Star Trek #8 is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, drawn by Mike Feehan, colored by Lee Loughridge and lettered by Clayton Cowles. Presiding over Sisko's trial is the nephew of Legate Damar, who helped lead the Cardassian uprising against the Dominion. During the trial, Sisko is presented with a record of all the Cardassians he had a hand in killing during the War, and readers are able to see it too. The briefing lists each battle Sisko participated in and its outcome, along with how many Cardassians were killed. Earlier in the conflict, the casualties were minor, never going above 2,000; however as the war continued, the casualties grew larger, culminating in the Invasion of Cardassia by the Dominion. This action, instigated by Damar but attributed to Sisko, saw over 800 million Cardassians killed - a truly staggering number. Overall, the Cardassians charge Sisko with causing 834,104,813 deaths.

Sisko Is Charged With 834,104,813 Deaths

The Dominion War was a landmark story in the Star Trek universe, the first time fans experienced what it was like when the Federation went to war. The Dominion, from the distant Gamma Quadrant, began attacking Federation colonies and ships, and the middle seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showed the build-up to this conflict. Then, the Cardassians, previously uneasy allies, ed forces with the Dominion - a move that ultimately damned them. As Cardassian losses mounted during the war, Legate Damar, incensed over Dominion indifference to the suffering of his people, led an uprising against them. In retaliation, the Dominion launched an assault on Cardassia, an attack that permanently hobbled the once proud people.

Is Sisko Really to Blame?

And now, three years after the Dominion War ended, the Cardassians still have not forgotten Sisko’s actions. While the record presented in this issue’s text piece reflects a distorted view of history, in that it shifts blame for all losses to Sisko, it still points to the fact that he was in some way responsible for death on an unbelievable scale. Sisko launched biological weapons, massacred the Jem'Hadar, and lied to trick the Romulans into ing the war. While these actions helped to win the war for the Federation, they also prolonged it, and any Cardassians who ed the Dominion obviously see Sisko as the man who snatched away victory again and again, ensuring more and bloodier battles. It's inarguable that without Sisko, the Battle of Cardassia - which claimed the bulk of the Cardassian lives listed - would've never happened. Of course, there are many more people who carry far more significant blame, starting with the Dominion.

The Dominion were a huge force of evil and had to be stopped, but Sisko explicitly broke the Federation's laws to stay in the fight, meaning there's no official group - human or Cardassian - by whose standards he's not a war criminal. Star Trek fans know that Sisko saved countless lives through his Dominion War conduct - more than the 834,104,813 Cardassians he's accused of killing - and yet it's also readily apparent why their civilization would still see him as the ultimate evil.