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Benjamin Sisko | |
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| Gabriel Bell,Emissary of the Prophets | |
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| Biographical and chronological information | |
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Homeworld: |
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Home universe: |
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Nationality: |
American |
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Ethnicity: |
African-American |
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Date of birth: |
2332 (1479 N.E.) |
| Physical and biological description | |
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Species: |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Height: |
1.8m |
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Hair color: |
Black |
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Eye color: |
Brown |
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Skin color: |
Brown |
| Societal and political information | |
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Affiliation: |
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Status: |
Alive |
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Father: |
Joseph Sisko |
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Mother: |
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Sibling(s): |
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Marital status: |
Married |
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Spouse(s): |
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Children: |
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Other relative(s): |
Sisko Family |
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"So you're the commander of Deep Space 9... and the Emissary of the Prophets. Decorated combat officer, widower, father, mentor and... oh, yes, the man who started the war with the Dominion. Somehow I thought you'd be taller..." – Senator Vreenak, 2374 (1521 N.E.)
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko was a famous Starfleet officer from the Duyi'zu Universe, he was best remembered for his seven-year assignment commanding station Deep Space 9 (previously known as Imperia Nolus) in the Bajor sector. After discovering the Bajoran wormhole, he became known to the Bajoran people as the Emissary of the Prophets. He was also a commander of the USS Defiant during the waning days of the Beta Quadrant War and was at first reluctant of accepting the role of Emissary until years later began to accept who he was to confront the Path-Wraiths from being freed to destroy the Duyi'zu Universe.
After his return from the Prophets, Sisko resumed his role as commander and took part in the Great Serethan-Allied War to end it peacefully without further bloodshed, played a major role in the Artemis War and the raider attack.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Sisko was born in 2332 (1479 NE) in New Orleans, Duyi'zu Earth. His mother had been possessed by a Prophet – a non-linear alien species which lived in the then-undiscovered Bajoran wormhole. The Prophet had used Sarah Sisko to ensure the birth of Benjamin, who would later become the Emissary of the Prophets.
During his sophomore year, he performed his field study at Starbase 137. He later considered it to be one of the best experiences of his life. During his years at the Academy, Ben became friends with Calvin Hudson and Laporin.
Sisko also became the captain of his Academy wrestling team in 2351 (!488 NE). He once challenged a Vulcan, Solok, to a match after a few drinks at an off-campus bar called The Launching Pad. Already impaired with alcohol against an opponent three times stronger than himself, he lost, was humiliated, and resented Solok for decades. On their graduation day from the Academy when they they donned their officers' uniforms – Sisko and Hudson both swore that they would be starship captains by the time they were thirty, and admirals by forty. He did not, in fact, attain rank of captain until he was thirty-nine, the same year he also became a starship commander.
Early Career[]
After graduation in 2354 (1491 N.E.), while waiting for his first assignment, Benjamin met a woman named Jennifer at Gilgo Beach. A year afterwards, the two fell in love, married and moved to Benjamin's new posting at New Berlin. Together with Cal and Gretchen Hudson, they attended the local Mazurka Festival where Benjamin was remembered for dancing in lederhosen.
While he was still "a raw young ensign" as some remembered Sisko first met Curzon Dax at Pelios Station, and thereafter, Curzon took Sisko "under his wing" and became the young officer's mentor. Years later, Sisko recalled that Curzon "taught me to appreciate life in ways I'd never thought about before. He taught me about art and science and diplomacy," adding that "whatever sense of honor I might have today, he nurtured."
Curzon's next host, Jadzia Dax would recall in 2371 (1513 NE) during the construction of Sisko's lightship that the last time she had seen Sisko so excited and caught up in something was when the Siskos decided to have a baby, and he busied himself with building a nursery for their future child which turned out well, including a starscape on the ceiling. The child, Jake, would be born in 2355 (1492 N.E.).
Sisko affectionately dubbed Curzon Dax "Old Man" and continued to use the name for both Jadzia and later Ezri.
The following year, Ezri Dax told Kira Nerys to remind her to tell the story about a drunken ensign she once escorted home, specifically, following a visit to "a bar on Bolarus and a certain young Mister Sisko."
Beta Quadrant War[]
Battle of Wolf 359[]
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Main article: Battle of Wolf 359 |
Sisko later transferred to the USS Saratoga, where he also served as the first officer. Both Jennifer and Jake lived with him aboard the vessel. In early 2367 (1514 NE), the ship was operating close to Duyi'zu Earth, and was called to join a fleet at Wolf 359 to defend the Sol system from a Borg attack. The Battle of Wolf 359 became a disaster for Starfleet and despite the efforts and support of the Alliance, with twenty-six of the forty starships assembled were destroyed. The Borg damaged the Saratoga, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Sisko found his son and wife in the family's quarters, but his wife had been killed in the attack. He was forced to leave her body behind as the ship suffered a warp core breach, and assisted the other officers in evacuating both crew and civilians to the escape pods.
As late as 2369 (1516 NE), Sisko blamed Jennifer's death on Jean-Luc Picard, who had been assimilated by the Borg as Locutus of Borg and had carried out the massacre at Wolf 359.
Recovery[]
Sisko was faced with the loss of his wife and raising his son alone. This left Sisko on the verge of resigning his commission. He intended to work on Duyi'zu Earth, constructing orbital habitats, but struggled with the decision to leave. He eventually found an outlet for his pain in a new posting at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Duyi'zu Mars. There, Sisko worked on the prototype USS Defiant – the first in what was to be a fleet of warships to defend the Federation from the Borg. After work on the project slowed, and design flaws became apparent, the project was mothballed. It was also around this time, in 2367 (1514 NE), that Sisko attended a Starfleet briefing on Q.
As Sisko was contemplating his next move, his former captain, Leyton, nominated Sisko for a command position. Promoted to commander, he was assigned to Bajor, original home to the Prophets who had caused his birth. There, Sisko was to command the old ore processing station Terok Nor, built by the Cardassians during their Occupation of Bajor, then abandoned as part of their recent withdrawal from the system. Under Federation control, the station was newly christened Deep Space 9. It was to be Sisko's responsibility to help prepare the Bajorans for entry into the Federation.
In the script of "Emissary", Sisko was contacted by a university official about a house on Earth being available, implying that he considered working for this university after leaving Starfleet.
Arriving on DS9 in early 2369 (1516 NE), Sisko was briefed by Jean-Luc Picard, whom he still blamed for his wife's death. At this point, Sisko told Picard he intended to resign, and that Starfleet should probably look for a replacement. However, for the time being, he would do his duty as assigned and assumed command of the station. Sisko's crew slowly arrived, and it was then that he met his future friends, Bajoran liaison and second-in-command Kira Nerys, security chief Odo, Doctor Julian Bashir, and Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien. He was also reunited with his old friend Dax, living in a new host, Jadzia.
The situation on Bajor was hostile, as factions vied for control in the new Bajoran Provisional Government. Sisko learned that the only way to unite them all was to call on the Bajoran spiritual leader, Kai Opaka. Sisko met with her in a secluded area of Bajor, and she told him that he was to be the Emissary of the Prophets and was destined to discover the Celestial Temple, home of the Prophets.
Sisko returned to the station and with the help of Dax, began studying everything known about the Celestial Temple. Eventually, they discovered an unusual area in the Denorios belt. Traveling there, they were surprised to discover a stable wormhole. Dax was sent home by the Prophets, but they met Sisko, who explained linear existence to them.
While talking with the Prophets, Sisko realised he was resigning from Starfleet in a futile attempt to escape the pain he felt after his wife's death and he was forced to come to terms with her death rather than running from it. He returned to Deep Space 9, forgave Picard for his actions as Locutus, and informed him that he would stay in Starfleet. Sisko now had the difficult task of commanding a station with a large Bajoran staff, many of whom revered him as a religious figure – their prophesied Emissary.
Over time, Sisko and his son Jake came to view the "Cardassian monstrosity" that was Deep Space 9 as home.
Deep Space 9[]
As commander of Deep Space 9, Sisko could be somewhat unorthodox in his methods. He employed blackmail and extortion - and, early on, even physical violence - on some of the inhabitants of the station when he thought they needed persuading to do something for the benefit of the station or other inhabitants. He turned a blind eye to some of the questionable things people did on the station, too, including those by his staff, whether or not he agreed with what they were doing. When he didn't agree with an order from Starfleet, sometimes he kept to the letter of the order but worked around it if he thought there was a better approach. All of this was done because he took his job seriously, however, recognizing the importance of a vibrant space station for the protection of Bajor, and valued his staff. While sometimes at odds with his superiors, he believed in Starfleet and his uniform.
Deep Space 9's position at the mouth of the Bajoran wormhole made it a key location. Exploration and business opportunities were opened to the distant Gamma Quadrant, as well as for members of the Alliance of Nations to make diplomatic visits and trades, DS9 became a way-port for ships and people from all over the quadrant. Sisko began encouraging Bajorans and merchants on the Promenade to stay on the station, in order to shape DS9 into a thriving community. He even approved the formation of a school on the station.
Sisko had to put all his training and skills to use, as he was forced to balance command, diplomacy, his home life, and his new position as a Bajoran religious icon. Sisko made first contact with the first species to come through the wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant, the Tosk, in 2369. He acted as defense in the extradition trial of Dax to the Klaestron government, and proved her innocent. He fought in the war between the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis on the planet where Kai Opaka was stranded. Constantly dealing with Jake's friendship with a Ferengi boy, Nog, proved to be a challenge. But his most difficult tasks were preparing Bajor for life in the Federation, the Great War and dealing with his title as the Emissary.
During late 2369, tensions on the station rose between Bajoran, Starfleet and Allied personnel. Scientific teachings about the nature of the Bajoran wormhole conflicted with the religious beliefs of much of the Bajoran population, their actions almost affected most of the alliance such as the Galactic Republic after the bombing of the school and injuring Anjyl Skywalker who was the daughter of Supreme Chancellor Padme Skywalker and the Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. Sisko struggled to keep the peace, and in the process had his first meeting with Vedek Winn Adami. Months later, internal pressures on Bajor escalated. A terrorist group called the Alliance for Global Unity, also known as the "Circle" had tried to seize power of the station under disguised support from the Cardassian Union and the Axis' attempt to gain control over the wormhole, they sought to break off relations with both the Federation and the Alliance. Starfleet was forced to abandon the station until the main fleet arrived, but Sisko stayed behind knowing it be too late by the time they show up, eventually proving the Cardassians' involvement with the Circle, which allowed power to quickly return to the Bajoran Provisional Government.
The Maquis[]
Sisko was informed of a struggle outside Federation's border and the incursion within the Axis occupied worlds and Federation colonies liberated by a growing rebellion known as the Maquis, a group operating out of the Badlands and fighting against the Axis of Empires, mainly towards the Cardassian Union. Sisko's old friend Calvin Hudson was assigned as the Starfleet attaché to the colonists in the Demilitarized Zone but became a Maquis leader. Several other Starfleet officers who fought in the Beta Quadrant war chose to take up the Maquis cause.
note: Open for discuss
The Dominion[]
In late 2370 (1517 N.E.), Sisko made official first contact with the Dominion in an encounter with the Jem'Hadar. This launched Sisko on a path that would define his career. The Dominion declared the Gamma Quadrant off-limits to Alpha Quadrant species and the rest of the Alliance, and destroyed several Starfleet and Allied ships, along with the colony on New Bajor. Sisko returned to DS9 with the realization that he had discovered a powerful and dangerous new enemy.
Sisko returned to Duyi'zu Earth to brief Starfleet on the Dominion situation. Realizing that Deep Space 9 was to be the first line of defense from a Dominion attack, Sisko convinced Starfleet Command to finish work on the mothballed USS Defiant. Sisko returned to DS9 with the new warship and entered the Gamma Quadrant on a mission to find the Founders to convince them the Federation poses no threat and to prevent the Axis from seeking them out as a potential ally. During the mission, the Defiant and crew were captured by the Jem'Hadar and placed in a simulation, testing their reaction to a Dominion incursion in the Alpha Quadrant such as Starfleet abandoning Bajor, the wormhole and the station, and even seceding from the Alliance in favour of the Dominion. It was discovered that the Founders were in fact Changelings, the same species as Sisko's security chief, Odo. Odo forced the Founders to release the Defiant crew, and they returned to the station. Based on his experiences with the Dominion, Sisko's psychological evaluation became required knowledge for Vorta operatives in the Dominion.
Following three years of commanding Deep Space 9, Sisko was given a promotion, finally attaining the rank of captain in late 2371 (1518 NE). Soon afterward, Sisko discovered that the Founders had begun infiltrating the Federation, posing as high-ranking officials. One Founder, disguised as an ambassador, ordered Sisko on a mission to the Tzenkethi border, and then tried to provoke a new Tzenkethi war. Sisko and crew were successful in stopping the Founder's attempt, but it became apparent that there were now Changeling infiltrators throughout the Alpha Quadrant.
Serethean Conflict[]
Recieving news that most members of the Alliance were in a state of war against a pre-space faring world known as Seretha, he never thought the Alliance he fought alongside would stoop this low, assigned by the Federation as an ambassador to end the conflict between two sides, but wished he came sooner with so much blood shed that was unnecessary.
Personality[]
At times, Sisko can be intimidating, funny, and not afraid to bend the rules to do what's right. Most Starfleet commanders are expected to be pillars of morality, like the famous Captain Jean Luc Picard. But Sisko isn’t afraid to occasionally color outside the lines to get things done. As he tells Q after punching him in the face, “I'm not Picard!" Though he’s often warm and kindhearted, especially with his son. Sisko can be a little hotheaded when it comes to protecting his crew.
Hobbies[]
Sisko enjoyed cooking instead of just using the food replicator, thanks to his father, a renowned chef whose specialty was Creole food. Sisko would cook Hungarian food, like Chicken paprikash, when in a really good mood. He also played the piano and had an excellent singing voice. He played Jokarian chess and poker, but wasn't a good bluffer.
According to Nog and Hector Ilario, Saurian brandy was Sisko's favorite drink.
Sisko was a fan of baseball. He owned several holosuite recreations of the game, and a baseball card of Giants and Mets legend Willie Mays, gifted to him by his son Jake after a lengthy series of negotiations aided by Nog. He had a baseball, which he kept on his office desk, given to him by an alien impersonating baseball player Buck Bokai. It appears Bokai's team, the London Kings, was Sisko's favorite. He was also on the Academy wrestling team.
Sisko's most ambitious pastime was the construction of an ancient Bajoran lightship replica. Sisko built the ship from scratch, using only materials available to the ancient Bajorans, with the exception of artificial gravity. The ship proved spaceworthy, and even helped prove that Bajorans had achieved spaceflight centuries before the Cardassians. He also enjoyed maintaining a complex clock he first constructed while controlled by a Saltah'na energy sphere.
Another of Sisko's interests was history. He collected models of old Starfleet starships, and ancient African art.He was very knowledgeable about 21st century history, which came in handy when he became accidentally stranded in 2024 San Francisco. One of his heroes was Captain James T. Kirk, whom Sisko got to meet during another accidental time trip to 2268 (1414 N.E.); he even managed to acquire Kirk's autograph, Kirk thought he was signing a crew complement list, and told Kirk it had been an honor to serve with him. He also commented he would love to shake Kirk's hand, asking him about the Gorn he had fought previously on Cestus III. Knowing he would meet him again in almost a century later as he would recognise him after his return from the Nexus.
Relationships[]
Family and Relatives[]
- Jennifer Sisko (First wife, deceased)
- Jake Sisko
Close Friends[]
Quotes[]
- "The Pah-Wraith will never conquer anything! Not Bajor. Not the Celestial Temple. And certainly not the entire universe!"
- — Sisko's final confrontation with Dukat on Bajor
- "At oh-eight-hundred hours, station time… the Romulan Empire formally declared war against the Dominion. They've already struck fifteen bases along the Cardassian border and Coalition bases. So, this is a huge victory for the good guys! This may even be the turning point of the entire war! There's even a "Welcome to the Fight" party tonight in the wardroom!… So… I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover up the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all… I think I can live with it… And if I had to do it all over again… I would. Garak was right about one thing – a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the entire galaxy. So I will learn to live with it…Because I can live with it…I can live with it. Computer – erase that entire personal log."
- — Sisko's personal log