From: Shawn _ (alamo_nate_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Jan 05 2008 - 02:21:11 PST
=Outnumbered=
(cont'd from "Declaration of War")
LOCATION: GATEWAY Station
SCENE: Space
STARDATE: [2.8]0105.0247
For the second time in only a few days, GATEWAY Station fought for its life. The Dominion had learned from their last assault, and this time they had planned for the Federation fleet that now defended the station. As a result, the Dominion's attack was far more effective- their initial barrage had broken Federation lines and left GATEWAY exposed to attack, and it was only a last minute effort by the fleet's flagship, the USS PATRIOT, that drove them back once more.
Once again, the tiny fleet of Federation ships traded fire with Dominion ships, but no longer were they the surprise reinforcements there to save the day- now, they were simply another obstacle taken into account by the Dominion's attack strategy. Of course, it was difficult for *any* Dominion tactician to factor in the resolve of the Starfleet personelle who fought for GATEWAY's survival, but even resolve can only go so far.
This battle, as with many battles throughout the history of the galaxy, was decided before the first shot was ever fired. GATEWAY Station and the ships that defended it were all crewed by brave, intelligent, and resourceful beings, each one with the potential to tip the battle in their favor, but this advantage meant little in the face of the sheer numbers massed by the Dominion. Even if this entire wave of Dominion ships were somehow disabled or destroyed, there were three more waves, each just as big, on standby and waiting for the order to proceed. In fact, the only reason the Dominion commanders had ordered them to wait was to reduce the number of traffic around GATEWAY Station- it was harder to prosecute a battle when you have more chance of hitting your *own* forces instead of your enemy's.
But for every inch of GATEWAY Station, the Dominion would pay. For the Federation fleet and the crew of GATEWAY had known this moment might come- that the Dominion would return to destroy them all- and they had not sat idly by. New attack patterns were put in motion that wrought havoc on Dominion ships. Modified shields and phasers baffled Dominion commanders, and many a Dominion battlecruiser was left broken and useless in their wake. For every member of the Dominion engaged in this battle, the message from Starfleet was clear: over our dead bodies.
Unfortunately, the Dominion simply did the math, and realized that it could absorb the losses. For them, "over our dead bodies" was quite feasible.
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LOCATION: Dominion Flagship
SCENE: Bridge
Vertec was bored.
She could appreciate how those with more taste for melodrama than herself might find the battle before her almost compelling. The Federation forces, again hopelessly outnumbered and fighting a losing battle, refused to fall, refused to give in. Their struggle was the type that might inspire poems in the years to come. However, any poems would be written long after everyone who stood between the Dominion and the GATEWAY was dead.
Vertec had never understood this particular aspect of humanity- this commitment to "ideals" and "principles", so strong that they were worth dying for. Certainly, Vertec would not hesitate to give her own life in the defense of a Founder, or at the command on one, but that was different- Vertec *knew* the Founders were gods, and to die in their service was something to be aspired to by all Vorta and Jem'Hadar.
But no human had ever held an "ideal" in their hand. No human had known that their principles were correct, that people would still care long after they were dead. Vorta had only a passing familiarity with the history of Earth, but she was aware that the humans themselves had been very warlike in their younger years. Surely, many of those who had died in the service of human tyrants had believed they were dying for some kind of "greater good"- and yet, their history would regard them as fools fighting for an insane, hopeless cause.
Such was the nature of the battle before them. Vertec was sure that every being now arrayed against her was certain of itself, totally committed to whatever sacrifices it would have to make; however, all of that was irrelevant. The Dominion *would* win this battle. The Federation *would* be removed from the Gamma Quadrant. History would remember this as a border skirmish at best- the names of those who fought and died here would barely be noted by historians. And yet, despite this, the Federation fought on.
Vertec couldn't understand it. Their plight was pointless. While poets, romantics, and anyone else with a less than practical outlook might find it inspiring, Vertec only found it tiresome- a sort of "Yes yes, you're all *very* brave and all that, but some of us have places to be, so why don't you just give in and get it over with?" outlook on the entire situation.
Still, no matter how bothersome she found it, Vertec had been given a job by the Founders themselves, and she would perform it to the best of her abilities. Although she found the entire affair entirely pointless, and took absolutely no pleasure in her systematic destruction of the Federation fleet, she took care to ensure that she was effective. And for all their bravado, the Federation was certainly reeling against the Dominion assault.
It was only a matter of time.
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NRPG: So were in a bit of a desperate situation- the wormhole has reopened, but good luck reaching it with the might of the Dominion fleet arrayed against us. Starfleet hopefully has reinforcements coming, but can we hold out until they arrive?
Or, maybe we have a few more surprises in store for the Dominion. ;-)
Shawn
a.k.a.
Jake Crichton, Lieutenant
Chief of Engineering
GATEWAY Station, GS-2
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Nov 19 2008 - 03:10:45 PST