Final Frontier III story.

[Randallw]

Nehran had presided over the expansion of the Dominion for nearly 6 years, and in that time had organised the occupation or treaty with a number of species, the Talaxians, the Ocampa, Bajorans, and Betazoids. But now Nehran was having a new experience. A race called the Bandi had contacted the Dominion and actually requested through their own decision a military alliance with them. Nehran did not know if the Founders were responsible, or if the Bandi truly wished to invite Dominion forces, but if they had it was proof of their divinity. The Bandi lay on the very fringes of Dominion space, at the very limit of Dominion reach. By accepting the Bandi plea the Dominion would instantly have access to facilities to refuel and enhance the range of Dominion exploration. Nehran did not pause to consider the option but immediately ordered acceptance of the treaty and the movement of Dominion forces to the new area of expansion. New Farpoint station.

Edit of an old post: Let me just point out here, rather than break the story by adding a post, I just noticed in the game there is a nuetral betazoid AI. When I mention Betazoids above I was referring to the planets of the Betazoid system I found.

[Randallw]

It was a bright sunny day in Jo’Kara city. Many Bajoran families had taken the opportunity to get out into the sun, going to the neighbourhood temple or the nearest marketplace. A handful of Bajorans however instead hid themselves away from the sun. To them it was too important that their gathering not be witnessed, or at least it was important to the one who had called them all here.
“I’m telling you, the Founders are not the Prophets!” exclaimed Teris Surin, the impromptu leader of the hidden gathering, his voice echoing in the cellar.
“.but Kai Baren says…” replied one of the group
“I don’t care what the Kai says” interrupted Surin. The group was shocked. It was inconceivable that any one would doubt the spiritual leader of the Bajoran people. The group had chosen to meet here, in this dank, barely lit cellar, at Surin’s request as they were all his friends. Some of them began to wonder if it had been a wise choice.
“The Kai says he found proof in the ancient texts to support his announcement, correct?” continued the impromptu leader.
“Yes, I was in the temple when the Kai made the announcement” replied Garis Kar, standing at the front of the group facing Teris. “I saw with my own eyes the Prophets emissary appear in a hail of light at the Kai’s side”
“I looked further into the texts and the Kai is wrong, these so called emissaries aren’t from the Prophets!”
“Why would you look further once the Kai made his announcement?” spoke up another Bajoran.
“Does it not bother you that these emissaries come to us to trade for resources? Every month more and more of our minerals, produce and energy is taken by them. I ask, what need have the Prophets for such wordly goods?”
“The ways of the Prophets are beyond our comprehension” answered Kar.
“Yes, and to aid my comprehension I delved deeper into the histories. I searched the ancient texts at the library in Janiza province, and what did I find? Records describing these Jem’Hadar and their Vorta”
“The Kai quoted the same texts. There is no doubt that the emissaries match the description of the Prophets servants” explained Kar “The Jem’Hadar serve their gods, gods that match descriptions of the Prophets taking Bajoran form”
“But in these ancient texts I found information saying that the Jem’Hadar gods, these Founders, opposed the Bajoran people in the past. It was with the help of people from other planets that they were defeated”
“We are all aware of such fairy tales. Such stories of ships in space are only fit for children” Kar admonished Surin. Surin held up a hand silencing Kar. Turning about he pulled out a wrapped package nearby. Carefully he unwrapped the package and to the groups dismay they could see the book was ancient.
“It is forbidden to remove the ancient texts from the libraries” someone spoke up.
“I took this book from the library in Janiza, so that you could see with your own eyes the proof of my words”
Surin explained.
“I don’t think that was wise Surin” Kar spoke up “What if the temple guards catch you?”
“What if many things, what if my accusations are correct. Every day the Vorta emissaries ask more and more from us. Please, just read what I have found. For the sake of our friendship”
“Very well, but the book must be returned. I can just imagine how much damage the conditions here must be doing the longer you hide it”
“Thank you” answered Surin “ I promise you I am right. We must act or I fear we are doomed to be conquered much as the Pah’Wraiths “ at which every Bajoran made the sign of the Prophets to ward off evil “ and their servants, the Adasians, once ruled us”

[Randallw]

The throng pushed and shoved as they cried out their chants of defiance. The area around the Dominion Facility was packed with a huge crowd of protestors. Led by some of the local Vedics they had met to protest the Dominions increasing calls for more and more resources, all the time failing to share any of the knowledge they had promised. Although not affiliated with Surin’s resistance, these people had independently joined to voice their growing displeasure at what they were fast coming to realise were not the heavenly visitors from the Prophets. The throng had started a non-violent protest around the Dominion facility and soon the local authorities not to mention the Jem’Hadar garrison had started to take note.
Surin and Kar stood at the back of the crowd. Kar had cautioned against getting involved, but Surin had insisted it was important to witness the beginning of the Bajorans rejection of their visitors.
“It’s not safe Surin!” exclaimed Kar “Who knows what will happen. The Authorities are sure to put a stop to it”
“What can they do” replied Surin “It is a peaceful protest. Soon the authorities are sure to hear our demands and then the Dominion will be forced to answer the questions we put to them. I know Vedic Barinus. He wouldn’t do anything violent”
“I hope you’re right” then peering out into the crowd Kar continued “Is that my cousin Erin over there? I hope she doesn’t get crushed by the crowd. I’ll just go over and see to her”. Left alone by his friend Surin looked over the crowd. As he had said, the gathering was peaceful. Vedic Barinus himself stood at the front of the crowd, and in a loud voice was calling out to the Dominion to answer his questions. Behind him the front of the crowd pushed and swayed waiting for any response. A Vorta, dwarfed by his Jem’Hadar guards on each flank, had come out and was observing the crowd. When Barinus paused the Vorta stepped forward.
“Come now, there is no need for such a display. If we were to sit down and discuss your quarrel I am sure we could come to a mutually satisfactory agreement to put an end to any disagreement between us” the Vorta asked, spreading his arms wide and smiling. Surin stepped closer so as to hear the discussion more clearly. Barinus had listened to the Vorta’s plea and now replied in kind.
“We do not need to sit down and talk. All my fellow Bajorans have the right to hear your answers.”
“But there are many extenuating facts. Entirely too many to present in such an impromptu environment as this”
“I must say he has a lot to say even if it isn’t the answers the Vedic seeks” said Kar. Surin jumped a little, not having noticed his friends return.
“It matters not” Surin answered “ soon he will run out of his words, and then the only ones left will be the answers we want”
“Very well” replied the Vorta, his voice struggling to be heard over the noise of the crowd. “ To answer your questions…”
“Enough talk!” a voice cried out. Off to one side the crowd had stepped forward to hear the Vorta’s words and now a lone Bajoran had stepped out of the crowd “Leave our world!” he shouted. The Bajoran lifted up a rock and made to throw it.
“NO!” cried out Surin, his words faintly echoed by Vedic Barinus. But the denial did little to stop the rock as it sailed through the air, narrowly missing the Vorta. It may have missed but the solitary act of violence was all the Jem’Hadar needed. The Guards stepped forward as the Vorta took cover. Raising their weapons they opened fire. Barinus and the front of the crowd were mown down. The crowd behind them turning and desperately trying to escape, but thousands of Bajorans were in the crowd and there was no way they could suddenly all move at once. Those Bajorans in the second row lasted little longer than the unfortunate front row as the Jem’Hadar opened fire again heedless of their victims having their back to them. Soon the crowd obtained its own momentum however and the crowd flowed out, the unfortunate being crushed under foot as people desperately tried to escape.
“No, no, no” Surin cried helplessly. He stood rooted to the spot as people ran past, not believing what was happening.
“Surin!. We must escape” Kar said, desperately pulling oat his friend.
“It was meant to be peaceful. We just needed to talk”
“It has happened, but we must leave or they will kill us, just as much as the Vedic and the others”. Heeding his friend’s advice Surin turned and escaped with the crowd as the Jem’Hadar finished off the remaining protestors too slow to escape.

[Randallw]

Slowly the Dominion fleet travelled through the inner space of the Bajorans home system. The fleet comprised only a handful of warships, but for this operation the solitary transport vessel was considered the key.

Kai Baren peered out of the balcony window of the Great Temple. Ever since the Dominion had been forced to react when the protesters turned violent, incidents of revolt had surged. It was getting dangerous to walk the streets of the capital as groups of religious dissidents and other Bajorans roamed about calling for the expulsion of the Dominion forces on Bajor. Kai Baren knew he had been doing the right thing and wished vehemently the rebels could see sense. Know people were massing at the temple gates demonstrating and throwing torn up rocks at the temple. He was disturbed from his observation of the central plaza by an all too familiar sound of chimes as 3 figures appeared from thin air behind him in a shower of light. The Emissary, flanked by two Jem’Hadar guards appeared. Quickly he ran over to them.
“What are we going to do?” he asked nervously “The rebels seem to grow day by day. Even some of my temple guard are said to have joined them”
“Be patient. The Founders, in their wisdom, have decided on a course of action sure to bring the disturbances to an end” the Vorta explained. For a moment the Kai was taken aback by the Emissarie’s choice of words, he would hardly have described the general revolution of the populace as a disturbance, and he was still uneasy at the Vorta’s use of the title Founders in place of The Prophets.
“I have tried talking to them but they are starting to ignore me” the Kai explained nervously.
“Discussion is the natural way to solve disputes between reasonable men, but I fear we must resort to…cruder means to put down the disruptive elements”
“such as?”

The fleet edged closer to the Bajorans home world. What few warships there were tried to halt it’s progress, but a demonstration of the Dominions might soon swept them from space. As the rebels detected the Dominions advance many small vessels rose from the surface intent on halting the dominions progress, but their weapons were little more than an irritation to the warships and soon the fighters joined their larger companions in oblivion, and then the delivery of the transports cargo began.

“Force?” questioned the Kai in astonishment.
“It has become clear disruptive elements of your population are no longer willing to heed the words of your government. We are sure it is a mere minority of your people that have turned on us for no reason, after all have we not done much of benefit for the Bajoran people. We have traded with you. We have offered assistance. Why you have now started to colonise other planets in your system. Surely you can see even that is a result of the assistance we have given you” the Vorta explained calmly “So it has been decided that in the best interests of peace we shall assist your security forces by eradicating the rebels before they cause too much damage to your innocent civilians. Towards that end we are delivering a contingent of troops to put down the rebellion”. Gradually the Kai could hear further commotion outside. The demonstrators seemed to fall silent before there was a suddenly eruption of screaming, much different from the earlier shouts of anger. Rushing back to the window the Kai pulled back the curtains and looked out upon the temple square. Jem’Hadar troops had appeared in force, almost filling the square, and immediately begun to fire upon the demonstrators. The revolutionaries, armed only with rocks barely stood a chance. Already most of them lay dead as the Jem’Hadar shot them down mercilessly, and peering out into the city the Kai could see further Dominion forces strategically placed to finish off the scattered rebels.
“There are additional legions of troops all over Bajor. We judge it to be little more than a month before the rogue elements are hunted down and removed. Of course the effort we make in bringing stability to you takes up precious resources, as a result we plan to initiate long term projects to bring the Bajoran people more closely into the Dominion. In fact we are prepared to offer you full membership of the Dominion rather than work through the alliance which clearly failed to work”. The Kai was silent. He had always believed what he did was in the best interests of the Bajoran people. Now it seemed his opinion no longer mattered.

[Randallw]

Revas was discussing the maintenance of the engines with the fourth when his earpiece rang. Breaking off his discussion he turned to his control console and opened the communication channel. The Vorta whose image appeared in front of him looked about the same age as he, but this counted for little as Vorta were activated fully grown and when they could no longer serve the founders adequately they were terminated and a new younger version created.
“How may I serve the Founders?” Revas questioned.
“Sensors have detected anomalous readings in one of this systems storm, Take a squadron and investigate” the senior Vorta commanded.
“I will obey” Revas replied before terminating the link. He immediately contacted the other 2 ships in the squadron and relayed the orders. Following normal Dominion procedure one officer was given the orders and in turn passed those orders to those below them. Turning to the helmsman he gave swift orders to head for the storm. Apart from him and the first, none of the crew could actually see where they were going, except by sensors, but this was not important as long as they obeyed. Until now the ships had been guarding, without question, the Wormhole leading to the Federation. Again without question, the Jem’Hadar crew obeyed their orders. Revas was little older than his crew, only 1, and in fact the first was older, in his case 3, but none of the crew would dispute his orders. They were the Jem’Hadar, he was the Vorta, It was the order of things. Revas vessel set a course for the nearby Storm, flanked on either side by the 2 other ships. Revas was anxious to fulfil his orders quickly and get back to the wormhole. If the orders had been urgent he might have risked moving directly through the asteroid field partway to the storm but instead he ordered a heading around the field. Eventually the small squadron reached the storm and headed in.
“Sensor readings?” he asked the fourth.
“Anomalous reading at direct heading” the fourth reported.
“What kind?” demanded Revas. Jem’Hadar were made to fight and were not as technically proficient as other races but the fourth obeyed orders and scanned deeper.
“Unidentified, but roughly indicative of a vessel” the Jem’Hadar finally answered.
“Helm, head deeper into storm” Revas commanded, and the wingships followed. Revas peered through his eyepiece at the storm. Part of him knew it would be impossible for him to see anything the sensors wouldn’t pick up first, but still he strained his eyes, which the founders had deemed not important enough to improve, trying to make out anything within the swirling gasses and ion flares ahead. The strain must have been affecting him because a dark blur started to form just ahead, but then the form started to take shape.
“Sensor read.ings….” Revas shouted as the fourth reported a vessel directly ahead.
Revas looked back at the ship quickly forming in his eyepiece. The vessel, realising it had been discovered, powered up its engines and attempted to flee.
“Vessel is a Federation colony ship” the fourth reported.
Momentarily Revas wondered how a Federation vessel could be in Dominion space. It certainly couldn’t have gotten past the heavily armed defences at the wormhole, which would mean it must have been observing the system since before the border was established. How it came to be here quickly became irrelevant however as the enemy ship was attempting to escape.
“Destroy it” he commanded.
The enemy vessel futilely attempted to escape but it was not built to outrun warships and quickly the squadron caught up to it. They unleashed a hail of fire that tore pieces from it until eventually the weight of fire caused it to explode. Revas ordered the wreckage to be scanned, and then set course out of the storm so he could report what he had discovered. The Dominion would have to ready its defences. Apparently the Federation could not be trusted.

[Atrocities]

Nice chapter.

[El_Phil]

Good to see someone's still writing. I have a start of a chapter lying around and a file full of ideas. The problem is to add the two together....

[Atrocities]

I need to get my arse in gear and do something with OUTS. (Once Upon The Stars).

[Randallw]

The Jem’Hadar moved silently up to the heavy door. Using their battle language the First quickly assigned orders and troops took up position on either side of the door. The squad had worked together for years, ever since their birth and acted in unison. One soldier moved up to the door and placed a small explosive, then moved out of the way. The Jem’Hadar waited as the display counted down and then with a loud blast the door was blown off its mounting. The Jem’Hadar rushed into the house. A dark figure, shrouded by the smoke fired at the soldiers, its shot missing. It never got another shot as it was cut down by Jem’Hadar fire. The soldiers moved through the house, eliminating resistance as they encountered it. They eventually reached the main room they had been briefed on. Knocking down the door they rushed in. One soldier was cut down by amber fire but in return a volley of azure energy took down the armed opponent. One last figure was left and even as it was surrounded it attempted to finish its work, damaging the transmitter whose signal had alerted the Dominion to the secret group’s presence. The humanoid was sent sprawling, knocked down by the butt of a Jem’Hadar blaster. All resistance eliminated the Vorta supervisor came into the room. Looking down on the figure he spoke
“Did you really think you could act within the Dominion without our knowledge” The figure just glared up at him, silent.
“Take him away” the Vorta commanded “I’m sure our friend here has much we might find of value.” The Jem’Hadar pulled the prisoner to its feet, Roughly pushing it along, and as it moved past the Vorta he spoke one more time.
“Isn’t that right, Human”

[boran_blok]

I do have to say I enjoy these chapters seing my actions translated into story. you're a good writer.