Chapter 2: The Merging
There are a couple of words that can accurately describe space: empty, cold, and of course, vast. The distance between stars within galaxies made even the largest supergiants seem tiny by comparison. Despite this fact though, it is possible for life to travel between these seemingly infinite distances in even their short life times. The energy and knowledge necessary for a species to achieve this ability is extraordinarily high. Few civilizations make it to this level without being amazed at their own accomplishments. Afterward though, once faster than light is no longer new, even those speeds can start to seem too slow. On board the USS Defiant, rather than focusing on how fast the ship was now going, the crew was focusing on how slow maximum warp was.
Dax looked at the time. "Ben, if I were you I would start coming up with a Plan B."
"ETA?" asked Sisko.
"Two minutes," replied Dax.
Sisko nodded. "Commander, be prepared to ram the station."
Dax looked at him and then nodded. "Yes sir."
Sisko addressed whole the bridge. "We aren't a match for Deep Space 9, not alone. The Federation is counting on us slowing the Dominion down though. Hopefully we can count on some help from those on the station who still remember us well. In the meantime, we have to do everything we can to slow the Dominion down until the fleet arrives. Is that understood?"
Everyone acknowledged that it was. They all knew the stakes and they all knew time was of the
essence.
"We are coming out of warp in 10 seconds Captain," said Dax.
The viewscreen's look changed as the Defiant came out of warp. There was the station looking the same as when they left it. Something was different though.
Behind the station, thousands of explosions were going off. After a few moments, the light from the explosions stopped. The mines were gone. They were too late.
Dax said, "What do we do now captain?"
Sisko was not one to sit back accept the inevitable. If the Federation was about to die, they would go down fighting to save it or maybe….well either way this would be the end. "Take us into the wormhole."
O'Brien, more than a little shocked, said, "What the hell, we're just going to meet a couple thousand Dominion ships."
Dax wasn't impressed either. "One ship vs. a whole fleet, that's one hell a Plan B."
"Chief, how does that poem end?" It was Garak.
"You don't want to know," said O'Brien, trying to avoid thinking of the words to one of the most famous failures of all time.
The Defiant went through the wormhole. It had traveled through the wormhole more than any other starship. The wormhole had been this crew's discovery. In a way, it was fitting that it should end here.
"Full stop," said Sisko. "Chief, divert all power to forward shields and weapons."
Dax reported, "Captain, I'm reading multiple warp signatures ahead."
"On screen, Maximum magnification."
Thousands of Dominion ships filled the screen. Sisko knew what he was looking at. This single fleet was better than three times the size of the one the largest Federation/Klingon fleet ever assembled was barely beating and it was only the beginning of what the Dominion could send through if it decided more was needed.
Sisko looked at the fleet, and then looked past them into the future. What he saw chilled him to the bone. He saw the end of the Federation. With these reinforcements, they would be at Earth in no time. He could see Jem'Hadar patrolling the streets in front of his father's restaurant. His mind's eye saw a Dominion flag flying in front of Starfleet Command. He saw kids being left as orphans as their parents were executed for being suspected members of resistance cells. He could see the Federation's resources, its ships, its shipyards, and factories being turned into part of the Dominion's war machine. They would be used to conquer others.
Defeat had always been the most likely outcome, but it had never been inevitable. Now that wasn't true anymore. The entire Federation, what it had stood for, there would soon be nothing left. "Lock phasers. Prepare to launch quantum torpedoes."
And then his life was lifted from that plain of existence. The Prophets. As he felt himself in their realm, he got the sense that they wouldn't help, that matters like wars didn't interest them. "Why have you brought me here? Show yourselves. What do you want?"
A figure that looked like Odo appeared. "The Sisko has returned to us." Others started appearing and again disappearing as well. His surroundings looked like DS9, but that of course was an illusion.
Jake: He has arrived with questions.
Kira: There are always questions.
"I didn't ask to come here."
Dukat: You desire to end the game.
"What game? I don't understand."
Weyoun: You wish to end your corporal existence.
Damar: That cannot be allowed.
Odo: The game must not end.
"The game. You mean my life. Is that what this is about? You don't want me to die?"
Dukat: The game must continue.
Weyoun: You are the Sisko.
"Believe me. I don't want to die, but I have to do everything I can to prevent the Dominion from conquering the Alpha Quadrant. If that means sacrificing my life and the life of my crew so be it."
Jake: We do not agree.
Kira: We find your reasoning flawed.
Odo: Insufficient.
"I'm flattered you feel that way but it doesn't change anything. Now send me back to my ship."
The scene did change. He was on the Defiant, but not the real one. "This isn't what I meant. I want to return to my reality."
Damar: You are the Sisko.
"I am also a Starfleet captain. I have a job to do, and I intend to do it."
Weyoun: The Sisko is belligerent.
Dukat: Aggressive.
Damar: Adversarial.
"You're damn right I'm adversarial. You have no right to interfere in my life."
Kira: We have every right.
"Fine, you want to interfere, then interfere. Do something about those Dominion reinforcements.
Odo: That is a corporeal matter.
Dukat: Corporeal matters do not concern us.
"The hell they don't. What about Bajor? You can't tell me Bajor doesn't concern you. You sent the Bajorans orbs and emissaries. You even encouraged them to create an entire religion around you. You even told me once you were of Bajor. So don't you tell me you're not concerned with corporeal matters."
"I don't want to see Bajor destroyed, neither do you, but we know that is exactly what is going to happen if the Dominion takes over the Alpha Quadrant."
Odo: He will not listen.
Damar: We cannot take him.
Kira: He is not choosing to join us.
Dukat: He cannot be allowed to end the game.
Weyoun: It must start at this Sisko's corporeal moment.
Bewildered, Sisko asked, "What, what must start?"
Kira: The Merging.
Sisko was back on the Defiant. It was the real one this time. He looked up at the viewscreen to see the Dominion fleet. Before he could say anything, he was forced to the floor as the ship was thrown from the wormhole. "Report."
Dax who had also been throw from her seat, pushed herself back to her chair. She hit a few buttons in confusion. "We have been thrown just outside the Bajoran system captain."
"And the Dominion?" said Sisko.
Dax shook her head. "I'm not sure."
"Put the wormhole on screen."
The viewscreen switched to showing the location of the wormhole. Ten seconds passed and it didn't open, then 20, then 30, then a full minute.
"Report on the fleet," said Sisko.
O'Brien responded. "Another wave has broken through and will be here in less than 5 minutes."
"Captain," said Dax. "Something has got to be wrong with sensors."
Sisko walked up to his old friend. "What is it?"
"I'm reading thousands of additional stars in the sector. It's like the star count just doubled."
"The Prophets," said Sisko.
Everyone looked to him. Sisko dismissed the thought and ignored the glances. They still needed to take DS9 and get the mines reestablished. He didn't know what the Prophets had done and didn't know if it would be permanent. "What is Deep Space 9's status?"
Dax checked the readings. "If sensors are accurate, their shields are up at all full strength, but their weapons are now offline."
Sisko smiled. "Well done Major." He sat back down. "Take us back to the station and prepare to engage."
"What do you mean that…" Anakin stopped mid-sentence and sat upright. Seeing the change of expression on his face made Padme worry. "Anakin." He didn't respond. "Anakin, what's wrong?"
Anakin stared at her for a moment. "Something just happened."
"What?"
"I don't know."
