"Children of Time" What If...

[Bry_Sinclair]

Right now I'm going through an unexpected rewatch of DS9 (just finished S5, so about to get into the Dominion War), and after watching "Children of Time" a thought popped into my head:

What if Old Odo never tampered with the autopilot, and the Defiant was sent back in time 200 years? With all the senior staff now lost to time, who would become the new crew of the station?

So in this scenario, all the events of the episode happen as is, including the crew loading personal messages on a probe and sending it through the energy barrier, but the Defiant hits the temporal anomaly and goes back in time 200 years. Then the communications relay at the mouth of the Gamma Quadrant picks up the probe and Starfleet sends a ship through to investigate. It arrives at the planet and recovers the probe, but by the time they get there they cannot penetrate the energy field.

Starfleet learns what happened to the ship and crew, leaving them with the task of assigning officers to take their place. The Bajoran Militia will be assigning two of its officers to the station, but exactly what posts are up for negotiation. You are in charge of selecting a new senior staff, what sort of crew do you assemble? What TNG/DS9/VOY (AQ-based) character(s) might you include? What positions would you include (especially with the ever increasing threat of the Dominion on your doorstep)?

 

[ED-209]

If I remember rightly in The Visitor the Bajorans took Siskos disappearance as a sign from the Prophets and kicked Starfleet off the station, the same thing would probably happen in this situation.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

If I remember rightly in The Visitor the Bajorans took Siskos disappearance as a sign from the Prophets and kicked Starfleet off the station, the same thing would probably happen in this situation.

They didn't kick them off, it was more a combination of a mutual defence agreement with Cardassia against the Klingons and Starfleet trying to keep the peace. Also lets assume in this "what if" that Sisko includes a message for the Bajoran people about it being his choice to remain on the planet, though without Sisko's insistence Bajor might not have signed the non-aggression pact with the Dominion which could well mean that the planet is occupied when the Dominion seizes the station.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

No Lower Decks or Picard characters? Indeed,

Spoiler

Beckett Mariner was stationed on DS9.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

No Lower Decks or Picard characters? Indeed,

Spoiler

Beckett Mariner was stationed on DS9.

If their timelines fit then they would be acceptable (though I was looking at this as being back in 1997, but it's your "what if" line-up so go with what you fancy).

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Amazingly, I don't actually have much settled in my mind for who I'd have but there are some ideas rattling about:

• CO - Starfleet Captain, most likely Human. I did wonder about promoting Riker to Captain and putting him in the role, but have since gone off that idea, thinking it'd be better to have a non-white actor (though maybe not another African-American, so they wouldn't be seen as just a carbon copy for Sisko). Personally, I'd make Shohreh Aghdashloo the new Captain, though her language would be toned down from "The Expanse" (there's no cussing in 90s Trek), she just radiates a sense of strength and definitely wouldn't be someone to be pushed around by Dukat (plus I could just listen to her reading the dictionary, so the marvellous writing of DS9 would be even more incredible in her husky voice).
• XO - Militia Colonel, Bajoran Male. I wouldn't see the Bajorans willing to have the representation diminished in the stations hierarchy, though they may want someone with a little more clout.
• Security Chief - Starfleet Lieutenant, Human Female. Though I know the character wasn't created/introduced until "Rocks and Shoals" Lieutenant Neeley springs to my mind. She may not be a Changeling but I'm sure she could keep Quark on his toes.
• Doctor - Lt. Commander Selar (what can I say, I like Vulcans and she was definitely a character I'd loved to have seen more of).
• Intel/Strategic/Tac Officer - Starfleet Lt. Commander, Bolian Male. I like Bolians so I'd want to see one included, I put him in this role as a little nod to the Saratoga's tactical officer from "Emissary".

Not thought of any of the other characters yet, though I would see Nog making it into the main cast in S6 as something of a floater helping out where needed but also serving as conn officer on their new ship. Quark would still be Quark and Jake would stick around as a reporter and never wasting an opportunity to try and get his dad back. Garak, Kasidy, Rom, Leeta and Martok would still be prominent recurring characters and and around the station.

 

[Orphalesion]

VOY characters? Wasn't Voyager off in the Delta Quadrant by the time Children of Time happened?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

VOY characters? Wasn't Voyager off in the Delta Quadrant by the time Children of Time happened?

That's why I said Alpha Quadrant based, so any character seen/mentioned as being back home, granted there's not many of them who are memorable (only one that springs to my mind is Greskrendtregk).

 

[Orphalesion]

That's why I said Alpha Quadrant based, so any character seen/mentioned as being back home, granted there's not many of them who are memorable (only one that springs to my mind is Greskrendtregk).

Ah, I misunderstood you, I thought you meant any VOY character who originated from the Alpha Quadrant (as opposed to Neelix and Kes)

As for those remaining in the Alpha Quadrant. Well there's also Admiral Paris, and I guess Libby could do something, maybe she gets a job at Quark's or some such.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Ah, I misunderstood you, I thought you meant any VOY character who originated from the Alpha Quadrant (as opposed to Neelix and Kes)

As for those remaining in the Alpha Quadrant. Well there's also Admiral Paris, and I guess Libby could do something, maybe she gets a job at Quark's or some such.

There's also Janeway's cousin who the family never speaks about, Nicole

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Some existing characters to consider"

• Captain Shaxs, strategic officer serving Bajoran Militia in pre-Starfleet career
• Doctor Alyssa Ogawa
• 1st LT Raffi Musiker as science officer

 

[Oddish]

Maybe the Prophets would find another way to get "the Sisko" back. After all, the Sisko is necessary.

 

[FederationHistorian]

There are a lot of characters from TNG that could be promoted, and only a couple from DS9 & VOY.

• Captain: Shelby (I did think of putting Benteen here. But since the Defiant handled the Lakota quite well, I don't think I'd be assigning the Lakota here. And Jellico, despite his experience with Cardassians, would be better off on whatever assignment Starfleet gives him. Better to get the USS Sao Paulo and a new captain in Shelby.)
• Bajoran Militia: Anara (Engineer), Major Jatarn (first officer, recommended by Kira)
• Science Officer: Ensign Taitt
• Starfleet Security Officer: Lieutenant Barnaby
• Ops: Lieutenant Sam Lavelle
• Doctor: Dr. Selar and an EMH (either Mark I or Mark II)
• USS Sao Paulo helmsman: Ensign Sariel Rager
• USS Sao Paulo security and tactical officer: Lieutenant Daniels
• USS Sao Paulo Romulan liason: T'Rul (I'd imagine that this would be important if the Federation were to continue to use the Romulan cloaking device on any Federation starships)
• DS9 Night Watch: Jean Hajar (If Sito Jaxa can have a chance at redemption, why not Hajar? Plus night watch is for junior officers like her.)

But as mentioned before, its likely that Bajor would kick Starfleet off the station. Unless they hold Jake Sisko in reverence.