What happened to the Female Changeling after the war?
- Thread starter Clym
- Start date
After Odo linked with her and cured her, she agreed to be tried and held. Remember that at that time, Odo agreed to join the Great Link and the Female Changeling had always said that Odo meant more than the entire Alpha Quadrant. When he agreed to return to the Link the war was effectively over.
That's exactly why the other changelings would never have accepted the imprisonment of the female changeling. She would have been equally important to them.
It's why the U.S. never attempted to try and imprison Hirohito in WWII. The Japanese would have fought to the last man to prevent it. It wasn't worth it.
The Federation also ordered and had every intention to carry out a genocide on the Founders (when one puts aside semantics). That's every bit as bad as the genocide ordered by the female Founder.
It's also debatable whether the Dominion started the war in the first place. Sisko started making demands on the Dominion and that is what started the war. Granted the Dominion probably would have attacked eventually anyhow, but even so the point remains it didn't start until Sisko took actions trying to dictate what the Dominion is allowed to do.
The winner has dictated the terms in all prior and subsequent conflicts in Earth's history, too. Which in the DS9 case is a bit funny, because the Alpha powers in practice lost the war, except that the Founders nicely decided to stop fighting anyway.
Since the end to the war came with Odo's dual surrender of returning to the Link and curing the disease, the Dominion showed pretty extreme restraint when not immediately continuing the war once those dual acts were completed. OTOH, that they could afford such restraint just tells us how unimportant the outcome of the war was to them.
Technically, Sisko was the first to commit a mutually agreed-upon act of war when he mined the wormhole. Prior to that, both sides fought in cold war terms, sabotaging and killing by proxy or in secret or in shady circumstances.
In practical terms, the Dominion would have attacked sooner or later, of course. But probably later, as they were in no known hurry.
Timo Saloniemi
Since the end to the war came with Odo's dual surrender of returning to the Link and curing the disease, the Dominion showed pretty extreme restraint when not immediately continuing the war once those dual acts were completed. OTOH, that they could afford such restraint just tells us how unimportant the outcome of the war was to them.
Technically, Sisko was the first to commit a mutually agreed-upon act of war when he mined the wormhole. Prior to that, both sides fought in cold war terms, sabotaging and killing by proxy or in secret or in shady circumstances.
In practical terms, the Dominion would have attacked sooner or later, of course. But probably later, as they were in no known hurry.
Timo Saloniemi
Naah. If we can trust the rantings of the mentally violated Sloane in "Extreme Measures", Section 31 very much remains a collection of special men and women who keep secrets even from each other. Nobody has ever admitted to government complicity in anything S31 does.
OTOH, Bashir in that episode suspects that at least 73 high-ranking people needed to know. But he only specifies "Doctors, security officers, admirals, computer experts, clerks" - not government officials of any kind.
Timo Saloniemi
OTOH, Bashir in that episode suspects that at least 73 high-ranking people needed to know. But he only specifies "Doctors, security officers, admirals, computer experts, clerks" - not government officials of any kind.
Timo Saloniemi
Well, in the novel before Warpath, she was shown to be going a wee bit loopy in the head from her confinement. At least from Tarana'tar's POV.
Because the Alpha side committed everything they had on the final battle over Cardassia Prime. The Gamma side committed basically nothing - all the Dominion ships in that battle would have been locally built by the beachhead force. If the Feds had allowed themselves to be decimated in the battle against the Dominion expedition, the main Dominion forces awaiting in the Gamma Quadrant would eventually have wiped the floor with the remnants.
So in military terms, the UFP/KE/RSE alliance won a local skirmish. They couldn't make any demands on the Dominion on basis of that puny victory, not when the full might of the Dominion war machine was still in readiness on the other side of the wormhole. At best they could ride on Dominion goodwill/disinterest and make an amicable settlement about possible Dominion withdrawal...
Essentially, the UFP/KE/RSE axis won the peace, not the war. Which of course was preferable in every respect, and for everybody involved.
In canon, we don't know what the real terms of peace were. We see the wormhole open again after the peace treaty is signed, so perhaps traffic through it has resumed. But we hear absolutely nothing about a Dominion withdrawal, or about war reparations, or about who surrendered to whom. All we know is that the Female Founder took some personal responsibility over the affair, and that the Dominion agreed not to wage war any more for the time being.
Timo Saloniemi
So in military terms, the UFP/KE/RSE alliance won a local skirmish. They couldn't make any demands on the Dominion on basis of that puny victory, not when the full might of the Dominion war machine was still in readiness on the other side of the wormhole. At best they could ride on Dominion goodwill/disinterest and make an amicable settlement about possible Dominion withdrawal...
Essentially, the UFP/KE/RSE axis won the peace, not the war. Which of course was preferable in every respect, and for everybody involved.
In canon, we don't know what the real terms of peace were. We see the wormhole open again after the peace treaty is signed, so perhaps traffic through it has resumed. But we hear absolutely nothing about a Dominion withdrawal, or about war reparations, or about who surrendered to whom. All we know is that the Female Founder took some personal responsibility over the affair, and that the Dominion agreed not to wage war any more for the time being.
Timo Saloniemi
I personally believe that the Dominion did suffer a stinging defeat in the war, and although the Federation Alliance paid a heavy price, they did eke out a victory. The Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant also suffered some losses due to the destruction of the fleet in the wormhole. However, its home forces remain. They are however 1) checked by the use of the AQ minefield, and 2) probably not as geared towards wartime (ramped up) as the Dominion has largely controlled its territory in the GQ for many millenia.
As for the female shapeshifter, I've always suspected that confining her would be very difficult considering her treachery and deadly abilities. However, if she is truly changed or loopy, then that would help. Release however is difficult to accept for those who suffered greatly in the war and want to see the ultimate war criminals pay for their crimes.
As for the female shapeshifter, I've always suspected that confining her would be very difficult considering her treachery and deadly abilities. However, if she is truly changed or loopy, then that would help. Release however is difficult to accept for those who suffered greatly in the war and want to see the ultimate war criminals pay for their crimes.
Still, what Grandpa says must be taken into account. The last time a Changeling was held by Alpha forces (even though not against his will), the Dominion launched a galactic war of conquest. If the Alphans again try to hold a Founder, and even presume to accuse her of crimes, the Dominion will be back.
It's not as if any nation on Earth today dared arrest a war criminal who was a member of US armed forces, either...
Timo Saloniemi
It's not as if any nation on Earth today dared arrest a war criminal who was a member of US armed forces, either...
Timo Saloniemi
