Warning: spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Defiant #17!

Star Trek’s Dominion War was the biggest and bloodiest conflict in its history, touching nearly every major power in three quadrants, and now its lingering effects on the Federation have been revealed. Although Trek shows set after the War have painted a largely rosy picture, Star Trek: Defiant #17 shows that all is not well, as the Federation is still using the War to justify shady actions.

Star Trek: Defiant #17 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. The negative effects of the Dominion War are explored throughout: one of Chief O’Brien’s Academy cadets accuses him of being a war criminal, thanks to technology he designed during the conflict now being used as a tool of oppression. Adding fuel to the fire is a text piece that puts the Federation on blast for continuing to use the Dominion War as a way to curb freedoms and silence dissent.

The message urges Federation citizens to rise up and fight for their rights.

The Dominion War Cost the Star Trek Universe Dearly

The Federation’s Post-Dominion War Trajectory Has Not Been a Good One

The Federation has fought numerous wars since its inception, but none took a toll on it, like the Dominion War. The Dominion, the dominant political force in the Gamma Quadrant, sought to bring order to a chaotic galaxy. Using their fearsome Jem Hadar shock troops, the Dominion ruled an expansive empire, and resented the Federation’s intrusions. Relations between the two broke down, and before long they were at war. As the war dragged on, nearly every major power in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants became involved. The war ended with a victory over the Dominion, but the scars persist.

Other Star Trek shows and media have played around with the idea of life in the Federation during wartime. Deep Space Nine implied that Federation citizens seemed to still enjoy most of their freedoms, but the show also never went deeper into it. Star Trek: Picard’s first and third seasons dealt with some of the Dominion War’s fallout, but never went too far with it either. What glimpses fans saw were chilling, namely Section 31’s experiments on Changelings after the War. It was a stark reminder that the Federation is far from the good guys they profess to be.

The Dominion War Will Haunt the Galaxy for Hundreds of Years

Did the Federation Lose Its Soul During the War?

Now, Star Trek: Defiant #17 is finally confronting the legacy of the Dominion War head on–and the picture it paints is not a good one. The Federation apparently restricted freedoms during the war, and is still doing so in some fashion. The poster of the message offered no evidence to support their claims, and without any proof, it becomes hard to verify. Yet the cadet accusing Chief O’Brien of being a war criminal shows this sentiment of anger and dissatisfaction is circulating among people in the Star Trek universe, showing how far the Federation has fallen.