Marco Palmieri

When Deep Space Nine came to a conclusion with 'What You Leave Behind' in 1999, it left a number of plot lines unconcluded and opened up many new ones for exploration. Into the resulting breach steps Marco Palmieri, senior editor at Pocket Books and the man spearheading the project to fill in the gaps and carry the plot forward into the future - the Deep Space Nine Relaunch.

Question: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Marco Palmieri: I'm a senior editor at Pocket Books, where I've worked for the last five years. I'm a lifelong Star Trek fan, and my office is too small. :)

Q: Do you have any personal projects in the works at the moment?

MP: Besides the DS9 novels, I have a quartet of standalone Section 31 books, dealing with the various Star Trek crews' encounters with the organization. Those come out in June and July. I also edited Volume II of the Definitive Star Trek Trivia Book, which comes out in April. I have two TNG novels in the works for 2002, "Immortal Coil" and "The Battle of Betazed," and a collection of novellas about alternate Star Trek timelines entitled "Split Infinities." I also edit a number of novels based upon a variety of videogames, and am working with DC Comics to develop a series of novels based upon the Justice League.

Q: In your personal opinion, how do you think the Deep Space Nine Relaunch series is panning out so far? Do you think it'll live up to fan expectations?

MP: I think its panning out wonderfully. I really do. I've let a few people whom I knew I could trust to be honest with me read advance copies of the "Avatar" novels, and they told me it felt like they were watching the show again. So I hope that enthusiasm is shared by people who actually have to pay for the books. :)

Q: To date, Psi Phi has posted ten character profiles for the relaunch - leaving at least two main characters unaccounted for. Can you tell us a bit about Tiris Jast? What will be her role in the series? What about Kasidy Yates and the baby? Any others we can expect to see? Will we be seeing any reccurring characters and/or villains?

MP: Not all the characters on that list are necessarily "main" characters. They're just known characters, and more names will be added. There are a number of supporting characters not yet revealed who will be seen on a regular or recurring basis, both familiar faces and new ones. As for Kasidy Yates, she'll be in her second trimester when we catch up with her in "Avatar," still living on the station, but preparing to move into the house Sisko had planned to build on Bajor. She and Kira have become very close since the finale, but events in "Avatar" put a huge strain on each of them, and on their friendship.

Q: Colonel Kira - "Soon her faith will face its greatest test. It will fail." Care to elaborate a little?

MP: I look at Kira as somewhat like the Old Testament Job--someone who manages to remain faithful no matter how bad life gets, no matter how many awful curves are thrown her way, or how many losses she endures. In this particular context, I guess you could say mine has become the role of Satan. :)

Q: How will the remnants of the original DS9 staff and residents adjust to their new crewmates? Will there be 'teething trouble', especially with some relatively junior officers filling the shoes of very experienced personnel?

MP: There'll be mixed reactions. This isn't the first time new faces have been added to the DS9 cast. Garak, Worf, Nog, Martok, Ezri -- most of these were added after the TV series was well under way, and all of them without exception had their own arcs, their own unique character development and their own unique relationships with other characters.

Q: What about those who left? Will we ever see O'Brien, Worf, Odo or even Sisko himself again?

MP: You ain't seen the last of anybody. :)

Q: Will we ever see conflict, or even simply contact with the remnants of the Dominion, the Founders or the Breen?

MP: The Dominion figures into "Avatar." The Breen are off being the Breen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they turned up along the way.

Q: How will the political situation between Bajor and the Federation be resolved? Will Sisko's original mission to bring the Bajorans into the Federation be completely fulfilled? Is it even important to the series?

MP: I think it's important. It's a major loose end from the TV series, and in the novels there are characters working toward that resolution.

Q: What about the political situation on Bajor itself? We never really saw what impact, if any, the whole situation had on the Bajoran people. Will you be following up on that? Who will be the next Kai?

MP: Bajor and what's happening there are very much a part of novels. "Avatar" will introduce us to the top contender for the next Kai.

Q: What of Cardassia?

Cardassia's fate and what's happening there in the aftermath of the war is very much tied to Bajor, and the station is part of that.

Q: You've mentioned in other interviews that the series will definitely have a long-term story-arc. Can you give us a hint as to what it might entail? How long, exactly, do you think the series will last?

MP: I have plans for the books that currently extend into 2003. After the first few novels in 2001, we'll cut away to see how things were faring in the Klingon Empire, immediately upon Martok's return from the Dominion War. That story will be told in J.G. Hertzler's duology, "The Left Hand of Destiny." After that, we'll do a four-novel arc entitled "Mission: Gamma," during which we'll follow the Defiant on a mission of exploration into the reopened Gamma Quadrant... while everything once again goes to hell aboard the station. :)

Q: The first two books, parts one and two of 'Avatar', by S.D. Perry are due out in May. What can we expect from them?

MP: A damn fine story. :)

Q: Why bring the Enterprise into it?

MP: It's fun. It's a bonus. It's relevant to the story, and it has echoes of "Emissary," which is fitting for what I think as a new beginning for DS9.

Q: Any final thoughts/concluding statements?

MP: Only that I'm having the time of my life. It's been quite a ride so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next. :)

More information about 2001 titles can be found on the www.psiphi.org website. A big thanks go out to Marco for participating!

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