Opinions on Michael Eddington

[OtherGene]

I always thought the Maquis were in the right and the Federation always looked like the bad guys in that whole story arc. Eddington made for a fine leader because of his background (whereas Tom Riker looked cool and could've been more successful but ultimately seemed to be fighting because he was angry at the hand he was dealt) and, despite the bad clothes he was wearing, I was sorry when his race was run.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But he was genuine, and I would love to read about a defiant Eddington declaring a Maquis State on the Viewscreen after crushing the Cardassians, whupping the federation, and leading his troops to victory.

And then getting totally slaughtered by the Dominion.

(Remember, it was partly the Maquis threat that led Cardassia to the Dominion in the first place. So in a very real sense, it was Eddington's fault that the Maquis were all wiped out.)

 

[DonIago]

I think it would be fair to say that, in a manner of speaking, the Maquis became so focused on their own little battle that they forgot about the larger war.

Which is to say, they failed to consider exactly what actions Cardassia might take if they became honestly concerned about their survival.

 

[Voth commando1]

And then getting totally slaughtered by the Dominion.

(Remember, it was partly the Maquis threat that led Cardassia to the Dominion in the first place. So in a very real sense, it was Eddington's fault that the Maquis were all wiped out.)

Who says the wormhole didn't get mined or the obsidian order/Tal Shiar op to destroy the founders doesn't succeed.

Myriad universe novel title "Path of Glory." Maquis Victory

 

[kkt]

The Dominion has been taking care of themselves for 10,000 years. They had formidable conventional forces in the Jem Hadar, and amazing spying abilities through the Founders. There was no way a fleet of a couple of hundred Cardassian and Romulan ships was going to just waltz through the wormhole and destroy the Founders home world.

 

[Voth commando1]

The Dominion has been taking care of themselves for 10,000 years. They had formidable conventional forces in the Jem Hadar, and amazing spying abilities through the Founders. There was no way a fleet of a couple of hundred Cardassian and Romulan ships was going to just waltz through the wormhole and destroy the Founders home world.

that's what nearly happened.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ No, it didn't. That was NEVER going to happen. The whole thing was planned in advance - the Dominion knew all those ships were going to come through, so a trap was set. There was NO chance the Cardassian & Romulan fleets could do any actual damage.

 

[Voth commando1]

^ No, it didn't. That was NEVER going to happen. The whole thing was planned in advance - the Dominion knew all those ships were going to come through, so a trap was set. There was NO chance the Cardassian & Romulan fleets could do any actual damage.

Had the changeling not infiltrated the OP then it would have succeeded.

 

[Spot261]

I seem to remember the changeling having been implied to have influenced events rather than simply warning the Dominion. In either case, the infiltration is exactly the sort of protective/preemptive measures being referred to.

 

[Voth commando1]

I seem to remember the changeling having been implied to have influenced events rather than simply warning the Dominion. In either case, the infiltration is exactly the sort of protective/preemptive measures being referred to.

No they heard about it and then caused it to proceed, had they had not known about it it might have happened a little later perhaps by a few months but the plan was still going to happen regardless of changeling manipulation or not.

 

[Spot261]

In other words their spies were up to the job of protecting them, which was kkt's point

 

[Voth commando1]

In other words their spies were up to the job of protecting them, which was kkt's point

Yes but it was luck/happenstance that it was discovered at all. If the changelings are killed perhaps with the obsidian order being pyyrhicly destroyed in the process. It would give the Maquis the needed breathing space to smash the Cardassians, beat back federation attempts to reconquest/integration and go onwards to victory.

 

[Spot261]

Can't say I really read the Maquis that way, they were a fly in the ointment for the Cardassians and the Federation, whose primary threat was they might provoke a full scale war between the two. I never saw them as really standing much chance of hurting the Cadassians much outside the badlands.

I'd say the founders did a pretty good job of making their own luck there. The infiltration tactics worked time and again for them and they readily got into the most secure privy councils of pretty much every known AQ power

 

[Voth commando1]

Can't say I really read the Maquis that way, they were a fly in the ointment for the Cardassians and the Federation, whose primary threat was they might provoke a full scale war between the two. I never saw them as really standing much chance of hurting the Cadassians much outside the badlands.

Dax said and I quote "The Maquis have turned the tide."

 

[Spot261]

Dax said and I quote "The Maquis have turned the tide."

Not at all meaning they were in a position to invade Cardassia, any more than the Viet Cong were ever in a position to attack California

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If the Maquis ever had designs on attacking Cardassia itself, then they were way out of their league - and beyond any notions of fair play or decent rules of engagement.

(Any organization that claims to simply be "defending their homes" loses all legitimacy when they attempt to wipe out the very homeworld of their enemies. It would be like if I catch somebody trying to rob the store where I work, and then I go and kill his entire family - I'd be in violation not only of the law, but of every rule of human decency, if I did something like that. Same goes for the Maquis in this case - their problem is with the Cardassians in the DMZ, so the moment they attack anyone outside that sphere of influence, they lose all claim to the moral high ground, so to speak.)

Although - to bring this back on point - Eddington was exactly the kind of Maquis who WOULD attack Cardassia. Just to further his own ego, and increase his own power and standing.

 

[Voth commando1]

If the Maquis ever had designs on attacking Cardassia itself, then they were way out of their league - and beyond any notions of fair play or decent rules of engagement.

(Any organization that claims to simply be "defending their homes" loses all legitimacy when they attempt to wipe out the very homeworld of their enemies. It would be like if I catch somebody trying to rob the store where I work, and then I go and kill his entire family - I'd be in violation not only of the law, but of every rule of human decency, if I did something like that. Same goes for the Maquis in this case - their problem is with the Cardassians in the DMZ, so the moment they attack anyone outside that sphere of influence, they lose all claim to the moral high ground, so to speak.)

Although - to bring this back on point - Eddington was exactly the kind of Maquis who WOULD attack Cardassia. Just to further his own ego, and increase his own power and standing.

Had the acquired or developed the weaponry to do so then yes they would have and I think with the necessary "back channels" statehood declaration, and the Maquis's own resourcefulness could have cooked something up that would have turned Cardassia into ashes.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Then the Maquis would be no better than ISIS.

 

[Voth commando1]

^ Then the Maquis would be no better than ISIS.

Not at all, the Cardassians would simply have to find a new home world and would have to put away their pride and negotiate with the Maquis from a position of weakness.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Not at all, the Cardassians would simply have to find a new home world and would have to put away their pride and negotiate with the Maquis from a position of weakness.

And why should the Cardassians have to be the ones to find a new homeworld? They've been on Cardassia for thousands of years.

The Maquis have been in the DMZ for, what, a decade or so? Let THEM be the ones who move.

And remember, the only legitimate gripe that the Maquis had were with those Cardassians who lived in the DMZ and were harassing them. What about those millions - perhaps billions - of innocent Cardassians who had nothing to do with the conflict? Are you saying they were legitimate targets as well?

Because then you are no better than ISIS either.