Cardassian Union

The Cardassian Union, also referred to as the Cardassian Empire, is an interstellar political entity in the Alpha Quadrant. Until the 2370s, it was run by the civilian Detapa Council, a powerless entity which approved the demands of the military Central Command. In 2373, the rogue military commander Skrain Dukat seized power and allied the state with the Dominion. Following the Dominion War and the period known as "the Fire", in which eight-hundred million cardassians were slaughtered and numerous more died, the Union developed under Alon Ghemor and his successors into a representative democracy led by a castellan with a parliamentary Assembly. The union was based on planet Cardassia Prime, with the centre of the union Cardassia City.
== History ==
See main article: Cardassian historyThe balance of political power between the Detapa Council and Central Command has shifted numerous time through history, influenced at times by the Obsidian Order, Cardassia's secretive intelligence organization, and the third pillar of its government.
In 2371, the Order was led to disaster by its former head, Enabrain Tain, who attempted to commit genocide against the Founders, the leaders of the Gamma Quadrant superpower, the Dominion. Leading to a massacre of much of the order, this created a power vacuum on Prime in which dissident members of the civilian Detapa Council took control of the government, under the leadership of Chief Executor Meya Rejal, and supported by Gul Skrain Dukat's Second Order.
The civilian takeover of a noted military dictatorship was followed by a closure of the borders, and sparked suspicions of a Dominion-influenced coup and led to a Klingon invasion, with Cardassia receiving support from the Federation and seeing the temporary dissolution of the Khitomer Accords.
Subsequently Dukat was disgraced by the revelations of his half-Bajoran daughter, and forced into a belittleing military command. In 2373, Dukat secretly negotiated an alliance with the Dominion, making himself the head of the Cardassian Union. He purged the state of his enemies, including ordering Rejal and other members of the civilian government shot, and reneacted an effective military dictatorship.
Although for a while a willing ally of the Dominion, its next head, Corat Damar, grew disenchanted with the sacrifices the Founders demanded of Cardassian soldiers. In 2375, Damar declared rebellion, ultimately contributing to the Federation, Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire's success over the Dominion. Damar, however, died in the war's final days, and became a martyr for new, progressive approaches.
In the aftermath of the Dominion War and the period known as "the Fire", a democratic government was established, first headed by Alon Ghemor before his assassination.
A major aid effort was enacted to reconstruct the union, named Allied Reconstruction Forces (sometimes HARF), and it supported the new progressive democracy. By 2385, HARF left Cardassia in the face of positive reconstruction. That year, in the face, however, of potential backsliding to militaristic governance, the former protege of Enabrain Tain, war hero and ally of both Corot Damar and Alon Ghemor, Elim Garak, was elected castellan.
== Government and politics ==
Through their entire expansionist period, the Cardassian government was a military dictatorship called the Central Command. Although traditionally under the control of the Detapa Council, the civilian ruling body, both the Central Command and the Obsidian Order intelligence agency often operated with virtual autonomy. The two agencies often vied with each other over governmental control and policies. A special military liaison office was present that served to link the Central Command to that of the Obsidian Order. It was effectively considered a neutral position though it had little power over the direction of the Order.
A civilian uprising to overthrow the Central Command restored power to the Detapa Council, but it remained influential in politics and society. When the Cardassians concluded their alliance with the Dominion, Cardassia became a virtual dictatorship, with Gul Dukat in command. A civilian uprising to overthrow the Central Command restored power to the Detapa Council, but it remained influential in politics and society. When the Cardassians concluded their alliance with the Dominion, Cardassia became a virtual dictatorship, with Gul Dukat in command. Following the Dominion War the Cardassian Union became a representative democracy. However, previously (2375) it was a military dictatorship.
There were a number of different political factions within the government which included the Directorate that sought to maintain the power of the military and the democratic Reunion Project. In addition, there were the Revanche that sought to control the wormhole in the Bajor system and Dja Bajora Karass which aimed for the reconquest of Bajor itself.
=== Groups ===
* Cardassian Assembly
* Detepa Council (dissolved)
* Cardassian Central Command (dissolved)
* Obsidian Order (dissolved)
** Applied Science Directorate
*** Bajor division
* Cardassian Intelligence Bureau
* Cardassian dissident movement
* Cardassian Guard
* Cardassian Finance Ministry
* Cardassian Ministry of Trade
* Cardassian Science Ministry
* Cardassian Ministry of Justice
* Cardassian Supreme Tribunal
* Cardassian Bureau of Identification
* Loyalty Investigation Board
* Oralian Way
* Revance Party
* True Way
=== Foreign relations ===
As of 2369, the Cardassians were allied with the Klaestron.
* Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty
* Jankata Accord
* Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370
In 2381, following the creation of the Typhon Pact, the Cardassian Union received an invitation to attend a summit to discuss an expansion of the Khitomer Accords.
In 2410, the Cardassians joined the Khitomer Alliance, which they are still a member of.
== Military ==
The primary space force of the Cardassian Union is the Cardassian Guard, which is administrated by Central Command. The Obsidian Order served as the primary intelligence organization for the Union, but no longer. A common award given by the Cardassian Union is the Legate's Crest of Valor. Though the Proficient Service Medallion was also a prestigious award. The head of the military and of Central Command was a Cardassian who held the rank of Gul-Tar.
In 2367, the military made use of transporters with active feed pattern buffers, despite the Federation having more advanced transporter technology. The Guard also made use of high-energy subspace fields on ships to jam enemy sensors. The Cardassian Union also possessed inferior replicator technology to that of the Federation, as of 2369.
The Cardassian Guard was divided into orders; following the withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, both the Fourth and Seventh Orders were stationed near Bajoran space.
=== Common weaponry, melee ===
* Club
* Javelin/spear (can be thrown)
* Knife (can be thrown)
* Mace
* Sword
=== Common weaponry, ranged ===
* Compression-beam pistol or rifle
* Plasma-emission pistol or rifle
* Spiral-wave disruptor pistol or rifle.
== Territory ==
The Union Territories were noted to have borders with the Talarian Republic, Breen Confederacy and the Tzenkethi Coalition. In addition the Ferengi Alliance and the United Federation of Planets shared a border with the Cardassian Union, including the human colony world of Iadara, which resulted in a number of border tensions as far back as the 2280s. In the 2330s, the Union was also adjacent to territory belonging to the Ubarrak Primacy; the two powers both maintained a presence in the "Oblivion" sector.
In 2368, territories near the borders of the Union included the Federation worlds Minos Korva and Solarion IV, the neutral planets Torman V and Tohvun III, and the Valo system, located approximately 13,000 kilometers from the border in neutral territory. Federation facilities near the border at this time included Starbase 211, Lya Station Alpha, and the Argus Array.
Sectors 21305 and 21503 are on the Federation side of the border.
Cardassian territory was at least partially re-defined in 2369, as the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor. In 2371, Prophet's Landing was the Bajoran colony closest to the new Cardassian border.
Cardssian territory also bordered Romulan space, at least during the Dominion War. Their territories met in the Glintara sector.
Following the Dominion War, Union territory was reduced to the Algira, Almatha, Cardassia and Dorvan sectors.
=== Planets ===
* Amleth Prime
* Cardassia Prime
* Cardassia III
* Cardassia IV
* Celtris III
* Doltec
* Kestian
* Lazon II
* Omekla III
* Orias III
* Sunzek
* Ventani II
=== Star systems ===
* Chin'toka system
* Cuellar system
* Dameron system
* Davon system
* Hurik system
* Kelrabi system
* Ketch'Tor asteroid belt
* Orias system
* Pentath system
* Torg'Q system
* Ventani system
== Appendices ==
=== Connections ===