| The Dominion |
The formation of the Dominion is believed to have taken place 2000 years ago deep within the Gamma Quadrant. For years and years before the Dominion, Founders, a race of liquid lifeforms capable of taking the shape of anything they wished, were persecuted by those they called 'solids.' (Humanoids incapable of shapeshifting)
In both cases of the Vorta and Jem'Hadar, they are formed through non-sexual or asexual reproduction. In the case of the Jem'Hadar there simply are no females. They are instead "grown" in birthing chambers from which they emerge after only a few days. Jem'Hadar rapidly mature both mentally and physically. After only three days Jem'Hadar are capable of combat. They do not sleep or eat, instead relying only on Ketracel White for nourishment. The Vorta differ slightly, they also arrive from birthing chambers, but mature mentally in a different way. Unlike the Jem'Hadar, in most cases the Vorta fall back on the experiences of the clone that died before them. Vorta are not especially strong in any way physically, although they possess superior hearing which is believed to be a genetic echo of their primal past, so they do not mature as long as the Jem'Hadar.
In 2370 the Dominion made their very first contact with the Federation. Jem'Hadar soldiers encountered crew from Deep Space Nine. In 2373, the Dominion estblished an alliance with the Cardassians and began sending large Jem'Hadar troop convoys to Cardassia. Within mere months, Non-Agression Pacts were signed with the Bajorans, Tholian Assembly, and Romulan Empire. Fearing an invasion, the Federation deployed a self-replicating minefield around the Bajoran wormhole, cutting the Dominion forces in the Alpha Quadrant off from reinforcements and fresh supplies of weapons and the critical Ketracel White for the Jem'Hadar. Within days, war errupted when a large Dominion fleet captured Deep Space Nine.
When the Federation and Romulans were finally able to develop a defense against the weapon, a large offensive was launched against the Dominion. During the battle, when it became evident the Dominion would loose, they began leveling entire Cardassian cities which sparked a full-scale revolution. Cardassian ships fighting the Federation/Klingon/Romulan fleet turned on the Breen and Jem'Hadar.
The Dominion retreated to Cardassia for a final last stand. Hundreds of ships on both sides were waiting in orbit as the shapeshifter Odo negotiated with the Female Founder to surrender. It was agreed, but Odo was forced to return to the Link as a condition of the agreement in order to aid in curing a disease harming the Founders.
It is believed that despite this extensive loss, the Dominion is still fairly capable of posing a threat, although no longer to the Federation or any race in the Alpha Quadrant, thanks to the changeling Odo who know is a leader within the influential Great Link. The allies of the Dominion officially have closed all ties and also no longer pose a threat.
According to ancient myth, a family of animal-like humanoids rescued a Founder, who was at the time simply referred to as a shapeshifter, being chased by an unruly group of solids. In order to repay the debt, the shapeshifter promised the family that their people would become a part of a large empire that would stretch across the stars. These creatures became the Vorta. Using complicated gene resequencing, the Vorta were bred into a race meant to serve the Founders. Like all members of the Dominion, they worshipped the shapeshifters as gods.
In order to fufill the military purposes of the Dominion, the Founders also bred a race of barbaric warriors, known as the Jem'Hadar. Infamous for their stubborness, in order to keep the Jem'Hadar loyal to the Dominion the Founders introduced a gene which made the Jem'Hadar become addicted to a powerful drug known simply as Ketracel White. The Jem'Hadar were trained entirely for combat, and being good at it. The Founders placed the Vorta in charge over all the solids within the Dominion, before then returning to their 'Great Link' and watching from a backseat as the Vorta lead the Dominion into conquering world after world.
For months the war raged, DS9 was recaptured in late 2373, but the war continued. In 2375, the Vorta Weyoun 7 managed to forge an aliance with the Breen Empire, promising the Breen upon Dominion victory large portions of the Alpha Quadrant, including Romulus and Earth. The Breen proved helpful, launching an assault on Earth almost immediately. The assault was fought off, but it managed to decrease Federation morale. In a Dominion assault on the Chin'Toka System the Breen introduced an energy dampening weapon which disbaled many Federation and Romulan ships. Only the Klingon ships were immune to the weapon.
