Badlands

The Badlands are a region of space along the border between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union, that are known for intense plasma storms and gravitational anomalies. For that reason, it is commonly avoided by most interstellar traffic. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")

The Badlands were believed to have been formed around 500,000 years ago, and contais at least 2 stars, 17 planets, 43 moons, and a large asteroid belt. Sector 21305 is dominated by the Badlands. (New Worlds, New Civilizations).

The first Federation contact with the Badlands was made by the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2268, and was named the Badlands by the Enterprise's chief medical officer, Leonard H. McCoy, after a region on Earth. (The Badlands, Book 1)

The next major attempt to chart the Badlands was conducted in 2335 by the Oberth-class science vessel, USS Yosemite. The Yosemite became the first ship to penetrate the plasma storms and was subjected to a subspace incursion that disrupted its power systems. Captain Indul and her crew discovered the the ships warp engines had acted as a lightning rod in the Badlands. (The Badlands, Book 1)

During the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, the Bajoran Resistance frequently used the Badlands as a refuge from Cardassian patrols. Because of the severely limited sensor ranges in the area, the Bajorans used echolocation techniques to navigate and detect other ships. (DS9: "Starship Down")

During the 24th century many ships became lost in the Badlands. During the 2340s and 2350s alone, the Cardassian Union lost many vessels, including the freighters Kamal and Ravinok. The remains of the Ravinok were later discovered on the planet Dozaria, and was found to have been attacked by the Breen. (DS9: "Indiscretion"; DS9 novel: Avatar)

In 2368, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was assigned to complete a full survey of the Badlands. The Enterprise is joined in their survey by Cardassian officers, Jos Mengred and Pakat. During the mission Commander William T. Riker was stricken by the same illness that had struck the crew of the original Enterprise a century earlier, thankfully he was cured. (The Badlands, Book 1)

Because of its strategic location inside the Demilitarized Zone between Cardassian and Federation space, the Badlands became a favorite hiding place and staging area for the Maquis during their insurrection against Cardassian control from 2370 to 2373.

In their first major operations, the Maquis took the kidnapped Gul Dukat to a class M asteroid in the Badlands. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I") When Thomas Riker and a Maquis cell hijacked the USS Defiant from Deep Space 9 in 2371, they piloted the Defiant to the Badlands to rendezvous with other Maquis attack ships prior to launching an assault on Cardassian space. (DS9: "Defiant")

Around stardate 48300, the Caretaker abducted several starships from the Badlands, including a Maquis raider piloted by Chakotay, and the Federation starship USS Voyager, which had been sent to track Chakotay. (VOY: "Caretaker") A Cardassian Galor-class warship was also abducted from the Badlands around the same time. (VOY: "The Voyager Conspiracy")
 * It was never made clear, but the USS Equinox may have also been abducted from the Badlands. (VOY: "Equinox, Part I")

Bajoran trader Razka Karn also hid out in the Badlands when the Tholians were pursuing him for some unscrupulous "business" practices. Kasidy Yates's freighter route between Bajor and Dreon VII often took her close to the Badlands, as well. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "For the Cause")

In the Mirror Universe, the Badlands were also used as a staging area by the Terran Rebellion before their capture of Terok Nor in 2372. (DS9: "Through the Looking Glass")

After the Maquis learned that he had informed Starfleet of Michael Eddington's location, Cing'ta was marooned on a "particularly nasty" planet in the Badlands. (DS9: "For the Uniform")

When the Cardassian Union was annexed by the Dominion in 2373, the remaining Maquis cells that managed to escape the Jem'Hadar took shelter on Athos IV, an abandoned mining colony on the edge of the Badlands. The Maquis sent a disguised distress signal, coded as a confirmation of the launch of a missile strike against Cardassia Prime, to send word to Michael Eddington that the Maquis remnant had survived. Those few survivors were rescued by Starfleet a short time later. (DS9: "Blaze of Glory")

The Badlands remained a strategic location during the Dominion War from 2373 to 2375. Fleet movements in the region required additional escorts to guard against ambushes from inside the plasma storms. (DS9: "Waltz")

In 2375, the IKS Koraga was destroyed by the Jem'Hadar near the edge of the Badlands. (DS9: "Penumbra")

Following the end of the Dominion War in 2376, the USS Enterprise-E was dispatched into the Badlands to confirm rumours that Breen forced were hiding in the Badlands and were awaiting to attack the Federation. While no Breen were found, the Enterprise discovered the Cardassian freighter Kamal, which contained the Orb of Memory, and transported it back to Bajor. (DS9 novel: Avatar).

Star Trek: Pendragon