From: Col.Falkenhorst Newsgroups: alt.startrek.vs.starwars Subject: [Fanfic] Resurrection Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 15:58:44 GMT Chapter 1 Part 1 2 Dominion Dreadnoughts, 6 Battleships, 12 Battlecruisers, and 150 Fighter craft streaked through space at cruising speed. 20 Karemman freighters accompanied the fleet, packed to the deckheads with drums full of Ketracel White. The Jem'Hadar would need it. They were in the dark, starless void beyond the galaxy. The Dominion was far behind them now, but the Jem'Hadar crews aboard the warships were not afraid. They carried out their normal duties as if they were patrolling the heart of their empire. They were incapable of fear, being genetically engineered soldiers. On the bridge of the Dominion command ship, a Vorta stood watching a viewer. A changeling walked along the command deck and stopped next to the Vorta. "What is our ETA to the anomaly?" asked the Changeling. "30 minutes, Founder," replied the Vorta. "Excellent. I shall be in my quarters." The Changeling got on the lift and exited. Around the bridge, Jem'Hadar crew reverently lowered their eyes. The minutes ticked down. Finally the timer reached zero, and the Vorta gave the command. "Signal the fleet to disengage Warp drive." The Dominion fleet dropped out of warp and slowed to a stop. Before them appeared a glowing, pulsing area that looked like a whirlpool in space. The Vorta ordered scans of the anomaly. The Dominion had first found out about this anomaly from a lone ship that had been found drifting in the fringe of the galaxy by a Dominion patrol. It's computer core had yielded some very interesting information about where the ship had been. Most notable among the data was the mention of the coordinates of the anomaly. After some debate, it was decided that the anomaly should be explored, as the logs indicated that it was in some way navigable. The Vorta looked at the anomaly rotating slowly on the viewscreen. He began giving orders. "Fighter squadron 1 will attempt transit of the anomaly. Other units hold position." The Vorta was a bit more cautious than others of his Kind. There had been something slightly unbalanced when he was cloned, perhaps a setting was off by a hundredth. In any case, he was smarter than most of his peers, and tended to think things over more. He would risk as few fighters as possible, not because he was concerned for the lives of the Jem'Hadar onboard, but because he knew it would be vital later on to have as many forces available as possible. The 10 scorpion like attack ships accelerated and vanished into the swirling vortex. After several minutes, they returned. They transmitted their logs to the command ship. The Changeling had again joined the Vorta on the bridge. It looked with interest at the data scrolling past on the viewer. "We have found another galaxy, according to this data, founder!" said the Vorta excitedly. "Yes," Replied the Founder. "But we must be cautious, for we do not know just yet if there are anyone there who will resist us." said the Changeling. "You speak the truth, founder. Surely we shall bring order wherever you lead us." said the Vorta. "Load the data from the fighters into a courier drone with a request for reinforcements;" said the Founder. "And prepare the fleet for transit... Part 2 In a distant galaxy, a spot of light appeared in space. It grew and expanded, convulsing with swirling energies. It expelled nearly 200 ships of a type never before seen there. They quickly fanned out, establishing a perimeter. On orders from the founder, the ships cloaked. They scanned to the limits of their range, and found no inhabited worlds. Fighters began sweeping larger areas, but still could find no inhabited planets within 20 hours at warp 9. Finally, a planet was detected by a ship heading coreward. It was sparsely inhabited, and showed minimal signs of spaceborne activity. The founder gave out orders, and a strategy began to take shape. Over the next month, the Dominion fleet worked rapidly, establishing bases on 10 of the uninhabited worlds. Reinforcements arrived in the form of freighters carrying slaves and industrial replicators. Soon, crews were laboring on the construction of cloning facilities and supply depots, as well as spaceborne construction yards. Most important was to develop local production of the drug Ketracel White, without which the Jem'Hadar would go insane and run amok, before dying. All was going according to plan. The Vorta was standing on the bridge of the flagship, which was hanging in orbit over the primary Dominion base. The Founder strode onto the bridge. "The operation will commence soon. Gather the escorts." "As you command, Founder." The Vorta sent out orders, and soon a Battleship, 2 Battlecruisers, and 3 squadrons of fighters joined the Flagship. The Founder turned to the Vorta. "Set course for the populated world. It is time for us to find out some things about the locals here." "Yes, Founder." The fleet laid in their course, and engaged their warp drives. 1 day later, they dropped out of warp in the fringes of the system. There were 2 planets, the innermost being hot and laden with a chemical atmosphere. The next was more hospitable, with it's surface made up of 70% land. According to scans, the population registered at something like 200 million. An asteroid belt circled these 2 planets and their sun, serving as the boundary of the system. The Dominion fleet penetrated the asteroid belt. Small rocks bounced off the shields of the flagship as the smaller polarion beams destroyed any large debris that happened too close. Suddenly, off to starboard, there was a flash. One of the fighters spun out of control. It's port pylon was gone, having been smashed off by a fast moving asteroid. The ship continued spiraling until it smashed against a larger asteroid. The Vorta cursed mildly. "Order the fighter escorts to keep their eyes open. We don't need anymore unnecessary losses." he said. The fleet entered the vicinity of the 2nd planet. Small communications satellites spun past in lazy orbits, and several small civilian craft frantically scurried for the far side. There was no mistaking the intent of the purple warships that had arrived at this colony world. "Release fighter squadrons 1 and 2 to destroy those ships, squadron 3 will make low level sweeps and designate military targets for our shipboard weapons." said the Founder. The 2 squadrons of attack ships made short work of the small civilian craft and satellites. The third group flew in low, focusing their sensors on the urban areas, picking out what looked like garrison buildings. Ground based concussion missile sites began firing, and several Attack ships suffered damage to their shields. They beamed their telemetry to the orbiting warships, however, and soon a rain of low yield torpedoes silenced the missile sites. This planet had not been equipped with a shield, and now the residents were paying for it. One by one, major barracks, aerodromes, and armories were identified and destroyed. Soon the planet was defenseless. On the bridge of the Flagship, the Changeling turned to the Vorta. "Deploy the ground troops. I want as many prisoners as we can carry. Make an example of the rest. We must develop a fearsome reputation if we are to become powerful in this Galaxy." "As you command, Founder." Part 3 A squad of stormtroopers was sifting through the ruins near their barracks, trying to free trapped civilians. The orbital strike had come suddenly, and most of the TIE fighters had been destroyed in their hangars. Suddenly, they heard a whining noise and columns of light began forming around the area. Some troopers just stood there and looked curiously at the beams, while others went for their guns. Then, strange, scaly troops began appearing out of the columns of light and spraying disruptor fire at the stormtroopers. Several were hit outright while others dove for cover and returned fire. A blazing firefight raged, but more and more of the cloned soldiers materialized. Soon all the Stormtroopers were dead or in captivity. That same scene repeated itself all over the planet as the remaining garrisons were taken by surprise by the Dominion transporters. The planet had fallen to the Dominion. It was the first of many, thought the founder as he watched the long lines of prisoners filing down the corridor to the detention blocks. He returned to the bridge. The Vorta was there, overseeing the looting of the planet. "Beam our troops back. We will bombard the planet in 5 minutes." He said. The Jem'Hadar had done a good job of massacring what was left of the population, and now the fleet maneuvered into optimum firing position. Torpedoes flashed from numerous tubes, and polarion beams carved lances of fire through the planet's atmosphere as they obliterated their targets. The impulse engines of the powerful Dominion ships flared as they circled around the planet on an accelerated orbital path. They finished their run, and went to warp. They left a scarred, burning world behind them. The construction work was going well. Already the Dominion had a Ketracel White facility online, though the forces in this galaxy would only be self sufficient when the others were finished. 2 small orbiting yards were nearing completion, and already work was commencing on new fighters. The first cloning farm would be completed in a month's time, and the prisoners were doing well in their new capacity as slave laborers. The Founder was feeling pleased with himself as he oozed into his bucket for a nap. However, all would not be well for long, for word gets around. A routine Imperial supply ship soon dropped out of hyperspace over the former colony world, carrying replacement parts and technicians. They were shocked by what they saw. The pilot performed full sensor sweeps and flew low to search for survivors. He did not dare land, since fallout had rendered large portions of the planet radioactive. The ship turned for space. It oriented it's course and engaged it's hyperdrives. Part 4 Admiral Heinz von Falkenhorst stood on the bridge of his command, the ISD Dark Avenger. He looked out of the forward viewports at the returning TIE patrol. The other ships of his squadron, the ISD Death's Head and Iron Hand, held station, recovering their fighters as well. They were surrounded by 5 VSDs, an Interdictor, and 3 Nebulon B frigates. 3 Lancer class antistarfighter frigates held station among the 3 large Star Destroyers. This task force was assigned to a rather backwater region of the Empire, so it was somewhat surprising when a holonet transmission was received from high command. Admiral Falkenhorst straightened his uniform and hit the "receive" button at the holo station at the rear of his bridge. The stern visage of Grand Admiral Bob Lawson looked back at him. Bob had adjusted well to his position, which he had taken after Admiral Pellaeon had retired. He commanded the entire Imperial fleet now, and he had continued Pellaeon's policies of rebuilding the Navy to a great power once again. "Falkenhorst, old friend. We have a bit of a problem." Said Grand Admiral Lawson. "Yes, sir?" said Falkenhorst. "Apparently someone has seen fit to destroy one of our outlying colonies near the Unknown regions. We have discounted the Chiss in this matter. That is not their style. You will proceed to;" he glanced out of the pickup range. "the Kandor system, where this colony was located. The enemy must be dealt with. Godspeed, Heinz." "Yes, sir!" said Falkenhorst, saluting. He walked back onto his bridge. "Signal the taskforce to secure for hyperspace. Set our course for the Kandor system." "Aye, sir!" came the reply from the port Crew pit. The great ships and their escorts accelerated and vanished into hyperspace. Some hours later, they reached their destination: Kandor 2. The task force dropped out of hyperspace outside the system, and then proceeded "Over" the asteroid belt if you like to think in 3d. The taskforce arrived over Kandor 2 to find a smoldering, nuked out shell of what had once been a thriving Imperial colony. Admiral Falkenhorst was furious. The planet was burnt, devoid of life. Hundreds of thousands of civilians murdered. Nobody did that to the Empire. Not on his watch. He would make these bastards pay. He ordered the fleet to spread out and run full sensor scans of the system. Soon he had what he was looking for. A drive trail. It was very faint and dispersed, but it pointed in a definite direction . It pointed straight into the Unknown regions. After 2 days of searching the planet for any possible survivors, and finding none, the Taskforce was done. The ships powered their engines and flew back over the asteroid field and into open space again. Admiral Falkenhorst stood on his bridge. He turned to the navigator. "Set our course to match that Ion Trail. We shall find this scum." The Imperial ships oriented themselves and made the jump to lightspeed. Chapter 2 Part 1 The Vorta sat in the chair next to the founder. The small pod cruised through the huge station, it's Jem'Hadar pilot dodging between the huge pylons that made up the nearly-completed construction yard. POWs in EVA suits worked on the structure, while Jem'Hadar guards watched over them. Soon the Dominion would be able to produce it's own fleet units here in the new galaxy, and with the Cloning facilities nearly operational, they would have the crews to man them. Already fighters were under construction in a side bay that had been completed earlier. Once the fleet was large enough, the Founder thought, he would begin to conquer this galaxy for the Dominion. Meanwhile, on one of the outlying Dominion base worlds, things were going well. The workers had completed the cloning facility, now all that was to be done was to await the arrival of the complex electronics to run the cloning process. Suddenly, alarms began ringing in the main base. The Vorta in the command center ordered all orbital sensors to be pointed at the source. The viewscreen flickered, and then came online. 3 Huge wedge shaped ships, painted in gray, and accompanied by smaller wedges and support craft, had just appeared in orbit over the planet. He attempted to raise the nearest Dominion base on subspace, but he was suddenly jammed. The Star destroyers launched their TIE fighters by squadron. The small ships streaked in, blasting the sensor sats out of orbit with their massed laser fire. A few subspace booster relays were found and destroyed. The Dominion base was now cut off from the other outposts. The Vorta only hoped that the patrolling squadron of fighters would return from it's run in time to offer assistance, but without the ability to recall them, all the Vorta could do was pray they would return in time. He issued orders for every available Jem'Hadar to man defensive positions. He would do his duty to the Founders. The small craft came in through the planet's atmosphere, The TIE pilots having been briefed on their targets. They swept in over the dominion installations, strafing important targets with their lasers. Several Dominion disruptor batteries opened fire, downing 2 TIEs, but they were dealt with by the following waves of TIE bombers. The outlying heavy weapons batteries, of which there were 3, began firing at the orbiting enemy ships. They were promptly obliterated by return fire from the ISDs' turbolasers. Then, small transport ships began dropping from the cavernous hangar bays of the Star Destroyers. They formed up and proceeded in with an interceptor escort. They put down 3 kilometers from the Dominion base, and the stormtroopers began disembarking themselves and their vehicles and equipment. Soon they had mustered their units, and began advancing. 3 regular army regiments, consisting of 6,000 troops, an armored regiment, consisting of 25 AT-ATs and 30 AT-STs and 1 Stormtrooper regiment, consisting of 2,000 troops ground on toward the Dominion base. Waiting to face them were 4000 Jem'Hadar, well entrenched, but lacking any artillery support or air cover. TIE Bombers came in just before the ground assault hit, and dropped plasma bombs on the Jem'Hadar defenders. Then the AT-AT s opened up, their heavy blaster cannons chewing up sections of the Dominion lines. Then the Imperial Ground troops began their attack, and a heavy firefight resulted. The huge walkers gave the imperials a large advantage, and they just walked over the enemy trenches and into the base, blasting the defenders from the rear. The Jem'Hadar fought to the death, and the base was overrun by the Imperials. They began collecting the weapons and slicing the computer cores, since they would be here to stay. Part 2 Admiral Falkenhorst looked out the viewports as the captured planet slid past below. The Defenders had fought well, costing his troops close to 1,000 casualties. But they had died fighting, and the planet was now the newest territory of the Empire. A small theatre shield had been brought in, and the Imperial garrison groundside was much better protected than their predecessors had been. An officer spoke up. "Admiral, we have detected 10 small ships approaching this system using some kind of distortion drive. They will arrive in 1 hour." At last, thought Falkenhorst. A chance for retribution. "All ships go to condition 1, and make sure that base is secure." "Battle directive: absolutely do NOT use Ion cannons. We will save them for an optimal time." Said Admiral Falkenhorst. 1 hour later, the Dominion fighter squadron dropped out of warp. A shocking sight greeted their eyes. An unidentified fleet hung over their base, and they could not raise any of the ground installations by subspace. But it was clear who had caused the situation. The Jem'Hadar aboard the fighters did not hesitate as they accelerated to attack speed. They broke into 5 pairs of 2 and went for the ISDs in the center of the formation. They fired their polarion weapons, which had only limited effect upon the shields of the great warships. Immediately, however, they were swarmed by hordes of small fighters, each firing lasers or warheads. Alone, the fighters were not a great threat. But deployed in large numbers, they whittled away at the Jem'Hadar shields. A fighter was caught in a heavy turbolaser blast, and ripped apart. 3 attack ships made a run on a Nebulon B, which frantically fired it's turbolasers at them. One ship was hit and destroyed, but the other 2 hit the frigate with 4 torpedoes each. The warheads slammed into the shields, blasting them aside, and several impacted the hull, blowing the main body of the ship away from it's engine pylon. However, their flight path carried them into the forward firing arc of the Death's Head, which unleashed a tremendous wave of turbolaser energy. The Dominion ships frantically dodged and looped, but the ISD's gunners scored several hits. One ship lost a drive, and spiraled sideways into it's companion. They both twirled out of control and impacted the shields of a VSD. The remaining 6 fighters tried to make a run to warp speed, but found that they could not create a warp field due to the jamming created by a small ship in the center of the formation. The senior surviving Vorta ordered his remaining ships to regroup and attack the smaller ship that was generating the gravity field. Admiral Falkenhorst knew what the enemy was planning to do. He gave an order. "Close formation around the interdictor. I don't want any of them getting through." The 3 ISDs moved closer to the Interdictor cruiser as the remaining Jem'Hadar fighters barreled their way through the TIE screen and began their run. One was hammered apart by a series of flak bursts, while another was bisected by a bolt from the Iron Hand's main battery. The last 4 ships fell upon the Interdictor, lashing at it's shields with their Polarion beams. The Imperial TIE fighters followed them in, showering the Dominion ships with laser blasts. Concentrated fire from the interdictor knocked down another enemy ship, as the fighters delivered a brace of Proton torpedoes up the exhausts of a second. The last 2 ships came around and accelerated, preparing to ram. One was blown to pieces by the turbolaser fire from a VSD, but the other bore down, firing away. It ripped through the ship' s weakened shields and slammed into one of the generator domes, destroying it. Admiral Falkenhorst watched the last fighter explode. He spoke to his second in command, Captain Osbourne. "These are some viscious folks. Send a copy of all our sensor logs from this engagement back to Bastion and request reinforcements." "Yes, sir." Said Osbourne, walking briskly to his task. The Dominion was sure to miss the routine communications from this world, and send a fleet to investigate. Falkenhorst intended to be ready for them. Part 3 The Founder was furious. Outpost 6 had been destroyed. He would fix that, though. Around the Flagship were arrayed 2 Battleships, 4 Battlecruisers, and 50 Attack ships. They sped toward outpost 6 at Maximum warp. Admiral Falkenhorst turned when the sensor officer called out a warning. "Sir, we have detected an enemy fleet approaching, bearing 5 mark 23. ETA 3 hours." So. They were coming. Falkenhorst knew that it was inevitable, but he was comfortable knowing that reinforcements had been dispatched for his fleet. The fact that they were still 4 hours away was what worried him. He still had his 3 ISDs, 5 VSDs, 2 Nebulon B frigates and the 3 Lancers. The Interdictor had been able to repair some of the damage, but it's range and power had been reduced, as it only had 3 operational generators. Without a few days in drydock, it could not be helped. The fleet began deploying for battle, as per Admiral Falkenhorst's orders. The Iron Hand remained in orbit, along with a Nebulon B Frigate and 2 VSDs. The other 2 ISDs, 3 VSDs, 3 lancers, and the other Nebulon B moved to the fringe of the system and powered down their systems, becoming nearly undetectable. Also hiding was the interdictor cruiser, in a very low orbit with all it's systems powered down as well. The Imperial Fleet waited. The Dominion forces dropped out of warp drive near outpost 6. A large wedge shaped ship was sitting in orbit, along with 2 smaller wedges and a smaller escort. They immediately began launching their TIEs. "Battleships will attack those 2 smaller ships, 1 battlecruiser will attack the escort, the other 3 Battlecruisers and the flagship will attack the large ship. Attack ships are to deal with those fighter craft." Said the founder. The Vorta rushed to comply. The Dominion ships split up, the Battleships drawing into range with the Victories. They opened fire, their polarion beams smashing the imperial shields. The Victories returned fire, rocking the Battleships with turbolaser hits. Admiral Falkenhorst's anti-Ion cannon directive was still in force. The Dominion battlecruiser began hammering against the Nebulon B, which replied in kind, but was outgunned by the bigger ship. The other 3 Battlecruisers and the Flagship advanced on the ISD. Polarion fire slashed in towards the ship, accompanied by salvoes of torpedoes. The ISD's shields absorbed the blasts without much effort. Then an odd thing happened. It began to rotate in space to present it's upper surface to the advancing fleet. Suddenly, the surface of the ship seemed to erupt. Battle cries erupted on the bridge of the flagship, as the crew assumed they had destroyed their target. They stopped just as quickly as the full turbolaser broadside slammed into the portside battlecruiser, reducing it's shields and penetrating in some places, slagging hull plates, vaporizing external systems and holing the thick armor. The Dominion ships pressed their attack, sending huge amounts of energy slamming into the ISD. It's shields began to weaken, but it's gunners stolidly returned fire. Amongst the larger ships, waves of Dominion fighters swerved and dove, adding their weapons to the chaos. Swarms of TIEs chased them, spattering them with laser fire and launching proton torpedoes and concussion missiles at them. Attack ships died as they were overwhelmed by the combined weapons of the TIEs, and TIEs died in turn as torpedoes exploded among their formations or Dominion gunners scored hits. The Nebulon B frigate's shields began to collapse, and the Iron Hand's captain ordered it to microjump away from the battle and recharge it's shields. The ship complied, leaving the 4th battlecruiser to join in the pounding of one of the VSDs. The Iron Hand's shields fell past 40% as the ship fired another broadside. The blasts slammed against the shields of the huge 4.8 km Dreadnought, decreasing them only 10%. It was looking bleak for the Imeperial diversion force… Part 4 On the fringes of the system, Falkenhorst's reserve units powered up their weapons and other systems. They carefully plotted their jumps, and engaged their hyperdrives. Less than 1 second later, the 2 ISDs dropped out of hyperspace directly behind and to the flanks of the huge Dreadnought. An evil smirk crossed Admiral Falkenhorst's face as he gave the order to fire. The heavy turbolaser batteries of both ships blazed as they hurled multiple gigatons of death at the Dreadnought. The 2 destroyers recharged their guns as TIEs swarmed from their hangars. The other 3 VSDs fanned out, salvoing their fire at the 2 Battleships. The Dreadnought began to veer off, it's aft shields reduced to 30% by the powerful hammering that the ISDs had dished out. The Dark Avenger pursued the fleeing ship, which was maneuvering to support the Battleships. One of the Battlecruisers' shields finally collapsed, and 2 victories fired into it's engines with their medium weapons, ensuring that it would be going nowhere fast. The flagship opened fire on one of the victories with it's main weapons. The ship's depleted shields collapsed, and explosions wracked the ship. The other 2 Battlecruisers were taking a heavy beating, and the Attack ships launched strikes against the ISDs while the 2 ships regrouped around the Flagship. The flagship and the 2 Battleships were engaging the ISDs, while the 2 remaining Battlecruisers and the Attack craft elements held back the victories. It was then that Falkenhorst sprung his trap. He ordered a full broadside from all ships with every Ion cannon that could bear on the Flagship. The Jem'Hadar were startled at the use of this new weapon, and became frantic as their terminals blinked out one by one, the computers of the command ship frying as the Ion beams lanced effortlessly through the ship's shields. The main batteries stopped firing, and the ship lost attitude control. The rest of the Dominion fleet began to line up to engage warp drives, seeing that their command ship was disabled. However, far below the battle, the Interdictor cruiser, which had orbited around the planet during the melee, powered up it's gravity well projectors. Seeing they could not use their warp drives, the Dominion ships began to make a flank speed run, heading away from the system, hotly pursued. They began to outstrip Admiral Falkenhorst's force, and just when they thought they would make it out of the range of the interdictor, their sensors registered a massive burst of Cronau radiation. The SSD Vindicator, accompanied by the Allegiance class light cruisers Emperor's Fist, Dominator, and Archangel, dropped out of hyperspace directly in the Dominion ships' exit vector. Holding escort formation were no less than 16 ISDs, 27 VSDs, and more than 200 Frigates, Corvettes, and small cruisers. It was the bulk of the Imperial striking force, commanded by Grand Admiral Lawson himself. The Vindicator immediately opened fire with all batteries. The 2 Battleships staggered, one succumbing to the immense concentration of firepower, and exploding, while the other lost power and drifted, burning in space. The 2 Battlecruisers and the remaining fighters were attacked by Hordes of TIEs from the fleet. Heavy turbolaser bolts slammed home, ripping away shields and holing the large ships. Ion cannons blew out computers and electronics, and soon the Dominion fleet was scattered and destroyed. Stormtroopers boarded the drifting Dominion ships, crushing whatever resistance they found. The founder was cornered in a corridor aboard the flagship. It was vaporized by a thermal detonator. The Imperial fleet took 1 Dominion Dreadnought, 1 Battleship, and 2 Battlecruisers by boarding actions that day. The ships were of interest to the empire. The hulls were large enough to warrant their refitting for service in the Imperial Fleet. Grand Admiral Lawson sent orders back to Bastion and soon several hyperspace tugs had arrived to tow the ships to Imperial shipyards for major refitting. The Imperial fleet had won the battle, but they had yet to discover just who their enemies were, or where they were from. Chapter 3 Part 1 2 weeks later, the former Dominion flagship rested in a berth inside a massive orbital complex deep in Imperial space. Huge construction droids, spacesuited workers, and random bits of material floated through the cavernous area. Welders sparked and flickered as the crews labored to remake the Dominion Dreadnought in their image. The polarion batteries had been completely removed, replaced with 40 Heavy Turbolaser turrets, 175 Medium batteries, and 275 light guns. 90 Ion cannons bristled from the ship's flanks. Heavy neutronium armor plates had been welded to the thick double hull to add even more protection. The entire warp drive and MARA reactor system had been removed, and replaced with 3 solar Ionization reactors. 1 provided power exclusively for weapons and defenses, another for engines, and the third ran the ship's essesntial systems. They were all hardwired into the ship's power trunks, so power could be diverted any way it was needed. Shield generators of the type found aboard Executor Class SSDs had been installed throughought the ship, in redundant arrangements. A large hangar bay had been worked into the underside of the ship, giving it the ability to carry 6 squadrons of TIE fighters, 4 squadrons of TIE bombers, and 4 Squadrons of TIE interceptors. The ship required over 100,000 crew, and could carry 50,000 troops. When it was completed, it would be a truly horrifying engine of war. The Dominion expeditionary forces were in confusion. The founder was dead, and the remaining Vorta cou ld not decide what to do. Some wanted vengeance on their enemies, while others wanted to return home. They were still arguing when the Imperials began attacking. Grand Admiral Lawson had ordered strikes by his lighter units in preparation for the main attack. Imperial Frigates or strike cruisers would pop out of hyperspace, destroy a freighter or a patrol, and then disappear. The Jem'Hadar troops of the Dominion knew that something was going to happen, but they were unafraid. Grand Admiral Lawson sat in a large chair at the head of the confrence table aboard the Vindicator. Arrayed up and down the table were his commanders, Falkenhorst at Bob's right hand, having been promoted to overall commander of the fleets ISDs, Admirals in charge of ISD squadrons, CAGs from various ships, and army generals. Bob began outlining a plan which called for the seizure of the main Dominion base and subsequent mopping up operations afterward. Emphasis was put on capturing enemy ships intact. 1 Dreadnought, 1 battleship, 2 Battlecruisers, and 15 fighters orbited the main Dominion base. They were as prepared as they could be for the coming attack, but the fleet was not as concentrated as it should have been, since the Imperials had shown their skill at attacking anywhere without notice. Then, it began. Dominion sensors began to register the arrival of Imperial ships in-system. Squadron by squadron the ISDs dropped out of hyperspace and formed up. Then the monster battleship, the Vindicator, slid out of hyperspace, surrounded by it's escorts. The 3 Allegiances appeared, surrounded by VSDs and numerous frigates, corvettes, and cruisers. The fleet moved into formation and advanced, the huge ships expelling swarms of fighters, interceptors, and bombers from their launch bays. Interdictors and a few of their larger sisters, the Dominators, spread out and set up interdiction fields, blanketing any possible escape or entry vectors. The Jem'Hadar felt no fear as they prepped their weapons and ran to battlestations, for soon, they would be alive… Part 2 Grand Admiral Bob Lawson stood on his bridge as the forward echelons of the fleet began hammering into the Jem'Hadar fighters. "ISD squadrons 2, 3, and 4, move forward. VSDs, attack the flanks." He ordered. Admiral Falkenhorst's squadrons cranked up to flank speed, hammering bloody holes through the Jem'Hadar picket line, their heavy turbolasers cutting a swathe of death before them. A battlecruiser moved in, concentrating on one of Falkenhorst's ships. Falkenhorst hit a few keys, and soon the enemy ship was drifting, awash in crackling Ion energy. The VSDs, meanwhile, had smashed through the Dominion flanks, and were massing their salvoes on a Dominion battleship. The ship fought back bravely, managing to knock down a VSD's shields before it was hammered into submission by the Imperial Ion Cannons. The Dreadnought and the remaining Battlecruiser pulled into a tighter formation, and the remaining fighters drew in to cover them. On the bridge of the Vindicator, Grand Admiral Lawson smiled an evil smile. "Get me James." The comm. Officer hit a few keys, and Admiral James appeared on the holo. "Yes, sir?" "Allegiance taskforces free. Take down that Dreadnought." Said Bob. "Aye, sir." Replied James. The 3 Allegiance class light cruisers accelerated, along with their VSD escorts. Their commander, Admiral James, ordered them to spread out and flank the Dreadnought, which was being hammered by Admiral Falkenhorst's ISDs. It would be a hard job, thought James, as an ISD tumbled out of formation, explosions ripping through it's hull. Although cornered, the Dreadnought was still dangerous. The Dreadnought began to turn it's guns toward another ISD, when it's shields were hammered almost flat by 3 heavy salvoes. TIEs swarmed everywhere, plastering the ship with missiles and lasers. She couldn't last much longer. Ion blasts slammed into the ship from the Imperial ships. The Vorta in charge ordered full ramming speed. The Dreadnought began to move forward, it's engines flickering and dying under the tremendous pounding. Explosions ripped the ship open in numerous places, but inertia kept it going, on a collision course with James's flagship, The Archangel. James ordered full evasive action, even as the other ISDs began to lock tractor beams on the dying Dominion ship. James's ship began to turn, but it wasn't quite quick enough. One of the Dreadnought's outflung engine nacelles clipped the bow of the Archangel, ripping about the first 400 meters free. The Dominion ship's nacelle was ripped halfway free of the ship, and more fires and explosions rocked the Dreadnought. Stormtrooper transports were launched as soon as the surrounding Imperial ships had secured the damaged Dreadnought. They fought their way through a darkened, burning hell, once aboard the Dominion ship. Jem'Hadar troops rushed them in suicide waves, and the Imperials fought their way through access tubes and wrecked compartments, explosions and fires raging all around them. Teams of Imperial technicians and droids followed behind them, fighting the fires and attempting to restore power. After 10 hours of viscious carnage, the last of the Jem'Hadar holdouts had been exterminated. Soon the ship was back in some sembalance of control, with workers and droids swarming through the wrecked hull, sealing blast doors and repressurizing compartments, splicing power grids back together, and dumping Jem'Hadar corpses into space. The Jem'Hadar were no good as prisoners, since without their dope they would die. So the Imperials made it easier on themselves. They took no prisoners. Part 3 General Erwin Rommel secured his harness in the cockpit of the huge AT-AT. Beside him, the driver made his final checks. Rommel's AT-AT was tucked snugly in a bay aboard a massive Imperial dropship. As of now, he was heading down towards the Dominion base. The Fleet had laid waste to any major defenses, and squadrons of TIE fighters and bombers had been pounding away at the ground defenses for hours. The minutes ticked by, and then the ship hit. The pilot activated the repulsors, causing the impact to jar the occupants of the ship, rather than turn them to jelly against the bulkheads. The doors slid open, and the driver guided the huge walker down the ramp. All around them, other walkers and hovertanks were assembling, while soldiers gathered their equipment for the advance. The massive Dominion base was just a Kilometer from the LZ. Rommel had planned it that way, to reduce the time it took to subdue the base. The AT-ATs began thundering forward, the earth shaking with their footsteps. Smaller AT-STs spread out ahead and on the flanks, their small blasters taking potshots at Jem'Hadar troops who were trying to hide. The base loomed ahead, and Rommel went over the data in his head. The defenders had erected 3 trench lines around their base, with hardened bunkers in the outer 2, heavy disruptors emplaced in the innermost, and minefields between. The trenches were connected by tunnels. It would have been easier to just destroy the base from orbit, but Grand Admiral Lawson had been explicit in his orders that the base be taken intact. The advancing Imperial forces approached the first line. Dominion gunners began firing on the AT-ATs, with minimal results. Their armor was proving very tough. The AT-ATs fired back, hammering the bunkers, and firing grenades into any exposed positions. Flights of TIE bombers flew very low over the battle, dropping canisters from their weapons bays. These were slowed by a parachute, and deployed their loads of 500 bomblets apiece to the minefields between the Jem'Hadar trenches. The ground shook with more explosions as the mines were detonated. The walkers advanced, while stormtroopers and infantry followed, wiping out any Jem'Hadar troops they found. One AT-AT stepped on a mine, which blew one of it's "feet" off. The driver managed to set the damaged vehicle down in a "Kneeling" position, and it disgorged it's troops to join the ground battle. Imprial hovertanks raced past, a few falling to the Dominion disruptors, but the others continued, racing forward to support the walkers. The Hovertanks and walkers opened a viscious fullisade upon the second trench, killing many of the defenders before simply bypassing it. Jem'Hadar reserves, sent into the tunnels to pop up in the enemy rear, found that many of the tunnels had been collapsed by the great weight of the walkers overhead. Those who did manage to find open routes were set upon by imperial rearguard units. The walkers advanced throuh the 2nd minefield, only after waiting again for the TIE strikes to clear the mines. It was here that they got a nasty surprise. "Houdini" mines, (Like those used at AR-558") began dropping out of subspace and blasting walkers. 2 AT-ATs fell, their legs blasted off at the knees. An AT-ST exploded, running into one of the cloaked hoverbombs head-on. Rommel's walker shudderd as a mine exploded off the side of it's heavy armor, the antipersonnel charge not strong enough to pierce the tough shell of the AT-AT. Rommel thought fast. Only 200 Yards left through the minefield, then they would assault the 3rd line. "All walkers and hovertanks, form close ranks. I will lead." The walkers began moving in, marching 4 abreast, in a line. The hovertanks moved to the flanks, while the infantry followed. Several mines detonated in close proximity, and one walker towards the rear had it's "Head" blown off by a direct hit from a Houdini. The Imperial force continued, however, and soon the 3rd line had been overrun. The AT-ATs and other walkers raised hell on the enemy rear while the stormtroopers and infantry spread out, taking the base building by building. Part 4 The ruined base was in imperial hands. The battle had taken about an hour, after the base itself had been breached. In one of the large complexes, the Imperials found a very interesting facility. Their wonderment was such that Grand Admiral Lawson himself visited the planet to see it for himself. After disembarking from his Lambda Class Shuttle, the Grand Admiral and his staff walked into the Dominion building. A scientist came up to them. "Welcome, Sir. We have discovered many things here which will be very useful to us." Said the scientist. "Excellent, show me these things we have found." Said Bob. "Right this way, sir." The scientist led them down the dark, drab corridors of the facility, until they came to a huge room. Inside were row upon row of what looked like incubators. Hoses and pipes ran in and out of them, and somewhere below massive machinery could be heard chugging away. Bob walked into the room, and down one of the rows. He looked into the incubators, and was nearly scared stiff by what he saw. Humanoid babies laid in the machines, being fed and nursed by the machinery. "The enemy apparently clones their troops, sir." Said the Scientist. We have found and translated information pertaining to this in their computers." "Summarize this information for me, please." Said Bob, an Idea beginning to form in his head. "Well, the clones are grown in something like 3 days, and are uploaded with information pertinent to their designation before being released and "Activated." The scientist Explained. "So, they need soldiers, technicians, pilots, whatever, and they just grow them and upload what they need to know?" asked Bob. "Yes," said the scientist, "But they only live 10 years and are dependent upon a drug called 'Ketracel White'. Without this drug, they will all die. Apparently, this is so they cannot rebel from their masters, the founders, and the vorta who supervise them." Bob was familiar with the Dominion hierarchy, from the reports compiled from the computers of the captured Dominion ships. He saw the necessity of this addiction. But that did not change his idea. "Is it possible to change their programming? Take away their addiction?" asked Bob. "Yes, it is possible, but it will take time." Said the scientist. "And another thing, can we neutralize those damn subspace mines? General Rommel tells me that they were quite a pain in the ass." "Again, it is possible, but it will take time." Said the scientist. "Begin at once. You will head the project. What is your name? "Brian Palmero, sir, formerly of the Coruscant university." "Well, Palmero, you will go far in my grace if you can produce a workable result;" said Bob. "Yes, Sir!" said Palmero. Bob and his staff left the building to continue their tour of the captured base. Already, crews were working to install a planetary shield generator, and the landing field was being enlarged. Sites were being laid out for turbolaser and Ion cannon emplacements, and underground hangars were on the drawing board. Soon the Empire would crush the remains of these invaders with an Iron fist. Chapter 4 Part 1 The Dominion flagship was nearly refitted. All that remained was to load the fighter compliment and troops aboard, and to take the ship out for trials. A few berths over, the second Dreadnought was undergoing a similar makeover. However, that ship would come out better than the first. With the experience gained in the refit of the first Dreadnought, and the greater repairs that were needed, the second ship would be more extensively redone. A battleship was nearing the same stage of completion as the flagship. The ship had been refitted with 6 Heavy turbolaser Turrets, 2 Ion cannon turrets, 50 medium batteries, and 100 smaller guns. It would be a kind of "Pocket Destroyer", but a viable fleet unit nonetheless. The battlecruisers, the smallest Dominion capital ships of all, were being fitted with 4 Heavy turbolaser turrets, 2 Ion cannon turrets, 25 Medium batteries, and 50 Smaller guns. Soon, all was ready. The Flagship, renamed the "Inflexible", and classified as a Cruiser, would depart for trials, and then return to pick up it's complement of troops and fighters, before heading out to join the fleet. The moorings were cast off, and the ship switched to it's own power. It cruised out of the orbital shipyard, and powered it's sublight engines for a run through the outer system. The engines performed well, propelling the ship through their trial period at varied power settings and to the Hyperjump point. At that time, the captain ordered the hyperdrive engaged.It worked perfectly. The ship would shakedown for a week, it's crew getting used to it, and performing gunnery drills. Meanwhile, Grand Admiral Lawson was destroying the remains of the Dominion presence. Landings had been effected on 4 of the 8 worlds still controlled by the Dominion, and the Dominion fleet had suffered the capture of another Battleship and 2 battlecruisers. 16 additional enemy fighters had been accounted for, along with several unompleted facilities for producing them. The fleet sat in orbit over the 4th Dominion outpost as General Rommel's forces finished mopping up the Jem'hadar Defenses on the ground. When they were done, Grand Admiral Lawson left half the fleet there, and took the Vindicator, James' light cruisers, 12 ISDs, and 16 VSDs with appropriate escorts and interdictors, and went to destroy the rest of the Dominion forces. Upon arrival at the fifth world, they found a Battlecruiser and 10 Fighters working frantically to evacuate their base. The Battlecruiser was captured with no trouble, and the fighters were destroyed. A few well placed TL shots took care of the base's comm systems, and a few more destroyed several waiting shuttles. The fleet took off into hyperspace once more. They reached the 6th planet just as a Group of Dominion warships and freighters departed. Admiral Lawson, knowing that the speed of the enemy distortion drives was very slow, decided to jump ahead and wait for them at the next system. The fleet arrived in the seventh system, only to find the Dominion base there deserted. The fleet waited for the other Dominion ships to show up, but when they did appear on the long range sensors, they were heading in a completely different direction. Grand Admiral Lawson knew what the Dominion was up to. They were evacuating. He ordered the fleet to commence small jumps, just enough to maintain sensor contact with the fleeing enemy. He would allow them to believe that they were getting away clean, and follow them wherever they came from. The remaining 6 enemy capital ships and almost 60 fighters escorted their freighters to a certain point within the unknown regions, and then mysteriously vanished from Imperial Scans. Grand Admiral Lawson was perplexed. But he knew that to sit about and do nothing while your enemy escaped was idiotic. He ordered his fleet to the last known position of the Dominion ships. There was nothing there but empty space. Bob ordered patrols to expand the perimiter, and to scan for cloaked ships. VSDs, frigates, fighters, and shuttles began weaving a web in space, scanning everything. Suddenly, the wormhole blossomed before one of the shuttles, which disappeared. Then the wormhole vanished. Immediately, the Imperial fleet formed a cordon around the wormhole's location. Bob ordered a VSD through. It returned in a few minutes, and reported clear space. Orders flashed out from the Vindicator, across hyperspace, to the remaining ships. Then, they swung into action. Grand Admiral Lawson ordered the fleet into the wormhole. All ships went to condition 1, shields were raised, weapons manned, and the mighty Star Destroyers vanished into the swirling maw. Part 2 The remaining Imperial ships dropped out of hyperspace over the last Dominion held world. The drop ships were deployed, and soon, intense ground combat was raging. The Jem'Hadar, running low on white, their founder dead, had instructions. Instructions given when the fleet had been wiped out. Hold to the last. And these Jem'Hadar had a nasty surprise for the Empire: a suicide bomb. They had jury rigged 5 of their torpedoes to produce a 500 Megaton explosion that would vaporize the base and all the surrounding area. The Imperials fought their way into the base, taking heavy losses. A squad found a tunnel in a shell crater and followed it. They came to a large room, with Jem'Hadar running about arming the weapon. The stormies produced merry hell, killing the Jem'Hadar. Unwittingly, they had saved the Imperial invasion forces. As soon as the planet was conquered, the ships oriented themselves and Jumped to lightspeed. Grand Admiral Bob Lawson watched the plot as the 2 groups of ships approached his position. One, the remains of the Dominion expeditionary force, was coming from the direction of the wormhole. The other fleet was advancing from the direction of the Galaxy in the near distance. The second fleet was composed primarily of Battlecruisers and fighters, sent to reinforce the heavier units already on the other side of the wormhole. However, unbeknownst to the second group, the first had been heavily mauled and destroyed. It was time to finish the job. Orders went out, and the fleet leapt into hyperspace for several seconds. They reverted, and the Dominion fleet would arrive at their new position in less than a minute. The Interdictors powered up their gravity wells, arrayed In a formation that would allow the dominion ships to be wrenched out of hyperspace right in the middle of the Imperial Ambush. Seconds later, that is what happened. The Star Destroyers closed in, blasting the Dominion ships into drifting scrap heaps within 10 minutes. Boarders were deployed, but few of the ships were worth taking. It was becoming obvious that the only ships worth boarding were the Dreadnoughts. Imperial manpower constraints dictated that valuable troops not be wasted on non-essential targets. The fleet waited, reversing it's formation. The Dominion battlecruisers and fighters were sucked directly into the trap. James's 2 remaining cruisers were holding the flanks, with the Vindicator between and to the aft of them. Once the Dominion ships were wrenched out of warp, Admiral Falkenhorst's Star Destroyers moved in. They began duking it out with the Dominion ships, exchanging fire at very close ranges. Swarms of TIEs raced through the melee, unloading megatons of ordnance upon the Dominion ships. Dominion fighters fought and died, many being forced into the firing arcs of the ISDs' main guns by roving packs of TIEs. Then the 2 Allegiance class Destroyers entered the fray, adding their broadsides to the battle. The space within the Dominion formation could best be described as a charnel house. TL blasts hammered down shields, vaporized armor, rended hulls, killed crewmen. And still the Dominion fought on, flying straight through the wreckage of their own ships, they pressed in to attack the Vindicator. As they approached, the Destroyers began breaking formation and scattering. The Jem'Hadar raced on, intent on destroying the Vindicator. Just then, every gun on the SSD that could bear unleashed an ungodly salvo. A wave of energy seemed to rush through space, the hundreds upon hundreds of heavy Turbolaser shots sweeping the Dominion ships away like leaves in a hurricane. When the billowing clouds of plasma and debris cleared, none of the wreckage was recognizable as parts of starships. Later Admiral Lawson began planning his objectives in the coming campaign against the Dominion. The other ships of the fleet had arrived, and all that was to be done now was to decide where to strike. Part 3 Doctor Palmero and Grand Admiral Bob Lawson rode the lift to the main hangar bay of the SSD Vindicator. They stepped out and walked into the cavernous space, stretching for miles in either direction. They were in a smaller hangar bay off to one side, but it was still 100 meters wide, and 150 Deep. Arrayed on deck were row after row of Fearsome looking Jem'Hadar troops. They carried simple Disruptor rifles produced by their own captured replicator systems. 8,000 of these soldiers of death stood at full attention. They were the first Division that had been produced for the Empire. "These troops are what we call the Janissary Mark 1;" said Palmero. "And what improvements have been made over the original design?" asked Bob, as they walked down a row of the stony faced troops. "Well, we have removed their addiction to the Drug, lengthened their lifespan to 100 years, and introduced advanced optics. These troops can see in the dark, they can see in IR, and they can see radiation. Their digestive tracts have been modified to allow them to be able to digest any organic materials, or simple nutrient rations. They are all equipped with neural microchips that allow us to change their programming, upgrade their enhancements, and even terminate them if need be. Presently we can produce them at the rate of about 8,000 a month, but I expect that to change as we bring more facilities online, and capture more preexisting installations. We have modified their lungs to allow them to breathe most atmospheres, including some which would be fatal to unprotected humans. We have beefed up their Immune systems, which allows them to be exposed to most biological agents without effect. Incidentally, this also offers them resistance to nearly every type of poison gas we know about, save for the most corrosive and virulent chemical and biological weapons. In short, these are some really tough bastards." Bob stopped and looked one of the Janissaries up and down. It did not seem as blocky as the ones the Enemy produced. "Are they specifically geared toward ground or space action?" asked Bob. "No," said Palmero. "We decided to make them all purpose soldiers. Their bodies have been modified for optimal performance both aboard ships and on the ground." "Well then, Palmero, it seems you have produced the perfect soldier." Said Bob, with a twinkle in his eye. "I think I shall make you head of all R&D concerning this new galaxy that the Dominion is apparently from. Continue your excellent performance like this, and even greater rewards await you, Palmero." "Yes, sir!" said Palmero, walking away. Bob took a last long look over the rows of stolid Jem'Hadar, and then walked towards the lift. The Inflexible had joined the fleet, and James's Allegiance was undergoing repairs back in Imperial space. Bob was looking at the Intel reports that his forces had gained from their earlier combat experience with the Dominion. He knew that the founders were concentrated mainly at a certain world. A world whose location had been unknown to everyone in the galaxy except it's inhabitants. And one of those inhabitants had been aboard a ship that was captured by Imperial forces. Imperial Slicers had decoded the Founder's personal files after the flagship had been towed back into port. Bob had received a full download. His plan was simple: The fleet would proceed directly to the homeworld of the Founders, and destroy the planet. >From there, they would smash the Jem'Hadar fleets piecemeal, as their cohesion collapsed. Bob's orders flashed out to the fleet. The massive Imperial Warships oriented themselves and flashed into hyperspace. Part 4 The Imperial fleet dropped out of hyperspace over the secret homeworld of the founders. Several squadrons of attack ships immediately rose from the surface, vectoring towards the fleet. "Launch all TIEs; escort groups move to engage." Said Bob. Soon a viscious engagement was raging on the fringes of the fleet as the Attack Ships were beaten back by the massed Imperial escorts. Soon nothing was left but a few scraps of slowly cooling wreckage. "VSDs and escorts move into covering formation. All other ships assume position." Said Bob. The Fleet spread out, the Star Destroyers moving into position. The Inflexible took up a point of the triangle formed by that ship and the 2 Allegiances. The Vindicator floated in formation, a jet black dagger that would rend the very heart of the Dominion. "Sir," said a Lieutenant. All ships report ready." A stern look crossed Bob's face. "Commence Base Delta Zero;" He said dispassionately. Immediately, the deck shuddered as the Vindicator's gunners fired off a full broadside with every weapon that could bear. The huge destroyers having oriented themselves with their bows to the planet, about 80% of the ship's guns spewed gouts of green fire at the planet. The other ships of the fleet commenced firing, the immense discharges from their turbolasers vaporizing millions of tons of the planet's crust, founders, and whatever else existed on that world. Soon the planet's surface was obscured by clouds of debris thrown up from the ungodly impacts of the Turbolasers. Through breaks in the clouds, the surface of the planet could be seen running molten. The home of the founders boiled and died, and the Founders with it. The beings who had founded a vast 2,000 year Dominion were ruthlessly exterminated in the space of a few hours. No power in the universe could save them from the death that was the wrath of the Empire. Grand Admiral Lawson turned away from the bridge viewports. He had been there for hours, watching. Watching as countless living beings were murdered on his orders. Bob was a compassionate man. He had a wife and 2 children back home on Bastion, whom he loved dearly. It always hurt to give orders like the one that had destroyed the founders, but such was the necessity of war. Bob shoved the thoughts of his own civilians perishing under the boots of the Dominion's troops. Bob hated war. War was a scale, and Bob carried the sword of justice. The scales had been tipped, and he would set them right. It had to be done. And the Dominion was just the beginning, he mused. Every night, the voices of untold millions called to him in his dreams. Millions of lives, millions of hopes, millions of dreams, destroyed before they could fulfill their destiny. The goal of unity. Of power. Of peace. The Republic was responsible for the voices. The millions who perished aboard the Death Stars, the brave crewmen, pilots and troops who had given their lives in battle against the Republic. They cried for vengeance. So it was that Bob took up the sword. He led the Empire with hope and determination. Hope for a renewed, brighter future. And determination to do what was needed to make that hope a reality. He still felt pain at ordering the deaths of millions of his enemies, but that was but a drop next to the ocean of the grief that he felt for his own countrymen. He did what he had to do. The fleet leapt into hyperspace, on course for their next target. Bob was ready. Chapter 5 Part 1 Grand Admiral Lawson looked up from his plot as the sensor officer called out a warning. "Dreadnoughts bearing 7 mark 34, closing to engage!" "All batteries stand by," said Bob. 3 Dreadnoughts plowed through the screen of VSDs around the Vindicator, their shields flickering with the impacts of beam weapons and warheads. This was the 3rd time in as many battles that the enemy had thrown their line units uncaringly into the face of superior firepower. The dreadnoughts plowed on, staggering under the hammering of several ISDs that they passed. Beams lanced out from the Dominion ships, splashing against the Super Star Destroyer's shields. Bob saw the ships drawing nearer. He turned to the gunnery officer. "All batteries free. Destroy those ships." The steady hammering increased beneath the Grand Admiral's feet as the Vindicator's gunners concentrated their fire on the dominion behmoths. First one, then another, staggered under the blows of the SSD's heavy turbolasers. One exploded in a brilliant fireball, it's antimatter containment failing. Bob flinched as the flaming Debris coruscated off the shields. The other ship lost power and erupted in flames, secondary explosions blasting gouges in it's hull as magazines cooked off and systems failed. The third veered away, trailing plasma and atmosphere, but still firing. Several Star Destroyers moved to engage it. Bob looked over at the Vindicator's CAG. "Detach the 3rd and 4th interceptor wings, and the 86th Bombardier group. Those SD's need assistance." In space, Col. Wade Lupton rolled his fighter out of it's dive and onto the tail of a Jem'Hadar attack ship. He pressed the trigger, walking his fire across the ship's flanks. It's depleted shields flickered and died, and his blasts slagged armor and blew out systems. He pulled away as another group of enemy ships headed his way, throwing the TIE interceptor into a steep climb. Then Bob's orders crackled over his headset. He acknowledged. He called on the squadron frequency for the wing to break off and meet at the rally point. The 3 squadrons of the 3rd disengaged from the enemy and turned tail for the Vindicator. They were joined by the Interceptors of the 4th. That wing had been in the thick of it, and were down to 87% strength. The 2 groups sped along the Vindicator's lower hull, being joined by the fully loaded TIE bombers of the 86th. The Interceptors formed up around the bombers, and they headed for the Dreadnought. All around, space flared with explosions and beams. A Dominion battlecruiser broke up, flames and sparks dancing within it's destroyed hulk. A Star Destroyer rotated away from the battleships it had been facing, half it's batteries out of action. Falkenhorst's Destroyer groups salvoed their fire, laying waste to the Dominion fleet. And still the Jem'Hadar attacked, uncaring for the loss of their fellows or themselves. Col. Lupton's interceptors roared in over the massive 4.8 km hull of the Damaged Dreadnought, firing their cannons on full auto. The lasers barely scratched the vessel's thick armor, but the small ships did draw attention. More fire lashed at them, mostly missing, but certainly not hitting where it could do more good. The bombers of the 86th swarmed around the breaches in the ship's armor like flies on a wounded animal, firing scores of concussion missiles into the damaged ship. Wade's squadrons cleared out when they ran low on ammo, shepherding the 86th back towards the Vindicator. Behind them, the Star Destroyers herded the Dreadnought into range of an Allegiance, which blew the ship in half with a tremendous broadside. The battle raged on, and it was another days work done for Col. Lupton and the 3rd fighter wing.