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This third series based on the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry ran from 1993 to 1999. Rather than revolving around the premise of an ever-exploring starship like its predecessors, Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, frequently called DS9 for short, centers on a space station of the same name. The station is positioned very near a wormhole which allows instant travel to and from a distant quadrant of space and is therefore of strategic importance to the political planetary entities that control it. Adding more weight to this premise are the spiritual implications associated with the station; living within the wormhole are entities who have no linear concept of time and who are worshipped by the Bajoran people as Bajoran Prophets. This results in Benjamin Sisko, captain of Deep Space Nine, unwittingly becoming an emissary to the prophets. Deep Space Nine is generally considered to be a grittier Star Trek series than those of the past, using a distinctly non-utopian style and dealing more directly with war, persecution, insidious political activity, and the sometimes inescapable nature of sacrificing moral principles for the sake of the greater good. Another divisive element that sets DS9 apart from previous Star Trek installments is its tendency to allow a single storyline to continue over many episodes in a serial style.