Colonel Kira Nerys' (Nana Visitor) return in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3's crossover with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fixed a lingering issue with Lt. Shax (Fred Tatasciore). Kira and Quark (Armin Shimerman) were the two DS9 mainstays who welcomed the crew of the USS Cerritos to the former Cardassian space station. Kira joined Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) to open trade talks with the Karemma from the Gamma Quadrant as the Lower Deckers got to experience DS9's Promenade, and they even rescued Quark when he was arrested by the Karemma for stealing their technology.
Originally, Lt. Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) was going to be the Bajoran character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but when Forbes passed on the series, Major Kira Nerys was created to replace her. Kira was a breakthrough character for Star Trek; a former leader of the Bajoran Resistance who was tough, no-nonsense, spiritual, and formidable. Over time, DS9 revealed Kira's softer side, specifically with her romances. Kira ended DS9 in love with Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois), who left her at the end of the Dominion War to reunite with his people, the Founders. By the time DS9 was over, Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) ascended to become one of the Prophets of Bajor, and Colonel Kira became the commander of Deep Space Nine.
How Kira In Star Trek: Lower Decks' DS9 Crossover Fixed Shax
Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of Star Trek: Lower Decks' crossover episode with DS9 was Lt. Shax. As Cirroc Lofton, who played Jake Sisko on DS9, pointed out on his podcast, The 7th Rule, Shax's status as a Bajoran was instantly legitimized by the revelation that he was Resistance buddies with Kira. Obviously, Shax was the USS Cerritos' Bajoran Security Officer, but the animated comedy's focus on the Lower Deckers left little time to fully explore Shax as a Bajoran. Lofton, an expert on Deep Space Nine who was there for all 7 seasons, was absolutely right that having a past with Kira, the Star Trek franchise's most important Bajoran hero, gave Shax 'the rub' and solidified him as a Bajoran.
Lt. Shax is a popular character with Star Trek: Lower Decks fans, and he had one of his best moments in the season 3 finale when he finally got to eject the warp core to save the Cerritos after suggesting it repeatedly throughout the series. Shax also died in Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 1 finale, and his mysterious season 2 resurrection was milked for comedy to highlight how Lower Deckers never know the details of what happens to the senior staff. But Shax is more known for being a gruff but lovable Security Chief who calls his favorite Ensigns "baby bear" than for his Bajoran heritage. Thanks to Colonel Kira, Shax now feels more Bajoran than ever.
Why Bajor Is Still Important After DS9 Was Canceled
For the seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Bajor and its fate were central to the future of the Alpha Quadrant and the United Federation of Planets. The Bajoran Wormhole, also known by the Bajorans as the Celestial Temple and the home of their gods, the Prophets, was the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant, which brought the Dominion and war to the Federation. Now that years have passed since the Federation won the Dominion War, Deep Space Nine is still a thriving center of commerce, and it still guards the Wormhole.
Bajor didn't join the Federation by the time DS9 ended, and Captain Sisko now lives in non-linear time, but the Bajorans can still decide the fate of the galaxy because of their ties to the Wormhole. Colonel Kira remaining the commander of Deep Space Nine, which is still an important Federation outpost, also shows how highly regarded she is by Starfleet. In fact, Colonel Kira is still so important, she elevated Lt. Shax's status as a Bajoran in Star Trek: Lower Decks just by knowing him.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Seasons 1-3 are streaming on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Seasons 1-7 are streaming on Paramount+.