Thanks so much for your comment!
The weird thing about Rwogo / Quark is that it wasn't in my original plans. I'd originally added Rwogo as the new security chief to replace DRG3's rather boring new chief, Blackmer, who was your basic straight white human male. Bringing in a Ferengi female (and one who had a backstory from the DS9-R novella Satisfaction Is Not Guaranteed, although she did not appear "on screen" then) immediately gave me so many more interesting angles to play with, and someone with whom Ro might have a genuine reason to have conflict.
So Rwogo's introduction was more about Ro than it was about Quark. But then once she was there, more and more ideas kept coming. DRG3 had ended the Ro / Quark relationship by having having her fall in love with someone else (again with little justification that I could see), and since I had already decided this was my last season I didn't want to leave that odd friends-fuckbuddies-unrequited relationship unresolved. It was only then that I realised - "oh! look who's right there. that's perfect!" And Rwogo became one of the most pivotal characters of the season, I loved writing her.
I actually explored what it would be like for a Cardassian to live on Bajor (Slaine) and vice versa (Kira). Tenmei only had the Vaughn thing in the books, so I promoted her to replace Stinson on the Defiant and gave her the th'Shant thing as well, which provided conflict with Candlewood. He got to develop his career and command skills, make new friends and resolve his relationship. Sisko explored a planet like a Galaxy class ship is supposed to, and gets to keep both Starfleet and his family in his life. Ro's issues with Bajor were resolved thanks to being forced to live there. Bashir actually had the Section 31 conversation with Sarina "on screen" instead of only hearing about it after the fact. Raiq had a role to play in events. Rebecca's superpowers have a reason to exist. Bacco and Akaar have a romance! The execrable Andorian transporter duplicate plot from Fallen Gods became a part of th'Shant's arc. As much as those books were the base of this season, I also put a lot effort into fixing the problems, gaps and missed opportunities in them.
As for Taran'atar and the Dominion, he had popped up in mysterious guest spots in S12 "Army of Me" and S13 "Dog Eat Dog", both written to lead up to this. DRG3 spent forever on building up that story and then it was wiped away with a trick of the timeline in Coda, but it was an important storyline for both Odo and Taran'atar so I needed to include it. But I left it on a cliffhanger and I honestly don't know what happens next. I hate to think of the refugees all getting murdered, but how can Taran'atar, Weyoun, the Even Odds and the Eav'oq stop Laas and an army of Jem'Hadar? Is there another Dominion civil war about to start? I don't know!
The last half of the final episode deliberately set up more storylines for the characters – the Andorians, Section 31, the Morn / Vic thing. I knew we were never going to see those storylines play out but I wanted to leave the reader with the impression that these people's lives and adventures will go on even if we don't see it. And since like you I wasn't entirely happy with some of the story directions from this point on in the Litverse, ending it here and leaving the future hinted but unexplored is the best outcome because we can imagine what we want.
Thanks again for reading!
