Star Trek (DS9): Crossover

[FaxModem1]

I've always been a fan of the Mirror Universe. The Mirror Universe novel series released a few years ago is a favorite of mine. The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack gives a good explanation for Crossover's stance on why the Terran Empire fell. The book mostly chronicles Mirror Spock's rise to power, to Captain, to Admiral, to Grand Admiral, and then to Emperor. Turns out that all of it is motivated by Spock's mind meld with McCoy and seeing how nice the Federation is in comparison to their universe.

SPOILERS:

Emperor Spock's ascent to power and his reforms were all part of a grand plan. First, establish control of the Empire, then when that is accomplished, institute reforms to give Terrans a taste of what freedom is. Second, realizing that liberty given with a word and to people formerly subjugated by tyrants, institutes a plan to ensure that liberty will come to the Mirror Universe and stay. He creates Memory Omega, an organization rather like the Second Foundation from the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, in that it preserves all the knowledge that would be lost in an invasion, as well as keeping all the social reformers, scientists, artists, etc., that would be handy in founding such a society.

Spock purposely motivated the Klingons and Cardassians towards each other, knowing that their cultural and political qualities were too different to stay together without eventually deteriorating. This would eventually lead into a Memory Omega led revolution a century and a half after the fall of the Terran Republic(Spock ended the Empire and made it into a representative democracy). Kira and Bashir's visit sped up their plan, and they end up supporting the Terran Rebellion in subtle means until all their chess pieces are in place to win against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. This is why we see Tuvok in Through the Looking Glass, he's a member of Memory Omega and is making sure the Rebellion doesn't get themselves killed through stupid mistakes.

[BlackoutCreature2]

I've always been a fan of the Mirror Universe. The Mirror Universe novel series released a few years ago is a favorite of mine. The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack gives a good explanation for Crossover's stance on why the Terran Empire fell. The book mostly chronicles Mirror Spock's rise to power, to Captain, to Admiral, to Grand Admiral, and then to Emperor. Turns out that all of it is motivated by Spock's mind meld with McCoy and seeing how nice the Federation is in comparison to their universe.

SPOILERS:

Emperor Spock's ascent to power and his reforms were all part of a grand plan. First, establish control of the Empire, then when that is accomplished, institute reforms to give Terrans a taste of what freedom is. Second, realizing that liberty given with a word and to people formerly subjugated by tyrants, institutes a plan to ensure that liberty will come to the Mirror Universe and stay. He creates Memory Omega, an organization rather like the Second Foundation from the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, in that it preserves all the knowledge that would be lost in an invasion, as well as keeping all the social reformers, scientists, artists, etc., that would be handy in founding such a society.

Spock purposely motivated the Klingons and Cardassians towards each other, knowing that their cultural and political qualities were too different to stay together without eventually deteriorating. This would eventually lead into a Memory Omega led revolution a century and a half after the fall of the Terran Republic(Spock ended the Empire and made it into a representative democracy). Kira and Bashir's visit sped up their plan, and they end up supporting the Terran Rebellion in subtle means until all their chess pieces are in place to win against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. This is why we see Tuvok in Through the Looking Glass, he's a member of Memory Omega and is making sure the Rebellion doesn't get themselves killed through stupid mistakes.

I gotta be honest, this sounds like a whole lot of pointless hoop-jumping just to preserve the idea that Spock (even Mirror Spock) is infallible.

[Mickey_Rat15]

It may have disappointed people that MU Spock failed in his reforms but the world had just recently seen something similar happen in reality. Gorbachev's attempts to bring limited reforms to the Soviet Union had resulted in that empire losing its satellites and many of its constituent parts, which has been arguably more messy than if the USSR had stayed intact.

Unfortunately, DS9's future uses of the MU characters (especially the Intendant) devolved into campy self-parody. They just could not keep it low key enough to take seriously at all,

The writer's having fun making Kira barely able to tolerate Bashir while Visitor and Siddig were a real life couple.

By the way, the Intendent's fashion sense looks to be more latex than leather. That probably has worse implications.

[unknownsample]

Yeah I seem to recall The Agony Booth complained about this not being Mirror, Mirror. I thought it was a gutsy move to point out that Kirk sometimes fucked up and his actions had unforeseen consequences.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

This one was just too cheesy for me. I wasn't impressed by any of the Evil Versions of our known characters, and Evil Kira seemed to be too much of a "evil version of woman character must be sexier" and "depraved bisexual" to me.

[Sir Will]

If Kira wanted to meditate, why is she in the one room of the runabout that has Bashir in it?And with Bashir being annoying, why did she stay there?

It IS weird how TNG is the only one to actually use the back room of the runabout.

[PapaPalpatine]

so, if the Intendant had sex with Major Kira, would that be lesbianism or masturbation?

[ducks]

[FaxModem1]

"]]
I gotta be honest, this sounds like a whole lot of pointless hoop-jumping just to preserve the idea that Spock (even Mirror Spock) is infallible.

Infallible? No. Not a damn fool who doomed everyone in the Terran Empire by making things better? Yes

The point is that Mirror Spock knew that a reformed government wouldn't out last him due to the petty and selfish natures of those who have power and a cowed populace unused to fighting for their freedom.

Your mileage may vary, Things getting better if people try hard enough and work together is much better than ' If you try, everyone gets killed'.

[Beastro]

It may have disappointed people that MU Spock failed in his reforms but the world had just recently seen something similar happen in reality. Gorbachev's attempts to bring limited reforms to the Soviet Union had resulted in that empire losing its satellites and many of its constituent parts, which has been arguably more messy than if the USSR had stayed intact.

The Soviet Union was built on lies. THose reforms brought in an air of truth that resulted in the realization that the system couldn't work without lies.

What we know of the Terran Empire is that neutered their military and left the path wide open for another empire to come and steam roll them.

Hardly comparable, but the suffering the Russians have endured throughout the centuries does show that things like representative government don't work in some societies because people simply don't expect the system to honestly work and it begins to resemble a mutually abusive relationship, like a farmer and his oxen where the farmer beats the oxen, but can't convince the oxen to do things by simply talking to it, because it's so ingrained in the oxens mind that no beating = no need to do anything of its own accord until that is applied.

[Fixer]

Yeah I seem to recall The Agony Booth complained about this not being Mirror, Mirror. I thought it was a gutsy move to point out that Kirk sometimes fucked up and his actions had unforeseen consequences.

The Kirk deconstruction became somewhat of a cliche.

You had him failing with Khan and along with this episode you had Star Trek expanded media that showed the planets in A Taste of Armageddon wiped each other out, and the Planet of Hats became a planet of TOS Cosplayers. That I know of.

It was as if one of the omnipotent space beings he met was going around retroactively turning all his victories into defeats.