Shin Watanabe was a high-ranking Maquis officer in active service by late 2373. In that year, Watanabe was one of the Maquis envoys who traveled to the Cardassian space station Tral Kliban and attempted to negotiate Maquis neutrality in the Dominion War. Following the failure of negotiations, Watanabe and his fellow envoys were ordered to evacuate the Maquis colony on Galion. Watanabe himself was evacuated to the former Bajoran transport, Orb of Peace, alongside many other high-ranking Maquis who were to be taken to Bajor.