Federation-Cardassian War
From as early as the 2340’s into the 2350’s there were a series of conflicts and border skirmishes between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. Several battles took place between the two sides including the Setlik III massacre. By the 2360’s the conflict had settled into a stalemate with neither side holding an advantage.
The conflict ended in an armistice that was later a treaty between the two sides. The end of the conflict saw the formation of a Demilitarized Zone between the two sides. Both sides ceded control over planets and colonies in the DMZ. This treaty would be signed in 2370 establishing the DMZ and putting an end to hostilities.
Bajor, DS9, & The Maquis
The end of the Bajoran Occupation ended in 2369 when the Cardassian Union evacuated Terok Nor. The Bajoran Government invited the United Federation of Planets to help them rebuild and recover from the Occupation.
Terok Nor was administrated by Starfleet under the command of Commander Ben Sisko. That year the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant was discovered, and the station was moved later renamed Deep Space Nine. In 2370 following the treaty between the Federation and the Cardassian Union several Federation and Cardassian colonies were ceded.
An agreement was reached allowing the colonists to stay, however, things eventually came to a head. The Federation colonists began the terrorist movement later known as the Maquis. A new conflict began in the Demilitarized zone between the Maquis, considered terrorists by the Federation, and the Cardassian military. The Maquis fell apart by 2373 after the Cardassian Union joined The Dominion.
Discovery of the Uvel System
In 2372 the Vulcan Science Ship Stelvik was on a routine survey mission near the DMZ when it discovered a planetary system that had been missed during a routine mapping survey in the region. The planetary system was just outside Federation territory.
The ship Stelvik entered the system and found five planets there, but none of them were habitable. The Vulcans had been looking for a potential colony world and as such they marked the location on the star chart and moved on. Starfleet intended to fully survey the system, however, the Dominion Cold War became the focus of Starfleet and the system was left alone.
The Uvel System remained unexplored and uncharted until 2373 and by then the Dominion War had started. It is unknown if the Dominion ever found the system, and there was no evidence that anyone else tried to construct anything in the system.
The Dominion War
The Dominion War took place from 2373 until 2375 and was perhaps one of the largest interstellar conflicts for the Alpha Quadrant. An alliance between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire tried to hold off the Dominion and the Cardassian Union.
The Romulans eventually entered the conflict on the side of the Federation-Klingon Alliance. This allowed the alliance to finally push into Cardassian space. Though they would eventually be pushed out of Cardassian space.
The Breen Confederacy entered the conflict by 2375, and during the planned invasion of Cardassia the Cardassian Union switched sides. The conflict came to an end that year when both sides signed a treaty. The Dominion returned to the Gamma Quadrant and have been relatively quiet and isolated since.
2377 – 2388
Two years following the Dominion War Starfleet sent the USS Columbus into the Uvel System to conduct the survey mission. The ship quickly discovered that the system was rich in mineral resources. Fearing that the Cardassian Union may stake a claim in the system for rebuilding efforts Starfleet began plans to construct a station there.
That same year a derelict Cardassian Nor Class space station was located in the DMZ. Starfleet claimed the station for salvage operations and began plans to move the station. It took months and the project was a major undertaking. But, by 2378 the station had been moved into the Uvel System.
Repair efforts on the station began in 2380 in order to make the station habitable. The Cardassian Union learned of the Uvel System and the derelict station in 2382, but due to reconstruction efforts made no attempts to claim either from the Federation.
It took eight long years for the Federation to complete the reconstruction efforts and to make it habitable. Starfleet was able to use much of the knowledge gained from Deep Space Nine, making the efforts a little easier. Portions of the station were exposed to space, however, and that made the process slow. By 2388 the station was 98% ready for full service, but personnel began moving aboard.