6.0 Introduction
The largely unexplored Gamma Quadrant was opened to Alpha Quadrant travelers by the chance discovery of a stable wormhole near Bajor, leading to contact with the Dominion, an ancient empire ruled by the xenophobic Founders through Vorta intermediaries and Jem'Hadar soldiers, whose conflict with the Federation ended with the cessation of hostilities in 2375.
If not for a chance discovery, the history of the Gamma Quadrant might have been very different. Certainly, no one could have foreseen the existence of a stable wormhole near Bajor that offered a 70,000-light-year shortcut to the Idran system in the Gamma Quadrant, or that the voyages of exploration that followed would provoke the xenophobic Founders into one of the bloodiest conflicts of the modern era.
Established two millennia ago, the Dominion controlled hundreds and perhaps even thousands of star systems at its height, governing through Vorta intermediaries and enforcing its policies with genetically engineered Jem'Hadar soldiers. While the current status of the Founders remains unclear, it is hoped that with the conclusion of hostilities in 2375, peaceful missions of exploration will once again be welcome in this largely unexplored quadrant.