Gamma Quadrant Scouting Party

A proposal for To Trek Again:
It recently struck me as a little odd how little priority the Federation seemed to put on exploring through the Bajoran wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant. It seemed like an ideal situation to see if any new and interesting resources were formed in that sector of the galaxy. Plus, given how the Borg threat had come out of nowhere from the Delta Quadrant, it seems like prudence would suggest putting up some early warning posts on the Gamma side of the wormhole, as it's too late once threats reach DS9.

The Premise

The PCs are either attached to an outpost in the Gamma Quadrant. They occasionally head back to DS9 for resupply and transfer of materials, but their mission is to set up monitoring stations (both military and scientific) in the space around the Wormhole and seek out new and unique resources for study. This could be a chance to blend sandbox exploration with an over-arcing plot of eventual conflict with the Dominion. The GM could have a "Doomsday Clock" or "Dominion Tension Track" that would gradually fill up as the PCs explored further or had more of an impact on the Gamma Quadrant, leading to increasing conflict and subversion, until full-out war breaks out. Or maybe the PCs prove so awesome they manage to keep tensions below that point, and history takes a different turn. There could be a lot of overlap with DS9, or clearly separated roles.

The Characters

PCs would be Starfleet officers serving on the outpost, using a small fleet of runabouts to get around. There would be a need for scientists, security and engineers of all types.