The allied fleet advances on the Cardassians' network of orbital weapons platforms during the Battle of Chin'toka. The falls of Benzar and Betazed late in 2374 marked the beginning of what is arguably considered to be the war's darkest period for the Federation and its Klingon allies. The entrance of the Romulan Star Empire into the war against the Dominion, however, opened up many strategic opportunities, and rekindled hope for a final victory. The Romulan Front quickly proved to be a brutal bloodbath, diverting many sizeable Cardassian and Jem'Hadar formations away from the main front as the Dominion, for the first time, found itself spread thin. While the Romulans pushed hard on their front, a Klingon-led offensive met with considerable success in retaking Dominion-held territory, while Federation forces were deployed all along the Cardassian border kept Dominion fleets bogged down in almost constant fighting. At last, the Dominion was on the defensive, and the Federation had enough firepower at its disposal to take the fight to the enemy. If, that is, the Romulans could be convinced to join a united war effort. Since their entry into the war, Federation representatives had made repeated attempts to contact Romulan officials and military leaders to discuss the potential of a genuine alliance. Each of these overtures had been immediately and emphatically rebuffed. The Romulans seemed to be making a statement by going it alone, frustrating Starfleet strategists who saw many opportunities that could only be exploited with Romulan assistance. After a time, however, as the momentum of the Romulan advance slowed, the Romulans finally deigned to respond, and agreed to meet with Starfleet and KDF commanders to discuss forming a single, unified and properly co-ordinated warfront. Continued on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellarparallaxstudios/photos/1973588546134037/