Episode Number: 5×15
Written by: Jon Crew
Directed by: Jon Crew
Transmission: 7th June 2025
We have returned to the core worlds, and the Dominion has sent a welcoming party…
Captain’s Log: Stardate, 51540.4
Plot: Lexington, Courageous and Minotaur battle a squadron of Jem’Hadar attack ships.
The ‘A’ Plot: As the Jem’Hadar ships close in on an intercept course, Konin puts a plan of battle together. Lexington will take the centre and meet the charge, while Courageous flanks the enemy and Minotaur hangs back to protect the Franz and provide long range fire support. On Lexington herself, Azonan tweaks the warp core to produce an oscillation in the subspace field, in the hopes of confusing targeting sensors.
The approaching ships drop out of warp, and are easily identifed as six Dominion attack ships, small fast vessels about the size of a B’rel-class bird-of-prey. Following an obviously well-practised tactic, the squadron splits into three flights of two, the centre pair slowing as the others move to circle around the Starfleet ships.
Raynor puts Lexington’s phaser arrays into defensive mode, intending to return fire as the enemy ships attack them, then Quinn initiates an attack run towards the fighters to the ship’s left. The nearest Jem’Hadar opens fire, but misses, Raynor dealing significant damage in return, but the wingman is more accurate, and its phased polaron beams cut through the shields as if they weren’t there. As Quinn wrestles with the damaged thrusters, Minotaur pummels the first fighter with photon torpedoes. The small ship immediately explodes, the blast damaging both Lexington and the second attack ship.
On the right flank, the encircling flight runs straight into Courageous, which opens fire immediately. The lead attack ship takes significant damage from quantum torpedo hits, but fires back, battering the Starfleet escort’s shields. Then Courageous rakes the vessel with phaser cannon fire, sweeping past its now-lifeless hulk.
The centre pair of attack ships now enters the fray, performing a short warp jump to bypass Minotaur and arrive next to the Franz. The tender’s commander immediately panics and flees, moving to port, then jumping to warp as soon as he can, while Minotaur fires at the nearest attack ship.
Lexington and the remaining vessel on the left flank exchange fire, leaving the Jem’Hadar ship damaged.
References: This is the Lexington crew’s first contact with the Dominion forces, in this case, a squadron of six Jem’Hadar attack ships, as seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Jem’Hadar proved to be fanatical soldiers, and one of these attack ships destroyed the U.S.S. Odyssey by ramming it in the opening conflict of the Dominion War. Weapon systems carried include the phased polaron beam weapon, which renders Starfleet shields largely ineffective.