Crossing the Threshold

[Cptn Swain 0]

Purple masses slid slowly out of their blockade formations and into more threatening assault postures as they hovered above Tarwani Prime. The twenty four hour period that the Vorta overseer had given the people of Tarwani to surrender had come and gone with no sign of capitulation. Maliv, the Vorta in command of the Dominion fleet had reluctantly ordered his fleet into position. He had hoped, beyond hope, that the Tarwani would see reason, they would accept the terms offered to them and return to work. It served no one, he had reminded Taenix, for them to slaughter the Tarwani people, but he knew that they had little choice.

 

Entering the command center of his dreadnaught, he took the eyepiece handed to him by his first and blinked to activate it. “Open a channel with the planet.”

 

Automatically and without hesitation the communications officer did as he was commanded. A few moments later, Alana appeared before him.

 

“Greetings.” She said calmly, far more so than he would have imagined.

 

“Greetings,” Maliv said. “This is your final chance for mercy. Though I do not wish it, you have given us few options, and we have given you many chances at clemency. I beg you to consider the fate of your people.”

 

“I have,” Alana said sharply. “We remain steadfast in our resolve. We will be free and it is I who offer you a chance at mercy, a chance to spare your troops. We are not as defenseless as you may think. As we speak, the planetary defense grid is coming online. Doubtless you are already aware, but it was designed to defend our planet, my home, from the Scorpiad. My people abhor violence. In all of our long years of servitude we have remained loyal, peaceful subjects; but that time is ending. We will defend ourselves, our land, our lives. If you do not leave our system and grant our demands for independence, you will be destroyed.”

 

Maliv instantly glared at this First, who was already confirming that the massive defense grid had been activated. He seethed. The grid was protected by a multifractal code, and required Vorta genetic coding to activate. The Hundred. Seeing the confirmation, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

 

“I will not be threatened by you. I warned you that violent resistance would only bring more death to your people. I have been commanded to bring you to heel, and by the Founders I will do as I must. I tell you again, surrender.”

 

“Then so be it. May the gods grant you mercy.”

 

The communications feed fizzled. Maliv felt what he could only assume to have been anger welling inside him. Gathering his strength, he looked to the matter at hand. “Destroy the defense grid and then move our forces into place. Begin deployment of ground troops as soon as the grid is disabled. Do not target industrial facilities, only population centers. Round them up. If their leaders survive, I want them brought to me.”

 

“As you Command.”

 

The Jem’Hadar were for all intents and purposes organic weapons. Mechanical in their resolve, they did as they were commanded. They lived and died on command. While some soldiers may have flinched at facing the onslaught of the upgraded defense grid, but not the Jem’Hadar.

 

The fleet began moving into position as the arrays on the mobile defense platforms orbiting the planet erupted in shower of bursts of white energy streaking towards the swarm of vessels. Below, in a saferoom far beneath the capitol, Alana huddled with her council as they watched a monitor displaying the battle above. She had made her gambit, now she must wait and see if the gods showed mercy and favor.