Dominion

The Dominion is one of several playable factions in Star Trek Online. It is a major galactic political power based in the Gamma Quadrant, whose influence is exerted over thousands of planets there. It was created by the Changelings, a species of s native to a rogue planet within the, who refer to themselves as "The Founders." The Dominion's subject worlds are kept in check by Vorta administrators and formidable Jem'Hadar soldiers.

Player Characters
Since the release of Victory is Life, players can create a Jem'Hadar character. Regardless of other characters on that account, Jem'Hadar characters start at level 60. Like other factions' characters, Dominion players must choose a career (analogous to a 'class' from other MMORPGs) and a species (or race). Neither can be subsequently altered. Later, when the player reaches a higher rank, a starship must also be selected, which can, however, be changed at any time.



At the end of, players also have to choose to either align with the Federation or the Klingon Empire. Jem'Hadar characters will retain their UI as well as their exclusive costumes. However, they cannot build their own fleet starbases and will instead be able to join fleets and teams, as well as visit social hubs of their chosen ally.

Classes

 * See main article: Profession

In Star Trek Online when creating a character, players must choose which permanent career path they wish their character to adopt. Players are able to currently choose from the three careers below. Each profession has its own advantages (and, of course, disadvantages) in the game play of Star Trek Online.

Unlike other playable factions, Jem'Hadar characters come with certain career-specific startup unlocks, which can, however, be either developed further over time or altered by spending premium in-game currency, or in some cases for free, to match those of any of the three careers below:

Races
Dominion characters are far more limited than other factions in terms of available races, due to the unique structure of the Dominion's military. Players can choose from the freely available Jem'Hadar and premium (purchasable) Jem'Hadar Vanguard with additional space combat bonuses.

Starships

 * See main article: Dominion playable starships

Jem'Hadar players get one free Tier 5 vessel as well as a fighter, and can choose from a variety of other paid-for starships as well as vessels of the faction they choose to align with after.

Each starship has numerous sub-types for different ranks and styles of play, and each of those sub-types with a number of cosmetic variants.

Jem'Hadar characters may also fly almost any ship of their respective ally - the Federation or the Klingon Empire. Ally ships which are unusable by the Dominion players are:
 * Chimera/Manticore Heavy Destroyer (All variants)
 * Peghqu'/Duvqu' Heavy Destroyer (All variants)
 * Command Assault Cruiser (All variants)
 * Captain's Yacht
 * DujHod Chariot

Storyline missions
Following, Dominion characters join the regular story from. They are able to play all previous Star Trek Online missions, accessible for their chosen faction, but they do so as a simulation rather than an event happening to their character.

Culture
Absolute rule of the Dominion remains in the hands of the Founders and their, whose decisions cannot be disputed under any circumstances. However, the Founders are largely content to leave the administration of the Dominion's daily affairs to the Vorta. The loyalty of the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar is genetically-engineered, which in most cases ensured absolute obedience to the Founders. The Founders themselves are rarely seen, even by their servant races, and are often treated as gods or myth. Due to such a social standing within the Dominion, most of what the Dominion's member races carry out are often for the glory of the Founders, or to please them in some way, similar to how religious figures would pray or carry out an action to please their god(s).

The Dominion prefers to eliminate threats through influence and espionage, only launching military strikes when the usual tactics are unsuccessful.

Origins
Thousands of years ago the Changelings were a peaceful people who explored the galaxy much as Starfleet does today. However, they were persecuted by the "s" they encountered, and eventually retreated to in the. From there they founded a vast interstellar empire intended to remove or subjugate all potential threats to the Changelings and impose order on the galaxy. The Vorta, initially a race of tree-dweeling primates, were genetically uplifted to become the Founder's administrators.

Shortly after its formation, the Dominion made contact with the Hur'q. Believing them to be perfect candidates for a warrior race, aside from pacifism, the Female Changeling removed a fungus from their homeworld's ecosystem during a hibernation period, intending to offer the Hur'q a choice between subjugation or death when they next awoke. Unfortunately, this led to the fall of the Hur'q civilization.

2,000 years ago, genetically manipulated Klingons were intended as a soldier caste and became known as the Fek'Ihri. However, the Dominion's plan to control them via addicting them to Ketracel White failed. Eventually, the plan worked with the Jem'Hadar, who became the Dominion's front line soldiers instead.

Over their history, the Dominion subjugated hundreds of races including the Dosi, Karemma, s, and s.

At some point in their history the Changelings sent 100 infants to explore the galaxy and return to share what they had learned. Among them were Odo and Laas.

According to Weyoun, in addition to encountering multiple examples of Iconian technology, the Dominion has also crossed paths with Iconian agents on more than one occasion. Weyoun noted that such dealings were 'very hush-hush', and that the Iconians preferred to act through intermediaries.

Dealings with the Alpha Quadrant
In 2370, the Jem'Hadar destroyed a number of bases and starships from the Alpha Quadrant that had unknowingly entered Dominion territory through the Bajoran wormhole. Among these were the New Bajor colony and the Federation starship.

Following the initial hostilities, the Dominion began using espionage to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant. Changeling infiltrators replaced key members of numerous Alpha Quadrant powers and influenced them to attack each other. These infiltrations were responsible for a number of large-scale conflicts including the, the , and the.

In 2373 the Dominion established a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant by allying with the Cardassian Union, and began bringing large fleets of warships through the wormhole to fortify their strength there.

Open War with the Alpha Quadrant
Determined to prevent any more Jem'Hadar forces from entering the Alpha Quadrant, Captain Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space 9 placed thousands of self-replicating mines at the entrance of the wormhole. The Dominion responded by sending a fleet of 300 Jem'Hadar and Cardassian warships from Cardassia Prime to attack the station, eventually capturing it. Sisko and most of his senior staff escaped on the and regrouped with Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Force.

Though the first few months of the Dominion War in 2374 were marked by several crushing defeats for the, the of Deep Space 9 (with the help of the Prophets, who removed a fleet of 2,800 Jem'Hadar warships in the wormhole) turned the war around for the allies.

Later that year, the Romulan Star Empire discovered evidence that the Dominion planned to violate their non-aggression pact and invade Romulus. As a result, they joined the war against the Dominion.

The following year, Section 31 infected the Founders with a morphogenic virus to weaken the Dominion's leadership. Becoming desperate for a quick victory, the Female Changeling negotiated an alliance with the Breen Confederacy. Breen technology proved to be very effective against the Alliance: in the, more than 300 Federation, Klingon, and Romulan starships were destroyed. Fortunately, Starfleet was eventually able to develop technology to counteract the Breen weapons.

Meanwhile, Legate had become disillusioned with Cardassia's costly alliance with the Dominion, and formed a. With the combined efforts of the Federation Alliance and Damar's rebels (the ranks of which now included the entire Cardassian military as well as most of Cardassia's civilian population), the Female Changeling finally surrendered at the and the war ended. Odo cured her of the virus, and returned to the Gamma Quadrant to distribute the cure to the rest of his people. The Female Changeling was taken into custody and held at Facility 4028.

After the Dominion War

 * See New Link and True Way for more information

While the powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants would have little to no contact with the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant for the next 34 years, Laas formed a New Link in the Alpha Quadrant. Independently from and unbeknownst to the Great Link in the Gamma Quadrant, he allied himself with the True Way and conscripted the services of the Alpha Jem'Hadar.

In 2400, the Founders transmitted a statement to Deep Space Nine, disavowing the actions of any shapeshifters in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants and stating that any Changelings operating outside their authority were rogue. While it was believed that the statement was directed at Laas, Starfleet Intelligence believed it was the Founders disassociating themselves from events that would later be proven to be the work of the Undine.

During a summit at Deep Space Nine in 2409 regarding Borg activity in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, the fleet of warships that was lost in the Bajoran Wormhole in 2374 reappeared, resulting in Deep Space Nine's capture. As the leaders of the fleet refused to acknowledge the end of the war without a Founder, an Alpha Quadrant shuttlecraft managed to sneak past the fleet and enter the Gamma Quadrant, seeking out contact with the Dominion. The shuttle eventually made contact with the Vorta Weyoun, who agreed to assist with removing the occupation, under the condition that the Female Changeling be released from Facility 4028. After her release, the Dominion fleet eventually stood down and returned to the Gamma Quadrant.

The next year, the Dominion unexpectedly sent ships to aid the Iconian Resistance during the final battle of the Iconian War in the Sol System over Earth. They had been convinced to help by Empress-turned-fugitive Sela, who stated that the Dominion was very much aware of the threat the Iconians posed and were quite eager to protect their stake in the galaxy.

Hur'q re-emergence
At some point during the latter half of the 2400s, the Female Changeling realized that the Hur'q would be re-emerging from hibernation in 2410, and that they would likely be close to unstoppable this time around. To head off the threat before it could impact the Dominion, she secretly journeyed to the Alpha Quadrant and replaced Tzenkethi Fleet Admiral Aarn Tzen-Tarrak. She then proceeded to manipulate the Tzenkethi Autarch into declaring a crusade against what were called Drantzuli. As many of the planets the Hur'q had hibernated on were in unclaimed space, the crusade went unnoticed, until the Lukari vessel and an Alliance starship chanced upon Draconis III, one of the planets targeted during the crusade. Tzenkethi forces led by 'Tzen-Tarrak' clashed with the Alliance over Jod'Cor, New Kentar, and Dranuur. At some point during these battles, the Hur'q in the Gamma Quadrant re-emerged in earnest and began attacking anything in their path. Many Dominion worlds bore the brunt of their assault, such as Ennis and Karemma.

In the Alpha Quadrant, things came to a head in the Bajor system when a Tzenkethi fleet, having learned that Bajor apparently was a Hur'q hibernation site, launched a massive offensive against Alliance forces there. Unbeknownst to either side, however, Odo, having realized that the Dominion would not be able to deal with the Hur'q threat by themselves this time around, had arranged for a Hur'q lure to be placed on Bajor, thus drawing the aggressive insects there when those in the Alpha Quadrant awoke and alerting the Alliance to the real threat. A fleet led by Odo then traveled to the Alpha Quadrant to assist Alliance forces in the defense of Bajor. During the battle, Dominion forces aided 'Tzen-Tarrak' in escaping from the Tzenkethi battle station that had been brought in over Bajor.

Uneasy alliance
In the aftermath of the Battle of Bajor, Odo requested a summit at Deep Space Nine (which was still undergoing repairs from the battle) with the Alliance to discuss the Hur'q threat. Most members of the Alliance (as well as non-aligned powers such as the Ferengi Alliance and the Cardassian Union) recognized the threat the insectoid race posed (with Romulan Republic Proconsul D'Tan also noting that a weakened Dominion would be easier to deal with), but the Klingon Empire steadfastly refused to commit any forces to the conflict (despite the protestations of General Martok), preferring to let the Dominion handle the threat by themselves, even after it was revealed that Dominion forces were stretched to their breaking point. The summit was interrupted by another Hur'q attack on Deep Space Nine. After Hur'q boarders were dealt with, the combined fleet present was able to repel the attack. With the Dominion clearly willing to work with the Alliance, a tentative agreement was reached.

To prove their sincerity, the Dominion provided the Alliance with a cure for the microbes on the Penal Moon in the Olt System. An Alliance vessel journeyed to the moon and provided the cure to the inhabitants there, among them former Bajoran Kai Opaka. Opaka returned to the Alpha Quadrant aboard said Alliance vessel, allowing then-current Kai Kira Nerys to step down and reactivate her Starfleet commission.

With an agreement in place, an expeditionary force (consisting of the Defiant, Odo's Flagship, 3 Cardassian vessels, and another Alliance vessel), journeyed to the Dosi System at the request of the Founders to render aid to Dominion forces in that area of space. After repelling a small Hur'q fleet that was attacking a station in that system, it was discovered that the planet the station orbited, as well as the station itself, had been abandoned for nearly 20 years, though sensors recorded an extensive network of defunct mines on the surface, as well as trace amounts of components used in the production of ketracel-white. The fleet then headed for the Karemma System, having picked up a faint distress call from Quark.

Upon arriving at Karemma, the fleet discovered another Dominion fleet in orbit, apparently enforcing a blockade and commanded by the Female Changeling. Once Hur'q forces in the area were dealt with, communication with Karemman vessels also in orbit revealed that they had been fired upon by the Dominion fleet while attempting to break orbit. While the rest of the fleet covered them, Garak's ship and an Alliance vessel sent personnel down to the surface to locate Quark. Once the situation on the ground was secure, he revealed that he had been sent there by Garak to locate a mysterious device. It was also learned that Karemma, having been left to fend for itself when the Hur'q invasion in the Gamma Quadrant started, had decided to secede from the Dominion, and had been under blockade by the Female Changeling's fleet after asking for help. Armed with this information, Garak and the Alliance away team beamed to Odo's ship, where Garak revealed the mysterious device to him, as well as the fact that an identical device had been found on Bajor.

Odo confessed that both devices were designed and built by the Dominion, and that the one on Bajor had been placed there at his behest, to lure the Hur'q in the Alpha Quadrant there, and thus alert the Alliance to the threat they posed; he also revealed that he suspected that the other Founders were hiding things from him about the Hur'q. Despite his protestations that Bajor had not been in any real danger, Captain Kira was incensed at his actions. When asked about the placement of the other device on Karemma, Odo had no explanation.

Missions involved

 * : The Vorta Loriss represents the Dominion forces which were lost in the Bajoran Wormhole in 2374 and suddenly reemerge in 2409.
 * : Captain James Kurland and the player hail Loriss from Bajor and attempt to convince her that the Dominion War is over and to relinquish control of Deep Space 9.
 * : The player must bypass the Jem'Hadar blockade to enter the Gamma Quadrant and make contact with the "modern" Dominion, represented by the Vorta Weyoun.
 * : Weyoun accompanies the player to Facility 4028 to retrieve the Female Changeling being held there since the end of the Dominion War in 2375.
 * : Weyoun accompanies the player to DS9 to negotiate the return of the station to the Federation. Loriss immediately complies when she sees the Founder, but her Jem'Hadar soldiers rebel against her. After the player defeats the Jem'Hadar, Loriss expresses her gratitude for the player's efforts.
 * : In a holodeck simulation of changes to the timeline resulting from the use of the Krenim temporal weapon, the player finds themselves on the bridge of a crippled USS Ajax in the midst of a Dominion invasion of the Sol System, a female Vorta commanding a Jem'Hadar warship demanding that the crew of the Ajax surrender.
 * : In 2410, during the final battle against the Iconians and their Heralds in Earth orbit, Dominion forces suddenly arrive to assist the Iconian Resistance. The vessels are commanded by former Romulan Empress Sela, who had departed for the Gamma Quadrant several weeks earlier in order to solicit the Dominion's assistance.
 * : A Dominion fleet, commanded by Loriss 4, arrives over Bajor during the battle between Alliance and Tzenkethi forces and the Hur'q. After siding with the Alpha Quadrant forces and defeating the Hur'q, Loriss 4 hails the player, informing them that she has a message from Odo.
 * , & : Jem'Hadar Faction Introduction
 * : The Dominion seek a summit with the Alliance
 * : The Alliance and Odo investigate the Hur'q on the Dominion's outermost planets.
 * : The player investigates an Ancient Dominion Station and learns about the true origin of the Fek'Ihri and why the Hur'q are attacking.
 * : The player learns secrets about the Dominion and the Hur'q.
 * : Alliance forces defend the Founder's homeworld of Empersa. The Dominion subsequently joins the Alliance and Odo agrees to slowly release the Jem'Hadar from their addiction to the White.

Starships

 * Jem'Hadar Fighter
 * Jem'Hadar Attack Ship
 * Jem'Hadar Heavy Escort
 * Jem'Hadar Battleship
 * Jem'Hadar Dreadnought

Ground Forces

 * Jem'Hadar Demolitionist
 * Jem'Hadar Soldier
 * Jem'Hadar Shock Trooper
 * Jem'Hadar Veteran
 * Jem'Hadar Assault Officer
 * Jem'Hadar Elder
 * Jem'Hadar First
 * Founder

Bosses

 * Kar'ukan