ðə lˈeɪɾɚ sˈiːzənz ʌvðə sˈɪɹiz fˈɑːloʊ ɐ wˈɔːɹ bᵻtwˌiːn ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd fˌɛdɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv plˈænɪts ænd ðə dəmˈɪniən, ɐn ɛkspˈænʃənˌɪst ˈɛmpaɪɚ fɹʌmðə ɡˈæmə kwˈɑːdɹənt, wˌɪtʃ hɐz ɔːlɹˌɛdi ɐbsˈoːɹbd kˈɑːɹdæʃə; ðə dəmˈɪniən ɪz ɹˈuːld baɪ ðə ʃˈeɪpʃɪftɪŋ tʃˈeɪndʒlɪŋz ænd ɐdmˈɪnɪstɚd baɪ ðə dʒɪnˈɛɾɪkliˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹd, klˈoʊnd vˈɔːɹɾə.
The later seasons of the series follow a war between the United Federation of Planets and the Dominion, an expansionist empire from the Gamma Quadrant, which has already absorbed Cardassia; the Dominion is ruled by the shapeshifting Changelings and administered by the genetically-engineered, cloned Vorta.