Gamma Quadrant

The Gamma Quadrant is the common designation for one quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy. Its boundary is defined by a meridian passing through the galactic core and the Sol system, and a second meridian perpendicular at the core. Its closest point to Earth is located approximately 30,000 light years away. However, the stable Bajoran wormhole links a point four light years away from the Idran system in the Gamma Quadrant with the Bajoran system in the Alpha Quadrant.

History

Vash commented that some of the cultures she had encountered in the Gamma Quadrant had histories spanning millions of years. It is believed the Hur'q originated from the quadrant.

Using their system of gateways, the Iconians were able to settle the world of Vandros IV, on the edge of the Gamma Quadrant.

Exploration

The quadrant was first explored by the Federation's Quadros-1 probe in the 22nd century.

A Barzan probe sent through the Barzan Wormhole discovered that the Gamma Quadrant terminus was located beyond the Denkiri Arm, a distance that at warp 9 would have taken nearly a century to cover, this later shifted to the Delta Quadrant and the wormhole was discovered to be unstable.

A Tosk came through the Bajoran Wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant and docked at Deep Space Nine on a hunt and was pursed by Hunters, The Hunters said that Tosk was bred to be hunted by them and had spent his entire life preparing, later the Hunters were allowed to resume the hunt and take the Tosk back with them to The Gamma Quadrant after Chief O'Brien helped the Tosk to escape and leave back through the Bajoran Wormhole and into the Gamma Quadrant.

The archaeologist Vash explored the Gamma Quadrant for two years at the invitation of Q in 2367. She was found there in 2369 by members of Deep Space 9's crew.

Deep Space Nine had the distinction of making first contact with a Gamma Quadrant species known as the Wadi. However, the Wadi showed no interest in formalities and headed straight to Quark's. The Ferengi initially saw the Wadi as a potential source of great profit, but when the Wadi master Dabo and go on a winning streak, Quark had one of his waiters rig the game. The Wadi catch him and force Quark to play "an honest game" called Chula, using living people as players, but this was revealed later to be only a gama and not really dangerous.

Kai Opaka was taken through the Bajoran Wormhole by Benjamin Sisko and they found a distress signal they then found a planet with a network of satellites, one of which was malfunctioning. Their runabout approached the planet and one of the satellites attacked it, forcing them to crash land. Opaka dies in the landing, which devastates Kira; however, her mourning is interrupted by a group of people called the Ennis are who were at war with a group called the Nol-Ennis, both groups were being regenerated by some form of extraterrestrial nanotechnology. The same technology revives the Ennis and Nol-Ennis, but rather than a blessing it is a curse: Both groups were sent to the planet as punishment for centuries of conflict, doomed to die over and over, Kai Opaka accepts that she cannot leave the planet in the Gamma Quadrant and feels called to help the two warring factions learn how to live in peace.

The Vulcans were at the forefront of the exploration of the Quadrant, beginning only months after the wormhole was discovered by Benjamin Sisko and Jadzia Dax in 2369, the Vulcans made many discoveries, including the remains of the Hur'q race.

The Klingons showed an interest in exploring the Gamma Quadrant shortly after its discovery by sending their own Klingon scout ships to the quadrant. The IKS Toh'Kaht was among the first ships to explore the quadrant in an effort to establish colonies on the other side of the wormhole. They also operated freighters to the quadrant.

On the other hand, no Romulan ship had ever been to the Gamma Quadrant until late 2371 during the Tal Shiar's abortive attack on the Founders' homeworld.

The Ferengi saw the Gamma Quadrant as an enormous chance to make a profit and their reputations would be, as Gral put "absolutely stainless".

The Bajorans also colonized a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, New Bajor, in late 2370. Unfortunately, the planet was invaded by the Jem'Hadar, who massacred the population.

The planet Meridian was also located in the Gamma Quadrant, and spends most of its time in another phase of existence, where its people exist only as consciousness, with no physical being. The planet is in this dimension for a very short time. In twelve days it will disappear for sixty years. Each time it returns, the planet will have less time in this universe, and eventually will stop appearing.

The starship Defiant was caught in a type of "quantum-bubble" surrounding an inhabited planet. After investigation, it is discovered that the inhabitants are the descendants of the Defiant's crew. Generations of descendants have been living on the planet for many years and their own history began when the Defiant tried to escape from the bubble. Instead of passing through its energy barrier, the ship was thrown back in time two centuries and crashed with no hope of contacting the Federation or repairing the ship. Faced with that reality, the small stranded crew of the Defiant (including Dax, Sisko, O'Brien, etc.) decided to remain and establish a society.

The Dominion

A large portion of the Gamma Quadrant was under the control of the Dominion, which was established 10000 years ago. It is believed that some minor powers exist on the fringes of their space.

In the act directly precipitous to the Dominion War, the Federation mined the entrance to the wormhole (leading to the Gamma Quadrant) in 2373. This cut off access to this quadrant from any Alpha Quadrant powers and prevented Dominion reinforcements from adding to the Dominion War.