Federation-Dominion Cold War
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
The Federation-Dominion Cold War is the unofficial term for the period of time from the "official" Federation first contact with the Dominion in late 2370 to the outbreak of the Dominion War in late 2373.
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[edit] First Contact
With the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, Federation starships and other vessels began exploring the new frontier of the Gamma Quadrant. Throughout 2370 rumors of a power known as the Dominion were heard from several sources, but it was not until late 2370 that first contact with Dominion personnel was made by Commander Benjamin Sisko on a Gamma Quadrant planet.
This contact was not accidental, but instead part of a coordinated introduction and warning by the Dominion. The Dominion had been collecting intelligence on the Alpha Quadrant and vessels coming through the wormhole "anomaly". In addition to Sisko's detention (and planned escape aboard the USS Rio Grande which would've placed a Vorta spy in the Alpha Quadrant), Dominion forces attacked and destroyed several vessels in the Gamma Quadrant, along with the Bajoran colony on New Bajor. A Jem'Hadar vessel was sent through the wormhole, and Jem'Hadar soldier Third Talak'talan boarded the station to deliver news of the attacks and deliver the Dominion's warning.
A short time later, the Galaxy-class USS Odyssey under the command of Captain Keogh, arrived at the station. Along with the runabouts USS Mekong and USS Orinoco, the Odyssey entered the Gamma Quadrant under orders from Starfleet to investigate the Dominion threat and attempt a rescue mission of Commander Sisko, who had been reported alive by the Jem'Hadar.
The Starfleet force was intercepted and attacked by three Jem'Hadar attack ships. These attack ships were equipped with phased polaron beams that could easily cut through the shields of Starfleet vessels. Sisko and the Rio Grande were retrieved and the Federation vessels were withdrawing, but a Jem'Hadar attack ship broke for the Odyssey and rammed her amidships, resulting in the total destruction of the vessel. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")
- This Emmy nominated battle sequence was orchestrated by Visual Effects Supervisor Glenn Neufeld and his VFX team. According to Ira Steven Behr, the Jem'Hadar warship, a vessel capable of destroying a Galaxy-class starship, was introduced to show the viewers that "these guys were not to be taken lightly."
Over the next two years three more Starfleet vessels operating in the Gamma Quadrant were lost: the USS Maryland, USS Proxima, and USS Sarajevo. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")
[edit] Overtures for peace
The destruction of the Odyssey caused Starfleet to take a different approach to the Dominion. The USS Defiant, a Federation warship designed to fight the Borg, was assigned to Deep Space 9 with orders to seek out the Founders and convince them the Federation posed no threat. Negotiations with the Romulan Star Empire resulted in the signing of a historic treaty with the Federation to install a cloaking device on the Defiant in support of the mission. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")
The Defiant successfully located the shapeshifting Founders, though the attempt to make peace was less than successful. The Founders proved to be a xenophobic and ambitious people. Their desire to control the newly-found solids of the Alpha Quadrant was obvious, but neither side was prepared for war. The two sides entered a sort of cold war. Both sides began a strategic buildup. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "The Search, Part II")
[edit] Pre-Emptive Strike
Throughout the Alpha Quadrant the Dominion was recognized as a major new threat that had to be handled. To that end Enabran Tain, former head of the Cardassian Obsidian Order, contacted the Romulan Tal Shiar to form an alliance to destroy the Founders. When the Dominion learned of this alliance, they used their infiltrators and subterfuge to encourage the two agencies to follow through on making a preemptive strike to eliminate the Founders' homeworld in the Omarion Nebula. A fleet of Romulan and Cardassian vessels were constructed by the intelligence agencies throughout 2371 and sent into the Dominion's trap at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula. When the trap was sprung, the Tal'Shiar was crippled and the Obsidian Order ceased to exist entirely. (DS9: "The Die is Cast")
[edit] Intrigue and Manipulation
The Dominion was preparing for the conquest of the Alpha Quadrant, but had no wish to wage war against a united quadrant. Thus Dominion subterfuge was employed to try to ensure infighting among the Alpha Quadrant powers. The destruction of the Obsidian Order and crippling of the Tal'Shiar had furthered that goal.
Shortly after the Omarion Nebula incident, the Dominion attempted to create a hostile situation between the Tzenkethi and the Federation by causing the Defiant to launch attacks on Tzenkethi space. (DS9: "The Adversary")
Soon thereafter in early 2372, as an indirect result of the Omarion Nebula incident, the civilian Detapa Council overthrew the Central Command as the governmental force on Cardassia Prime.
Upon discovering the coup on Cardassia Prime, Klingon concern over the possibility of Changeling involvement in the coup led them to invade the Cardassian Union.
The Federation Council condemned this act, and in response the Klingon Empire withdrew from the Khitomer Accords, temporarily ending the alliance between the two. The Klingons pushed deep into Cardassian territory, destroying much of the Cardassian fleet and fortifying their positions. When Sisko rescued the Cardassian Detapa Council, the Klingons attacked the station, leading to a new round of hostility between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")
The Federation, meanwhile, was also in a state of high suspicion and paranoia. Founders had infiltrated Earth, and certain Starfleet elements within Federation government attempted a military coup d'etat in mid-2372. The effort was repulsed, but tensions remained high. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")
In early 2373, it was discovered that a Changeling had taken the place of General Martok, and influenced the decision to invade Cardassia and withdraw from the Khitomer Accords. After being unmasked by Benjamin Sisko and several other Starfleet officers on an undercover mission, the changeling was killed by members of the Klingon Order of the Bat'leth. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")
Despite the evidence of manipulation, tensions between the Klingon Empire and the Federation remained high. A Federation-Klingon conflict erupted in early 2373, following tensions in the Archanis sector.
[edit] Dominion Foothold
With the Alpha Quadrant destabilized, the Dominion began making its move. The Dominion gained a physical foothold in the Alpha Quadrant through an alliance with Gul Dukat and the Cardassian Union, arranged in mid-2373. They immediately began sending fleets of warships and supply vessels through the Bajoran wormhole and into Cardassian territory on a weekly basis. The Klingons could not stand against such a foe, and soon were forced to withdraw from Cardassian space. With the Dominion threat now on everyone's doorstep the Khitomer Accords were re-signed by Chancellor Gowron. War was inevitable, and only the Federation-Klingon alliance stood against the forces of the Dominion. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")
The fortification of the Cardassian Union, combined with the securing of non-aggression treaties with notable powers such as the Miradorn, Romulans, Tholians and Bajorans, made Dominion intentions clear. The Federation was forced to act, but could not present the aggressive stance of something so bold as a preemptive strike. Instead, the decision was made to mine the Bajoran wormhole to prevent further Dominion reinforcements from arriving. (DS9: "Rapture", "Call to Arms")
The maneuver was sure to provoke the Dominion into attack, and this end was achieved. The Dominion attacked Deep Space 9 and attempted to prevent the activation of the minefield. They failed, and as the minefield became active, the Federation-Klingon alliance dispatched a task force to attack the Dominion shipyards at Torros III. Although their mission was successful, the Dominion ultimately won the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 and the conflict between the Federation, Klingons, and Dominion became full blown. (DS9: "Call to Arms")
The Dominion War had begun.
