Ultra Dumb DS9 Question

[Ensign_Redshirt]

It had a lot to do with the internal politics of Cardassia, mainly the rivalry between the civilian branch of the government and the military leadership. This was explicitly adressed in the Season 2 episode "Cardassians". Perhaps the civilian leaders were always opposed to the occupation, while the military was a strong proponent and the driving force behind it.

Something that wasn't actually adressed (not even in "Cardassians") was how the civilian leaders were finally able to force a withdrawal from Bajor against the military's objections.

 

[Anwar]

Easy, it was because they were redeploying the armed forces because of the new Treaty with the Federation and the DMZ. The civilians probably convinced the command to remove their forces from Bajor to better defend the new borders, and when they found out about the Wormhole they were kicking themselves and lost power until the Obsidian Order was wiped out. With the Order gone the Civilians were free to take out Central Command and take full power, until Dukat staged the Dominion takeover.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Easy, it was because they were redeploying the armed forces because of the new Treaty with the Federation and the DMZ. The civilians probably convinced the command to remove their forces from Bajor to better defend the new borders, and when they found out about the Wormhole they were kicking themselves and lost power until the Obsidian Order was wiped out. With the Order gone the Civilians were free to take out Central Command and take full power, until Dukat staged the Dominion takeover.

However, the treaty wasn't signed until late in TNG's 7th Season (= Season 2, DS9)... more than a year after the withdrawal from Bajor.

Your theory would require that the Cardassians were anticipating the creation of the DMZ at a time they were actually preparing to invade Federation territory, namely Minos Korva (as seen in "Chain of Command", the final TNG episode prior to the premiere of DS9).

 

[Anwar]

Conversely, it's possible that they may have needed the Bajor Occupation forces for the Minos Korva attack and when it failed the Detapa Council convinced them to not put them back to foster better goodwill with the Federation for treaty negotiations (it had to be going on for long before TNG S7).

 

[C.E. Evans]

Personally, I always thought it was more of a case that the Cardassians had simply plundered Bajor as much as they could and there was simply no longer any reason to stay.

It probably would have cost the Cardassian government to dismantle Terok Nor, and since the station had already served its original purpose as an ore processing facility, they simply abandoned it too (just like they did Empok Nor).

Cardassians seem to have a habit of simply abandoning things that they think are no longer of any use to them...

 

[Anwar]

That fits, they are pragmatists who can't really afford to be overly theatrical or sadistic for the heck of it.

 

[Captain Fine]

Although they're happy to booby trap stuff they leave behind...

 

[Anwar]

Oh yes, why leave anything valuable behind for nothing? At least if you have to leave anything behind make sure to set it that it'll more often than not be a liability to whomever took it next. That's also practical.

 

[Captain Fine]

Oh yes, why leave anything valuable behind for nothing? At least if you have to leave anything behind make sure to set it that it'll more often than not be a liability to whomever took it next. That's also practical.

When Starfleet crews abandon ship, they generally set the auto destruct. I guess Cardassians are different.

 

[Anwar]

They figured that if they were withdrawing they'd let the Bajorans think they were getting something from Terok Nor but in truth they stripped it of all the valuable stuff and booby-trapped what was left. Nice.

 

[Jono]

Oh yes, why leave anything valuable behind for nothing? At least if you have to leave anything behind make sure to set it that it'll more often than not be a liability to whomever took it next. That's also practical.

When Starfleet crews abandon ship, they generally set the auto destruct. I guess Cardassians are different.

Nobody wanted to blow up the station, not the Cardassians when they first left nor Starfleet when they left or the Dominion when they were forced from the station.

The Cardassians might have considered that leaving the station as a psychological ploy, a constant reminder in the skies over Bajor of the Cardassian occupation.

 

[Nightdiamond]

One thing-are the Bajorans charging the visitors that come to the station? Surely they're not letting those ships dock for free. Or repairing them etc..

I'm assuming that because of the wormhole, many ships started coming in order to explore or find opportunities-so it must be benefiting the Bajoran economy-unless they're doing all those services for free!

 

[Anwar]

Heh, reminds me of a MAD Magazine parody of DS9 they did:

Sisko: I'm thinking of putting a toll in that wormhole...