Star Trek Is Ready to Revisit One of Its Worst Mistakes, And It Will Change the Federation Forever

Star Trek is revisiting one of its biggest mistakes, and it will have huge ramifications for the Federation. The Maquis storyline was one of the Star Trek franchise’s most controversial, as it painted the Federation in a dark light. In retrospect, the Maquis story was not handled well, but now, with the franchise heading towards The Lore War, the Maquis are making a shocking return in Star Trek: Defiant #26.

IDW released their April solicitations, with first looks at variant covers. Star Trek: Defiant #26 will be written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Davide Tinto. The second installment of the five-part The Lore War, Star Trek: Defiant #26, sees the return of the Maquis, now repurposed as the resistance to Lore’s rule. IDW’s solicitation for the issue reads as follows:

The Lore War is a crossover event, similar to 2023’s Day of Blood. In it, the android Lore, using a Bajoran orb, has destroyed the universe and remade it in his image.

The Maquis Represented a Trend in the Star Trek Franchise

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Paved the Way for Better Storytelling in the Franchise

For most of the Star Trek franchise’s history, the United Federation of Planets has traditionally been depicted as being “the good guys,” who do not resort to sneaky and underhanded tactics. This was in part due to franchise creator Gene Roddenberry’s Utopian ideals, and his vision for humanity’s future. The early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation embody this philosophy, but by the third season, the stories have become more nuanced. This richer, deeper look into Star Trek’s guiding philosophies went a step further with the premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the first show in the franchise not to be set on a starship, but on a stationary base in orbit of a newly liberated planet. Previously, when the Enterprise solved that week’s dilemma, they took off to the next destination, often oblivious to the consequences of their actions. Out of the gate, Deep Space Nine subverted this formula. For the first time, fans saw that the Federation was not always in the right, and they did make bad decisions—often. The Maquis were one such mistake on the Federation’s part.

The Maquis Showed the Federation Was Not Always Right

The Maquis Had Legit Issues With the Federation

Introduced in Deep Space Nine’s second season, and crossing over with The Next Generation’s final one, the Maquis were the direct result of the Federation’s “good intentions.” At some point in the 24th century, the Federation fought a protracted war with the Cardassians. The two parties signed a treaty, and one of its stipulations was to hand control of former Federation territory over to the Cardassians. After the handoff, reports began to emerge that the Cardassians were mistreating the colonists, but the Federation turned a blind eye towards their suffering. This would have serious consequences.

Angered at their treatment by the Cardassians, and resentful of the Federation’s indifference, the Maquis began striking out at both. Both Captains Sisko and Picard watched as former officers, including Ro Laren, defected to the Maquis. Branded as terrorists by both the Federation and the Cardassians, the Maquis made a stand against their oppressors. However, the Maquis came to an ignoble end at the beginning of the Dominion War. The Cardassians allied themselves with the Dominion, who lended their Jem Hadar shock troopers in order to wipe out the remaining Maquis.

Star Trek Did Not Do the Maquis Story Right

The Maquis Were Right About the Federation

The Maquis were intended to become adversaries on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but from the get-go, the story was not handled properly. It was hard to hate the Maquis, as they had valid complaints against the Federation. Many of them were Federation citizens, who had spent their lives internalizing its values and beliefs–only to have the Federation turn their backs on them. While the reason the Federation turned some of its territory over to the Cardassians in the first place was never revealed, it did not need to happen.

No matter how hard Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s writers tried, the Maquis never once came across as total villains, at least not on the scale of the Cardassians or the Dominion. Instead, they made the Federation look bad–which may have been the intent of Deep Space Nine’s writers. In one notable episode, Captain Sisko committed war crimes by trying to arrest his former Chief of Security, J. Michael Eddington. Deep Space Nine’s writers regularly skewered and deconstructed Trek tropes, and the Federation's “good guy” status was one of them.

The Maquis Are Reborn in Lore's Twisted Version of the Star Trek Universe

This Time, Star Trek Can Do the Maquis Right

Now, with the mainstream Star Trek universe destroyed, and a twisted version created by Lore in its place, the Maquis have experienced a rebirth as a resistance to the evil android’s positronic rule. Captain Sisko, who so ruthlessly pursued the Maquis through the galaxy, is now a member. While IDW has not revealed any more specifics about the new Maquis, such as their history, it seems this time Star Trek is handling the group right. There are no more questions over whether the Maquis are right or not, and this time, they will save the Federation, and the universe.

Star Trek: Defiant #26 is on sale April 16 from IDW Publishing!