The insurgent Maquis were introduced as a motley crew of civilian settlers, resisting the Cardassian occupation of their homes in the Demilitarized Zone after their colonies were ceded to the Cardassian Union by Federation Cardassian Treaties in the late 2360s and early 2370s. Though later joined by discontented Starfleet officers, the Maquis had at first little military recourse to mount a strong defense and had to rely on commandeered smaller vessels from different affiliations such as the Federation attack fighter and the Bajoran raider and interceptor. However, by 2370, a more potent design was encountered that appeared to be uniquely Maquis, first a smaller version in the guise of the Maquis fighter, and subsequently a larger variant, designed along the same lines, in the guise of the