Dominion War

The Dominion War was a two-year interstellar conflict fought between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion between 2373 and 2375. The war consumed the entire Alpha Quadrant in one of the most destructive and bloody conflicts in galactic history.

First Contact
With the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, several of the Alpha Quadrant's regional powers began to send explorers to the distant Gamma Quadrant to seek out new trading partners and establish new colonies. Throughout 2370, rumors of a power known as the Dominion were heard from several sources. First contact with an Alqua Quadrant power occurred when a Ferengi trading mission under Grand Nagus Zek encountered the Karemma, a subject species of the Dominion. However, first contact between the Federation and the Dominion would only occur later that year when Starfleet commander Benjamin Sisko of space station Deep Space 9 encountered a vorta woman fleeing Jem'Hadar soldiers, who claimed to represent the "Dominion". 

Initial contact with the Dominion proved to be disastrous for the Federation. As retaliation for claims of territorial violations, the Dominion took credit for the destruction of several ships that had gone missing in the Gamma Quadrant, and for the destruction of the New Bajor colony. Additionally, Commander Sisko was detained and held responsible for the Alpha Quadrant's alleged violations of Dominion territory. A successful rescue attempt was conducted by the crew of Deep Space 9 and the USS Odyssey (NCC-71832), the latter of which was destroyed in the operation. However, it was determined a short time later that Sisko's capture and subsequent escape were part of a Dominion plan to place a Vorta spy in the Alpha Quadrant. The encounter with the Dominion left the Federation confused about this potential new enemy. Composed of multiple species, the Dominion claimed to be controlled by the mysterious "Founders", with the Vorta's role unknown. More threatening were the Dominion's scaled soldiers, the Jem'Hadar, who had proven their determination in destroying the Odyssey. 

The Search for the Founders
With the Dominion threat now realized, Commander Sisko requested that the USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I) be pulled out of storage and assigned to Deep Space 9. The Defiant's first assignment was to venture into the Gamma Quadrant and attempt to convince the Founders of the Dominion that the Federation posed no threat to them. To aid in this task, a special amendment was made to the Treaty of Algeron which permitted the Defiant to be equipped with a cloaking device. In return, the Federation would share all of its Dominion intelligence with the Romulan Star Empire. 

Although the Defiant was able to locate the Founders, the attempt to make peace proved to be unsuccessful. The Founders turned out to be a shape-shifting xenophobic species who believed that their survival depended on them imposing their order on the galaxy. 

The Changeling Threat
Although the Dominion had made their intentions clear, the Founders had no desire to wage war on a united quadrant. To this end, the Dominion began a coordinated campaign to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant. The next steps of the Cold War between the Dominion and the Alpha- and Beta Quadrant powers would focus around the roles and abilities of the Founders, whose ability to impersonate "solids" almost perfectly saw them commit several daring plans to effect this destabilisation.

Defanging the Cardassians and the Romulans
In late-2371, the Dominion learned of a plan by Enabran Tain to combine Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar forces to attack the Founders' homeworld in the Omarion Nebula. Seeing an opportunity to put an end to the so-called "ruthless, efficient organizations," the Founders did everything they could to carry Tain's plan forward. When the combined Obsidian Order-Tal Shiar fleet arrived in orbit of the Founder's homeworld, it was quickly learned that the planet had been evacuated. At that point, a fleet of 150 Jem'Hadar fighters ambushed the fleet. The failure of Tain's plan resulted in the destruction of the Obsidian Order and the crippling of the Tal-Shiar. 

Early targeting of the Federation
Several weeks later, the Dominion attempted to incite a war between the Federation and their bitter old enemy, the Tzenkethi. A Changeling, posing as Federation Ambassador Krajensky, hijacked the Defiant to use it to attack a Tzenkethi colony. The attempt was thwarted by the newly promoted Captain Sisko and the Defiant crew. During this ordeal, Deep Space 9 security chief Odo became the first Changeling to ever harm another when he killed the Krajensky Changeling. 

The Klingon Invasion of Cardassia
Immediately following the loss of Tain's fleet, the Cardassian Union experienced titanic changes. The Detapa Council under Meya Rejal would seize power on Cardassia, also managing to usurp the Central Command also. The new government would reform the Obsidian Order's remaining staff as the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau, under Alon Ghemor. This however would neuter the state's abilities to police itself or commit effective monitoring of its neighbours. Facing political clashes and calls to return Tekeny Ghemor from exile, Cardassia would close its borders. This would combine to have dire consequences, both in the near and distant future. 

Indeed, the Klingon Empire would take note of the change in Cardassia. Under adive from a changeling posing as the Empire's senior general, Martok, Chancellor Gowron would believe that the change in government was engineered by the Dominion. He would dispatch a fleet to Deep Space 9 under command of Martok in preparation for an invasion of the Union. When the Federation learned of the Klingon fleet's intentions, the Federation Council condemned the invasion. In response, Gowron withdrew the Klingon Empire from the Khitomer Accords, ending the alliance between the two powers. Throughout the remainder of the year, the Klingons continued their campaign in Cardassian space, an act which left the Cardassian Union devastated. 

The Federation's darkest hour
The Dominion threat had placed the Federation into a state of high suspicion and paranoia as well. In mid-2372, Starfleet vice admiral James Leyton used the threat of Changeling infiltration to attempt to overthrow the Federation government and instate martial law. By sabotaging a relay satellite on the far side of the Bajoran wormhole, Leyton was able to make it appear that a cloaked Dominion fleet was entering the Alpha Quadrant; thus giving him support for his coup. In the end, Captain Sisko was able to stop the coup and force Leyton to resign. 

During Leyton's ascent, the rogue Federation agency, Section 31, would infect the allied changeling Odo with a morphogenic virus which would ultimately restrict the Founders from shape-shifting, subjecting them to slow and tortuous deaths. Odo would pass the virus onto the Founders in late-2372, however it would be another two years before the virus began to take hold of the species. (,, ; Tacking Into the Wind}})

Discovering Changelings in the Empire
In late-2372, the Klingon Empire, empowered by their war with the Cardassians, invoked "ancient claims" to the Archanis sector. Starfleet was given ten days to abandon the sector or face a war. At this time, Odo was extorted into returning to the Great Link to face judgement for killing the Krajensky Changeling a year earlier. While he was in the link, Odo realized the possibility that Chancellor Gowron had been replaced by a Changeling. 

By early-2373, the dispute over the Archanis sector had brought the Federation and the Klingon Empire to war. In an effort to expose the Gowron Changeling, Starfleet dispatched Captain Sisko, Lieutenant Commander Worf, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Odo to Ty'Gokor where Gowron would be presiding over the induction of new members into the Order of the Bat'leth. During the operation, it was realized that it was in fact General Martok who had been replaced. After the Martok Changeling was killed, the Klingons and the Federation returned to the negotiating table to end their war. 

The Dominion Invasion Begins
The Klingon-Cardassian War had left the Cardassian people broken and defeated. Frustrated with this situation, Gul Skrain Dukat sought out an alliance with the Dominion. Under the terms of this alliance, the Dominion was allowed to annex the Cardassian Union and Dukat was installed as its leader. The Dominion immediately began fortifying Cardassian space with weekly convoys of warships and Jem'Hadar soldiers, giving Dukat the military force he needed to drive the Klingons from Cardassian space and to put an end to the Maquis rebellion in the Demilitarized Zone.

After the Klingons were forced from Cardassia, Chancellor Gowron re-signed the Khitomer Accords and declared that the Empire and the Federation would stand side by side against the Dominion. 

Although a technical state of war did not yet exist, several skirmishes occurred near the Cardassian border over the next several months. Several ships, such as the and the USS Tian An Men were either destroyed or reported missing. Additionally, the Dominion began securing non-aggression pacts with several of Alpha Quadrants regional powers, including the Tholian Assembly, the Miradorn, the Bajorans, and perhaps most significantly, the Romulan Star Empire. This, combined with the Dominion's continued military build up, forced the Federation to act. Captain Sisko devised a plan to mine the entrance to the Bajoran wormhole, a move that was virtually guaranteed to lead to war. 

Terok Nor Reclaimed
When the crew of Deep Space 9 mined the entrance to the Bajoran wormhole with self-replicating mines to prevent more Dominion starships arriving from the Gamma Quadrant, Dukat and Weyoun launched an assault against the station.

Although the minefield was successfully deployed and activated, Benjamin Sisko and his crew were forced to abandon the station to Dominion forces. Rechristened "Terok Nor", the station would serve as the central command post of the Dominion-Cardassian alliance - with Dukat, his chief aide, Damar, and the vorta Weyoun administering the war from there. 

Notably, the laying of the mines provided a tactical distraction, allowing a Federation-Klingon fleet to attack a Cardassian shipyard. However the war would not be so simple. 

Early failures and successes
For three months of the war, the Dominion was victorious in several battles, including in the Tyra system, when they destroyed ninety-eight out of a fleet of one hundred and twelve starships. 

Federation successes did occur, however, when Captain Sisko was posted to Admiral William Ross's Starbase 375. There, Sisko was informed that Starfleet had discovered a Ketracel-white facility, crucial to the Dominion war-effort. Sisko would lead a successful mission to destroy it. Soon after his return, he was promoted to Ross's adjutant and tasked with war-planning. He would order an attack on a Dominion sensor array in the Argolis Cluster by the USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I), providing another small success. A more major success was when Starfleet was able to enlist the aid of the Gorn Empire at Cestus III, a negotiation involving Jean-Luc Picard and future Federation President Nanietta Bacco. 

The Dominion, meanwhile, pursued various means to remove the minefield at the wormhole, which was preventing the massive military might of its Gamma Quadrant forces from coming through. A Changeling obtained the detonation codes for the minefield after infiltrating Starfleet, although intervention by the Beta XII-A entity caused the death of the Changeling and those who were taking him to Terok Nor. (SS ST (Night of the Vulture))

More successful in removing the minefield was the work of Dukat's aide, Damar, who successfully figured out a way to deactivate the mines. This scientific success was perceived by resistance elements on the station, led by Bajoran Militia Major Kira Nerys, as potentially able to end the war in the Dominion's favour. 

Operation Return
Sisko, working with the approval of Ross, would later develop the plan, Operation Return, to retake Deep Space 9. The desperate plan that was approved by Starfleet Command, despite the great risk of taking fleet elements away from the core worlds, including Earth. The mission was rated as crucial when they learned of Damar's plan, and they were forced to deploy its forces sooner than expected, without securing aid from an over-taxed Klingon Empire. Only the 2nd and 5th fleets left Starbase 375, under the command of Ross and Sisko. En route they encountered a massive Dominion fleet. 

Ross and Sisko's fleet would attempt to break through, first attempting scouting moves to no avail. Gul Dukat, orchestrating the Dominion fleet from Terok Nor, opened a hole in his lines tp lure the Federation fleet into a meatgrinder between his heaviest ships in the centre of their lines. Frustrated by his lack of progress, Sisko would order his heavy Galaxy class elements into the hole, attempting to use them to punch through. The operation was not a success, until a Klingon fleet under the command of General Martok came to their rescue, and through attrition the Defiant was able to break through and reach Terok Nor.

During the occupation, Kira Nerys had led a resistance movement on Terok Nor to disable the station and prevent the Dominion from destroying the minefield. But despite the cell's activity - disabling the station - the Dominion was successful in destroying the minefield. The Defiant arrived, and distraught, Sisko took it into the wormhole. There, appealing to their relationship with Bajor, Sisko convinced the Prophets to remove the Dominion reinforcements that had entered the wormhole.* When it became clear that there were no Dominion reinforcements coming, and that more of the Operation Return fleet had broken through the Dominion lines, the Female Changeling ordered a retreat of all Dominion forces to Cardassian space. The Cardassian role in the Dominion alliance would change utterly with the mental collapse of Gul Dukat,

''* In one timeline, the First of the Dominion Fleet's Jem'Hadar Soldier, as well as his elite, would "wake up" two years later at the end of 2376, being used by the Prophets to fight an infestation of the Parasites on Bajor. In another timeline, the Dominion Fleet would emerge in late in the first decade of the 2400s. ''

Borders and alliances redefined
Following the loss of Terok Nor and Dukat, the war situation changed. The now-Legate Corat Damar became leader of the Cardassian Union, but Cardassia - robbed of the charismatic and skillful politics of Dukat - would begin sliding into a secondary position within the Dominion hierarchy. More so, the Dominion was frustratingly trapped essentially within Cardassian territory, causing friction between the Cardassians and their allies. The Prophets had blocked the entrance of Dominion vessels to the wormhole, resulting in no possibility of reinforcement. Facing this, the Dominion was forced to enter into false peace talks with the Federation, putting forward a proposal to redefine the border between the Federation and the Cardassians, hoping to gain the Kabrel star system as they would be able to use Kabrel I's resources to develop large quantities of Ketracel-white. Their intentions were discovered by a group of genetically engineered Humans and peace talks failed. 

The Romulans and the War
The Dominion later scored an impressive victory with the capture of Betazed, which threatened the safety of Federation founding member worlds, Andor, Tellar and Alpha Centauri. Faced with this stunning defeat, and with more and more Starfleet personnel being killed, Benjamin Sisko - with Enabrin Tain's former protege, Elim Garak - began a plan to trick the Romulans into believing the Dominion was planning an invasion of their Empire. A forged recording of a meeting where Weyoun and Damar discussed the invasion of Romulus was created. He invited in secret the noted Dominion-ally Senator Vreenak to Deep Space Nine, but despite Garak's seeming best efforts the senator discovered it was a forgery. However the invite was a ruse on Garak's part, allowing him to plant an explosive on Vreenak's ship and suggest Dominion assassination. The Tal Shiar, finding a damaged recording within the remains of Vreenak's shuttle, had no choice but to determine the Dominion did indeed intend to invade the Empire. Promptly, the Romulans entered the war on the Federation Alliance side, beginning with assaults on several bases. (SS ST (The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned))

On Earth would be a conference to welcome the Romulans to the war and strategise the next segments of the war. There Admiral Ross would encounter and form a strong relationship with Senator Cretak. Also during this conference Ross would learn of Sisko and Garak's plot, and through Ross's knowledge Section 31 would use this opportunity to use the former Cardassian spy elimante a rogue element on Earth, Tomas Roeder, who, guiltily, was attempting to defect to the Dominion with knowledge of the Changeling morphogenic virus. The conference also included delegates of the Cardassian Government in Exile (the last fragments of Meya Rejal's Council of Five). Garak would become more firmly involved in the intelligence apparatus against the his former state. 

The Romulans formed a new line of conflict with Dominion space on their border, in what became known as the Romulan Front. A bitter warzone, this would see a war of attrition form between Romulan and Dominion troops on a number of planets including Ogyas III. It was in this situation of barrage and counter-attack that the Dominion's uncaring attitude for their Cardassian allies became highly evident, with strategic setting of civilian 'shields' and disengaged supervision of Cardassian units evident. Serving in this front were future notable Cardassians Rugal Pa'Dar and Evek Temet. 

Among the troops used by the Romulans were Remans, who were used in the most dangerous battles, often suffering large casualties. Future Praetor Shinzon and his advisor Vkruk were among these troops, with Shinzon leading twelve successful campaigns during the war. Among these was the liberation of the Tal Shiar base on Goloroth from Jem'Hadar troops. (, SS ST (Twilight's Wrath))

With the Romulans bolstering the Allied forces, Starfleet chose Captain Sisko to plan the invasion of Cardassia. Sisko discovered the Chin'toka system was relatively undefended by Dominion starships, although the Cardassians were in the process of deploying powerful orbital weapon platforms to protect the system. The Allied forces reached the Chin'toka system just before the platforms were activated, managing to destroy several of them. However, once the platforms were activated several Allied starships were destroyed or disabled. The crew of the Defiant were able to locate the power source of the platforms on an asteroid and imprinted a false Federation warp signature on it, making the platforms fire on and destroy their own powersource, shutting down soon after. The Allies were able to secure the system and ground forces were deployed to two Chin'toka planets. 

2375
Despite the capture of Chin'toka, the Allied forces were unable to fight their way further into Cardassian space as the Dominion was able to bottle them in the system. A Klingon fleet was repulsed when it attempted to destroy the Monac IV shipyards, although the crew of the were later able to destroy the Monac shipyards by using the Monac star to trigger a solar plasma ejection that engulfed and destroyed them. 

To treat their soldiers closer to the frontlines, the Romulans were granted permission by the Bajorans to establish a hospital on Derna. The Romulans also installed plasma torpedo launchers to protect the hospital, although the Bajorans deemed the launchers a threat to Bajor and began a blockade. Open conflict was averted when Admiral William Ross threatened Federation intervention. 

One of the more shocking events of the Dominion War was the Dominion attack on New Beijing. The Dominion had faulty intelligence that biogenic weapons were being developed there that were supposedly to be used to kill Jem'Hadar. The Dominion invaded the planet and at least five thousand of the inhabitants were killed. After the war, evidence surfaced that Section 31 may have arranged the massacre to convince Ethan Locken to join them. 

With the war continuing, the Female Changeling, who was now dying from a mysterious disease the Dominion could find no cure for, began negotiating with the Breen to become their newest allies. 

Betazed was liberated by the USS Enterprise-E from the Dominion in early 2375. The planet had been subject to genetic war crimes by Cardassian scientist Crell Moset, as well as infrastructural damage and population loss. 

In mid-2375, the Breen joined the Dominion Alliance. The arrival of the Breen angered Damar, who felt the Cardassian people were becoming sidelined. The lack of assistance to the Cardassian forces on Septimus III under Klingon attack convinced Damar to form a resistance movement to free Cardassia from the Dominion. 

The Breen later attacked Earth, severely damaging Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco and also launched an offensive against the Allied forces in the Chin'toka system. The Breen used their energy dampening weapons to disable the Allied starships and soon destroyed them with conventional weapons. Among the starships lost was the Defiant. While the outlook seemed dire due to the Allies having no defenses against the Breen weapon, Damar's announcement that he had begun to attack Dominion targets made Captain Sisko remark that Damar may just be the key to save the Alpha Quadrant. 

It was later discovered that the Ki'tang, a Klingon starship, had not been affected by the energy dissipators due to a recalibration to its tritium intermix before the battle. General Martok ordered all starships in the Klingon fleet to be adjusted in the same way, making the Klingons the only state able to combat the Dominion. Chancellor Gowron assumed direct command of the Klingon fleet and, instead of holding a defensive position to hold off the Dominion while the Federation and Romulan fleets found a countermeasure to the Breen weapon, Gowron prepared to send Klingon starships on offensives into Dominion territory. Meanwhile, to assist Damar, Kira Nerys, Odo and Elim Garak were sent into Cardassian territory. 

Gowron proved to be a poor strategist and Klingon losses mounted, including a disastrous attack on Avenal VII. When Gowron announced he was planning an assault on Sarpedion V, a well defended Cardassian planet, Worf challenged Gowron for control of the Klingon Empire. Worf killed Gowron in honorable combat and installed Martok as the new Klingon chancellor. Elsewhere, Kira Nerys, Odo, Garak and Damar were able to steal a Breen weapon that was one of many being installed by the Breen on Jem'Hadar fighters. 

Kira, Garak and Odo returned to Deep Space 9 with the Breen weapon, allowing Starfleet to study it. Odo was close to death due to the virus he was infected with, although a cure was found by Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien after luring Luther Sloan of Section 31 to the station. 

The Dominion soon moved to crush Damar's resistance movement, with Gul Revok betraying the fact Damar had approached him with the possibility of supporting the resistance. The Dominion and the Breen later destroyed all eighteen of the rebel bases, including those on Atbar Prime, Regulak IV, Simperia and Quinor VII. Kira, Damar and Garak sought refuge in Cardassia City in Enabran Tain's home, able to do very little with the resistance crushed. They soon realised that the Cardassian people had rallied behind him and that a popular uprising against the Dominion was possible. The Dominion, meanwhile, had learned that the Allies had devised a countermeasure to the Breen weapon, forcing them to fall back to Cardassian territory while they constructed more starships and breed more Jem'Hadar. The Allies later decided to make one final attack on the Dominion. 

The Final Battle
The Allies' assault began a few days later, when a large Allied invasion fleet left Deep Space 9 bound for Cardassia Prime. Sabotage by the Cardassians, meant the Dominion leaders were unable to communicate with their own fleet. However, a punishment for the sabotage, the Dominion destroyed Lakarian City and threatened more cities with destruction should the unrest continue.

After an opening stage that saw horrendous casualties on both sides, the battle would change. Gul Malyn Ocett, the only Damar resistance cell leader to have survived the purges, would use the destruction of Lakarian City to inspire the Cardassian fleet elements to rebel. In the battle with the Federation, the Cardassian fleet would turn on their Dominion and Breen allies. This volte-face would cause the Female Changeling to pull back to Cardassia Prime her fleets, forming a standstill between the fortress-fleet and the invading Allies. )

More so, upon learning of the betrayal of the Cardassian fleet, the Female Changeling would order the genocide of all Cardassians. On Cardassia Prime, Union planets and on all warzones still in action, the Jem'Hadar would shoot, burn or cut their way through all the men, woman and children they could find, civilian and military. Ragtag resistance movements and some military units managed to resist the marching murderers. As part of the policy of genocide, cities and buildings would be leveled, leaving Cardassia City in ruins. 

In the midst of the genocide, Damar's resistance cell was able to fight its way to Dominion Headquarters. The charge left all but Kira, Garak and a single Cardassian soldier dead, but they were able to capture the Female Changeling and Weyoun. Garak would murder Weyoun when he mocked Damar's demise. However despite her capture, the Changeling resisted the very idea of surrender. In an attempt to end the war, Odo beamed down and linked with the Female Changeling. In the union of the Great Link, he gave her the cure to the Changeling's disease. In return, the Female Changeling agreed to order the Jem'Hadar to surrender, and to be taken into custody by the Federation. 

The Dominion Surrender
The official surrender was signed on Deep Space 9 by the Female Shapeshifter, in the presence of Federation, Klingon, Romulan and Dominion officials. 

The Dominion forces were later escorted to the wormhole by Starfleet starships and they returned to the Gamma Quadrant. 

Aftermath
Both sides suffered heavy loses in the war. Following the conflict the Federation's resources were spread thin not just in reconstruction of member worlds but also in aiding independent worlds affected by the war (seeking new allies and members in the process) and even aiding enemy worlds from the war, providing substantial assistance to help Cardassia recover from the final attacks from the Dominion. 

As part of their attempts to manage the post-war situation, those worlds which had once been the Federation-Cardassian Demilitarized Zone as well as worlds within the old Cardassian border were split up into protectorates amongst the three victorious powers. Notably populations that came under Romulan occupation often fled into Federation-managed space. 

The Headquarters Allied Reconstruction Forces (HARF) was established to rebuild Cardassia and treat the refugee situation after the war. Their headquarters would be built on the ruins of Coranum Sector in Cardassia City. 

A secondary work of HARF, one not complete by 2377, would be managing of Cardassian and Federation DMZ-world populations, as well as other refugee groups, in what was emerging as a refugee crisis in the early days after the war. As part of their work, HARF would recruit civilian traders and ships to visit all former subject and DMZ worlds. During this work, it would emerge - though never to be persecuted - that many of the worst-treated DMZ and subject world populations had massacred those Cardassians that had survived the Jem'Hadar genocide. 

In 2379, it was discovered that, during the Dominion War, the Federation had illegally armed the planet Tezwa with nadion weapons so that the Tezwans would be able to assist the Federation if the Jem'Hadar overran the Alpha Quadrant. 

In 2385 the Federation would finally begin to prepare to pull out Starfleet elements off Cardassia Prime, however the assassination of President Nanietta Bacco led to a disruption in the process during the tumultuous premiership of Ishan Anjar.