Iconian War

The Iconian War was a major interstellar conflict fought between the Alpha and Delta Alliances against the Iconian Empire and its servitor races in the early 25th century. The war consumed the Alpha and Beta Quadrants and later spread across the entire galaxy being one of the greatest and most devastating conflicts in galactic history.

Prelude to War
Aproximately 200,000 years ago, the Iconian homeworld, Iconia, was victim of orbital bombardment by several species wich had rebelled against the Iconian rule. This event led to the fall of the First Iconian Empire. A little group was able to escape the planet and settled themselves on several primitive worlds. For over 200,000 years, these survivors were slowly rebuilding their forces and preparing for the day when they would return to reclaim all that was once theirs. Being forgotten by time and considered nothing more than legends, the Iconians influence on other species, however, dates back to at least the early 24th century. The Iconians' goal was to destabilize diplomatic relationship and stability between governments of several galactic nations to make them unprepared and unable to defend themselves when the invasion began. Despite many, some of these events were highlighted for causing a greater historical impact. (TNG novel: The Devil's Heart; STO video game)

Infiltration of the Federation
In 2364 a neural parasite known as the Bluegill tried an outlet of the Federation by infecting Starfleet's key leaders, thus getting control of their minds. This attempt was discovered by However this attempt was discovered by Captain Walker Keel of the USS Horatio and neutralized by the crew of the Enterprise-D. With the failed attempt, the Bluegill's mother creature sent a signal into deep space, lather revealed to be a message to their masters: the Iconians. It was also discovered that the Bluegill had been genetically modified by the servitor race Solanae. (TNG episode: Conspiracy)

Sinister Research
During a mission of charting the Amargosa Diaspora globular cluster in 2369, several Enterprise crew members were being abducted and subjected to several experiments unknowingly - later revealed to be Solanae's work. A power grid overload in Cargo Bay 4 is later revealed to be a collateral effect of a Solanae subspace pocket being formed inside the Enterprise. The crew was successful in closing the rift and the charting mission continued as planned. (TNG episode: Schisms)

"Whoever it was that sent that thing was more than simply curious..." - Riker

The Hobus Incident
In 2387, the star of the Hobus system unexpectedly went supernova, sending a wave of devastation across the quadrant. This supernova was especially threatening because of its ability to transform anything it contacted into energy, which increased its power and allowed it expand. To stop the threat, Ambassador Spock planned to use red matter to create an artificial black hole that would consume the supernova's energy. However, before he could successfully carry out his mission, the supernova traveled through subspace, thus destroying Romulus and Remus.

Years later, an investigation was conducted into the Hobus supernova which led to a trail to Iconia itself. A Romulan Republic captain, following clues from classified Tal Shiar files, discovered a base in the remains of the Hobus system, where former Praetor Taris was discovered. (STO mission: Revelation) Although she escaped from Hobus through an Iconian gateway, a Starfleet vessel working with a Republic agent tracked a Reman commander in Taris' employ from Hobus to a facility on Iconia, where the Starfleet captain captured Taris, and discovered evidence linking her to the Hobus supernova. (STO mission: Taris) Obisek, who headed the Reman Resistance also learnt that the Tal Shiar had allied themselves with the Demons of Air and Darkness. He believed that this threat remained in the shadows and intended to get revenge on those that had driven them from their homeworld. (STO mission: Frozen) Colonel Hakeev revealed the ties the Tal Shiar had with the Iconians on Nopada Prime along with his goal in finding ways of provoking conflict amongst various races. (STO mission: Coliseum) After Hakeev's death, a battle erupted at Brea III where Empress Sela's flagship, the IRW Leahval, was seemingly captured by an Iconian ship that had emerged from a gateway. (STO mission: Cutting the Cord)

Following these events, Obisek wondered about the threat the Iconians posed to the galaxy. (STO mission: Darkness Before the Dawn) This worry was also voiced by Captain Va'Kel Shon during the Borg conference at Deep Space 9. (STO mission: Second Wave) According to Commander Mesi Achebe, Taris seemingly managed to escape during the riot at Facility 4028 with the apparent aid of the Iconians. (STO mission: Facility 4028) Investigators on New Romulus revealed the ties the planet had with the ancient Iconians. (STO mission: Secrets of the Ancients)

The Undine Threat
Also in 2387, it was discovered by the Klingon Empire that Species 8472 had infiltrated most of the Alpha and Beta quadrant powers, throught their infiltrator agents. During this same period, an interrogated member from Species 8472 revealed their real name to be Undine. (STO website: The Path to 2409) It was also revealed that the Iconians were responsible for crossing into Fluidic Space where they attacked the Undine's attention. This chain of events saw the Undine being provoked into believing that they had faced hostility from the other universe. As such, the tripedal aliens began a campaign of infiltration and destabilization of the Milky Way Galaxy. Unknown to anyone, this all went in line with the Iconians plans in setting the various races against one another in order to keep them all divided. (STO mission: A Light in the Dark) In early 2410 the Undine launched a massive invasion in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. As a distraction from their main target, the Undine launched an ambush in the Sol system, while in fact pushing to destroy Qo'nos with a planet killer. This same tactic was used to attack Ferenginar, Gornar, Cardassia Prime and Andoria. Although several casualties as the almost complete destruction of Earth Spacedock, the invasion was neutralized thanks to the efforts of the newly formed Federation-Klingon-Romulan alliance, later becoming the Alpha Quadrant Alliance. (STO video game: A New Accord) When the Federation and Klingon Empire agreed to cease war after the Undine attack on Earth and Qo'noS, an Iconian entered the Great Hall through a gateway to give a cryptic warning to the newly formed alliance about things that would happen if they drew the Iconians' attention again. (STO mission: Surface Tension)

"You have come further than we expected, but still you chase our shadows... We give you a single warning do not attract our attention again" - M'Tara

Conflict with the Vaadwaur
With the discovery of a gateway in the center of the Solanae Dyson Sphere in 2410, The AQA began to send ships to explore the region and see how much it had changed since Voyager's journey 32 years ago. During the operation, the Alliance heard rumors from several species about a threat in the quadrant, known to appear out of nowhere, leaving a trail of destruction behind. Despite not being considered a threat by the crew of the USS Voyager due to their 900 years outdated technology, the Vaadwaur made an unexpected leap in technology, and were discovered to be threatening the security of the entire quadrant. (VOY episode: Dragon's Teeth; STO video game: Delta Rising) It was mentioned by an Alliance officer that even the Borg hadn't such powerful ships as the Vaadwaur. This was due to the fact that the Vaadwaur, seeking for a way to become a powerful entity again, made contact the Iconians, wich gave them sufficient technology to launch a campaign of conquest through the Delta Quadrant. In exchange, the leadership of the Vaadwaur Supremacy was taken over by Bluegills. This meant that in the end who controlled the Supremacy were the Iconians themselves. As their first act after the agreement with the Iconians, the Supremacy overthrew the Krenim Imperium and subsequently the B'omar Sovereignty. (STO video game: Delta Rising)

Shortly after, Vaadwaur leaders were exposed as Bluegill hosts, igniting a civil war between Supremacy loyalists and Vaadwaur rebels under Eldex' command. (STO mission: Revolution) To put an end to this threat, the Alpha Quadrant Alliance started an operation to unite the Delta Quadrant species in an attempt to create a new alliance that would stop the Vaadwaur purge. Among these races were the Hierarchy, the Kazon Order, the Benthan Protectorate, the Borg Cooperative, the Hazari, Kobali, Talaxians and the Turei. (STO video game: Delta Rising) This new coalition, dubbed Delta Alliance, organized a task force led by Alliance High Command to attack in the heart of the Supremacy, Vaadwaur Prime. Ultimately, the Delta Alliance was victorious. (STO mission: Takedown)

Although the Bluegill wich were commanding the Vaadwaur leaders were defeated, at least some Vaadwaur ships, if not all of them, were still loyal to the Iconians during the beginning of the war. (STO mission: Time in a Bottle)

The War
On the eve of war, while following a lead by Sela, who had escaped capture, members of the Alpha Quadrant Alliance entered a Dyson sphere hidden in the Andromeda Galaxy through a gateway in Nopada Prime, where they discover a massive Iconian invasion force inside. Also, they find Taris, whom they pursue until they catch up to her and corner her against the edge of a building. Taris begs them to understand her actions which caused the destruction of Romulus, as well as her reasons for contacting the Iconians, wherein she thought the Iconians could somehow go back in time and undo the Hobus catastrophe. Outraged by Taris' actions, Sela insults Taris' lack of knowledge, and then throws her off the edge. Obsessed with her homeworld's restoration, Taris didn't knew the simple fact that the Iconians themselves couln't travel through time anyway because of their chroniton-based minds. After getting as much information as they could, the members escaped, though not before the Sphere jumped to a location near the Iconia system. The arrival of the Alliance and Sela, however, was the last straw, an Iconian warning them that their galaxy was now forfeit. (STO mission: Uneasy Allies)

Battle of  New Romulus
During a meeting between the leaders of the Alpha Quadrant Alliance in the Sol system to prepare for the iminent conflict, a Herald fleet suddenly appears on New Romulus, signaling the beggining of the invasion. Herald forces are also sent to attack the Federation Starbase 234, wich was the only thing standing between the Iconians and New Romulus. In order to defend the Romulan homeworld, Captain Tom Paris is sent to assist the Republic with his task force alongside with the bulk of the fleet. The others were ordered to report to Starbase 234.

At Starbase 234, Herald ships engage the Alliance forces on cold space while Herald forces take control of the Starbase by boarding the it through their gateways. In the end, alliance efforts were not sufficient to defend the Starbase from so many Herald ships, wich kept sending more and more reinforcements, but not after all of the civilians and most of the crew managed to evacuate.

While Captain Paris led the fight in orbit, the situation on the surface was becoming critical. However, the arrival of an away team led by an Alliance admiral managed to change the situation on the Romulan capital city. After retaking control of the Hwael Ruins, another Iconian, T’Ket, arrives through a gateway and murders an entire group of Republic officers with only one strike. This same away team later discovers that the Iconians managed to reactivate the Gateway in the planet, having plans to reach Lae’nas III, the planet where the Preserver Archive was located. Once there, M’Tara summons through a gateway and murders that same Preserver after declaring his death would bring her no pleasure, but she hadn't another choice. Soon afterwards, a Herald dreadnought destroys the Preserver Archive from orbit.

Although they were able to make the Heralds withdraw from New Romulus, the Alliance had already lost a quarter of their fleet in only one day. (STO mission: Blood of Ancients)

The Solanae Plot
During the first days of the war, Captain Paris' task force, Delta Flight, alongside with another Alliance ship, infiltrated in the Calbriden system. Alliance Intelligence believed the Iconian had destroyed Calbriden III to gather materials for a subspace disruption device. They intended to use this device to bring a little portion of subspace to normal space in order to bring the Solanae forces to directly aid in the Iconians efforts. Though the team succeeded in preventing the Solanae from breaking through and recovering data on the location of a key Iconian installation, the USS Campbell was lost with all hands and the Iconians kept the upper hand in the war. (STO mission: Delta Flight)

The Emperor's Return
Seven years earlier, Emperor Kahless of the Klingon Empire departed Qo'nos, handpicking a crew from the Order of the Bat'leth for his flagship IKS Batlh. He left a message behind saying that the Klingons no longer needed his guidance and he would return when he was most needed.

As the war continued, the Alliance suffered a series of demoralizing defeats. During a covert mission deep in Iconian territory in the Dinasia system, led by a group of Klingon covert agents, dubbed House Pegh, Emperor Kahless is revealed to be the leader behind House Pegh's actions.

Stating that his people needed a symbol to inspire them in that difficult period in the war, Kahless challenges T'Ket, wich was operating on that station, to honorable combat. As they fought, Kahless' team managed to wound T'Ket by modifying a generator outflow, sending a discharge of Omega energy on T'Ket. Kahless then dealt a blow that cut off T'Ket's left arm. Though he was killed before he could deliver the final blow, and the strikeforce was forced to retreat, he proved that the Iconians were not invincible, thus invigorating Alliance forces. Due to this event, T'Ket developed a great hatred for mortals. (STO mission: House Pegh)

The Krenim Join the Fight
Soon afterward, a Ferengi named Qwen states that he possessed a device from Krenim origin. Concerned with the capabilities of this device, due to the fact that the Iconians had such a fear related to the Krenim that had ordered their complete extermination, the Alliance sends representatives to buy the device from the Ferengi merchant. With assistance from Captain Nog of the Chimera, son of Grand Nagus Rom, they acquire the device and then travel to the Kyana system, where Qwen stated the device was found. Nog then teamed up with another Alliance ship to investigate a lead on the Krenim. Using the Krenim device, they discover a Krenim base hidden out of sync with normal time in one of the system's moons. While hidden in this fashion, Nog and the other Alliance captain witness a meeting between twelve Iconians, who do not detect them.

During the meeting, M'Tara discusses with her fellow Iconians about the Alliance's unexpected resilience. L'Miren also highlights the fact that the mortals had already thwarted their plan to bring in the Solanae fleet. T'Ket, taken by hatred, states that they should destroy all of them and end the war at once, but L'Miren retorts that there is no pride on ruling a galaxy of ghosts. However M'Tara states that the campaign would continue as planned.

After the Iconians left, Krenim leader Pross resync the base with normal time, also revealing that they actually hidden the entiry planet. He then presents a scheme with plans for the constructions of "a wonderous vessel" wich could manipulate time, capable of erasing entire civilations like they never existed. Nog theorizes that the Krenim could give the Alliance a much-needed advantage, and they end up negotiating an agreement with the Imperium to fight the Iconians. (STO mission: Time in a Bottle)