In theStar Trekscience-fiction franchise,the Maquis/mɑːˈkiː/ are a 24th-centuryparamilitary organization-terrorist group (like the World War IIMaquis in theFrench Resistance and theSpanish Maquis that emerged in theSpanish Civil War). The group is introduced in the two-part episode "The Maquis" of the television seriesStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, building on a plot foundation introduced in the episode "Journey's End" ofStar Trek: The Next Generation; they appear in later episodes of those two series as well asStar Trek: Voyager. The Maquis story debuted when threeStar Trek television shows running from 1987 to 2001 took place in the same fictional science-fiction universe at the same time in the future (the 2360s–2370s). As a result, the Maquis story was told across several episodes in all three shows. The Maquis are especially prominent inStar Trek: Voyager, whose premise is that aStarfleet crew and a Maquis crew are stranded together on the opposite side of the Galaxy.[1]
The Maquis are also featured in the comic book sagaThe Maquis: Soldier of Peace byMalibu Comics, who held the rights toDeep Space Nine comics in the 1990s,[2] and in the book seriesThe Badlands bySusan Wright.
The concept of the Maquis was introduced by the creators ofThe Next Generation so that it could play a role in the upcomingVoyager, which was scheduled to begin airing in 1995. AsJeri Taylor commented, "We knew that we wanted to include a renegade element inVoyager, and that the show would involve a ship housing bothStarfleet people and those idealistic freedom fighters that the Federation felt were outlaws [i.e., the Maquis]."[3] Therefore, the creators ofStar Trek decided to create a backstory for the Maquis in several episodes ofDeep Space Nine andThe Next Generation, and named them after theFrench guerrilla fighters of the Second World War.[3] The recurring characters ofMichael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) inDeep Space Nine andRo Laren (Michelle Forbes) inThe Next Generation became members of the Maquis, andVoyager contained regular former Maquis characters such asChakotay (Robert Beltran) andB'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), as well as recurring characters such asSeska (Martha Hackett). While the book by Erdmann links the Maquis to the French Maquis, their history seems to more closely resemble theSpanish Maquis.
In "Caretaker", the pilot episode ofStar Trek: Voyager, thetitular starship pursues a Maquis ship into theBadlands before beingteleported to theDelta Quadrant.[4]
According to the fictional storyline of theStar Trek universe, the Maquis were formed in the 24th century after a peace treaty was enacted between theUnited Federation of Planets and theCardassian Union, redesignating the demilitarized zone between the two powers, which resulted in the Federation ceding several of their colony worlds to the Cardassians. Although the colonists were offered free relocation to elsewhere in Federation territory, some insisted on remaining on the ceded worlds; effectively becoming subject to the Cardassian Union, which behaves aggressively towards them. Some of these colonists subsequently formed the Maquis to protect themselves from Cardassian aggression, due to a lack of official support from the Federation; who feared breaking the peace treaty with the Cardassians, which would lead to war.
Nonetheless, various Federation members supported the Maquis' cause, and illegally supplied them with weapons and other technology that they could use in their struggle. In several cases, the Federation actually intervened in the war between the Maquis and the Cardassians, aiding the latter in recognition of the peace treaty. In one case, the Federation shipUSS Voyager tracked a Maquis vessel to the Badlands with the intention of apprehending it, but an alien force transported both to the Delta Quadrant on the opposite side of theMilky Way Galaxy. The two crews were forced to unite to survive against alien threats such as theKazon and theBorg. In later years, when the Cardassians joined theDominion to fight in theDominion War against the Federation, the Dominion aided the Cardassian military in wiping out the Maquis; a prelude to their war against the Federation and its allies.
The Maquis provide moral challenges to existing characters such as Quark and Sisko on Deep Space Nine.[5] Quark is lured into selling weapons to the Maquis by an attractiveVulcan woman, showing how his desire for money unwittingly turned him into an illegal-arms dealer.[5] Sisko must navigate the internal politics of the Cardassians and Federation as he tries to uphold the peace treaty, in addition to being tested by his old friend trying to recruit him into the rebellion.[5]
Cardassians were introduced onStar Trek The Next Generation in January 1991 with the episode "The Wounded", which lays some of the foundation for the Federation settlements on the Cardassian border. "Ensign Ro" aired in October 1991 introducing the experiences of living in Cardassian-occupied space.Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered in January 1993 and is primarily set within former Cardassian-occupied space.The Next Generation's "Journey's End" aired in March 1994 and introduced the results of the Federation-Cardassian peace treaty and establishment of a new demilitarized zone with Federation colonists in Cardassian territory. The Maquis were then formally introduced one month later onDeep Space Nine's two-part episode "The Maquis" and would then be the focus of many episodes of the franchise.
The episode "Learning Curve" used the different operating styles of Maquis and Federation as a plot point when some Maquis were taken aboard as crew on a Federation starship.[6]
Various members of the Maquis are characters inTNG,DS9, andVoyager, although membership is sometimes transitory and as revealed by the Maquis saga, for example some are revealed as Federation agents. The reveal of a character's identity is common plot device throughout the story line. Many episodes play on these questions.
In theStar Trek science fiction franchise, the Maquis are known to use a diverse mix of older spacecraft from theUnited Federation of Planets.[4] Three aspects are that the spacecraft are older, as much as several decades, there are a variety of types in service, and finally, they tend to be of Federation design.[4] Although the spacecraft are old, the Maquis are known to upgrade them with advanced weaponry to take on largerCardassian vessels such as theGalor class.[4]
The Maquis Fighter seen in the DS9 episodes ("The Maquis" I & II) was designed by Jim Martin and the model for the special effect shots was built by Tony Meinenger.[15] The fighter/transport used byRo was also designed by Jim Martin, but that model was built by Greg Jein.[15]
In 2006, the miniature model of the Maquis raider from "The Maquis, Part II" went for 10,800 USD at auction.[16]
An example of a review of Maquis episode was in 2016;USA Today the episode "The Maquis" as a must-watch for the entireStar Trek franchise for its introduction of the Maquis story, which would also be an element inStar Trek: Voyager. They note the interesting science fiction story elements of the Federation, Cardassians, Maquis, and Bajorans playing off one another to create complex themes centered around the fictional space stationDeep Space Nine.[17]
Episodes featuring the Maquis were distributed in many ways because the story was spread out across multiple series. For instance,Star Trek : Deep Space Nine was broadcast insyndication, whileStar Trek: Voyager was on theUPN network. Home Video Releases of the television episodes include an array ofLaserDisc,VHS, andDVD titles. RelevantStar Trek: Trek The Next Generation titles were also released onBlu-Ray disc in HD.
For example, the two part episode "The Maquis" was released in two separateLaserDisc releases in the United States.[18] A double episode 12 inch optical disc with "Blood Oath" and "The Maquis, Part I" was released on October 6, 1998, in the United States.[18] Another item with "The Maquis, Part II" and "The Wire" was released on October 20, 1998.[18]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) "Caretaker, Parts I and II.Voyager episode #1 & #2...While searching for a missing Maquis ship, theU.S.S. Voyager is transported to the distant unexplored Delta Quadrant"| Television series |
|  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Films |
| ||||||||||
| Setting |
| ||||||||||
| Production | |||||||||||
| Unmade projects | |||||||||||
| Spin-off fiction | |||||||||||
| Aftershows | |||||||||||
| Documentaries | |||||||||||
| Cultural influence |
| ||||||||||