Our Man in…
By Oonagh
Disclaimer: I don't own Deep Space Nine. Duh!
Author's note: This is a very old story that I came across the other day and decided
to fix up and post. I'm still not sure it was worth the effort.
This War is Not Over
(Story by Jake Sisko, Staff Reporter)
These words were today uttered by Captain Benjamin Sisko, in a moving speech before he ordered the evacuation of his command, Deep Space Nine. As is well known on all Federation planets Deep Space Nine is truly the final frontier, situated at the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant from whence came the Dominion under the guise of peace.
Today the tensions between the Federation and the Cardassian/Dominion alliance finally culminated in war, a war in which DS9 was the first victim.
The Dominion began this war with an attack on DS9 – with no provocation, just a desire for conquest. Before the attack took place the crew of the Starship Defiant, under lieutenant Commander Dax, successfully completed a mission essential to the defence of the Federation – at the cost of many good officers. This reporter himself witnessed the events which followed; events the like of which I have never before seen and hope to never see again. War is far from pretty. The Dominion fleet attacked and was repelled by the station's defences, although great damage was sustained to our shields. The number of lives lost is as yet unconfirmed but reports suggest that at least 90 people were killed in the initial attack. And not all of them were soldiers.
The second attack was more successful and managed to punch holes in the shields in several places. DS9 was now truly vulnerable and no option was left but for Starfleet to evacuate the station. This decision was not taken lightly. It was, according to Captain Sisko, the most painful decision he could ever have been asked to make. Leaving behind friends and allies – leaving them to the mercies of a ruthless, vengeful enemy – went against everything Starfleet stands for. But there truly was no choice.
Major Kira Nerys, of the Bajoran Militia, officially welcomed the Cardassian Gul Dukat and the Dominion representative, Weyoun, on board what is now called Terok Nor. This was an agonising task to complete and a painful thing to watch. The Bajorans had fought long and hard to gain control of the station that had once been used to subjugate their planet and now all that work and blood and death appeared to have been for nothing.
The only comfort to be had was in the fact that the enemy may have won the battle but most definitely not the war. What we knew, but the victors had yet to learn, was that as DS9 fell Starfleet had totally annihilated the Dominion shipyards on Taures 3. Most definitely not the war.
This knowledge alone served to reassure those of us left behind on Deep Space Nine – The sacrifice of the final frontier had not been in vain.