Benjamin Sisko Benjamin Lafayette Sisko was a famous Starfleet officer best remembered for his seven - year assignment commanding station Deep Space 9 in the Bajor sector . After discovering the Bajoran wormhole , he became known to the Bajoran people as the Emissary of the Prophets . He fought the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 and played a critical role as a Starfleet strategist and front line commander in the Dominion War . ( , , , ) Childhood . Sisko was born in 2332 in New Orleans , North America , Earth , to Joseph and Sarah Sisko . Sarah , however , had been possessed by a Prophet – a non - linear alien species which lived in the then - undiscovered Bajoran wormhole – in order to ensure the birth of Benjamin , who would later become the Emissary of the Prophets . A year later , the Prophet returned control of Sarah ' s body , and she soon left her son and husband . Joseph soon remarried , and his new wife posed as Benjamin ' s biological mother all the rest of her life . ( ) She gave birth to his sister , Judith , ( ) and at least two brothers . ( ) During his childhood years , Sisko and his siblings were taught to cook by their father , who believed that replicated food was lacking . Joseph owned his own restaurant , Sisko ' s , where his children worked in the summers . ( ) Joseph called his children his " taste - testers " , and insisted that they all eat dinner together . ( ) Sisko had a crush , as a teen , on Neffie Beumont and dated Zoey Phillips for three years . ( ) Starfleet Academy . Sisko joined Starfleet Academy in 2350 , studying to be an engineer . During his first few weeks there , he beamed back home to New Orleans every night for a family dinner . ( ) 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 . ( ) He also met his future mentor , Curzon Dax , at Pelios Station . ( ) Sisko also became the captain of his Academy wrestling team in 2351 . ( ) He once challenged a Vulcan , , to a match after a few drinks in the The Launching Pad . He lost , was humiliated , and resented Solok for decades . ( ) After graduation in 2354 , while waiting for his first assignment , Benjamin met a woman named Jennifer at Gilgo Beach . Still in 2354 , the two fell in love , were 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 German lederhosen . ( ) Their son , Jake , was born a year later in 2355 . ( ) Early career . Early postings . Sisko was reunited with Curzon Dax when the two served together for a few months aboard the . Dax became Sisko ' s mentor , and the two were friends for over a decade . ( ) Benjamin later served on the during the Tzenkethi War . ( ) At the time , he was more interested in engineering and ship design than command . However , Captain Leyton noticed potential in young Sisko , and promoted him to lieutenant commander , making him the ship ' s executive officer . ( ) Wolf 359 . Sisko transferred to the , and also served as the first officer . Both Jennifer and Jake lived with him aboard the vessel . In early 2367 , the ship was operating close to 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 was a massacre . Thirty - nine of the forty starships assembled there were destroyed . The Borg damaged the " Saratoga " , forcing the crew to abandon ship . Sisko found his son and wife , but his wife had been killed in the attack . He was forced to leave her as the ship suffered a warp core breach . As late as 2369 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 . He found an outlet for his pain in his new posting at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars . ( ) There , Sisko worked on the prototype – the first in what was to be a fleet of warship s to defend the Federation from the Borg . After work on the project slowed , and design flaws became apparent , the project was mothballed . ( ) This left Sisko on the verge of resigning his commission . He intended to work on Earth , constructing orbital habitat s , but struggled with the decision to leave . ( ) As he 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 Cardassian s 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 . Arriving on DS9 in early 2369 , 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 . However , he continued his work , 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 was forced to come to terms with his wife ' s death , and he returned to Deep Space 9 . Sisko forgave Picard for his actions as a Borg , and informed him that he would stay in Starfleet . Sisko now had the strange task of commanding a station of Bajoran officers , many of whom revered him as a religious figure – their prophesied Emissary . ( ) Deep Space 9 . Life on the frontier . 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 , and DS9 became a wayport 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 , 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 , and dealing with his title as the Emissary . During late 2369 , tensions on the station rose between Bajoran and Starfleet personnel . Scientific teachings about the nature of the Bajoran wormhole conflicted with the religious beliefs of much of the Bajoran population . Sisko struggled to keep the peace , and in the process had his first meeting with Vedek Winn Adami . ( ) Months later , internal pressures on Bajor exploded . A terrorist group called the Alliance for Global Unity – also known as the " Circle " – tried to seize power , under disguised support from the Cardassian Union , and sought to break off relations with the Federation . Starfleet was forced to abandon the station , but Sisko stayed behind , eventually proving the Cardassians ' involvement with the Circle , which allowed power to quickly return to the Bajoran Provisional Government . ( ) The Maquis . Sisko was also forced to deal with internal pressures within the Federation as well . When the Federation - Cardassian Treaty of 2370 caused several colonies in Federation space to come under Cardassian rule , many colonists felt the Federation had abandoned them . They formed the Maquis , a terrorist group operating out of the Badlands . 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 resigned to take up the Maquis cause . Sisko felt angered by the actions of these officers , and felt the pain of personal betrayal by Cal Hudson . ( ) The Maquis continued their private war for the next three years , and gained more support among Federation citizens . Deep Space 9 ' s chief of Starfleet security , Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington , and a woman with whom Sisko had become involved , Kasidy Yates , began to aid the Maquis in their activities . When Sisko discovered this , he felt betrayed by both people . He was forced to arrest Yates , but Eddington escaped . Sisko felt that Eddington had betrayed his oath to Starfleet the same way Cal Hudson had and vowed to capture him . ( ) After eight months of tracking Eddington unsuccessfully , Starfleet took Sisko off the mission . However , he had become obsessed with finding his former officer , and continued his work to bring Eddington to justice . Sisko managed to force Eddington to surrender after he poisoned Solosos III , threatening to wage a campaign to poison every Maquis colony in the Demilitarized Zone . ( ) Several months later , Sisko and Eddington were involved in attempting to prevent a force of cloaked missile s from reaching Cardassia , launched by the Maquis as retaliation for their losses to the Dominion . The missiles were a ruse , however , propagated by Rebecca Sullivan in order to let Eddington know that the Maquis survivors had reached Athos IV for evacuation . Sisko was able to get the Maquis off the planet in a runabout despite coming under fire from the Jem ' Hadar . ( ) Contact with the Dominion . In late 2370 , Sisko made 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 destroyed several Starfleet 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 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 Founder s . ( ) 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 . It was discovered that the Founders were in fact Changeling s , 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 . Soon afterward , Sisko discovered that the Founders had begun infiltrating the Federation , posing as high - ranking officers . 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 in the Alpha Quadrant . ( ) Rising pressures . Fears of Dominion infiltration swept the quadrant , and when the Cardassian government was overthrown by the civilian Detapa Council in 2372 , the Klingon Empire feared Changeling intervention . A large Klingon task force docked at Deep Space 9 , bound for Cardassian space . Klingon Chancellor Gowron asked Sisko for Starfleet ' s help in invading Cardassia Prime . Sisko rejected their call for help , and the Klingons withdrew from the Khitomer Accords , ending decades of peace . Sisko now had to ally himself against the Klingons and help the new Cardassian government survive the Klingon attack . He contacted his long - time adversary , Gul Dukat , and arranged to rescue him and the new Council . He made sure , however , to test the members for possible Changeling impostors . Faced with a war on two sides , the Klingons backed down . However , the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant was changing , and this played right into the Dominion ' s hands . ( ) On Earth , video footage linked the bombing of the Antwerp Conference to Changeling infiltration . Sisko ' s knowledge of the Founders led to his brief promotion to Chief of Starfleet Security on Earth . Using Odo as a test subject , Sisko implemented many new security measures on Earth such as automated low - level phaser sweep s throughout Starfleet Headquarters . Unfortunately , his promotion was part of Sisko ' s former captain , Admiral Leyton ' s , plan to overthrow the Federation government . Leyton misjudged Sisko ' s loyalties , and the " coup d ' état " failed when Sisko and Odo exposed the plan . ( ) Changelings also infiltrated a high position within the Klingon Empire . In 2373 , Sisko and crew were ordered to expose the impostor . Undergoing cosmetic alterations to appear Klingon and taking the Klingon name Jodmos , son of Kobor , Sisko took three crewmembers to the Klingon outpost Ty ' Gokor to expose Chancellor Gowron ( whom the Founders had led Odo to believe was a Founder ) . It was later discovered that General Martok was the Changeling . The mission was a success , and it brought the two powers closer to reconciliation . ( ) During a trip to the Gamma Quadrant that same year , Sisko took possession of a Jem ' Hadar attack ship and returned the ship to Starfleet Intelligence . ( ) Soon afterward , the Dominion formed an alliance with the Cardassian Union , gaining a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant . They attempted to destroy Deep Space 9 and Bajor and cripple the Klingon and Federation fleets in one action , but Sisko discovered their plan and thwarted it . This new turn of events convinced the Klingon government to reinstate the Khitomer Accords , and Sisko allowed a permanent Klingon presence on the station . However , with the new Dominion presence in the Alpha Quadrant , war was inevitable . ( ) The Dominion War . As Dominion fleets began coming through the wormhole on a weekly basis , Starfleet made the decision to mine the entrance to the wormhole . Sisko commanded the station during the resulting Battle of Deep Space 9 , the opening strike of the Dominion War . During the final moments of the battle , Sisko gave a speech to the station residents , telling them of his fondness for commanding the station , promising to return . The Dominion took control of the station , but Sisko implemented a computer program which completely destroyed DS9 ' s main computer core . Sisko retreated aboard the " Defiant " , leaving his prized antique baseball behind ; the station ' s new commander , Gul Dukat , knew this was a sign from Sisko that he would eventually return . ( ) Sisko commanded the " Defiant " for the next three months , engaging in numerous battles with Jem ' Hadar and Cardassian forces . Ordered to fall back to Starbase 375 , Sisko was placed in command of a mission behind enemy lines to destroy a ketracel - white storage facility . Sisko and crew traveled aboard the stolen Jem ' Hadar attack ship he had acquired a year before , and completed the mission . ( ) However , their ship was destroyed and they were stranded on a planet in Dominion space along with Jem ' Hadar forces . Knowing he was beaten , the commanding Vorta , Keevan , gave Sisko his force ' s attack plans . Sisko was forced to massacre the Jem ' Hadar troops , despite his personal objections . ( ) Sisko ' s crew was soon rescued by General Martok and Worf aboard the . ( ) Having completed his mission , Sisko was promoted to adjutant for Vice Admiral William Ross at Starbase 375 . He was forced to give command of the " Defiant " to Lieutenant Commander Dax . ( ) Using his new influence in Starfleet , Sisko created a plan to retake Deep Space 9 , Operation Return , and convinced Starfleet to commit its forces . After learning that the minefield around the wormhole was about to be neutralized , Sisko ordered the operation to commence immediately . ( ) He commanded the Starfleet forces during the battle from the " Defiant " , and made his way to DS9 . Faced with an armada of Dominion ships as the minefield fell , Sisko ordered the " Defiant " to go down with guns blazing . In a vision from the Prophets , Sisko convinced them to destroy the invading fleet , and he returned to retake the station . ( ) Following his defeat during Operation Return , Gul Dukat descended into madness and was captured . He was forced to stand trial for his crimes . Captain Sisko was to testify at his trial , but their transport , the , was destroyed by Cardassian forces . They escaped in a shuttlecraft and crashed on a nearby planet . There , Dukat ' s madness intensified , and he attempted to kill Sisko . Vowing to kill every Bajoran , Dukat escaped as the " Defiant " rescued Sisko . Following the ordeal , Sisko vowed that from then on , " " it ' s him or me . " " ( ) Soon afterward , Sisko hired Elim Garak to fabricate a recording designed to bring the Romulan Star Empire into the war . This plan was approved by Starfleet . Sisko struggled with the ethical implications of his actions , but in the end decided it was worth it . With the help of a few of Garak ' s sources , he was able to fabricate a holo - recording of the Dominion and Cardassians planning on invading Romulan space once the war was over . He secretly invited Senator Vreenak over to DS9 to " show " him the " evidence " . However , Vreenak later found it was a fake and was prepared to expose this " vile deception " to the entire quadrant . But a few days later , it was reported that the Senator ' s shuttle was destroyed . Sisko confronted Garak on what he had done , but the former Obsidian Order agent pointed out that it was the only way to make the Empire think that the Dominion was responsible , with the acceptable losses of one convict , a senator and the self - respect of one Starfleet captain . As a result , the Romulans entered the war , attacking several Cardassian outposts along the Cardassian - Romulan border , and turned the odds in the Federation ' s favor . Sisko later recorded what happened into his personal log before deleting it . ( ) Sisko was chosen to command the first offensive into Dominion space in late - 2374 . The First Battle of Chin ' toka was a success , but while Sisko was away , Gul Dukat managed to close the Bajoran wormhole , cutting off Bajor from the Prophets . He also killed Jadzia Dax . Sisko felt responsible , and decided to take a leave of absence to find a way to restore the wormhole . Ben and Jake returned to New Orleans , not knowing if they would ever return to DS9 . ( ) After three months on Earth , Sisko was given a vision of a woman ' s face in the sands of . He reconstructed her face on a PADD , and Jake recognized her from a photo in which she appeared with his grandfather , Joseph , who reluctantly identified her as Sarah Sisko , Ben ' s birth - mother . Joseph finally told his son about his true mother , prompting Benjamin to travel to Tyree to find the meaning of his vision . He departed along with his father , Jake , and Ezri Dax , the new Dax host . ( ) While on Tyree , Sisko discovered the Orb of the Emissary , which restored the Bajoran wormhole . He also communicated with the Prophet who had possessed his mother , and learned of her true identity . Following the reopening of the wormhole , the tide of the war turned back to the Federation ' s favor , and Sisko returned to the station . ( ) Later that year , Sisko commanded the " Defiant " in the Second Battle of Chin ' toka . The ship was destroyed by the Dominion ' s new allies , the Breen Confederacy . ( ) Sisko was then given command of the , in late 2375 , which was renamed to USS " Defiant " . ( ) Sisko then helped command the final assault into Dominion territory . The Battle of Cardassia was a success , with the help of the Cardassian Rebellion . Afterward , Sisko , Admiral Ross , and Chancellor Martok gathered in the ruins of Cardassia to celebrate . Faced with the destruction the Dominion had wrought in retaliation for the Cardassian uprising , Sisko did not feel like celebrating . He returned to the station to bid farewell to his crew before their reassignment . ( ) The Emissary . Initial doubts . When Sisko first met with Kai Opaka in 2369 , she surprised him by proclaiming that he would be the long prophesied Emissary to the Prophets . He was at first skeptical of her assessment , and immediately tried to dismiss her , stating that he was simply a Starfleet officer . Any religious role in another culture would directly clash with his oath to uphold the principles of Starfleet . However , when he discovered the Bajoran wormhole and made first contact with the non - linear lifeforms the Bajorans knew as the Prophets , he became slightly less skeptical . He still rejected the role , but realized that the Prophets ' ability to see outside of time must have allowed them to communicate certain information to the Bajoran s . Sisko taught the Prophets about linear existence , and became very important to them . They began referring to him as " The Sisko . " ( ) The Bajorans began celebrating the arrival of the Emissary each year during their Ha ' mara festival . ( ) Later that year Sisko met Vedek Winn Adami for the first time during a Bajoran - Federation ideological conflict on the station . The Vedek , an ultra - conservative , was not sure that she believed Sisko was the Emissary . ( ) In 2371 , Sisko was confronted by Vedek Yarka , who told him that he had discovered a prophecy in which the Emissary was involved in the destruction of the Celestial Temple . After reviewing Trakor ' s Third Prophecy , Sisko ignored the Vedek ' s warnings . He continued work on a subspace communications relay through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant . However , Major Kira Nerys was slowly convinced that Yarka was correct . She interpreted the prophecy as referring to three Cardassian scientists aboard the station , and a comet which was discovered near the wormhole . The comet was on a course leading it into the wormhole , causing it to collapse . Sisko stopped the comet , but inadvertently released trace amounts of silithium , which caused the wormhole to constantly remain slightly open . In the end , this chain of events actually fulfilled Trakor ' s prophecy , without the destruction of the wormhole as the final outcome . Sisko began to take an interest in other Bajoran prophecies , but continued his skepticism about his role as the Emissary . ( ) Following destiny ' s path . Sisko continued walking the fine line between acknowledging the Bajoran beliefs and rejecting their admiration for him . In 2372 , an ancient Bajoran lightship emerged from the wormhole carrying famed poet Akorem Laan . Akorem had apparently discovered the wormhole centuries before , and had been inside it ever since . Finally able to relinquish his title , Sisko jumped at the chance to allow the poet to become the Emissary . However , when Akorem began guiding Bajor down a road incompatible with joining the Federation , Sisko decided to challenge his title . He began studying the ancient texts , and realized that many of the prophecies applied to him , and not to Akorem . The two men traveled back into the wormhole and met with the Prophets , who confirmed that Sisko was in fact intended to be the Emissary . They returned Akorem to his own time , altering the timeline , but somehow preserving everyone ' s memory of the previous events . Following this , Sisko slowly began to embrace his role as the Emissary . ( ) In mid - 2373 , Sisko experienced a series of " pagh ' tem ' far " s in which the location of the lost city of B ' hala was revealed to him . He was also shown the destruction of Bajor after its entrance into the Federation . Following his visions , he recommended that Bajor not join the Federation at that time , which angered Starfleet Command . Sisko was forced to undergo surgery to stop the visions when they became life - threatening . ( ) When Sisko entered the wormhole facing a Dominion fleet following Operation Return , the Prophets communicated with him once again . They refused to allow Sisko to die , and granted the destruction of the Dominion fleet . Referring to his life as " the game " , they enacted a penance and told him that though he was " of Bajor " he would find no rest there . ( ) Sisko ' s morale slowly fell , and by a few months later , he was thinking of resigning his post . Knowing he had much work left on Bajor , the Prophets sent him another series of " pagh ' tem ' far " , in which he was shown the life of Benny Russell , a black writer on Earth in the 20th century . The trials endured by Russell allowed Sisko to reevaluate his problems , and he decided to stay on the station . ( ) Later that year , Sisko inadvertently instigated the prophesied Reckoning , the battle between the Prophets and the Pah - wraith s . His son was possessed by a Kosst Amojan and Major Kira was taken over by a Prophet . The outcome of the battle was indefinite due to interference by Kai Winn . ( ) Following the release of a Pah - wraith by Dukat into the Orb of Contemplation in 2374 , Sisko was confronted with visions of his birth - mother . He traveled to Tyree and discovered the Orb of the Emissary , which reopened the wormhole and the Orbs . ( ) Sisko was led to the Bajoran Fire Caves following the victory at the Battle of Cardassia , where he engaged in a final showdown with the Pah - wraiths , in the form of Dukat . Sisko destroyed the evil " Book of the Kosst Amojan " and trapped Dukat , along with the Pah - wraiths , in the Fire Caves forever . He was taken to the Celestial Temple , where his work had only begun . ( ) Personal life . Hobbies . Sisko enjoyed cooking instead of just using the food replicator , thanks to his father ( a renowned chef whose specialty was Creole food ) . ( ) 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 , and owned several holosuite recreations of the game , as well as a real antique baseball . ( ) He was a fan of the New York Yankees . 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 . ( ) Another of Sisko ' s interests was history . He collected models of old Starfleet starships , and ancient Africa n art . ( ) He was very knowledgeable about 21st century history , which came in handy when he was once 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 ; 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 , ask him about the Gorn he had fought previously . ( ) Relationships . Soon after graduating the Academy in 2354 , Ben met his future wife Jennifer on Gilgo Beach on Earth . Sisko was carrying lemonade s through the hot sand and stopped on Jennifer ' s towel to cool his feet . When Jennifer learned that Sisko was a young ensign , she was reluctant to go out with him , because her mother had warned her about dating young ensigns . However , she relented , and her mother turned out to love Sisko . The two were married , and their son Jake was born a year later . Jennifer and Jake accompanied Sisko on his assignment to the USS " Saratoga " . When the ship was destroyed in a battle with the Borg , Jennifer was killed . ( ) A woman named Fenna was Sisko ' s first attraction after his wife ' s death . In 2370 , Sisko met her on the Promenade and was instantly taken with her . Unfortunately , he later discovered that Fenna was only a mental projection of Nidell , a telepathic woman married to Professor Gideon Seyetik . ( ) In two trips to the mirror universe , Sisko met the alternate version of his wife , . He also had a brief romantic encounter with the alternate version of . ( ) Sisko was introduced to Kasidy Yates in 2371 by his son . The two began dating after they discovered a shared interest in baseball . ( ) Yates later began smuggling supplies to the Maquis , and Sisko was forced to arrest her in 2372 . ( ) After Yates served her sentence , she returned to Deep Space 9 a year later , and the two resumed their relationship . ( ) The two were engaged in 2375 . ( ) The Prophets warned Sisko that the two were not destined to walk the same path , causing Ben to call off the wedding ; however he soon relented and the couple was married in a small ceremony conducted by Admiral William Ross . ( ) Shortly thereafter , Kasidy became pregnant . ( ) After being taken by the Prophets to the Celestial Temple , Sisko appeared to Kasidy in a vision , telling her that he would someday return , and that he loved her . ( ) Jake . Sisko ' s son Jake was born in 2355 to his first wife Jennifer . Sisko remembered taking care of Jake as a baby , and looked back on the time fondly . ( ) By the time Jake became a teenager , Benjamin had already imparted his love of baseball to his son . The two watched holo - recreations of famous games , and played the game themselves . ( ) Prior to 2367 , the Sisko family made a camping trip to Itamish III , where Jake learned water skiing . While on a camping trip on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant in 2370 , Jake recalled this vacation as the happiest time he and his parents had had together . ( ) On Deep Space 9 , Jake ' s friendship with Nog bothered Sisko at first , since Nog seemed to always get Jake into trouble . However , when Jake began to teach Nog to read , Sisko began to see their friendship was beneficial , and allowed them to remain friends . ( ) In 2370 , Jake told his father that he did not wish to follow in his father ' s footsteps in Starfleet ; Sisko took the news well and gave Jake his blessing , provided that Jake pursue his chosen vocation with all his ambition . ( ) Sisko became very concerned in 2370 when Jake ' s first girlfriend turned out to be a dabo girl named Mardah . ( ) When Sisko finally met the girl , however , his fears were assuaged , as Mardah turned out to be very nice and began to reveal sides of Jake that Sisko had never known . ( ) As Jake began to concentrate on his future career in writing , Sisko felt his son slipping away . He occasionally forced Jake to come with him on various outings : on a trip to the Gamma Quadrant , the test flight of Sisko ' s Bajoran lightship , and to see the Bajoran wormhole undergo a subspace inversion . ( ) But Sisko finally had to allow his son to become an adult , and in 2373 , Jake moved out and became roommates with Nog , who had by then become a Starfleet cadet . ( ) In 2372 , during an accident on the " Defiant " , Sisko was caught in subspace for more than thirty years . During this time , Jake became obsessed with finding a way to bring his father back , and eventually sacrificed his own life to return Sisko back to the moment of the accident . ( ) Later that year , when Jake was slowly being killed by Onaya , Sisko discovered her true nature , and saved his son . ( ) When the Dominion temporarily took control of DS9 in 2374 , Jake decided to remain behind ; Sisko was reluctant to leave him behind , but knew that Jake was a grown man capable of making his own decisions , however dangerous . ( ) Sisko did , however , have to explain leaving Jake behind to his very angered father . ( ) After Sisko ' s disappearance , Jake felt troubled by the loss of his father . He was comforted by Kasidy Yates and Colonel Kira Nerys , who believed that Sisko would return . ( ) Friendships . Academy friends . Sisko went to the Academy with a Benzenite named Laporin , and Quentin Swofford , both of whom became starship captains . ( ) Sisko ' s closest friend during his early career was Calvin Hudson . Sisko and Hudson attended the Academy together , and stayed friends afterward . The Siskos and Hudsons often took family vacations together . They once attended the Mazurka Festival at New Berlin . ( ) When Hudson abandoned Starfleet and joined the Maquis , Sisko felt Hudson was personally betraying him . In 2370 , he allowed Hudson to escape Starfleet custody , but ended their twenty - year friendship . ( ) After the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion in 2373 , the Maquis was swiftly destroyed and most of its members were killed , among them Cal Hudson . ( ) Dax . Benjamin ' s mentor during his younger days was Trill Ambassador Curzon Dax . After meeting Dax on Pelios Station in the 2350s , Dax and Sisko were close for almost twenty years . While defending Dax against charges of murder in 2369 , Sisko described the Trill ' s influence on him : " " [ He ] taught me to appreciate life in ways I ' d never thought about before . He taught me about art , and science and diplomacy . Whatever sense of honor I have today , he nurtured . " " ( ) Dax attended Sisko ' s bachelor party in 2354 , and the two often visited Risa together . ( ) When Curzon died in 2367 , his symbiont was passed on to a woman named Jadzia . Despite the new appearance of Dax , Sisko insisted on calling her " old man . " ( ) Though it was initially difficult for him to adjust to Dax ' s new appearance , Jadzia and Sisko became friends again quickly . ( ) Sisko soon considered Jadzia one of his closest friends . On at least two separate occasions , when faced with the possibility of her death , Sisko did whatever it took to save her . ( ) When Jadzia called off her wedding to Worf in 2374 , it was Sisko who told her that she was being unreasonable , finally convincing her to proceed with the nuptials . ( ) Jadzia was killed by Gul Dukat later that year , and Sisko was forced to say goodbye to her . Taking a moment before her funeral , Sisko told her that he needed her most now , and painfully regretted that she was gone . ( ) However , the Dax symbiont lived on , having been joined with Ezri Tigan . The new Ezri Dax tracked down Sisko on Earth and helped him discover the Orb of the Emissary . ( ) Dax eventually decided to return to Deep Space 9 , and continued her friendship with Sisko for a third lifetime . Unfortunately Ezri was unprepared for the Dax symbiont and struggled to adjust to the new memories , in the process of helping her Sisko becomes both her commanding officer and mentor . ( ) Kira Nerys . The relationship between Sisko and his Bajoran first officer , Kira Nerys , began with a rocky start , since Kira openly stated that she was opposed to the Federation ' s presence for fear that that it would become an occupying power . ( ) Kira ' s views on the Federation shifted once the wormhole was discovered , and she begrudgingly accepted the need for the Federation ' s presence to keep the Cardassians away . However , the early relationship between Sisko and Kira was still often defined by arguments regarding different approaches to station policy . At times , Kira was not only argumentative but also insubordinate . ( ) However , Sisko stated that despite these arguments he and Kira always came away with new appreciation for the other ' s views . Kira joked at the end of their first year that she didn ' t believe Sisko was the devil , despite Winn Adami ' s attempt to portray the Federation as evil . ( ) Kira ' s religious beliefs further complicated the relationship with Sisko . Like other religious Bajorans , Kira viewed Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets , which left Sisko feeling uncomfortable and conflicted at times . Kira attempted to keep her religious beliefs to herself ; however , when Sisko was injured by a Jem ' Hadar attack , she prayed for his recovery . After the incident , Sisko invited her to attend a baseball game with him . ( ) As Sisko grew to accept his position as the Emissary , the tension between the two softened . When the Federation was forced to abandon Deep Space 9 , Sisko , speaking as both the Emissary and the commanding officer , ordered Kira and the other Bajorans to avoid interfering in the conflict with the Dominion . ( ) However , as it became clear that the Federation was losing the war , Kira disregarded Sisko ' s orders and formed a new resistance against the Dominion . ( ) Kira also shared her reservations with Sisko regarding his intentions to marry Kasidy Yates , despite the warnings from the Prophets that Sisko ' s marriage would cause him pain . ( ) Miles O ' Brien . Sisko and Miles O ' Brien ' s relationship could be described as a classic example of a crewman ' s loyalty and devotion to a commander . And this relationship developed quickly . O ' Brien respected Sisko from the first , and Sisko came to rely on Miles to keep Deep Space Nine running in the earliest days of his command . Sisko was quick to reprimand O ' Brien , after the incident ( ) , even though he approved of O ' Brien ' s actions on a personal level . Aside from this incident , Sisko seemed to have developed a very casual friendship with O ' Brien , despite the difference in their ranks and the fact that Miles was an enlisted crewman and Sisko an officer . And O ' Brien was unswervingly loyal to his commander . They both would talk about their respective roles as fathers . ( ) Sisko verbally threatened the Cardassians should any harm come to O ' Brien , who was held under false charges . Upon concluding the Cardassians ' plot regarding the Maquis , he pulled a few strings and extended O ' Brien ' s vacation time . ( ) O ' Brien volunteered to remain behind on Deep Space Nine to help Sisko , Li Nalas , and a handful of others retain control of the station after Starfleet was ordered off by the Provisional Government , under the influence of The Circle . He did this even though it could have meant the end of his Starfleet career and over the strenuous objections of his wife . ( ) In Sisko ' s words , he was confident that O ' Brien could " take care of himself as well as anyone [ Sisko ] knew " . ( ) Sisko was sympathetic to O ' Brien after his daughter Molly was thrown in a time portal . Once the incident ended , he volunteered to represent his engineer at a Starfleet hearing , and defended his actions at a hearing . ( ) Odo . Although Odo noted that he didn ' t think he would like Benjamin Sisko when he first met him , the two formed a keen respect for each other over the years . When Sisko was promoted to Captain , Odo noted that , while he didn ' t personally see the relevance of such titles , he could think of nobody who deserved this ritual more than Sisko . Sisko reciprocated this admiration more than once . When Odo ' s life was at stake following his capture by the Obsidian Order and his illness , Sisko took the " Defiant " into Dominion territory to save Odo , despite the risks of conflict with the Dominion . Odo also accompanied Sisko back to Earth when they received news that the Changelings had reached Earth . He helped him develop means of detecting Changelings on the planet . On another occasion he helped Sisko , who was falsely accused of being a Changeling by Admiral Leyton , escape . ( ) The crew and residents of Deep Space 9 . Sisko grew very close to his command crew on Deep Space 9 . Besides Dax , Miles O ' Brien , and Kira Nerys , he formed close relationships with Worf , Odo , and Julian Bashir . He occasionally invited his staff to a home - cooked dinner . ( ) However , he often had to draw the line between friend and commanding officer . On more than one occasion when a member of his senior staff bent ( or broke ) the rules , Sisko was forced to come down on them without regard for their off - duty relationship . Sisko was not quite fond of Quark , but over time , he began to tolerate the Ferengi . He has blackmailed Quark on a number of occasions when it suited him , such as convincing him to stay on DS9 , and helping the Federation make First Contact with the Founders of the Dominion . He was grateful when Quark helped uncover the first Dominion spy , and when he saved his life from a Jem ' Hadar . Though initially unsupportive of Jake ' s friendship with Nog , Sisko eventually grew to like the young Ferengi . Nog asked Ben to help him apply to Starfleet Academy ; initially wary of the idea , Sisko soon recognized Nog ' s genuine desire to become a cadet , and he approved . ( ) When Nog returned to DS9 for field study , Sisko actually encouraged his friendship with Jake , hoping that Nog ' s new Starfleet discipline would rub off on his son . ( ) Nog later served under Sisko on the , and Sisko began to rely on Nog ' s presence among his crew . ( ) The only other Ferengi Sisko got along with on DS9 was Rom , Nog ' s father . At one point , both Sisko and Rom conspired to get Jake and Nog talking in the same room . ( ) He once intimidated Rom by kicking him off his baseball team against and the Logicians due to his poor batting skills . He later apologized [ sincerely ] to Rom for his attitude . Sisko assembled his senior staff in 2375 for a baseball game on the holosuite against a team of Vulcan s . Sisko ' s team , the Niners , lost against the Vulcan Logicians , but the game brought the crew together , and they enjoyed the experience . ( ) Later that year , Sisko also took part in a jack - in - the - box program involving Vic Fontaine with his crew . Sisko helped regain Vic ' s lounge after it had been taken over by the mob . ( ) Sisko assembled his crew together one last time , at Vic ' s , following the end of the Dominion War . ( ) William Ross . After the Dominion War started , it was apparent that Sisko and Vice Admiral William Ross had a good working relationship . In early - 2374 , Ross made Sisko his adjutant . Later that year , when the Federation Alliance was ready to go on the offensive against the Dominion , Ross gave Sisko the news that Starfleet had chosen him to plan the invasion of Cardassia . ( ) Despite their fairly solid working relationship , Ross expressed some frustration with Sisko ' s status as the Emissary of the Prophets . This frustration came to a head in late - 2374 on the eve of the First Battle of Chin ' toka , when Sisko told Ross that the Prophets told him not to go to Cardassia . Ross told Sisko that he could no longer be both a Starfleet captain and the Emissary of the Prophets , and that he would have to choose one or the other . Sisko opted to go to Cardassia . ( ) Ross performed Sisko ' s wedding ceremony to Kasidy Yates in 2375 . ( ) Memorable quotes . " " You " value " your ignorance of what is to come ? " " " " That may be the most important thing to understand about Humans . It is the unknown that defines our existence . We are constantly searching , not just for answers to our questions , but for new questions . We are explorers . We explore our lives , day by day . And we explore the galaxy , trying to expand the boundaries of our knowledge . And that is why I am here . Not to conquer you with weapons or ideas , but to co - exist and learn . " " " " You exist here . " " " " I exist here . I don ' t know if you can understand ; I see her like this every time I close my eyes , in the darkness , in the blink of an eye , I see her like this . " " " " None of your past experiences helped prepare you for this consequence . " " " " And I have never figured out how to live without her . " " " " So you choose to exist here . It is not linear . " " " " No , it ' s not linear . " " " " As an old saying : Fortune favors the bold . Well , I guess we ' re about to find out . " " " " You hit me ! Picard never hit me ! " " " " I ' m not Picard ! " " " " Better luck next time . " " " " You better hope there isn ' t a next time , mister ! I have cut you a lot of slack in the past ; I even decided to look away once or twice when I could have come down hard on you , but those days are over ! Now we may not be able to get you for selling weapons but you so much as LITTER on the Promenade , and I will nail you to the wall ! ! " " " " FIIIREEEEE ! ! " " " " The Bajorans who have lived with us on the station , who have worked with us for months , who helped us move this station to protect the wormhole , who joined us to explore the Gamma Quadrant , who have begun to build the future of Bajor with us , these people know that we are neither the enemy nor the devil . We don ' t always agree . We have some damned good fights in fact , but we always come away from them with a little better understanding and appreciation of each other . " " " " On Earth , there is no poverty , no crime , no war . You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see paradise . Well , it ' s easy to be a saint in paradise , but the Maquis do not " live " in paradise . Out there in the Demilitarized Zone , all the problems haven ' t been solved yet . Out there , there are no saints — just people . Angry , scared , determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive , whether it meets with Federation approval or not ! " " " " My father used to say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions . I laid the first stone right there . I ' d committed myself . I ' d pay any price ; go to any lengths because my cause was righteous . My . . . intentions were good . In the beginning , that seemed like enough . " " " " So . . . I lied . I cheated . I bribed men to cover 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 Alpha Quadrant . 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 . " " Holograms . Ben Sisko has been holographically duplicated on a number of occasions . Appendices . Background information . When Avery Brooks ' agent first rang him to tell him that there was a role available in a new " Star Trek " show , Brooks laughed , because he instinctively felt he was going to be offered a role requiring heavy prosthetics , which he wasn ' t interested in doing ( though he ended up doing so anyway , in ) . After finding out the role was that of a Human , Brooks was still unconvinced , and of his pursuit of the role he said , " " This will never work . " " Indeed , on his way to his audition for the part , the transmission in his car began to slip , so he called the producers and nonchalantly told them he couldn ' t make it ; he was surprised when they rearranged his audition . It was ultimately the quality of the script for which convinced Brooks of the value of the show . ( " Crew Dossier : Benjamin Sisko " , DS9 Season 7 DVD special features ) Ronald D . Moore mentioned the story of Moses as an inspiration for the developments in Sisko ' s life . In the script for " Emissary " , Benjamin Sisko is described as " a rugged , charismatic man in his late thirties , " as of 2366 . The original Writer ' s Bible for " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " , created in , gave this biography for the character : Speaking in 1992 , shortly after filming had begun on " Emissary " , Avery Brooks said of Sisko , " " He is very , very human . He shows what he feels , wears what he feels . He is a quick thinker , but yet a deep thinker . He is a single parent , and thus is worried about raising his son . In this case , of course , he is a widower , so that part of his history is there , especially every time he looks at his son , he is seeing that part of his life , indeed , seeing his wife , and we have to assume that he loved her very deeply . So there are indeed conflicts , Human conflicts , which make it a wonderful experience because you can play everything . " " ( Hidden File 01 , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features ) In 2012 , Brooks recalled his role as Sisko : " " When I read the pilot script , it was the presentation of a man dealing with loss and raising a son , and how he handled those situations , that really got my attention . Certainly the fact you have a black man in a command position is very important . That is something that goes far beyond just having black people working on a show , which itself is also very important . It goes to children being able to see themselves on screen and visualize that in the future they will be doing something of importance to the world at large . It addresses the situation of having all kinds of people interacting and cooperating for the mutual survival of the planet . The writing was exceptional , and the funny thing is I initially said no to " Star Trek " . My wife convinced me to go to the audition . She was the one who said , ' You can ' t say no to this ' . " " According to Michael Piller , " " It was harder to define Sisko as a character than perhaps any of the others , and ultimately it took us probably a season and a half to reach the conclusion that Sisko was a builder , a man who built things , stayed with projects , as opposed to the driver , the captain of a starship who went off and moved from place to place . " " ( " New Frontiers : The Story of Deep Space Nine " , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features ) Piller also talks about this aspect of Sisko ' s character , the builder in contrast to Picard ' s explorer , numerous times in the " " . Hans Beimler also sees Sisko as a builder . Beimler commented , " " Captain Sisko is a complicated man . He ' s a family man . He ' s a builder , a man who has come to this place and is trying to do something – he ' s not some kind of transient . Picard and Kirk were both captains who were ' passing through , ma ' am ' , but Sisko is here to stay , to build something more lasting . I certainly can relate to that situation and that kind of man ; he ' s a different kind of hero , more complex in a way . " " ( ) Speaking in 1999 , just after filming on had finished , Ira Steven Behr said , " " Sisko ' s arc is pretty clear . He came to the station , it was an assignment he did not want , he was not happy to be there , and he became a man who talks about living on Bajor for the rest of his life . So , I think it was a healing process for Sisko . I think he ' s a wonderful leader , and he ' s a great family man . And he came to the show a wounded man , who had just lost his wife , was somewhat bitter , and he became a religious icon . " " ( " Crew Dossier : Benjamin Sisko " , DS9 Season 7 DVD special features ) Avery Brooks has stated of Sisko , " " The relationship with his son was critically important , aside from the fact that I have children , but knowing how tenuous , how fragile , how fleeting , ultimately , the moment , or moments that you have with your children , how important and critical the time that you spend early on in sowing these seeds that you hope will help your child survive and then pray that you ' ve done the right thing . " " ( " Crew Dossier : Benjamin Sisko " , DS9 Season 7 DVD special features ) Cirroc Lofton also says , " " With Jake ' s character , he brought out the human - ness in the captain because otherwise you would just see the captain as an authoritative figure , you ' d see him as just being someone who just gives orders , and someone who ' s really firm and aggressive , with Jake he can be playful , and you see the father side and the Human side of this icon , this character , this person who you respect , but there ' s another side to him , the loving , caring side , the playful side . " " ( " Crew Dossier : Jake Sisko " , DS9 Season 7 DVD special features ) Brooks has also commented , " " The investigation of self , or the discovery of self , is an internal journey . The investigation of the unknown is not outer , ultimately , but inner . So , the idea of this man reluctantly wrestling with this idea of being the chosen one , to make this journey , this internal journey , towards the discovery of self , something that human - kind does , until they leave the planet I ' m sure , certainly that ' s what I ' m doing . " " ( " Crew Dossier : Benjamin Sisko " , DS9 Season 7 DVD special features ) Brooks commented : " " When people come up to me and ask what being Benjamin Sisko meant , I understand why they are asking me that , " Brooks said . " I don ' t get mad or upset . I just let them know he was one aspect of my life , one role that was good to me , but not one that defines who or what I am . But I ' m happy so many people remember it and remember me , and I hope the full message of Star Trek , that humanity must interact and evolve and survive in all its different experiences and embodiments , is what they really remember " " . One of the plans for a six - episode arc which started season six was to promote Sisko to admiral , even if only temporarily . This was vetoed after extensive discussion involving Ira Steven Behr , who " felt it took the lead character out of the " Star Trek " pantheon . " He did , however , briefly serve as adjutant to Admiral Ross , temporarily turning over his command to Dax . ( ) Around the same time , Ron D . Moore in an unrelated matter described Sisko as having evolved since the start of the series in that he had " grown accustomed to the idea that he may never get admiral ' s stars " In " " , the authors write : " " Perhaps after watching black actor Avery Brooks play Captain Sisko on " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " ( 1993 – 99 ) , Americans no longer were alienated by the idea of electing a black man as the U . S . President " " . Other actors who auditioned for the role of Sisko were Robert Gwilym , Keith Allen , Pip Torrens , Ralph Brown , Anthony Head , Jolyon Baker , Peter Firth , Nick Brimble , Stefan Kalipha and Peter Capaldi ( who later became the Twelfth Doctor of Doctor Who . Apocrypha . In the , Sisko returns from the Celestial Temple in the novel " Unity " , on the day that his daughter ( Rebecca Jae Sisko ) is born , and subsequently lives on Bajor with Kasidy . As of the " " novel " Rough Beasts of Empire " , Sisko has returned to Starfleet and is in command of the " Galaxy " - class starship " Robinson " . Whereas in " Rough Beasts of Empire " , Sisko requested a divorce from Kasidy on the basis of the Prophets warning him , several years earlier , that he would face great sorrow , in " Plagues of Night " , he withdrew the request . In the novel " Ascendance " , Sisko starts a mission commanding the " Robinson " on a exploration mission into the Gamma Quadrant that he expects to last two years . In " Star Trek Online " , Sisko ' s antique baseball still sits at his former desk , in a protective case , and a Prophet encountered in the mission " Crack in the Mirror " says that " the Sisko " has convinced them to leave to the player character the task of retrieving the stolen Orb of Possibilities from the mirror universe . This seems to indicate that , in this continuity , Sisko has not returned from the Celestial Temple .