as fun as it sounds.".

The Badlands are a dangerous region of space plagued by massive plasma storms and strange gravitational anomalies. The plasma storms produce plasma blasts and ionic discharges, making the Badlands an extremely volatile and unpredictable area of space. Because of these various dangers, starships generally avoid the Badlands, and several vessels have gone missing in the area. The plasma storms also produce Cherenkov radiation, which prevents ships from cloaking. Sensors are limited and unreliable in the Badlands due to all the interference, making the area a perfect hiding spot for groups like the Maquis Resistance.

During Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War, the Badlands became even more important as a strategic location.

Because part of the border between Federation and Cardassian space was located in the Badlands, the Maquis used the region during their insurrection against Cardassia. The Bajoran resistance also hid from Cardassian patrols in the Badlands during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. During Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War , the Badlands became even more important as a strategic location, and ships traveling through the area required escorts to guard against ambushes. There were planets, planetoids, and asteroids located within the Badlands, some of which were used by the Maquis.

What Happened In The Badlands In Star Trek: DS9 & Voyager?

"i've never seen a federation starship that could maneuver through the plasma storms.".

The Badlands and the Maquis both debuted in the same two-part Star Trek: Deep Space Nine story , DS9 season 2, episodes 20 and 21, "The Maquis." When a Cardassian transport is destroyed after leaving DS9, Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) begin an investigation. Dukat is soon kidnapped by a group of Maquis led by Lt. Commander Calvin Hudson (Bernie Casey), and taken to an asteroid in the Badlands. Later in DS9 season 3, episode 9, "Defiant," Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes) hijacks the USS Defiant and takes it to the Badlands to meet with other Maquis ships.

Star Trek: DS9 Foreshadowed Voyagers Fate A Year Earlier

In 1994, Star Trek began laying the groundwork for Voyager's 1995 premiere with a stark warning from Sisko about both the Maquis and the Badlands.

The Maquis continued to use the Badlands as a hiding place for their bases, and, after the Dominion had massacred most of the resistance fighters, the few remaining members fled to Athos IV, a barren plant located in the Badlands. In Star Trek: Voyager's feature-length premiere , "Caretaker," Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) leads the USS Voyager into the Badlands in search of the Maquis raider, the Val Jean. Janeway's friend and security officer, Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) was undercover on the Val Jean, and Janeway is determined to find him. While in the Badlands, Voyager is hit by a displacement wave that sends the ship over 70,000 light-years away, into the Delta Quadrant.

What Happened In The Badlands In Star Trek: Discovery?

"its kind of beautiful in a twisted sort of way.".

In the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, the Badlands are the temporary home of the Eternal Gallery and Archive, a massive interstellar library. The location of the Archive changes every fifty years, and the USS Discovery determines its location to be in a calm area of space within the turbulent Badlands. After encountering Archivist Hy’Rell (Elena Juatco) , Discovery makes it to the Archive with minimal damage. Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) then travel to the massive library in search of the Betazoid manuscript, Labyrinths of the Mind . Burnham soon finds herself in a labyrinth of her own mind, with a guide who takes on the appearance of Book.

The fifth and final Progenitor clue was hidden by a Betazoid doctor named Marina Derex, who chose to leave her portion of the puzzle in the original handwritten manuscript of her book, Labyrinths of the Mind.

As Burnham appears unconscious to the rest of her crew, the Breen Dreadnought of Primark Ruhn (Tony Nappo) catches up to Discovery. Using the plasma storms of the Badlands, Discovery is able to remain hidden from the Breen for a while, but their shields can only withstand so much battering from the storms. Burnham finds the clue just in time for Discovery to escape from the Breen by making it look as though their ship has been destroyed. Now that Burnham and her crew have the final clue, all of the pieces are in place for a thrilling conclusion to Star Trek: Discovery's final season.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, & Star Trek: Discovery are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, Ren Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Cast Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Rene Auberjonois, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Andrew Robinson, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig

Release Date January 3, 1993

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller

Star Trek Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Obsidian Order

• View history

The Obsidian Order was the primary intelligence agency of the Cardassian Union . One of the most ruthless and efficient organizations in the quadrant , the Obsidian Order eclipsed even the Romulan Tal Shiar in intelligence gathering and covert operations. Almost all Cardassians lived in fear of the Obsidian Order, whose constant surveillance had led to the sudden eliminations of numerous "traitors". It was said that the Order was so efficient that a Cardassian citizen could not sit down to a meal without each dish being duly noted and recorded by the Order, down to its preparation and the exact measurement of each ingredient. Dr. Bashir wondered what happened to people who ate something that was "not in agreement" with the Order, and Odo noted that people had "disappeared" for less. The fear of the Order was not an idle threat; Bashir was shocked to find out the Obsidian Order knew what type of tea he drank. ( DS9 : " The Wire ", " Inquisition ")

• 2 Personnel
• 3.1 Background information
• 3.2 Apocrypha
• 3.3 External link

History [ ]

The Obsidian Order was formed in the 19th century , under the theoretical authority of the civilian Detapa Council . However, in practice both the Council and the Central Command had no control of the Obsidian Order. The Obsidian Order was responsible for matters of security and espionage, and was therefore forbidden from interfering in military operations. The Obsidian Order and the Central Command frequently came in conflict with each other, particularly since members of the Cardassian military were not immune to Obsidian Order inquiries. The only restriction that the Order had was that it was explicitly forbidden to possess military equipment of any kind. ( DS9 : " Defiant ")

The organization of the Obsidian Order was separated into semi-autonomous cells, which were insulated from each other so that the capture of any particular operative has a limited ability to compromise the organization. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ") Certain agents of the Order were also equipped with cranial implants so that they could better resist torture . ( DS9 : " The Wire ") They also developed a substance called promazine , which its operatives used in case of capture. ( DS9 : " Covenant ") The Order placed surveillance devices in the homes of all Cardassians . However, the devices in the homes of members of the Central Command could be turned off at their occupants' request. ( DS9 : " Second Skin ")

In 2371 , the Obsidian Order was responsible for the abduction and surgical alteration of Kira Nerys in an operation to expose Legate Tekeny Ghemor as a sympathizer to the Cardassian dissident movement . ( DS9 : " Second Skin ") The Order also sabotaged the USS Defiant 's attempt to vaporize a silithium -laden comet headed for the Bajoran wormhole , hoping to undermine the peace treaty between Cardassia and Bajor . ( DS9 : " Destiny ")

Also that year, the Obsidian Order was engaged in a major operation to mount a joint attack with the Tal Shiar on the Founders' homeworld . Masterminded by former Order head Enabran Tain , and in blatant violation of the non-military restriction, the Order had assembled a fleet of warships in the Orias system , consisting of an advanced version of the standard Galor -class starship, the Keldon -class , without the knowledge of the Central Command. ( DS9 : " Defiant ", " Improbable Cause ") The attack, however failed due to a Changeling infiltrator , and the entire fleet was destroyed in an ambush by the Jem'Hadar . This failure destroyed the capabilities of the Obsidian Order, effectively causing it to cease to exist. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ")

With the looming threat of the Dominion , and without the Order's tight control over popular dissent, a civilian uprising overthrew the Central Command in 2372 , reinstating the authority of the civilian Detapa Council. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ") After the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion, the Obsidian Order's role was assumed by Dominion security in the form of the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau , who by all accounts was just as efficient as the Order. ( DS9 : " Rocks and Shoals ", " In the Pale Moonlight ")

Personnel [ ]

• See Obsidian Order personnel

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The organization known as the Obsidian Order was originally to have been called "the Gray Order", though Robert Hewitt Wolfe changed it after noticing that the governing body of a specific alien species in Babylon 5 was named the Gray Council. He later remembered, " I thought, 'Damn!,' and then I made up a huge list of different kinds of metals, gems, and colors, and finally came up with obsidian, which I actually like better than grey! " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 142))

Regarding the portrayal of the Obsidian Order in " Defiant ", Ronald D. Moore remarked, " It was relatively late in the creative process that we came up with the mysterious buildup of the Obsidian Order. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 87)

Apocrypha [ ]

The novel A Stitch in Time provides extensive detail about Garak's recruitment into the Obsidian Order and several of his missions. As a further example of the friction that existed between the Order and the Central Command, it is revealed that Garak was exiled to Deep Space 9 after he was caught having an affair with the wife of a prominent military officer.

External link [ ]

• Obsidian Order at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published May 16, 2024

The Baddest Part of Space: A Brief History of the Badlands

The last place in the galaxy you want to take your starship, is often the place with the most going on.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's "Erigah" and "Labyrinths"!

StarTrek.com

The stormiest part of the galaxy is also the place where everyone seems to end-up, at least, if you’re in a certain kind of Star Trek adventure.

In the seventh (" Erigah ") and eighth ("Labyrinths") episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, the crew learns that the final clue to unlocking the Progenitor tech will lead to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, a kind of mobile library. These days, it's located in the center of the Badlands , an area of space beset with plasma storms, gravitational anomalies, and, on a few occasions, the accidental doorway to the other side of the galaxy.  

Discovery 's return to the Badlands might be the next-to-last stop on the treasure map to get the elusive secrets of the Progenitor tech, but it's a thrilling moment for longtime Star Trek fans. The Badlands isn't just a random Easter egg. This is a part of space pivotal to the history of the 24th Century, a place which spans not just a chunk of the Alpha Quadrant, but the paths of two beloved Trek shows — Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager .

Here's your brief history of the Badlands, plus, what makes it so bad, and so cool.

Star Trek and the Art of Foreshadowing

"When It Rains..."

In many ways, the Badlands represents a moment in Star Trek history where the franchise was getting really good at planting seeds for later plot developments, and, in the case of the Badlands, for TV series that had yet to even premiere. As many longtime fans know, back in the 1990s, having serialized arcs on any TV show was rare, meaning that ongoing shared continuity between Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine was downright revolutionary.

How does this connect to the Badlands? Well, before the U.S.S. Voyager actually went into the Badlands in the 1995 series premiere of Star Trek: Voyager , " Caretaker ," the concept of the Badlands was introduced in Deep Space Nine .

On April 24, 1994, in the 20th episode of Deep Space Nine 's second season, the concept of the Badlands was quietly introduced. Titled " The Maquis, Part I ," the episode introduced the growing resistance movement among former Federation colonists living in a demilitarized zone that now was part of Cardassian space. This storyline was directly connected to The Next Generation episode " Journey's End ," which had aired just a month prior on March 28, 1994. That episode established the conundrum of what was happening to the Federation colonists in the Cardassian DMZ, and then, DS9's "The Maquis, Part I" and " The Maquis, Part II ," revealed what happened when those colonists organized into a fighting force.

By May 16, 1994, this storyline pivoted back to TNG with the episode " Preemptive Strike ," in which Ro Laren defects to the Maquis, breaking Captain Picard's heart for nearly 30 years, until their reconciliation in the 2023 episode of Star Trek: Picard , " Imposters ."

So, in 1994, the Star Trek franchise escalated a huge storyline in March, April, and May. And one common element of this entire Maquis storyline was the Badlands.

The Badlands Revealed

"Caretaker"

Although Deep Space Nine introduced the concept of the Badlands in Season 2, and later mentioned it again in the Season 3 episode " Defiant ," the full destructive and absurdly dangerous aspect of the Badlands wasn't fully on display until the first episode of Star Trek: Voyager .

In "The Maquis, Part 1," Sisko says, "A few ships have been lost there over the past year or two," which again, foreshadows the moment when Voyager, and then Chakotay's ship the Val Jean , are transported to the Delta Quadrant, from the Badlands.

So while the Badlands had been visited and name-checked before Voyager , most fans associate this unstable region of space with that series. And with good reason, if Voyager had never pursued the Val Jean into the Badlands, the entire show would never have happened. Janeway even selected the temperamental, former-criminal Tom Paris as her pilot, because the Badland were known to be treacherous. And although DS9 would revisit the Badlands a bit more in subsequent seasons, the pink-orange landscape of the plasma storms from the opening moments of "Caretaker" have been burned into the brains of fans for almost 30 years.

Discovery ' s Return to the Badlands

"Erigah"

As Rayner tells Captain Burnham in "Erigah," he’s been to the Badlands and "it's as fun as it sounds." In "Labyrinths," we learn what was a very unstable region in the year 2371, has expanded to become, as Rayner explains, "the largest plasma storm in the quadrant," in 3191.

When Discovery enters the Badlands, it appears to be one intricate, massive storm in space, even more intense than back in the Voyager days. "It's kinda beautiful, in a twisted sort of way," Tilly declares as the ship rolls up on the Badlands, and she's totally right.

While the Badlands has always been a scary place in the Trek universe, there's also something ethereal and magical about this specific spacescape. In DS9, it was a place of refuge for an idealistic band of rebels. In Voyager , the Badlands became a doorway to a larger adventure, changing the lives of Janeway and the rest of the crew in ways that had countless repercussions throughout all of Star Trek history. And now, in Discovery , the Badlands becomes a diaphanous, whimsical setting for a library in space.

"Labyrinths"

One of Star Trek 's recurring themes is the ways in which the pursuit of knowledge can help us all overcome hardship. And in Discovery , that theme is perfectly exemplified by a celestial library, at the center of an interstellar storm.

Get Updates By Email

Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• Star Trek 101