Dominion War
From Star Trek: Gamma One
From late 2373 to late 2375, the Dominion War consumed the majority of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Dominion, along with their member state, the Cardassian Union, and their allies, the Breen Confederacy, fought against the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire. The war was the most destructive in recorded history in terms of casualties, materiel, and cost. The Cardassian Union was effectively removed as a galactic power for decades, if not centuries, and is currently administered by the Allied forces. The Klingon Empire's economy and military were both set back decades. The result of this is that the Federation and the Romulans are the only current major players on the galactic stage of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Of particular note is the death toll suffered by all involved states. The Cardassians suffered over 800 million civilian casualties, not counting their military losses. The civilian and military personnel lost by the other powers are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, with the total casualty figures for all involved states estimated to be in the billions.
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Timeline
2370-2371
Stardate 48058.2: Captain Benajmin Sisko, the Commanding Officer of Starbase Deep Space 9, and the Ferengi Quark are captured by Jem'Hadar soldiers on an uninhabited world in the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: The Jem'Hadar)
A task force, lead by the Galaxy-class starship USS Odyssey NCC-71832 is dispatched from Deep Space 9 on a search and rescue mission to recover Captain Sisko. The taskforce is engaged by Jem'Hadar fighters, and Federation defensive shielding proves incapable of stopping Dominion polaron-based weaponry. Sisko is rescued, but a suicide run by one of the Jem'Hadar vessels destroys the Odyssey with all hands. (DS9: The Jem'Hadar)
Stardate 48213.1: USS Defiant NX-74205, the first dedicated warship designed and fielded by Starfleet, is fitted with a Romulan cloaking device and assigned to Starbase Deep Space 9. For its first operational mission, the Defiant is dispatched into the Gamma Quadrant to make contact with the Founders of the Dominion. During the course of the mission, the Defiant is captured, and later released by order of the Founders -- the Changelings. (DS9: The Search, Parts I and II)
Admiral Leyton begins laying the groundwork for his attempted coup.
Changelings begin infiltrating many Alpha and Beta Quadrant governments.
The Obsidian Order and the Tal'Shiar form an alliance to oppose the Dominion. A fleet of Romulan D'deridex-class Warbirds and Cardassian Keldon-class battleships travel to the Gamma Quadrant and attack the Founder's homeworld in the Omarian Nebula. The leader of the Romulan force, Colonel Lovok, having been replaced by a Changeling, informs the Founders of the plot before the fleet leaves the Alpha Quadrant. When the Romulans and Cardassians arrive, the world was abandoned, and a Jem'Hadar fleet ambushes the combined force, destroying it. (DS9: Improbable Cause, DS9: The Die is Cast)
Stardate 48962.5: A Changeling spy, having taken on the form of Starfleet Ambassador Krajensky, commandeers USS Defiant in an attempt to start a war between the United Federation of Planets and the Tzenkethi. The Founder is killed by Deep Space 9's Constable Odo, who becomes the first Changeling in the history of their people who has ever harmed another Changeling. (DS9: The Adversary)
2372
Stardate 49011.4: The Cardassian people rise up against the military government in the aftermath of the Omarian Nebula incident and overthrow it, installing a civilian government -- led by the Detapa Council -- in its stead. (DS9: Way of the Warrior, Part I)
The Klingon Empire invades the Cardassian Union, convinced that the change in power there has been orchestrated by the Dominion. Starbase Deep Space 9 Captain Benjamin Sisko orchestrates the evacuation of the Detapa Council into Federation space, and the United Federation of Planets condemns the Klingon invasion of Cardassia. In retaliation, a Klingon fleet lays siege to Deep Space 9, and the Klingon Empire withdraws from the Khitomer Accords. (DS9: Way of the Warrior, Part II)
27 people are killed when a bomb planted at a Federation-Romulan joint diplomatic conference explodes in Antwerp on Earth. Admiral Leyton, Office of the Chief of Fleet Operations, launches his coup in response, but he is thwarted by Captain Benjamin Sisko. (DS9: Homefront, DS9: Paradise Lost)
Stardate 49962.4: USS Defiant is dispatched into the Gamma Quadrant to locate the new homeworld of the Founders in an attempt to find a cure for a disease ravaging Constable Odo. Upon its return, Odo -- stripped of his shapeshifting abilities -- reveals that Chancellor Gowron of the Klingon Empire has been replaced by a Changeling. (DS9: Broken Link)
The Klingon Empire declares war on the United Federation of Planets. (DS9: Broken Link)
2373
A covert team of Starfleet officers, lead by Captain Benjamin Sisko, infiltrate the Klingon military stronghold on Ty'Gokor to assassinate the Gowron changeling. It is revealed that General Martok, not Gowron, is actually the Changeling spy, and it is killed by a room filled with Klingon warriors. In appreciation, Gowron calls a cease-fire with the Federation. (DS9: Apocolypse Rising)
Stardate 50049.3: Captain Sisko and crew capture a downed Jem'Hadar Attack Ship. The information gained by this allows the Federation to develop a defense against Dominion weaponry. (DS9: The Ship)
The Cardassian Union, under the leadership of Gul Dukat, joins the Dominion. (DS9: In Purgatory's Shadow)
The Dominion begins a military buildup in the Alpha Quadrant, dispatching numerous ships into Cardassian space. (DS9: In Purgatory's Shadow, DS9: Call to Arms)
In the wake of the merger between the Dominion and the Cardassian Union, Gul Dukat broadcasts a message pledging that 'All that we have lost will be ours again, and anyone who stands in our way will be destroyed'. Immediately thereafter, a massive strike is launched from Cardassian space to repel the Klingons and destroy the Maquis. Over the next three days, the Imperial Klingon Defense Force falls back in disarray to Bajor, and the Maquis are decimated. (DS9: By Inferno's Light)
Chancellor Gowron of the Klingon Empire, in the face of the Dominion threat, is convinced by Captain Benjamin Sisko to re-enter the Khitomer accords with the United Federation of Planets. The war between the two powers ends. (DS9: By Inferno's Light)
Enabran Tain, the one-time Cardassian spymaster thought killed in the Omarian Nebula incident, is discovered to be alive in the Gamma Quadrant. Lieutenant commander Worf and Garak -- Tain's son -- are dispatched to investigate, but end up imprisoned with Tain, Klingon General Martok and Deep Space 9 Chief Medical Officer Julian Bashir, who has been replaced by a Changeling spy. They escape the facility in time to warn Deep Space 9 about the Bashir Changeling, who is destroyed while attempting to make B'hava'el (the Bajoran star) go nova with a trilithium explosive. (DS9: In Purgatory's Shadow, DS9: By Inferno's Light)
Starfleet Command orders Captain Benjamin Sisko to prevent further Dominion reinforcements from reaching Cardassian space. Captain Sisko decides to mine the entrance to the wormhole with self-replicating, cloaked mines. In retaliation, the Dominion Alliance attacks Deep Space Nine, but not before the minefield is completed and cloaked. Starfleet then abandons the station to the Dominion. (DS9: Call to Arms)
A joint Federation-Klingon task force crosses the Cardassian border and destroys the Dominion shipyard on Torros III. The Dominion War begins. (DS9: Call to Arms)
2374
Battle of Rumarda: Starfleet's 4th Fleet is pushed back from the Federation-Cardassian border, but is pushed back in heavy fighting; 54 starships and 13,200 Starfleet personnel are lost. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
Battle of Tyra: The 7th Fleet takes up position 12 light years inside the Federation border at the Tyra system. Consisting of 112 starships, the 7th Fleet was pitted against 248 Dominion and Cardassian warship; in the ensuing battle, 98 Federation starships and 24,000 Starfleet personnel are lost. (Dominion War Sourcebook, DS9: A Time to Stand)
Battle of Kumarek: The Starfleet 20th and 21st Fleets, with Klingon support, halt the Dominion advance on Bolian territory. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
Operation Blue Room: Starfleet launches a counteroffensive in the Kumarek system against entrenched Dominion forces in an effort to force them to retreat from Bolian territory. After a four hour battle (and destruction of a supply convoy carrying Ketracel White for the Dominion's Jem'Hadar troops) the Dominion is finally forced to retreat several light years. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
First Battle of Vulcanis: Starfleet launches a counteroffensive to force the Dominion back from the border of the 40 Eridani system. In eight weeks of fighting, the Dominion is forced to withdraw to a front two light-years distant; Starfleet loses 127 ships and 20,000 personnel. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
Using the Jem'Hadar Attack Ship captured in 2373, Captain Benjamin Sisko leads a strike against the main storage facility in the Alpha Quadrant for Ketracel White. The facility is destroyed.
Destruction of the Argolis Array: USS Defiant NX-74205 is dispatched into the Argolis Cluster to destroy a Dominion sensor array capable of monitoring all Starfleet/Klingon ship movements -- even those undertaken by cloaked vessels. The mission is successful. (DS9: Behind the Lines)
Stardate 51721.3: The Dominion conquers Betazed after the annihilation of the Starfleet 10th Fleet. All Starfleet personnel, government officals, and civic leaders -- a total of nearly five million people -- are executed. Vorta, seemingly with psionic abilities, are used to monitor the Betazoid use of telepathy; those found doing so are executed. A small group of surviving Starfleet personnel along with Betazoids form a resistance. (DS9: Tears of the Prophets, Dominion War Sourcebook)
- Blair was aboard the USS Alkai when he along with several ships were able to determine that Betazed was under attack. The Alkai would be destroyed along with pretty much the rest of the 10th fleet, save for a few ships that were able to get out intact with survivors.
- I'diera was presumed lost on Betazed when the planet fell to the Dominion. She would later join the resistance on the planet.
Operation Return: Starfleet recieves word that the Dominion at Deep Space 9 is on the verge of bringing down the minefield keeping the Dominion from recieving reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. Elements of the 2nd and 3rd Fleets are assembled at Starbase 375, then launch the assault against the Dominion lines under the command of Captain Benjamin Sisko. Starfleet forces are outnumbered during the battle at a ratio of almost two to one, but the tide is turned by the surprise arrival of the Klingons, under the command of General Martok. USS Defiant, Sisko's flagship, is the lone vessel to slip through the enemy lines and arrives at Deep Space 9 just in time to witness the destruction of the minefield. With no other choice, Sisko moves to engage the Dominion fleet within the wormhole (a force of some 2,800 vessels), intervening upon the grace of the Bajoran Prophets to eliminate the Dominion fleet. As a result, the Dominion lines crumble and Deep Space 9 is retaken by Starfleet forces, while Gul Dukat is captured by Starfleet as well. (DS9: Favor the Bold, DS9: Sacrifice of Angels)
Gul Dukat, former leader of the Cardassian Union, escapes from Starfleet custody after the destruction of the Nebula-class starship USS Honshu. (DS9: Waltz)
The Second Battle of Vulcanis: The Dominion attempts a strike at Vulcan once again, penetrating to 40 Eridani VI before being driven back six light years by the Imperial Klingon Defense Force and Starfleet. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
The First Battle of Benzar: A combined Cardassian and Dominion force, originally tasked to strike Alpha Centauri, abruptly alters course and attacks instead at the less heavily defended Benzar system. Starfleet's 14th Fleet persues the Dominion, but is unsuccessful in retaking the system before Dominion reinforcements from Betazed arrive. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
The Romulan Star Empire is brought into the war on the side of the Federation-Klingon Alliance after the apparent assassination of Senator Vreenak by the Dominion. (DS9: In The Pale Moonlight)
The Romulans launch a massive fleet and retake Benzar. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
Battle of Chin'toka: The Federation Alliance launches an assault on the Chin'toka system, taking it after a furious battle. (DS9: Tears of the Prophets)
- The USS Marathon under command of Captain Mitellan participated in this battle. See First Battle of Chin'toka at Memory Alpha for more information.
Gul Dukat, possessed by a Pah-Wraith, comes to DS9, kills Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax, darkens the orbs, and collapses the wormhole. (DS9: Tears of the Prophets)
2375
In the early part of 2375 the Cardassian-Dominion alliance launches an attack to retake the Chin'toka system. They gain some ground, but the system becomes a battlefield for the next few months. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
The Klingons launch two unsuccessful attack on Monac and the Monac IV shipyards before finally destroying them. (DS9: Shadows and Symbols)
A joint Starfleet and Romulan offensive is launched to try and retake Betazed. Between the Dominion ships and the orbital defense platforms the offensive is repelled. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
Captain Sisko, while on a leave of absence, apparently receives a vision from the Bajoran Prophets. He locates the missing Orb of the Emissary on Tyree which allows the Prophets to reopen the wormhole. (DS9: Image in the Sand, DS9: Shadows and Symbols)
Starfleet begins a new offensive in the Kalandra Sector, working their way toward the liberation of Betazed. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
- Mitellan was in command of the USS Marathon during the Kallandra offensive to retake Betazed. Blair served as Signals Intelligence Officer during this mission.
General Martok leads Klingon assaults deep into Cardassian space against the Trelka IV planetary base, the ketracel-white production facilty located in the Pelosa system, the Manora shipyards, a Dominion orbital fortress, a Jem'Hadar breeding plant and supply depots. (DS9: Once More Unto the Breach)
March/April 2375: Operation launched to retake Betazed. The mission is successful and the planet is liberated.
- tar-Zatain is among the Betazed Relief Forces assigned to assist the planet after Dominion forces are expelled from the planet.
Stardate 52269.4: Starfleet lands ground forces on AR-558 to capture a communications relay located on the planet. After five months of fighting and at 30% of their original strength, AR-558 personnel and USS Defiant crew hold back a determined Dominion assault to retake the relay. (DS9: The Siege of AR-558)
Starfleet and Romulan forces engaged the Dominion-Cardassian forces near Bolian frontier. After a fierce battle, the Dominion is forced to retreat several light years. (Dominion War Sourcebook)
The Breen join the Dominion-Cardassian Alliance, providing new momentum to the Dominion War effort. (DS9: Strange Bedfellows)
In late October 2375, a fleet of nearly 300 Breen vessels attacked Earth itself, concentrating their assault on San Francisco (where they shattered and toppled the Golden Gate Bridge, razed Federation Hall, and destroyed large parts of Starfleet Academy and Starfleet Command's Headquarters), Paris (where they destroyed the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and Empyrean House and attacked other Federation facilities), Beijing and New York. They also used tectonic weapons to set off the Pacific Coast's earthquake faults.
An attack on Earth proper had never happened before, so even though it took the Breen nearly two hours to plow their way through the Mars Defense Perimeter, and there would have been warning klaxons going off and the like, nearly 22 million people were killed in the attack. The overall damage to Earth's infrastructure was also great: 75% of the planet's surviving population was without power and other amenities for a week or more. (DS9: The Changing Face of Evil, Dominion War Sourcebook)
The Breen spearhead a Dominion offensive into the Chin'toka system. Utilizing their new energy dissipation weapon, they disable 311 Federation alliance vessels in a matter of moments. The only vessel unaffected was a Klingon Bird of Prey. (DS9: The Changing Face of Evil)
Stardate 52790.6: The Klingons launch an assault on Septimus III, headquarters for the Cardassian Eleventh Order. The Dominion fails to reinforce the system and over 500,000 Cardassian soldiers are killed. Legate Damar begins to plot a military rebellion against the Dominion in retaliation for this betrayal. (DS9: The Changing Face of Evil)
Stardate 52801.3: Legate Damar's rebels attack and destroy the Dominion cloning facilities at Rondac III, losing over him half of his personnel in the assault. Starfleet gives Colonel Kira Nerys] of the Bajoran Militia a temporary field commission as a Commander, assigning her to Legate Damar to teach him guerilla warfare tactics. (DS9: When it Rains)
Chancellor Gowron wrests control of the Klingon military from General Martok, beginning a campaign of dangerous offensive assaults designed to lessen Martok's credibility by forcing him to endure defeat after defeat. Lieutenant Commander Worf challenges Gowron to combat to protest his wanton disregard for the men under his command and kills him in the course of the duel, becoming Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Worf then resigns in favor of Martok. (DS9: Tacking Into The Wind)
Commander Kira Nerys and Legate Damar liberate an example of the Dominion energy suppression weapon from a Dominion shipyard. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers is able to reverse engineer the weapon and develop an effective defense against it for Starfleet and Romulan Star Navy vessels. (DS9: When it Rains)
With Starfleet and Romulan vessels able to once again stand against the Dominion, a new assault is launched into Cardassian territory by the Federation Alliance. (DS9: What You Leave Behind, Part I)
The Battle of Getha: The Federation Alliance attacks Cardassian space with a force of 8,350 ships and the battle occurs just one light year from the Cardassia system. The battle rages for over three hours, and the heavily outnumbered Federation fleet begins to consider retreat before the Cardassians fleet turn on the Dominion and Breen vessels in response to the Dominion destruction of Lakarian City on Cardassia Prime. The Dominion and Breen vessels are forced into retreat as massive holes are ripped in their lines. (DS9: What You Leave Behind, Part I, Dominion War Sourcebook)
The Battle of Cardassia: The Dominion forces retreat to Cardassia for a last stand. The Federation Alliance moves in to complete the assault, despite casualty projections of up to 40 percent even with the new Cardassian allies involved in the attack. Before the battle ends 800 million Cardassians are killed on the surface.
Secretly, a mysterious covert faction known as Section 31 has infected the Changeling Great Link with a virus. With a cure being known in the Federation for this, Constable Odo of Deep Space 9 agrees to share the cure via the Great Link. A tentative understanding is reached. After the Dominion retreat to Cardassia Prime, Odo linked with the Female Changeling, curing her of the disease. The Founder then ordered the Dominion forces to surrender. Odo returned to the Great Link and cured the rest of his kind. (DS9: What You Leave Behind)
2376
February 2376 - The Cardassians formally withdraw from the Dominion. This is separate from their earlier withdrawal during the hostilities, which was technically and legally considered an insurrection.
April 2376 - The last civilian POWs officially held by the Dominion are returned to the Federation. There are still military prisoners from both sides held by both sides, but the last dignitaries, ambassadors, and other non-military captives are officially returned to their home governments.
May 2376 - Scouting missions begin through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant to determine the extent of the Dominion pullback.
September 2376 - Formal treaty talks between the Cardassians and the Federation, beyond the surrender and cease-fire documents signed earlier in the year between the Cardassians and the Alliance as a whole, begin.
January 2377 - The last military POWs are exchanged.
