Severely weakened from years of civil strife, Maquis rebellion, and war with the Klingons,
by 2373 the Cardassian Union was reduced to a third rate power, unable to defend their
borders and by some accounts even suffering food shortages on their homeworld.
In addition, due to their proximity to the Bajoran wormhold, it was entirely possible
they might become the first major target of a Dominion Invasion fleet, when they began
their inevitable invasion of the Alpha Quadrant.
Deciding that something drastic needed to be done, Gul Dukat, a prominent figure in
cardassian politics with connection both to the military and civilian factions of their
government, overthrew the Detapa Council by negotiating a deal to voluntarily bring the
Cardassian Union into the Dominion.
This mutually beneficial arrangement would leave Gul Dukat as the unchallenged ruler
of the Cardassian people, while the Dominion gained a much needed foothold in the region
from where they might launch a full on invasion of the Alpha Quadrant.
At first, this relationship proved beneficial, as Dominion reinforcements allowed the Cardassian
Union to finally crush the Maquis rebellion, and recapture all territories lost to the
Klingon Empire.
In addition to ships and soldiers, the Dominion brought food and necessary supplies with many
believing that at last the years of scarcity and hardship were at an end.
Meanwhile, after being swiftly defeated by Dominion forces, Chancellor Gowron was ready
to retreat into Klingon space and prepare for a fight to the death, but was instead
convinced by Benjamin Sisko of DS9 to re-sign the Khitmor Accords, and once again ally with
the Federation to face the approaching enemy together.
Although war had not yet been officially declared, the Federation-Klingon Alliance was determined
to prevent the arrival of more Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant, however their initial
plan to collapse the wormhole was sabotaged by a changeling infiltrator posing as doctor
Julian Bashir aboard deep space nine.
Fortunately the deception was eventually revealed and the enemy agent destroyed when a number
of prisoners, including the real Dr. Bashir and General Martok of the Klingon Empire,
escaped a dominion penal colony and returned to the Alpha Quadrant.
Still needing to stop ships from coming through the wormhole, the Federation alliance came
up with a plan to litter the area with self-replicating mines, fully aware this would be seen as a
hostile action and provocation for war.
And so began the Dominion War, with Gul Dukat, alongside Wayoun of the Vorta, overseeing
the Dominion war effort, beginning with an invasion fleet sent to capture Deep Space
Nine, so they might destroy the minefield.
Opposing this Gamma Quadrant power, would be the Federation, whose forces were led by
Admiral William Ross, and the Klingon Empire whose warriors followed General Martok.
Realiizing they were unlikely to win the opening battle at Deep Space Nine, the Federation
alliance sis not defend their position, instead hurrying to finish placing the minefield around
the wormhole, and abandoning the station, arranging for the computer systems to be sabotaged
before the arrival of enemy forces.
Then, with the invasion fleet distracted at Deep Space Nine, the Federation Alliance sent
their ships to destroy enemy shipyard on Torros III, thereby making it a costly victory for
the Dominion.
As the war escalated further, the Dominion quickly found themselves in the superior position,
winning the vast majority of early confrontations, including their victory in the Tyra system
against the Seventh Fleet, destroying 98 out of 112 enemy ships.
Fortunately for the Federation Alliance, their minefield was proving difficult to dismantle
and so no new enemy reinforcements could arrive.
In addition the Alliance found some success in smaller scale confrontations, successfully
destroying individual shipyards and ketracel white facilities.
Eventually this led to a shortage that threatened to destabilize Dominion forces, as Jem Hadar
warriors were known to go mad without the white.
Nevertheless, the Dominion were largely winning the war, as the Federation alliance was constantly
pushed further back into their own territory.
In desperate need of a significant victory, and knowing that the minefield was all that
kept Dominion reinforcements from flooding into the Alpha Quadrant to secure their victory,
Benjamin Sisko, recently promoted to Adjutant to Admiral Ross, organized Operation Return,
gathering a Federation-Klingon armada to retake Deep Space Nine.
Unfortunately, Chancellor Gowron was hesitant to commit so many of their ships to a single
engagement, and so Sisko sent Commander Worf and General Martok to convince him to commit
his forces.
However as the fleet was gathering, Sisko received a message from trusted friends who
had formed a Alliance resistance cell on Deep Space Nine, informing him that the Dominion
were days away from destroying the minefield which would mean thousands of new ships brought
in to join their war effort.
Believing they could not wait for the rest of the Armada to assemble, Sisko led nearly
700 federation ships into the battle, determined to stop those reinforcements from coming through
the wormhole.
Although they fought well, the Federation was badly outnumbered, and defeat was all
but assured, if not for the late arrival of the Klingon fleet, which allowed Benjamin
Sisko aboard the Defiant to pass through an opening in the enemy line.
Much to their disappointment, the crew soon learned that they were too late, and the minefield
was destroyed.
However Sisko refused to retreat, instead ordered his ship to fly directly into the
wormhole, where the defiant would await the 2800 dominion ships coming through from the
other side, in a desperate last stand to eliminate as many enemy vessels as possible before they
passed into the Alpha Quadrant.
However due to the special relationship between the non corporial Aliens known as the Prophets
and their Emissary Benjam Sisko, he received a vision while inside the wormhole.
When the Prophets made it clear they could not allow the Sisko to die, he convinced them
to intercede on his behalf, causing all Dominion reinforcements to instantly vanish, and would
prevent any future enemy ships from passing through the wormhole.
Shocked and utterly perplexed at the loss of their reinforcements, on whom they were
depending to win the battle, the Dominion quickly abandoned deep space nine and retreated
into Cardassian space.
All except Gul Dukat, who suffered a nervous breakdown after losing the battle and watching
his second in command Damar kill his daughter Ziyal after she admitted to working with the enemy.