THE DOMINION REVISITED
by Siroth

Lieutenant Commander Siroth's personal log, Stardate 53010.3: As a result of my maneuvers and actions during the final assault of the Invasion of Cardassia, Starfleet has promoted me to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and reassigned me as Department Head for Flight Control on the U.S.S. Victory, a Defiant class ship. I look forward to serve on this ship, though I'm also sad to leave the Achilles. But Starfleet needs all available officers since so many were lost during the Dominion War.

To get to the Victory I am travelling to Bajor. I'm uneasy with returning there, but it seems I will only have to go to Deep Space Nine, not the actual planet, which might not be quite so uncomfortable for me. I look forward to meeting my new shipmates on the Victory.

U.S.S. Victory's new First Officer's log, Stardate 53081.2: I expected to be Conn on the Victory, but it seems that apart from our Commanding Officer, Commander Klax, I'm the ranking officer, so I've been ordered to serve as Execute Officer as well. I hope to live up to the trust that Starfleet and my new shipmates have thus put in me. I will still be Conn, however, so I'll still be wearing my gold uniform. Most of my fellow bridge officers seem quite competent, although I do wonder at our captain being a Klingon - I thought Lieutenant Commander Worf was the only Klingon to serve in Starfleet, but apparently I was mistaken.

Our Commanding Officer and captain of the Victory is Commander Klax, a Klingon. I confess to be surprised at Starfleet's decision to put a Klingon in command - not that Klax does not seem competent, but Klingons are renowned for their rage and confrontational nature, and I admit that I have trouble seeing one carry out the typical diplomatic issues of a Starfleet captain, but maybe I am merely being prejudiced - we shall see.

The Victory's Chief of Security is Lieutenant Hal Moseley, a Betazoid. I always thought Betazoids were emotional and caring, but he seems stricter and more reserved than many humans or Bajorans I have known - he strikes me as having an almost Vulcan nature. Still, this might be expected from a security officer, and I have no doubt of his qualifications. He served on Deep Space Nine, so he must be exceptionally good at his profession.

The Chief Engineer is a human Lieutenant named Chris Monroe. Though he says little and seems uncommited to a strict execution of Starfleet regulations, he appears to have all the technical skills one could ask of a Starfleet engineer.

Our Chief Medical Officer is a Vulcan Doctor with the rank of Lieutenant named Sedok. Vulcans typically make good doctors, but I do feel a little uncomfortable around Sedok - I just cannot tell if he has a true doctor's concern for his patients, if he merely treats them because he is supposed to as a Starfleet Medical officer, or if I'm just imaging things based on his stoic Vulcan nature. I hope the latter is the case and that it will wear off as we serve together.

The new Operations Manager on the Victory is the Andorian Lieutenant Da'hak. He seems more at ease than most Andorians I've come across and appears to perform his duties with great skill and professionalism.

The Victory also has a science officer, but he's merely an Ensign fresh out of Starfleet Academy - his name is Sammo Ceo. Still, he is a joined Trill with several lifetimes of experience, so there's no telling just how inexperienced or competent he really is. Only time will tell.

Naturally Starfleet had new orders for the Victory and its crew. A potential Borg invasion may come within a year in the Typhon Sector near Deep Space Five. Starfleet and the Romulan Star Empire, following the alliance gained during the Dominion War, have agreed to operate a new starbase, Deep Space Ten, in a cooperative effort. The new Deep Space Ten will be made on the old Cardassian Empok Nor station, so it will be very similar to Deep Space Nine. The U.S.S. Victory is assigned primarily to perimeter defense of Deep Space Ten and various patrol duties, so the Romulans have supplied and installed a Cloaking Device on the ship. If the Borg do attack, we have standing orders to abandon the station immediately. We are currently familiarizing ourselves with our various new roles and our new ship before we depart to meet with the Romulans at Deep Space Ten.

The Dominion Revisited

First Officer's log, supplemental: Having been at Deep Space Nine only for a day, we were called to the office of the station commander Colonel Kira Nerys, who has assumed command of Deep Space Nine following Captain Sisko's disappearance after following the Prophets.

Colonel Kira had a mission for us. Deep Space Nine had received a distress call containing only the word 'Help' from the 443 Serpent system in the Gamma Quadrant some three days travel from the Wormhole at maximum warp. Kira asked us to pursue this matter before we departed for Deep Space Ten. Following her briefing, I took the opportunity to thank in person one of the people who had rescued us all from the Gallitep mining camp.

Before we could do so, though, Da'hak, Doctor Sedok, and Commander Klax got into a fight with a group of Nausicaans in employ of a Ferengi trader while in Quark's Bar. There were only a few injuries, but the Ferengi trader claimed that Klax, Da'hak, and Sedok had instigated the fight, and Quark, the Ferengi owner of the bar, supported him. Since Hal Moseley had served as a Security Officer on DS9 until being assigned to the Victory it became his concern to smooth these matters out (much to the amusement of Colonel Kira who had apparently seen Moseley go through just the same sort of incident years before when he had come to DS9 himself). Kira did stress after the incident that the Victory crew had better get on their way to answer the distress signal from the Gamma Quadrant.

However, there was also information that suggested that the Ferengi trader had himself been in the Gamma Quadrant very recently and Commander Klax and Lieutenant Moseley went to ask him. Unfortunately, he was in a holosuite taking a mud-bath when they found him, but he invited them inside, though this meant that they had to remove all their clothes. They talked to him for a little while, but learned little useful information until Colonel Kira contacted all Victory crew still on DS9 asking what some of us, namely Klax and Moseley, were still doing there, as she was now rather obviously annoyed by their continued presence on the station when we should be on their way to answer the distress signal. When Klax and Moseley were vague in their reply, she said "Right... That's it! Lieutenant... Lock on to the signals of Klax and Moseley and beam them directly to the bridge of the Victory!"... I was at conn at the bridge at the time, and seeing Klax and Moseley materialize without clothes...

Anyway, we've now left DS9 and travelled through the Wormhole - a wonder to behold indeed! It truly must be the the Celestial Temple of the Prophets. We are now in the Gamma Quadrant en route to the distress call...

First Officer's log, Stardate 53084.7: After travelling for a few days, we ran into a Dominion patrol of three Jem'Hadar fighters. Since there is now peace and a treaty exists between the Dominion and the Federation, we made sure to act peacefully, but as we did so and tried to hail them, they attacked immediately! The Victory took some serious blows, but we destroyed two of them before the third one managed to ram us, thus destroying itself and badly damaging the ship. We are currently travelling on to the 443 Serpent system while making repairs - Lieutenant Monroe, our Chief Engineer, has a lot of work to do! I don't envy him...

First Officer's log, Stardate 53086.2: We arrived in the 443 Serpent system to find a nasty surprise - there is a huge Dominion Battle-Cruiser twice the size of a Galaxy-class ship (such as the Enterprise-D) in orbit around the sun! Such vessels have been encountered during the Dominion War and one destroyed the U.S.S. Valiant after it discovered that such ships are three times as powerful as a Galaxy-class ship!

I'm using some maneuvers that allowed us to remain undetected behind planets and moons in the system while we tried to triangulate the exact origin of the distress call...

First Officer's log, supplemental: We found to our surprise that the distress call seems to come from the sun itself !? However, when we tried to hail whomever send the signal, we were hit by a violent back-lash of energy which knocked out our Warp and Impulse propulsion system. We now have only thrusters left, but we have been caught in the sun's gravitational field and are being pulled in - thrusters alone will not allow us to achieve escape velocity! As if that wasn't bad enough, it seems that the Dominion Battle-Cruiser has noticed us now - things are looking grim...

First Officer's log, supplemental: Since our Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Chris Monroe, determined that we could not repair our engines and bring our Warp or Impulse propulsion systems on-line again before reaching the sun, we came up with an alternate way to allow our survival: The Victory datacore contained information on how to produce Meta-Phasic Shielding, a form of subspace fielding technology developed by the late Ferengi physicist Dr. Reyga and which was subsequently used with great success by the Enterprise-D during a confrontation with rogue Borg-drones. Meta-Phasic Shielding allows a ship to enter a star's corona and survive, and using this technology we were able to enter the corona and attempt to go into orbit there. I succeeded in doing so, and naturally we also escaped the Dominion Battle-Cruiser this way, since they couldn't follow us in.

Inside the corona, however, we discovered to our surprise that a planet actually existed within the sun's corona! It was obvious that this planet was also the source of the distress call we had come to investigate. Unfortunately, we cannot beam down due to the radiation of the corona, so since I am the Executive Officer, I am preparing to lead an away-team down to the planet in a shuttlecraft modified with Meta-Phasic Shielding. Besides myself, our Chief of Security, Hal Moseley, will join the away team with a few security officers, as will Dr. Sedok, in case we need his medical skills. We won't bring any engineers, since they are hard at work reparing the Victory, and Da'hak will pilot the ship in my absense...

First Officer's log, supplemental: Much has happened since my last entry, but I will try to describe as much as I can recollect. On the planet our away team encountered a small group of humanoid led by a junior officer named Tresk. Tresk explained that their people, the Akeeni, numbered 10 million and lived on this planet. They Akeeni were a very isolationistic and conservative people, who shunned the contact with other species, but they had sent a distress signal because their sun had begun to expand, and they had been unable to stop it. They did have knowledge of Warp capability and similar technology, but didn't use it because it would violate their self-imposed isolationism. The back-lash against the Victory had been an unforseen side-effect of their attempts to respond. Tresk seemed sincere, so I concluded that the Akeeni were not hostile, and fortunately Tresk seemed to have reached the same conclusion about us, because he offered to take our away team to the Akeeni leader - naturally I agreed. Before we got there, though, we met Jabal, the military commander of the Akeeni and a very suspicious person. He claimed that we had probably come to invade the Akeeni and demanded that we be put under arrest immediately. Before that could happen, though, the leader of the Akeeni himself appeared and stated that we were welcome because we had been invited by the distress signal. I took this opportunity to ask what the problem was with the sun, and the Akeeni explained that their scientists could not explain what was happening. I suggested that the away team could look at their readings, but Jabal objected claiming that we would use such information against the Akeeni, or that we were spies trying to use the situation to examine secret Akeeni installations and scan them with our equipment. I agreed to give all our equipment except for Moseley's Tricorder (which they would need to determine the course of what was happening) and my own Com-Badge, which we would need to stay in contact with the Victory. Unknown to me at the time, though, it seems that Moseley had concealed and so kept his own Com-Badge. The Akeeni leader agreed that this was fair and allowed us to proceed despite Jabal's continued objections, and we all entered several structures leaving Tresk behind to deal with his duties. From the talks with the Akeeni leader it became apparent that the Akeeni had a large deposit of Dilithium Crystals on their planet, and I suggested that they could use these to trade with other people - it was an extremely valuable commodity for most races, except for the Akeeni themselves who were not interested in stellar travel. Yet Jabal objected to this too - the Akeeni wanted to be left alone, not deal with traders and potential invaders trying to obtain their resources.

Meanwhile contact had been established with the Victory, but it didn't last long - the huge Dominion Battleship fired at the ship badly damaging the Victory, but the ship eventually managed to evade its weapons. Now, however, the Dominion ship came close to the sun's corona and beamed several Jem'Hadar soldiers and their Vorta to the surface of the Akeeni planet. The Vorta tried to convince the Akeeni leader to enter an alliance with the Dominion, and in exchange the Dominion would help the Akeeni with their problem with the sun. I argued, however, that there was no point for the Akeeni to do so - the Federation would help them even if they did not want outside contact. Jabal objected to all suggestions, but the Akeeni leader listened to the discussion with interest. The Vorta said that the Federation was far away in the Alpha Quadrant and would only help the Akeeni in order to secure a people on their side in the Gamma Quadrant - the Dominion was already here and would help their neighbours. I responded to this by commenting on what the Dominion considered good neighbours to be. The Vorta replied that the Dominion had not started the recent war - the Federation had. I then asked why the U.S.S. Odyssey had then been destroyed by Jem'Hadar fighters when it was only trying to rescue the captured Benjamin Sisko and his son. When the Vorta replied that it had been an unfortunate misunderstanding I continued to ask about other Starships that had mysteriously vanished in the Gamma Quadrant as well, such as the Proxima, the Maryland, and the Sarajevo - I asked if had they been the victims of 'unfortunate accidents' as well? And how about the Bajoran settlers in the Gamma Quadrant that the Jem'Hadar had killed and then boasted about to Kira Nerys? This made the Vorta abandon this subject and instead claim that I was just Starfleet officer uttering self-serving arguments. The Akeeni leader said that this was probably true for both sides, and I admitted that that was essentially true - of course we would prefer the Akeeni to open talks with the Federation, perhaps even make a trade agreement at some point, but he shouldn't hasten to a decision simply because the Dominion was closer - if the Dominion were really as friendly to the Akeeni as they claimed, then they would not try to force the issue, but give the Akeeni the time they needed to make a decision on their own.

I was relieved to hear The Akeeni leader agree with me, and he said that I was a wise man - the matter would be considered a bit further, but Jabal objected and said that he could not accept this and promptly used one of the phasers he had confiscated from us to kill the Akeeni leader and all other Akeeni in the room, and then revealed himself as a Changeling - one of the Dominion's Founders! He would frame us for the murder of the Akeeni leader and gave orders to throw us in the brig. As Jabal he was now the leader of the Akeeni and welcomed the Dominion to help them secure the Federation terrorists. As he did so, however, I was able to hide my Com-Badge and keep it with me.

Meanwhile the Victory had been in serious trouble as well - the already damaged propulsion systems had taken critical damage now, and the Warp Core was becoming unstable and about to explode. In the end the crew had to eject the Warp Core before it destroyed the ship, but this caused a new problem when the Dominion Battleship used its Tractor Beam to push the Victory further into the sun - without the Warp Core there was no way the Victory could ever hope to withstand the push of such a strong Tractor Beam, let alone escape the sun's corona!

On the planet, however, we were unaware of this, and were meanwhile planning our escape. We soon realized that the Akeeni planet was so rich in Dilithium that bits of it was even on the very walls of their prison cell. Moseley and I used bits of Dilithium with one of the Com-Badges to made a very crude explosive device, but it would still be difficult to overpower the two Jem'Hadar on duty. We received unexpected help from Tresk, however! Claiming to be a servant bringing food to the prisoners, Tresk attacked one Jem'Hadar and before the other could react, we exploded the cell door. The other Jem'Hadar fired his weapon and hit me - I was badly injured and lost consciousness... I can report the following only from what has been told to me. Moseley and Tresk were able to overcome the two Jem'Hadar, however, and tried to contact the Victory with the remaining Com-Badge.

Contact between the Victory and the away team was reestablished, but the Victory had very little power left - it needed a new power source immediately or it would burn up in the sun, so Moseley and Chief Engineer Monroe came up with a daring plan - they would take Dilithium from the Akeeni planet and place the remaining Com-Badge on it, then beam it directly into the Victory's core! Fortunately, the gamble worked. The Victory broke free and beamed the away team aboard as it left the sun's corona. I was brought to Sick-Bay where many casulties were fighting for their lives. Doctor Sedok was able to reawake me, but I am still badly injured. The Doctor has given me a Hypo-Spray that I can use to stablize my condition for ten minutes, but then I'll collapse again. As I rest in Sick-Bay, I'm making this log entry, but since I can perform my duties now, I'll go to the bridge, prepared to use my Hypo-Spray in case of an emergency, once I've finished this entry...

First Officer's log, Stardate 53089.5: I'm noting these events some time after they happened, so I may not remember all details exactly. The Victory was running for its life, but the Dominion Battleship was pursuing, so we made a dangerous plan - we would try to destroy the enemy ship! Such a thing had been attempted by the Red Squad crew of the U.S.S. Valiant a year and a half ago, but it hadn't worked and the Valiant had been destroyed! Still, we were reasonably certain about what had gone wrong - it could work, but we would have to come very close to the Dominion Battleship. Since I'm the most qualified pilot on the ship I took my Hypo-Spray so that I could pilot the ship. I would have to bring the ship very close so we could fire our weapon and then succeed in escaping the explosion. Amazingly I succeeded! First I brought the ship close by performing the Picard Maneuver (using a tiny Warp jump), then when the weapon was fired, I quickly planned an escape course and followed it with incredible speed. The Victory was triumphant - the Dominion Battleship exploded behind us!

But as we cheered our victory, the sensors detected a large fleet of more than 100 Dominion ships entering the system! As we prepared the critically damaged Victory for another confrontation, however, we were hailed from the lead Dominion ship and a Changeling appeared on the screen, saying: "This is Odo, Leader of the Dominion. We have come to solve a matter of renegade Dominion forces, but I see you have already dealt with the matter. I assure you that these people were not acting on behalf of the Dominion, and we bear you no ill will for destroying their ship. We will remove the remaining Dominion forces on the Akeeni planet and depart. The matter of the Akeeni will be determined later. The Dominion will shortly contact the Federation regarding this incident". We were much relieved at this, naturally, since we were in no condition to fight, but meanwhile I lost consciousness again as the effects of the Hypo-Spray wore off...

I'm making this entry as we are en route back to Deep Space Nine to inform Starfleet Command of what has happened. The Doctor assures me, that if all goes well and we don't encounter more problems, I should be fully recovered in a few days.

First Officer's log, Stardate 53092.1: The Victory returned to Deep Space Nine without further events, and after a few days of leave and recuperation, and serious repairs to the ship, the Victory is now leaving again to take us to our new assignment on Deep Space Ten, the old Cardassian Empok Nor station.