- "I can't get anything back online. Somehow, they're draining all our power."
- — Miles O'Brien,2375
The Breen energy dampening weapon in action on the USS Defiant
The energy dampening weapon (or energy dissipator) was an advanced energy weapon used by Breen forces in the mid-2370s during the Dominion War.
The Breen energy dampening weapon was based on a forgotten Tholian type of technology. (WizKids module: Tactics)
Samir al-Halak had heard rumors of the Breen's development of a new weapon designed to dissipate focused phased energy in 2336. (ST - The Lost Era novel: Well of Souls)
The weapon was first encountered by Federation forces when the Breen entered the Dominion War as allies of the Dominion in 2375, at the Second Battle of Chin'toka. Since the Federation Alliance had never encountered the weapon before, it was especially effective against them. The weapon works by draining the energy of targeted ships, disabling their engines, weapons, and shields, thus making them easy targets for conventional weapons. Amongst the vessels lost to the weapon was the USS Defiant. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode: "The Changing Face of Evil"; WizKids module: Attack Wing)
The Klingon ship IKC Ki'tang was not affected as its tritium intermix chamber had been modified. Several weeks later, Kira Nerys and the Cardassian Liberation Front hijacked a Jem'Hadar attack ship for Starfleet to analyze its energy dissipators. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes: "When It Rains...", "Tacking Into the Wind")
The Alliance discovered a countermeasure just prior to the Battle of Cardassia, , the Federation Alliance succeeded in developing a countermeasure to the Breen weapon, forcing the Dominion to discontinue its use. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode: "The Dogs of War")
In 2385, during the Battle of Tau Ceti sector during the Xindi War, the Xindi-Suliban Alliance fired this weapon at the Federation fleet disabling many ships including the USS Intrepid-A, the only ship that it did not disable was the USS Enterprise-E and the Enterprise saved the Intrepid by engaging a tractor beam on it, the Enterprise, the fleet and the disabled Intrepid retreated from the battle. The Breen gave the Xindi the weapon. (Star Trek: Intrepid)