[Randallw]

All in all the prime Vorta facilitator of Hurada considered the last few months as interesting, to coin a phrase. Those responsible for determining threats had erred. Tasked with the protection of the Dominion they had failed to forsee that the Ferengi would turn out to be hostile. It had been determined that, obsessed as they appeared to be with profit and merchandise they would not be blatant enough to launch any attacks on the Dominion. Unfortunately what had not been considered was that along with their need for profit they exhibited vast greed, and when one gave in to greed one was liable to desert reason and act unexpectedly. Thus the Ferengi had launched an attack on the Dominion. Those supposed experts had been disciplined, which meant termination, and if they were lucky, recloned. That still left the Dominion with the problem of what to do about the invaders. Unprepared, the Dominion had no choice but to withdraw as the Ferengi moved further and further taking system after system. Luckily the distance of the border from the centre of the Dominion worked in the defenders favour. True they had to withdraw, not strong enough to confront the enemy, but in return they weren’t losing many assets. Colonies were thin on the border. Still eventually the enemy started to become a major threat, such that the vast fleets hastily, though expertly, constructed were committed.


The name of the first did not matter. He was little different from the rest of the vast legions bred for this moment. Like the rest this would be his first battle, but he was confident he had the skills to serve the Founders. Out of all the newly bred troops someone had to lead, and in the absence of a Vorta for this mission he had been chosen as First. Checking the space around his ship he was humbled by its size. The Jem’Hadar were young, their vessels were barely out of the construction yards and rumours said that the enemy had better weapons, but as the elders said quantity had its own quality. The enemy had penetrated enough that they were blocking access to one of the Dominion subjects. It was decided that the time had come to stop withdrawing and to act. Activating the system wide communicator he addressed the 41 other soldiers on board.
“I am the First, and I am dead. As of this moment we are all dead. We go into battle, to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Jem’Hadar. Our deaths are glory to the Founders” and although he could not hear them all he knew the others would obey.

It had been hoped the Ferengi would blunder into a trap, but signals received from the Hurada system indicated the enemy had halted, blockading the other end of the wormhole. Launching an attack would involved greater risk, but the Dominion had never been hesitant in expending ships and crew when the rewards were great.

The Dominion fleet exited the wormhole. The Ferengi opened fire, their weapons tearing through shields destroying many ships, but the Dominion fleet outnumbered them 8 to 1 and even as the Ferengi readied their next volley Dominion attack vessels, hardly stopping after their transit, forged ahead ramming many of the enemy ships. The Dominion also had a millennia old tactic that was not hindered by enemy shields. Those enemy vessels left were quickly dealt with by more conventional weapons. The First, whose ship had been chosen for the suicide wave never saw it.