Bajoran History

The Bajoran people have a long history of exploration and a history of glorious ancient civilisations just like the Ancient Greek and Roman histories of Earth. 500,000 years ago, at a time before true humans had even evolved the Bajoran civilisation boomed. Architects, builders, philosophers, the Bajorans were at a highly advanced stage compared to the rest of the Galaxy. 10,000 years ago the first 'orbs' appeared. Ten of these were eventually found, the Bajorans began to worship them as a gift from their Gods, the Prophets. The Orbs created wild visions, many leading to prophesies in the Bajoran faith, including some about the one known as the 'Emissary', he who would discover the Celestial temple, home to the Prophets and bring a new era of peace and prosperity to Bajor. By the 16th Century on Earth, at a time when human beings were still using sailing boats to explore their planet the Bajorans stepped into the deep seas of space in their Solar Sailing spacecraft. Some of these spacecraft even went as far as Cardassia Prime and the Bajorans expanded happily into the universe. In 2172, the Bajoran year 9174, the Bajoran poet Akorem Laan embarked into space aboard his Bajoran solar sail ship. He returned and finished many great works of poetry despite the fact he was in fact transported to the 24th Century by the Prophets for a brief time. (Note: More on him later ;) ) During the 22nd Century Kai Taluno was in the Denorios Belt when his ship was damaged. He claimed that "the skies opened up and almost swallowed my [his] ship!" However Bajor was not without it's troubles, and neither was it's neighbour the growing Cardassian Union. The Union offered assistance to Bajor and in the beginnings it is seen as helpful, constructive even but over the years it became constantly more oppressive and malevolent. In 2328 the Cardassian Union formally annexed Bajor. The Federation expressed sympathy but stated that helping the Bajorans would break the Prime Directive. Many Bajorans left Bajor rather than remain oppressed, eeking out lives as the Galaxies charity case, a shadow of the Bajor that once was, those that remain suffer persecution, as they are forced into labour camps. The remaining Bajorans had only one choice. They cast of their D'Jarra's (a caste system, similar to the Hindu caste system in that a persons individual social standing was dictated by their caste) to fight the Cardassian people. An underground network of terrorists and revolutionaries fought the Cardassians for years. The Bajorans were out-numbered, out-gunned and had far inferior technology, yet they always came on top thanks to their Guerrilla war tactics. In 2351 the Cardassians used Bajoran slave labour to build Terok Nor, neither the Bajorans or Cardassians could realise how much of an affect this station, would have, not only on them but on the entire Galaxy, nor could either speculate that it would be under Starfleet command when it had it's biggest impact. In 2368 a terrorist attack destroyed the Federation settlement on Solarion IV, the attack was blamed on Bajorans. The USS Enterprise-D was asked to investigate this. Further evidence showed that the entire thing had been staged by the Cardassians in an attempt to drag the Federation into their conflict. In 2369 the Bajorans finally gained victory. The Cardassians withdrew from Bajor, leaving Terok Nor sabotaged, wrecked. The Bajorans set up the Provisional Government, designed to reform Bajor. One of the Provisional Governments first acts was to ask the Federation to help strengthen Bajor and the Bajoran people. Terok Nor was made the Starfleet command centre, to prepare Bajor for entry into the Federation. Commander Benjamin Sisko was given command of Terok Nor, which was renamed Deep Space 9 or DS9 for short. Shortly after he arrived Sisko visited Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of Bajor and head of the Bajoran faith. She told him that he was the Emissary, the one who would eventually discover the Prophets. Soon after he and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, DS9's Science Officer, discovered the Bajoran wormhole, and aliens inside it. The Bajorans believed that the wormhole was the Celestial Temple, and that the aliens were the Prophets. This made Sisko the Emissary. Sisko was uncomfortable in this position as he held power over an alien culture, which could break the Prime Directive. Only a few weeks after this a Bajoran Kohn-ma terrorist known as Tahna Los attempted to destroy the wormhole with an explosive device, he wished to destroy it in order to downgrade Bajor's strategic value, so that the Cardassians and the Federation would no longer be interested in it. Although the attempt failed it showed just how fragile Bajor was. The Provisional Government was weak, many people felt they had not thought the Cardassians for all these years just to hand themselves over to the Federation. The Provisional Government was not seen to be helping Bajorans enough, and many wanted an isolated Bajor, away from Federation's, Empire's, Union's and other large multi-planet nations. Kai Opaka helped in the restoration of Bajor but soon even she would not be able to help....... Sisko, and DS9 CMO, and XO Dr. Julian Bashir and Major Kira Nerys of the Bajoran Militia respectively took Opaka on an excursion to the Gamma Quadrant, where the Bajoran Wormhole led, months later. The Runabout they were on crash landed with apparent loss of life of Opaka. Opaka was brought back to life by artificial microbes on the planet. It was found that Opaka could not leave the planet or she would die, as the microbes kept her alive. However as long as she remained on the planet she was immortal. However she could not help the Bajoran people and a new election for Kai began. Before the election got under way Sisko successfully mediated talks between two Bajoran factions which were arguing over a border dispute. Barely a few weeks after that incident the Provisional Government attempted to use the Bajoran moon Jeraddo for power. A long argument between the government and the last citizen of Jeraddo, a man named Mullibok, took place. Eventually Kira was able to convince Mullibok to leave Jeraddo. Later that year a Cardassian who appeared to be Gul Darhe'el arrived on DS9. Darhe'el was responsible for one of the greatest tragedies of the occupation, the Gallitep labour camp massacre. The Cardassian was eventually revealed to be Aamin Marritza, who had been working under Darhe'el at the time and felt responsible for not helping. Marritza was released and assassinated by a Bajoran who hated him because he was Cardassian. The election for the new Kai was raging. The key contenders were Vedek Winn, and Vedek Bareil. Whereas Winn was more conservative and manipulative, Bareil was both spiritual and liberal. At the very end of 2369 she appeared on DS9 claiming that the teachings of scientific theory about the Bajoran Wormhole were 'blasphemous'. Bareil arrived attempting to calm the situation and was almost assassinated by DS9 engineer Neela of the Bajoran militia. It is suspected by many although not proven that Neela was working with Winn in a conspiracy to eliminate Bareil from the election. As 2370 rolled through Bajor was in strife. The loss of Opaka had resulted in Bajor splitting into military factions. The Alliance for Global Unity of 'The Circle' as it was more commonly known was one such faction, and it began to arm itself militarily. Kira Nerys discovered evidence that key Bajoran resistance leader Li Nalas was alive and imprisoned on Cardassia IV, Kira successfully freed the legendary Li and the Bajoran government gave him a new rank in the Bajoran Militia of Navarch and was assigned as XO and Bajoran Liaison Officer to DS9 replacing Kira by Minister Jaro Essa of the Provisional Government. Shortly after a minister in the provisional government was beaten in the streets by citizens who were believed to be working for the circle. The Circle's attacks grew and grew, with terrorist activities not only on Bajor but also on DS9. The Circle believed firmly in isolation for Bajor and did not wish the Federation to be involved. The Circles weapons came from the Kressari who the Bajorans did not realise got their weapons from the Cardassians.... Kira was visiting Vedek Bareil when she was kidnapped by Circle agents, DS9 personnel happily freed her, but learned that the Circle was being commanded by Jaro Essa and planned to attempt a military coup against the Provisional Government. However when DS9 personnel relayed this to Admiral Chekote (Note: NOT Chakotay!) declared that the Prime Directive prohibited Federation involvement. He ordered DS9 to be evacuated of all Federation citizens. However when the Circle arrived the Senior Officers remained behind in violation of orders. At the same time Kira showed the Provisional Government evidence linking the Circle to Jaro and showing that the Cardassians were supplying the weapons indirectly. The Circle would of pushed the Federation out of the Bajoran sector once and for all, leaving Bajor unprotected and allowing the Cardassians to retake Bajor. The evidence was enough and the coup failed. On DS9 the Circle's Commander of the station, General Krim, was ready to go peacefully but his XO, Colonel Day turned and fired on Sisko, in the ensuing fray Li Nalas leaped in front of the beam and gave his life to save Sisko's. The truth is Li was not the Resistance hero that legend claimed, but he was a hero, for Bajor and a martyr against Bajoran conservatism. A few weeks later a the Skrreea who had escaped their life as slaves to the T-Rogorans in the Gamma Quadrant when the Dominion had successfully invaded them appeared through the wormhole. Their mythology stated that when they fell through the wormhole which they called the Eye of the Universe they would find their promised land, called Kentanna. Almost immediately the Skrreea identified Bajor as Kentanna and asked to colonise it, the Provisional Government rejected their application, and the Skrreea had to be relocated by the Federation. Around this time the first actions of the Maquis occurred. Although Bajor had technically nothing to do with the Maquis, many Bajorans joined for the purposes of revenge against Cardassians and general violent feelings towards the Cardassians. Officially the Bajoran Government disapproved of such actions. Almost a year after the assassination attempt on Vedek Bareil the election for a new Kai began. Bareil was favoured to win, although Winn still continued to campaign hard. In order to win Winn (Note: Please ignore the fact I effectively said 'win' twice.) made it quietly known that she had proof that Bareil had been a collaborator during the Occupation. In fact it was discovered that the Collaborator had been Opaka, who had informed Cardassians of a Resistance base manned by 42 Bajorans, including her own Son, who were massacred. She had revealed this information save the lives of 1,000 other Bajorans. However Bareil did not wish to reveal this information and dirty Opaka's name, and withdrew from the election. Winn was successfully elected although she took on Bareil as her assistant. As 2371 rolled in the Dominion posed a new threat to Bajor but Bajor was happy the Federation would protect it. Barely a few months into 2371 an extremely damaged Bajoran transport ship docked with DS9, on board were Winn and Bareil. Winn was unharmed, but Bareil died while Bashir attempted to save him. However unusual effects from the radiation on the transport made it possible to bring him back to life but an hour later. However Bareil's condition remained grave, and he disallowed Bashir to place him in stasis, so that he could help Winn with negotiations for a secret treaty between the Cardassians and Bajor. In order to keep him alive Bashir had to use an experimental treatment, the treaty was eventually signed, just before Bareil died as a side-effect of his treatment. And yet again, just as happened with Li, Bajor lost a hero, who died for it. Barely a month later three Cardassians arrived on DS9 to create a communications relay through the wormhole. Currently it was impossible to communicate through the wormhole and the Cardassians hoped to make it possible. However some Bajorans believed that it was a start of an ancient prophesy that: "When the river wakes, stirred once more to Janir's side, three vipers will return to their nest in the sky, when the vipers try to peer through the temple gates, a sword will appear in the heavens, the temple will burn, and the gates will be cast open." The Bajorans saw the Cardassians as the Vipers. However the test continued. When testing the signal a massive gravitational surge was activated by the wormhole, to the surprise of all. A nearby comet was pulled towards the wormhole. The core of the comet was made of Silithium, which would damage the wormhole and make it unusable. The crew of the USS Defiant attempted to vaporise it with a special phaser beam, but the phasers were sabotaged by one of the Cardassians who turned out to be a member of the Obsidian Order, who opposed the Bajor-Cardassian treaty. The phasers split the comet into three large fragments which continued to head for the wormhole. In order to stop the Silithium Sisko and Kira manoeuvred a Shuttlepod between the three fragments, it emitted a special field which stopped the Silithium effecting the wormhole, however the field was not fully capable and a sub-space filament was left inside the wormhole, a sub-space filament through which communications could be sent. The events lead to a re-interpretation of the prophesy. The comet fragments could be the 'vipers' and the reference to opening it just a crack could mean so you can communicate through it. The Bajorans were left happy. A few weeks later Grand Nagus Zek of the Ferengi gave the Bajoran people the Orb of Wisdom, which he gave to them for a substantial price. Later that year evidence was discovered that Ancient Bajorans had used Solar Sailing craft to reach space as far as Cardassia Prime. A few weeks before the end of 2371 the leader of the Provisional Government, First Minister Kalem Apren, died of heart failure in his sleep, for the time being Kai Winn was made Acting First Minister until a formal election could be held. Almost immediately afterwards she ordered reclamation equipment being used to make land in Dahkur province, including that of Kira's former resistance cell leader, Shakaar Edon, fertile again to be sent to Rakantha Province in order to make use of products which would bring more exports money to Bajor. However Shakaar and his fellow farmers refused. She enlisted Kira's help in attempting to regain the equipment. However Kira was unable to and Winn sent in the Bajoran militia lead by Colonel Lenaris Holem to retake the equipment by force. It almost got to civil war before Shakaar and Lenaris agreed fighting over farm equipment was stupid. Shakaar stood against Winn for election to the office of First Minister and won. In 2372 Shakaar visited DS9 to help arrange a timetable for the Bajoran admission to the Federation.  Months later Akorem Lang appeared through the Bajoran Wormhole. He revealed he had fell through it two centuries ago and encountered the Prophets, and then sent forward in time. As a result of this Akorem believes himself to be the Emissary. The Bajorans believed him and he made some extremely unpopular reforms, but no Bajoran would argue with him. Sisko and Akorem journeyed into the Celestial Temple to seek the Prophets advise and the Prophets revealed that in their eyes Sisko was the Emissary. At Sisko's request Akorem was returned to his own time. A couple of months into 2373 a Pah-Wraith an enemy of the Prophets took over the body of DS9 inhabitant Keiko O'Brien, holding Keiko's body hostage and threatened her husband, DS9 Chief of Operations, Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien that the Wraith would hurt Keiko if he did not do as she said. She convinced Miles to complete some engineering adjustments for her, the adjustments resulted in the station being a massive emitter which send chroniton radiation into the wormhole, killing the Prophets. Just as the station fired the radiation hit the runabout which the O'Briens were using killing the Wraith inhabiting Keiko. The Prophets were left unhurt. A couple of weeks later the Cardassians returned one of the Orbs they had stolen, the Orb of Time, as a sign of good faith between the Cardassians and Bajor. A couple of months later Bajor was finally ready for acceptance into the Federation. Sisko under the influence of the Prophets first discovered B'hala, an ancient Bajoran city, to the Bajorans this was a miracle and confirmation that he was the Emissary. Sisko burst into the final negotiations and declared "Locusts! They'll destroy Bajor, unless it stands alone!" he explained that he had a vision of Locusts, coming out of the wormhole and heading towards Cardassia. Bajor did not join the Federation, and a few months later the Cardassians joined the Dominion. Near the end of that year the Dominion was preparing for war against the Federation. In that time it offered non-aggression pacts to many nations, Bajor eventually accepted when Sisko admitted he could not guarantee Bajor's safety. The Dominion attacked DS9 and the Dominion War which would embroil the Alpha Quadrant for the next two years started. The Bajoran Militia officers on DS9 remained behind due to the political situation and the Dominion took over administration of the station. The station and Bajor remained under Dominion supervision for the next six months, and the time passed into 2374, until the Federation forced them out. Most Bajorans were unhappy with the Dominion presence and desperately wanted to help, but they could not, they had neither the ability nor the political power. A few months before the end of 2374, Sisko visited the ruins of B'hala, an ancient tablet gave him a vision of the Prophets telling him the Reckoning had begun.  Sisko took the tablet back to DS9 to be studied, where he found he had this desire to destroy it. Eventually he gave in and he released a Prophet and a Pah-Wraith. They chose hosts, the Prophet took the body of Kira, while the Wraith took the body of Jake Sisko, Sisko's son, the two battled on the stations promenade, but just before either could claim victory Winn send chroniton energy throughout the promenade, the two escaped, but the war was not finished. In the last weeks of 2374 the Federation Alliance attempted to attack the key Cardassian border system of Chin'Toka. The Prophets warned Sisko not to go to Cardassia, he ignored the Prophets anyway. While he was gone, Gul Dukat, the former prefect of Bajor during the later days of the Occupation, appeared in DS9s Bajoran Temple, he was inhabited by a Wraith who killed Jadzia Dax, who was in the Temple at the time and froze the orb inside it. The wormhole closed and Sisko lost contact with the Prophets. With Dax dead, and Bajor cut off from the Prophets Sisko was left feeling that he had failed as a Captain and Emissary. He returned home, retired from Starfleet, for three months and time moved into 2375. At this time he had a vision of a woman's face buried in the sand. Jake recognised it from one of his Grandfather's photos. Sisko asked his Father who the woman was, but he refused to tell him, but after Sisko's persistence admits that the woman was Sarah Sisko, Ben's mother who left him as a child and died a year later. His step-mother had raised him as her own child. He gave Ben a locket belonging to Sarah, which had a Bajoran inscription saying "Orb of the Emissary". Sisko realised he must go to Tyree, the planet where his original vision took place, when he was preparing he was stabbed by a Bajoran, a member of the Cult of Pah-Wraiths, a violent sect who believed that the Wraiths were the 'true' prophets. However Sisko continued, along with Jake, his Father and his new friend, Ezri Dax. Guided by Sisko's vision the four friends hiked across Tyree, eventually Sisko dropped and just started digging. Sisko was dogged by visions created by the Wraiths which attempted to stop him, however he continued digging and opened the Orb ark. The Orb shot a beam at the wormhole across all those light years, the Wraiths were expelled from the wormhole, and the wormhole reopened, the Orbs became light again. Sisko had a vision, in it he spoke to his 'mother' a Prophet who revealed she had taken over the body of Sarah Sisko all those years ago so that Ben would be born. Sisko returned to Bajor, both as a Starfleet Officer and as the Emissary. The last months of 2375 and the Dominion War brought some of Bajor's most historical events. Winn had a vision from the Prophets that she would lead Bajor's restoration. She was told a 'Guide' would come, a "man of the land", the Prophets called him. Posing as a Bajoran farmer named Anjohl, Dukat visited Winn and convinced her that he was the 'Guide', believing him 'Anjohl' soon shared Winn's bed (Note: My 'polite' way of saying they did it like rabbits :D ) The two pledged restore Bajor - even if the Emissary stood in their way. Soon after Winn had a vision where the 'Prophets' who had spoke to her before, revealed themselves to be the Wraiths. Winn ordered 'Anjohl' away but he convinced her to follow the Wraiths. Tired of being in the Emissary's shadow Winn agreed. 'Anjohl' urged Winn to read the forbidden texts of Kosst Amojan and free the Pah Wraiths. When she opened the book she found it was empty. Her faithful servant Solbor discovered 'Anjohl's' true identity, in the ensuing confusion Winn murdered Solbor, and a drop of his blood set the pages of the sacred test alight, and symbols appeared, Ancient Bajoran language. Dukat urged her to grasp the power the Wraiths offered her. Winn worked hard to decoding the Ancient Bajoran within the text, learning slowly how to read it and how to release the Wraiths. Dukat took a look at the book and was blinded as punishment for reading the book, as punishment for defying the Wraiths Winn pushed Dukat out onto the streets. The day of the final battle in the war against the Dominion, the Prophets told Sisko his task was coming near to completion. Meanwhile a sighted Dukat returned to Winn, the Wraiths had returned his sight and forgiven him. Winn and Dukat entered the Bajoran Fire Caves where the Pah-Wraiths were banished eons ago. They got to the part of the caves where the Wraiths dwelled. Winn said a few words from the sacred text and the caves lit up with fire. Winn offered a drink to Dukat, and took one herself. Dukat drunk his, but Winn did not, spilling the drink on the ground, it was poison and Dukat died, the Wraiths demanded a sacrifice and that sacrifice was Dukat. Winn freed the Wraiths, they stunned and her and revived Dukat with his full Cardassian features. Sisko arrived, ready to defeat Dukat. The Emissary of the Prophets and the Emissary of the Wraiths fought, but the Wraiths had inhabited Dukat and he easily brought Sisko to his knees, Winn defiantly attempted to stop him but was stopped when Dukat killed her, her last words were "Emissary, the book!" as Dukat burned her to cinders, Sisko used the distraction to push Dukat, and the book into the flames of the fire caves. Then he was with the Prophets. They told him that Dukat and the Wraiths were imprisoned, forever, without the book they could not be released. Sisko joined the Prophets who would teach him everything they knew. He promised, that one day he will return. When, nobody but the Prophets know. Bajor is left troubled. Winn's betrayal has had long-term repercussions across all Bajor and they longer have the Emissary. There is one ray of sunshine though, now the Dominion no longer poses a threat to Bajor, Bajor can finally do what Sisko was sent there to prepare it for, to join the Federation.