The real thing! This is it: the nick that inspired it all. 13th is as good a place as any to list Benjamin Sisko's many -oids (somehow skewed versions of the character, versions that might or might not make it into the game as AUs or Personnas). And as with all DS9 personnel, I have to list the non-oids as well, since no cards have yet appeared.
SISKOIDS
1-Commander Sisko: If Decipher really is going to do DS9 expansions is some sort of chronological order, then we'll get a Cmdr Sisko before we get a (cooler) Captain Sisko. Ah well, that's life I guess. We can probably count on him having an "Emissary" skill, good for completing some missions and probably affected by some cards (à la Arbiter of Sucession).
2-Captain Sisko: I hope we don't really have to wait for expansion II for this other non-oid version. This time, he commands the Defiant, has his Leadership doubled, boosted Strength (how'm I doing?). And he's no longer affected by Barbering...
3-Head of Earth Security: Sisko's other (still non-oid) job from "Paradise Lost". Different uniform = different card. This Personna would probably prevent espionnage or Changeling infiltration, something like that.
4-Mirror Sisko: A space pirate of the worse kind, he wouldn't be the Emissary that's for sure. Navigation, Treachery (but won't all the Mirrors have this?)... A thought on bringing the Mirrors into the game: how about giving another use to Transporter Skill and having the Mirror Doorway be activated by it?
5-Enraptured Sisko: From the episode "Rapture". Sisko becomes aware of Bajor's entire history (past-present-future) though it gives him a big headache. Looking through draw decks at the cost of attribute points might go better with a "Rapture" Event. Perhaps you could only play it on an Emissary (a number of Siskos to choose from as well as that Bajoran poet, Akkorem).
6-Jod'Mos, Son of Kovar: From the awsome "Apocalypse Rising" episode where Sisko makes the coolest Klingon. You could make this guy a double-agent like Major Rakal, but Sisko's performance is so good, he deserves to be pure Klingon!
7-Bajoran Sisko: No, I don't refer to the whole "you are of Bajor" incident. I'm talking about the episode that took place inside Odo's troubles psyche. In the show, Sisko (and others) plays the role of a Bajoran slave aboard Terek Nor during the occupation. So, Bajoran affiliationa and some cool skill that affects mindscape locations (discussed in #12). Plus, since his Bajoran counterpart is destined to be executed by Odo, he should have a limited lifespan (so that cool skill, better be REAL cool).
8-Time-jumping Sisko: The Sisko that "died" in "The Visitor". Like "Time-jumping Picard", only completely different. I imagine a Sisko who appears out of nowhere (Devidian Door-like) every so-many-turns. He appears wherever Jake (or some other named Personnel) is present (any version - which would encourage multiple versions of the same character on the table). So he overcomes a Dilemma, then leaves etc. (More of an Event? or a strange Dilemma?)
9-Benny: I really don't know what to do about the -oids seen in "Far Beyond the Stars". They are definitely -oids (of the best kind), but space opera writers don't exactly have skills compatible with the CCG. Don't get me wrong, "Writing" will probably become a skill in the DS9 expansion, if only to accomodate Jake. Hey, it's no worse than Music. But that doesn't justify adding half a dozen writing personnas. Since these guys imagine new worlds and concepts, how about having them download specific card types. For Benny's part, he could download any Station, any black commander, any bridge crew personnel. Something like that. (And notice this could also be a Mind Location.)
10-Dr. Noah: Holo-personna or unique hologram? The powerful villain from "Our Man Bashir" has Sisko's body but a holographic mind, so it's not so clear-cut. Enemies of the Federation could use him if "mirror-kills any Sisko if ever killed" (a good deterent). Safety protocols could be automatically deactivated wherever present. And how about a "Flood Planet" download? THAT particular card could conveivably change the conditions on any planet so as to make shuttlecraft necessary for mission attempts (can't beam into water) or some such addition. Of course, it's all holos...
11-Joran Dax: Otherwise known as the psycho Dax (or in this case, the Sickoid) from "Facets". Yes, he appears in "Equilibrium", but I'm talking about the episode where Dax parcels out her various hosts to her friends. Ben gets Joran, the murderer who says Jadzia one syllable at a time. Though I doubt we'll ever see the card, this is one of my favorite Siskoids of all time (along with the Klingon). Ah well.
12-Gabriel Bell: "Past Tense" not only gave us the 21st century Time Location, but a number of cool -oids. In the episode, Sisko replaces the historical figure who freed the unemployed from the sanctuaries. Perhaps a Personna that can replace two diffrerent personnel? One, Sisko (obviously), and two, the real Gabriel Bell (actually native to the Time Location). Perhaps a Security Sacrifice-type ability that DOESN'T kill him would be in order (usable only once per game, or if MEDICAL x2 is present, to be fair).
13-Sisko the pawn: From "Move Along Home", this is the Sisko represented by one of the pawns in the Wadi board game (odd picture for a Personnel - I guess, that's why I like it). This could be part of another possible "Mind Location" (as discussed, again, in #12) where various "pawns" could play out a special side-game. How the mechanics of such a thing would work is anybody's guess.
14-Prophet: I would really like it if the Wormhole Aliens (or Prophets) would be represented on cards. The problem: they look like nothing as far as we know. The solution: they always represent themselves as people the onlooker knows. So in fact, we've seen many Prophets, each looking like a different cast-member. So here's my take: each "prophet" is an event or interrupt (perhaps available in the Wormhole Doorway, or through contact with one of the Orbs) with effects matching the "personna" taken. For Sisko, how about something dealing with the Emissary? Making some character "Emissary" until another Emissary enters the game maybe? (More on these in future articles.)
15-Young Sisko: From "Emissary", from the time he first met Jennifer. Not much of a change except in rank. Lower abilities, that kind of thing. May be a poor man's Sisko like Lt. (j.g.) Picard.
16-Dramatis Sisko: From "Dramatis Personae", when the entire crew played out some cosmic drama. A dilemma more than a bunch of personnas (how about making a crew initiate a personnel battle against itself?) This is the last time I'll mention this episode as I don't think it could support anything more.
17-Not the Emissary: Free as a bird, this Sisko from "Accession" is mentioned for completeness' sake. As someone else is proved (well, not really) Emissary, Ben gets to take that particular feature off his skill box. An Event if I ever heard one.
18-Classic Trek Sisko: A gold-shirted Lieutenant in the famous Tribble episode, that would give Classic Ben Navigation at the very least. How about scoring points for being present with Kirk (wow!) and an "upload" tribbles (sends them back to draw deck or side deck or storage or wherever). I think uploading (with the icon pointing in the other direction) is a concept worth exploring. Anyone agree? Uploading your opponent's cards back to his deck would be the primary function of course (hopefully to the BOTTOM of his deck).
19-Javert: Eddington's arch-rival (in his Miserables-clouded Maquis mind). I just want to see a "Don't Call Me Javert" card similar to the Ahab one. Heck, it's the same story with different names, ain't it?
20-Sisko in "The Search": I don't remember the episode rightly, but since our AU Garak comes from this episode, others might come out of it as well. Are the characters all that different in the Changeling-controled fantasy? Sisko sends the station into the wormhole, so perhaps a special ability like that (close wormhole, discard doorway, etc.) Help appreciated!
So that's about it. If I missed anything, I'm sure someone will let me know (they always do), and I'll be grateful for the help. It's unfortunate that I just haven't been able to see the DS9 episodes as often as the Next Gen offerings. I just hope my memory is up to the task.
