Border changes wrought by the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370. The Maquis grew in
response to Cardassian hostilities toward these colonies and to the perception that they had
been abandoned by the Federation government. Members of the Maquis had often been victims
]of violence directed directed toward them by the Cardassian military. They felt the intention was
to force them from their homes, and many chose to fight rather than leave.The Maquis are
deemed outlaws under Federation law
The Maquis was organized
in a series of cells, with only the leaders of each cell knowing the
whereabouts of the other
cells. A number of Starfleet officers were sympathetic to the Maquis
situation and either provided
them with weapons, or left Starfleet to join their ranks.
In 2370, a group of Maquis
led by ex-Starfleet Commander Calvin Hudson, which was a close
friend to Benjamin Sisko,
defended colonies in the Demilitarized Zone that were no longer
Federation protection. Hudson's
group destroyed the Cardassian freighter Bok'Nor, resulting
in
several skirmishes along
the border.
In 2371, Thomas Riker
hijacked the Defiant from Deep Space Nine for a Maquis mission to
investigate a suspected
Cardassian military buildup in the Orias system. Also during that
year,
a Maquis ship commanded
by commander Chakotay was lost in the Badlands.
By 2372, members of the Maquis
were no longer considered to be citizens of the Federation,
from this
point forward they were considerd enemies of the Federation.
