Star Trek’s best engineer was Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney), andStar Trek: Deep Space Nineproved that. Originally a recurring character onStar Trek: The Next Generation,Miles O’Brien served in the Cardassian Warbefore being assigned to the USS Enterprise. O’Brien moved from helmsman to the Enterprise’s transporter chief, giving him hands-on knowledge of Starfleet’s flagship.Chief O’Brien had experience with sophisticated Federation engineering and a working knowledge of Cardassian technology, making O’Brien the perfect choice to head up the Starfleet engineers on the former Cardassian station Deep Space Nine.
InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 6, episode 15, “Honor Among Thieves”, Deep Space Nine’s crew are dealing with far more technical malfunctions than usual. Dr. Julian Bashir’s (Alexander Siddig) infirmary technology, the fire suppression system at Quark’s (Armin Shimerman) Bar, and Constable Odo’s (Rene Auberjonois) security sensors are all unexpectedly glitching. Eventhe turbolift in Ops is being a jerk. Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) explains thatthis rare alignment of mechanical maladies is happening because Chief Miles O’Brien is away from DS9, on an unexpected mission to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate.
Why Star Trek’s Best Engineer Was DS9’s Chief O’Brien
O’Brien Merges Otherwise Incompatible Cardassian And Starfleet Technology
Chief Miles O’Brien isStar Trek’s best engineer because Deep Space Nine’s combination of incompatible Starfleet and Cardassian systems literally stops working without O’Brien there. Chief O’Brien inherits a station that’s physically broken, with operating systems that are riddled with Cardassian booby traps, secret codes, and condescending messages from Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo). It isn’t possible to simply install Starfleet software over the Cardassian architecture, soO’Brien figures out how to get the two different systems working together.Miles' ad hoc patches are so advanced that no one knows exactly how O’Brien actually makes them work—but theydowork.
Chief O’Brien’s 10 Best Star Trek TNG & DS9 Episodes
Miles O’Brien is “the most important man in Star Trek history,” played by one of its best actors, as proved by O’Brien’s best TNG and DS9 episodes.
In later seasons ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, O’Brien’s team of engineers adds a few unexpectedly brilliant members.Rom (Max Grodenchik) is personally inspired by Chief O’Brien,and trades his exploitative job at Quark’s Bar for an engineering position with the Bajoran militia afterO’Brien encourages Rom to eschew Ferengi traditionand form a union. Helping O’Brien with incidental engineering tasks gives Rom’s son, Nog (Aron Eisenberg), a taste of Federation values, which motivates Nog to join Starfleet. Miles' surprising ability to inspire others with his solid work ethic and undeniable skill informs O’Brien’s next career move.
Chief O’Brien Taught Engineering After Star Trek: DS9 Ended
Teaching At Starfleet Academy Shaped O’Brien’s Legacy For Star Trek’s Future
AfterStar Trek: Deep Space Nineended, Miles O’Brien moved back to Earth and began teaching engineering at Starfleet Academy. While O’Brien’s career pivot was ostensibly made to spend more time with his family, being an Academy professor meantChief O’Brien’s knowledge of making impossible systems work together would be passed down to future Starfleet engineers. O’Brien’s everyman affability and ability to relate to everyone, no doubt made him a popular professor at Starfleet Academy. The fact thatO’Brien was an enlisted member of Starfleet, rather than an officer, also proved that rank wasn’t a measure of success.
According to a far-future scene inStar Trek: Lower Decks, Chief Miles O’Brien is remembered as “the most important person in Starfleet history.” As the unofficial patron saint of the lower decks, it’s a fitting honor for the man who kept a tacky Cardassian eyesore operating smoothly, with little more than spare parts and sheer ingenuity.
Chief O’Brien owes a lot to otherStar Trekchief engineers who came before him, likeStar Trek: The Original Series' famedmiracle worker Montgomery Scott(James Doohan) and O’Brien’s formerTNGcrewmate Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). An argument could even be made forStar Trek: Enterprise’s Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), who also had to make do with few resources. Unlike the others,Miles O’Brien managed to create working solutions from incompatible technologies, far from the comfort of a Federation starship, and without a translated manual—all while experiencingStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s mandatory suffering.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Cast
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
