The Dominion was a major galactic political power, whose influence was exerted over thousands of planets in the Gamma Quadrant of the Duyi'zu MilkyWay Galaxy. The Dominion was created by the Founders, a group of Changelings who resided on a rogue planet within the Omarion Nebula. Absolute rule of the Dominion remained in the hands of the Founders and their Great Link, whose decisions could not be disputed under any circumstances.
For over some 2000 years, the Dominion conquered countless worlds, maintaining order with their genetically modified minions and armies; the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar.
However, the Founders were largely content to leave the administration of the Dominion's daily affairs to the Vorta. The loyalty of the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar was genetically-engineered, which in most cases ensured absolute obedience to the Founders. The Founders themselves were rarely seen, even by their servant races, and were treated as gods or myths. Due to such a social standing within the Dominion, most of what the Dominion's member races carried out were often for the glory of the Founders, or to please them in some way, similar to how religious figures prayed or carried out an action to please their god(s). The Dominion joined the Coalition of Independent States during the conflict with the Alpha Quadrant and taken part of the First Multiverse War, however, the they had their own agendas of slowly gaining control and manipulate not only the members of the Alliance and the Axis as spies, but also their own ‘allies’.
History[]
Ancient History[]
It was founded and led by a group of Changelings called the Founders founded in 372 AD (410 BNE) as the founders establish an Omarion Nebula-based homeworld as one of the recorded memories of the Great Link. In the past, Changelings roamed the stars and explored their home galaxy. However, while they came in peace, the Changelings were "beaten, hunted, and killed" by the non-Changeling races referred as "solids" who feared their metamorphic abilities. According to Dominion legend, on one planet, a group of Vorta – a species of small, timid, ape-like forest dwellers living in hollowed-out trees – saved a Changeling from an angry mob by hiding it, and in return the Changeling promised that one day they would be transformed into powerful beings and placed at the head of a vast interstellar empire.
Retreat to the Omarion Nebula[]
Following their retreat to a rogue planet inside the Omarion Nebula, the Changelings sought to ensure that they would never again be at the mercy of the solids by imposing "order upon a chaotic universe" around them. Over time, they sent out 100 infant Changelings, including Odo and Laas, in order to continue gathering information and explore. It was genetically coded into these infants for them to return around the 27th century and share what they have learned.
First Multiverse War[]
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Main article: First Multiverse War |
First Contact with the Alpha Quadrant[]
The Dominion made first contact with the Federation when they briefly captured Commander Benjamin Sisko, commanding officer of Deep Space 9, his son Jake Sisko, Jake's best friend Nog and Nog's uncle Quark in the year 2370 on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant. Relations were immediately strained when Jem'Hadar fighters destroyed the USS Odyssey which had been sent to rescue Sisko and the party.
Tensions grew between the Dominion and the major Alpha Quadrant powers, however by 2373 (1510 NE), Gul Skrain Dukat of the Cardassian Union managed to strike a deal with the Dominion and the two governments formed an alliance.
It became aware to the Federation with the help of a fellow Changeling Odo, who discovered that many Changelings have infiltrated many allied factions, even the Coalition itself after they uncovered the truth of the renegade Narn splinter factions that formed the puppet state Narn Empire after defecting the Narn Regime to fight the Centauri Republic to bring the two major races of the Bab'lonin Milky Way to wage a war, using them as a puppet for several years until it was removed after their secret was exposed by G'Kar and Odo of their plans.
A squad of Jem’hadar forces reported back on the attack on the Oleth Cluster between three Axis members and revealed this to the Coalition who took advantage of their confusion to strike the Axis controlled territories in the Liuo’opui Universe before the Alliance would move in.
Government[]
The Dominion was organized under a strict hierarchy, with the Founders at the top, then the Vorta as administrators, and the Jem'Hadar as soldiers next. This arrangement was referred to as "the order of things" and deviation from it was punishable by death. The Founders held ultimate authority and their decisions could not be questioned under any circumstances. However, the Founders were largely apathetic towards the affairs of solids and were content to leave the administration of the Dominion to the Vorta. The Vorta commanded the Jem'Hadar and disseminated ketracel-white crucial for their survival.
Society[]
Culture[]
Military[]
Technology[]
By the time of the Dominion War, and later the First Multiverse War, Dominion technology appeared to have significantly outpaced that of most Alpha Quadrant species.
Instead of phased energy or disruptor beams, Jem'Hadar rifles emitted powerful polaron beams. They had a side effect of acting as an anticoagulant in some humanoids, thereby impeding the natural wound healing process.
Similarly, Dominion warships displayed more impressive firepower than their Alpha Quadrant counterparts. Phased polaron beams were mounted on all Jem'Hadar attack ships. These initially cut through Federation shielding without effort; however, the DS9 crew subsequently managed to adapt their shields to withstand Dominion weapons for short periods. By the time of the Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, Federation shields had no more difficulty withstanding polaron weaponry than any other energy weapon. The Breen also wielded a huge advantage on the battlefield with an energy dissipating weapon, which was capable of disabling Federation and Romulan vessels with a single shot. Effective countermeasures were eventually developed by Starfleet engineers.
Dominion transporters utilized transponders, which enabled them to transport individuals across distances as far as three light years.
Dominion warp capability was less advanced when compared to most major Alpha Quadrant species. A Dominion fighter was capable of at least warp 7 and a battle cruiser was capable of at least warp 4.7.
While some Dominion technology was in many ways more advanced than that of the Federation, the Vorta Keevan once lamented that Starfleet engineers were famed for being able to "turn rocks into replicators". At least some Dominion technology was manufactured by Dominion member species; it is known, for example, that at least one type of torpedo carried on board Jem'Hadar attack vessels was sold to the Dominion by the Karemma, a Dominion member. The Jem'Hadar did, however, seem capable of performing not only some minor and emergency repairs, but also understanding complex engineering on even Starfleet vessels.
After joining the Coalition in the early 16th Century New Era, they had acquired Kleiner-Freeman-Vance Drive Systems to travel to multiple universes to expand their control and potential galaxies.
Territory[]
The Dominion had established an empire approximately 4,000 light years long and 3,000 light years wide by the late 23rd century Duyi’zu, which by the late 24th century had grown to be approximately 10,000 light years long and 5,000 light years wide. Ruling a territory that was several times larger than all of the interstellar entities of known space combined in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants in the late 24th century.