Chapter 24 The Final Battle

The main allied armada continued its push into dominion territory eliminating shipyards, garrisons, cloning facilities and weapons manufacturing plants. Finally it came down to the Founders home-world which by now was surrounding by every remaining Jem'Hadar fighter, Warship and Battleship. The enemy fleet totaled over five thousand ships. The allies had to pull whole fleets away from regular duties just to come close to those numbers. Eventually the allies pulled together a fleet of five thousand even. The fleet went through the wormhole on route to the founder's home-world. Odo went with Captain Sisko in hopes that he could convince his people to surrender.

The allied fleet surrounded the planet all weapons were powered up. MAC cannons and Plasma torpedoes were aimed at the Battleships and Warships. Archers and Photon torpedoes locked onto the Jem'Hadar fighters. There were over three thousand of those. The planet was crawling with Jem'Hadar there would be no place to land should it come to landing forces. By Odo's request battle commencement was postponed. Sisko contacted the lead Battleship, and then put Odo on. Odo convinced the Jem'Hadar First to allow him to beam down. They allowed the Defiant to come into transporter range and beam him down. Odo met with other shape-shifters who were suffering from the disease he was infected with by Section 31. He healed one, but the others refused citing fear of solids in general. They allowed him to beam back up. Odo sadly reported that they would have to destroy the remaining Jem'Hadar ships which would mean massive casualties.

The Defiant returned to the fleet, took up position and waited. Then Cortana reported to Sisko. "Cortana to Sisko, MAC rounds and Plasma torpedoes were locked onto as many Battleships and Warships. Mainly Battleships, but a few Warships were targeted as well. Sisko hailed the lead vessel again and offered a surrender option one last time. But the Jem'Hadar First refused, "Victory is life." He said then cut the channel. "Sisko to attack fleet, UNSC and Covenant ships fire at will I repeat fire at will. All other ships provide cover fire." Ordered Sisko

Thousands of MAC rounds and Plasma Torpedoes flew into the Jem'Hadar fleet. An equal number of Battleships were destroyed bringing the number of enemy ships equal to the allies. Another MAC and Plasma torpedo salvo went out this time taking scores of Jem'Hadar fighters. "Sisko to attack fleet, attack pattern Gamma, Defiants and Klingon Bird of Preys engage fighters, Federation fighters, UNSC Longsword and Covenant Seraph-class fighters swarm the larger ships. Engage."

As one the fleet converged on the planet, tens of thousands of archer missiles and photon torpedoes flew into the fleet overwhelming Jem'Hadar shields and destroying several ships. The allied fleet converged on the enemy swarming many of the larger Battleships. After fifteen minutes of combat the battle degraded into an all out brawl for space above the planet. Whole squadrons of fighters were wiped out on both sides. More and more starships were destroyed. Boarding action was initiated on several ships. Dozens of ODSTs boarded several battleships. These ships were quickly captured and the guns turned on the enemy, the transponders were also modified to prevent friendly fire. After two hours of intense combat, only a few hundred Jem'Hadar ships remained. But there were still more allied ships then enemy ships. Sisko hailed the badly damaged Jem'Hadar flagship. He again offered to accept his surrender. "The Founders have ordered me to surrender on one condition." He said

"Name it." Said Sisko

"The Founders request that they be allowed to keep what ships we have left as a defensive force only. They have promised not to build additional ships and try to invade the Alpha Quadrant again. They also request that Odo become part of the Great Link."

"As the Commander of all Allied Forces I hereby accept your surrender." Said Sisko he then opened a channel to the fleet. "Sisko to attack fleet, they've given the surrender order cease fire I repeat cease fire." He said

The fleet ceased fire and evacuated from the battle. Many ships were lost, several more were disabled, and those ships were towed away from battle. Sisko again contacted the Jem'Hadar First and requested that he meet him on the planet while Sisko got together a diplomatic team. The First agreed. Captains Sisko and Keyes, Admirals Hood and Ross, and the Arbiter were all beamed down to the planet to discuss terms of surrender. They all met with the Founder, a Vorta assistant and a Jem'Hadar First. The Terms of Surrender were drafted prior to departure and are as follows.

The Dominion must pull its troops off occupied worlds and congregate them at the Founder's home world.

The Dominion must cease all shipbuilding and weapons making activities which include the breeding of Jem'Hadar.

The Dominion may keep a defensive force of two hundred ships. The rest are to be given to the Allies as compensation for lost ships in the war.

The Dominion will be disbanded and will not attack other worlds to subjugate them. Financial restitution will also be made to the Allies.

The Founders accepted the terms and Odo joined them in the Great Link. A number of enemy ships were turned over to allied control and taken to allied shipyards in the Alpha quadrant and through the rift. These ships were mostly decommissioned and the resources used to build hundreds of ships and to repair those too badly damaged to be repaired otherwise. Within months ship numbers and shipbuilding capacity was back up to where it was prior to the war. By the end of the war the campaign to eliminate all the halos in this galaxy was nearly over. Meanwhile the Brutes began to stir up trouble again and the Elite put down a Brute rebellion and destroyed whatever space force they had left. They didn't invade the planet though, as a promise to the Federation that they would let the species live. But the Elites agreed on one condition: that if the Brutes stirred up trouble again they would glass the home world of the Brutes which the Federation agreed to.