Dominion War - Conception

Conception

In 2002, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine producer Ira Steven Behr stated that unlike some plots, which originated from a single small idea, the creation of the Dominion villain and story arc was "very much thought out." Behr said that the earliest mention of the Dominion was purposely planted in the comic Season Two Ferengi episode, "Rules of Acquisition", to leave the audience with an impression of "how important could it be?" It was decided that the Gamma Quadrant would need an ambience that would distinguish it from the Alpha Quadrant. The producers wanted to portray the region as something other than "uncharted space", and avoid imitating the adventures of Star Trek: The Next Generation with another series of plots focusing primarily on themes of exploration. After 18 months of Deep Space Nine exposition, the producers decided to characterize The Dominion as "anti-Federation". Writer and script editor Robert Hewitt Wolfe has explained that this move also distinguished Deep Space Nine from its successor series, Star Trek: Voyager, which stars a lost Federation ship traversing the chaotic and divided Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way.

Instead of introducing one alien race, three were introduced simultaneously: the Changelings, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar. These three were intended to represent the front of an ancient civilization coupled together by fear, to contrast with the unity of the Federation enabled by bonds of friendship. Behr, Wolfe, writer Peter Allan Fields and Jim Crocker attended meetings to develop the concepts of these species and found general inspiration in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy novels. Executive producer Michael Piller suggested the idea that the Founders of the Dominion be the race to which Odo belongs, toward the end of Season Two production, and discovered that Behr and Wolfe had also discussed this possibility. This character had been introduced with no knowledge of his true origins. Piller asserts the endeavor to create a new villain was one of the most difficult tasks he undertook in his work on Star Trek. Wolfe perceives similarities between the fictional Founders and the Roman Empire, in that the species first uses diplomacy, deception and cultural imperialism to achieve their aims before ultimately resorting to coercion.

According to writer Ronald D. Moore, co-creator Rick Berman originally intended the Dominion War to be the focus of three or four episodes, but Behr intended to expand the plotline all along. Moore has stated that Berman sometimes questioned the writing staff about the degree of violence included in some episodes. Berman also expressed concern about the portrayal of long-term consequences for the main characters, such as the loss of a character's leg in Season Seven. The writers argued in favor of the increased violence, asserting that it was justified in view of the plotlines detailing the progression of the Dominion War. Piller supported the idea that the repercussions of past episodes should continue to be felt, and that characters should "learn that actions have consequences", even if such consequences were to lead off in directions Piller had not originally imagined when Deep Space Nine remained in the conceptual stages. Moore has stated that the filming of Star Trek: Voyager occupied more of Berman and Piller's time from Deep Space Nine's third season, which allowed Behr to defend his creative decisions more successfully. Following the completion of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the writing staff could dedicate more time to working on scripts for Deep Space Nine. The writers admired the scripting techniques used for Star Trek: The Original Series: Moore cites the 1967 episode "Errand of Mercy" as a strong influence on his treatment of the Dominion War.