Episode Seven: Ende Des Krieges
By: Brandon Grasmick
Time.
It all came down to time. Time was running out, for the Dominion.
Even with their new Breen allies, there was a Cardassian revolt.
The Breen attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco only
served as a boost for the Federation-Klingon-Romulan forces to
fight harder. But still, the newly found steam for the alliance
was running out itself. The Cardassian revolt was in complete
shambles, and the Dominion retained control of most of its
Cardassian puppets. Damar still was leading what was left of his
rebellion, and took it to Cardassia Prime. Yes, time was running
out for the Dominion. They knew they were losing the war, and
intended to take as much of the alliance down with them, knowing
that would leave them vulnerable for a future attack. The
Federation and her allies knew it was time to strike, but they
knew it would not be easy.
"You are sending us WHERE, Admiral?" Grasmick inquired.
"DS9. Vice-Admiral Ross is planning the final assault on
Cardassia. With any luck, we should be able to kick the Dominion
all the way back to the Gamma Quadrant."
"That doesn't explain our involvement, Bennett."
"Ross has heard a few things about you and the
Sovereign."
"I just don't up and take the Sovereign and crew
out of a MAJOR line of defense. Who has been telling Bill Ross
about me?"
"Ben Sisko. I guess you and him played a little to much
baseball together. Anyway, Sisko wants you there, because he
knows you are too stuborn to quit fighting. He must think that
will help us win the battle quicker."
"Or drain our torpedo supply dry."
"No, that would have been me about 49 years ago when I
was commanding the McKinley."
"Oh great, stories of a time when I wasn't even born
yet."
"That was 35 years ago."
"Thank you for reminding me. We're on our way. End
transmission."
"Oh great," Captain Grasmick said to himself
as he tapped his comm badge, "Grasmick to senior staff,
report to the observation lounge for a breifing on our next
mission. Grasmick to bridge, set course for Deep Space Nine and
engage at maximum warp."
Grasmick breifed his crew about the upcomming mission. There was
the usual belly acheing from 'Tac' Wilson, and the usual
mentioning of logic from Mr. Tumok, but there was something else.
Everybody was excited, as well as scared. They knew the war would
be over soon, but they knew that the battle would be intense, and
knew they might not make it back.
"Ops has cleared us for docking on upper pylon 2, Captain.
Captain Sisko and Admiral Ross would like to speak with you
immediately." Tac reported.
"Tac, ask them if I can beam directly into ops."
Grasmick ordered.
"Standby," Tac made the inquiry, "Yes, sir. They
will allow you to beam in there."
"Very well, I'm on my way. Commander Ryan, the bridge is
yours. Continue docking procedures."
Grasmick beamed aboard DS9. "Welcome back, Captain."
Captain Sisko said when he greeted him.
"Good to see you again, Ben. So, we are finally going to do
this and finish them off once and for all."
"And it is about damn time, too. How's the Big Sov holding
up?"
"Quite well, actually. I bet she could take care of your new
Defiant in a battle."
"Well, with you on the Sovereign, anything is
possible. Ross is waiting for us in my ready room. He is admiring
my model of the concept design of the Nebula-class."
"Admirals are always softies for the class of a ship that
they commanded in their day."
Grasmick and Sisko walked into Sisko's office. "Good to
finally meet you in persion, Captain Grasmick. Admiral Bennett
speaks highly of you." Ross said.
"Thank you, Admiral. Can we get this meeting over with? I
would like to get to the end of this war, I have a few things I
would like to do, such as shoreleave."
"Very well. The Sovereign will lead a group of 5
ships, consisting of the Sovereign, the Odyssey,
the Venture, the Missouri, and the Hawk."
"The Hawk is an SSOS ship. Defiant-class
if I'm not mistaking."
"SSOS wants in on this, so don't get all uptight. We want
your group to take on large Dominion vessels, and odviously the
small ones that get in your way."
"What kind of opposition can we expect?"
"In your department, we think that they have 3 of their new
'supercrusiers,' plus one more at Cardassia Prime. Expect a full
complement of the standard large crusiers, plus Cardassian ships
that aren't in Damar's control, but even if they were in his
control, they would likely have been destroyed when the Jem'Hadar
whiped out Damar's rebel bases."
"And what about Damar? He is in hiding, trying to fight the
rebellion the best he can on Cardassia."
"We have recieved word that he will attempt to kill the
power supply on Cardassia Prime. That should knock out all of
their communications with their fleet."
"Sounds like this will be a bit easier then fighting
Borg."
"It does indeed. Good luck, Captain. We leave
tomarrow."
The next morning, the fleet left. It wasn't a long trip to the
front lines, and almost immediately the fight began. The Dominion
didn't plan on going down.
"Hawk to Sovereign, we have a supercrusier
in our sights. Shall we procede with an attack?
"Affirmative, be careful, one of these took out the Valiant.
Grasmick to all ships in area, we need assistance in
attacking...." The Sovereign was rocked by a hit.
"Breen vessel dead ahead." Tac reported.
"Fire torpedoes!"
The Sovereign fired her torpedoes, but something else
also fired on the ship.
"Captain! The Cardassian vessels are firing on the Dominion
and Breen ships!"
"Hot diggety damn! I guess they've had it with their
Dominion 'allies.' Hail all ship in the this area, including the
Cardassian ships, tell them to fire on that supercrusier."
"Aye, skipper."
"Don't call me that."
The Sovereign, along with an assortment of Klingon,
Romulan, and Cardassian ships, began a massive assault on the
supercrusier. That ship died, on a Tri-Cobalt torpedo blast from
the Sovereign. No one was expecting what happened next.
"Captain?"
"Yes, Tac?"
"You see the samething that I do on the screen?"
"The Dominion ships warping the hell out of here?"
"Oh good, I thought I was haluciating. Scanners indicate
that they are all retreating to Cardassia Prime. We are
recieveing a message from the lead Cardassian ship. They switched
sides because the Dominion destroyed a city on Cardassia, killed
everyone there."
"It would seem that Damar's rebellion struck a nerve."
"I guess."
"Commander Ryan, go to sickbay and make sure Tobin is
alright. Tac, get Ross on subspace, I'll take it in my ready
room. Tumok, the bridge is yours."
"We are going to Cardassia, and finish them off."
Ross said
"Good. Let's end this once and for all."
And so the Federation fleet went to Cardassia. It was discovered
that the Dominion was killing, exterminating rather, every single
Cardassian. The Jem'Hadar found where Damar, Garak, and Kira were
hiding, and just as they were about to be executed, the
Cardassians that were with the Jem'Hadar that were about to pull
the trigger, shot those Jem'Hadar with their phasers. Not long
later, the exermanation began. Damar and his group began an
assault on the Dominion headquarters, and Damar was killed, along
with several other members of the group, but the assault was a
sucess. They found the Dominion leadership in the area, one of
the founders. The founders are Changlings, a species that can
change ship at will, into anything. Sisko's chief of security,
who is also a changling, went to speak with the founder, and with
that, the war was over.
"Odo did WHAT, Ben?"
"He linked with the female Changeling. That means that
he..."
"I know what it means when Changlings are linked. What did
they talk about?"
"She will stand trial for war crimes, for one. The
Diplomatic Corps is working out the final details of the
Dominion's surrender."
"It's over, Ben. Finally, it's all over. Three years, and
countless lives on both sides."
"I heard you guys blew the heck out of some ships."
"The Sovereign held her own, yes."
"You have a fine ship here, Brandon."
"Thanks."
"I best be going, Admiral Ross wants me to work on the final
battle reports, and speak with one of the Diplomatic Corps guys.
Also, I understand that the Sovereign has orders to report to
Earth."
"Alright, but before you leave, do you want to go down to
the holodeck and hit a few balls? I have a new baseball
program."
"I would be honored."
The Sovereign docked in Earth Orbital Spacedock.
"We are home, ladies and gents!" Grasmick exclaimed.
"About bloody time." Commander Ryan said.
"Yeah, what she said," Tac said, "If you don't
mind, I'm going to go see my father." Tac then left the
bridge, bound for Spacedock's control center.
"Captain, docking procedures are complete." Tumok said.
"Good," Grasmick tapped his comm badge, "Grasmick
to senior staff, please report to the restaurant, lounge, or
whatever it is that overlooks the ship over on Spacedock.
Grasmick out."
"Captain, isn't all of the senior staff except Peterson here
on the bridge?" Hathaway asked.
"Well, true." Grasmick and the rest of the senior staff
left for the observation lounge on spacedock.
Grasmick had his staff lauphing. "Then there was the time
when I was on the Enterprise. Data, La Forge, and I were on the
holodeck when..." Hathaway interrpted him.
"Oh come on, enough stories of your Starfleet carreer."
"This comming from my ship's counselor who listens to people
like me tell her stories."
"The war is over. I'm celebrateing."
"How about you, Tumok?" Grasmick asked, "It's your
turn to tell a story."
"That would be illogical, Captain.
"That was a good meal, Ma." Tac said.
"Thank you, Sammy. Now, tell us about how you've been
holding up."
"Oh, enough Christine."
"Thank you Admiral Dad."
"You had to up and call me that, didn't you Son?
"Well, you are an Admiral, Dad."
"No need to tell me that."
"That was an interesting story, Tumok."
"Thank you, Captain."
"I thought so, too."
"BENNETT!" Grasmick screamed when his old friend walked
in.
"Can we talk alone?"
"Sure," Grasmick and Bennett walked away from the
table, "What's up?"
"Brandon, you are damn lucky. You are only 35, and you are
being offered your first admiral's star."
"No."
"Brandon, it gets you an assignment on Earth, you could live
in your own home for a change."
"Bob, I've found my calling. Don't you dare try to take me
away from the Sovereign."
"So you are turning down the promotion?"
"Yes."
"Well, I guess you stay a Captain. Hell, I feel more
comfortable with you as a captain in charge of a starship."
"Not just any starship. The Sovereign."