It Was Officially the End of an Era for ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ After This Episode
“Call to Arms”, the fifth-season finale of *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine*, begins the Dominion War when Captain Benjamin Sisko orders the station evacuated and left to Dominion forces. The decision turns the series from a story centred on a politically tense space station into a sustained galactic war drama, marking a major shift in the show’s direction.
The episode brings together storylines developed over several seasons and raises the stakes beyond the brief conflicts typical of earlier *Star Trek* stories. Gul Dukat returns to the station, while Sisko leaves his baseball behind as a message that their rivalry is not over. In the closing scenes, Sisko and the Defiant face a much larger Dominion force alongside Federation and Klingon ships, setting the stage for the prolonged conflict ahead.
- Sisko evacuates Deep Space Nine as the Dominion advances.
- The decision begins the series’ Dominion War arc.
- The finale reshapes the show into a sustained war drama.
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Deep Space Nine is a space station near Bajor, a planet recovering from years of occupation. The United Federation of Planets runs the station with Bajor, while Captain Benjamin Sisko leads its Starfleet crew. Its location also makes it strategically important.
The Dominion is a powerful alliance from another part of the galaxy, and its growing presence has brought it into conflict with the Federation and the Klingons. Gul Dukat, a former officer in the occupying Cardassian forces, has his own history with the station and Sisko. The war changes the series’ focus from station politics and shorter conflicts to a long struggle involving several powers.