10 Biggest Star Trek What Ifs

When Deep Space 9 began, the Cardassians were moving their people and equipment off the space station for Starfleet and the Bajorans to occupy. Starfleet aided in their removal, working as an intermediary between the two groups, which effectively made it Bajor's de facto protector and arbiter.

The transition came after years of Cardassian occupation, and the Bajorans absolutely hated their oppressors. Starfleet had come at the right time when Bajor rose up to fight the Cardassians, but what if Starfleet wasn't there to help?

If the Dominion came through the wormhole before Starfleet showed up, the series would have been very different. In all likelihood, the Bajorans would effectively trade one oppressor for another.

The most likely outcome would be that the Dominion would take control of the wormhole, and they would use Bajor as a staging point for their incursion into the Alpha Quadrant. Bajor would be subject to their rule, but they would be given the freedom to establish their own government.

In the end, the Bajorans would likely join the Dominion happily, seeing as it would be a welcome change to the Cardassians. The Maquis would still rise up when it became apparent the Dominion didn't have Bajor's best interests at heart. Eventually, it would be the Maquis who would bring Starfleet to the aid of Bajor, kicking off a wider conflict that would become the Dominion War.