Cardassian Union

Emblem of the Union (pdmahler)

The **Cardassian Union**, ***Cardă'ăsa*** in Cardăsda and also referred to as the **Cardassian Empire**, was an interstellar government located in the Alpha Quadrant, with its capital on Cardassia Prime. It was the official governing body of the Cardassian people and was regarded as one of the great powers in the Alpha Quadrant. The Union engaged in militaristic and imperialist campaigns in the 24th century that culminated in its alliance with the Dominion during the Dominion War. After its defeat in the war, the Cardassian Union underwent significant reforms and eventually established positive relations with the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Some citizens of the Union joined Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Force in the late 24th century. The Union also worked with its former enemies as part of the Khitomer Alliance and aided in the fight against the Iconians.

It was known as ***qarDaSQa'*** in Klingonhol and ***Card'hassin Temanna*** in Rihan.

## History

The First Republic (*Çec Mighiy*) was formed in 1591 as Cardassia Prime was unified under a single, worldwide government. The name was symbolic in that the new government stood first among the people. The leadership went on to sponsor many scholarly and artistic endeavors to mimic the grand Hebitian period of centuries earlier. While the Republic had no official state religion, the Oralian Way was prevalent in almost every level and aspect of the government. Strife soon struck the fledgling government as a three-year famine devastated the population in the 1650s.

A decade later, a government funded program developed the planet’s first warp propulsion system. This new technology allowed the Cardassian people to quickly expand throughout their own and neighboring star systems. This in turn relieved much of the social stress within the Republic as colonists left for other worlds and new sources of much-needed resources were discovered.

Stability did not last as several reformation movements erupted in the mid 19th century. Revolutionaries pointed to the corruption within the government and amongst Oralian leaders, who seemed to put themselves before the state. While expansion offworld had led to temporary relief, most of the benefit befell those with high offices while the common Cardassian continued to struggle. The most vocal, and eventually most prominent, of the reformers was Tret Akleen (*Trhet Ăkliyn*), a Rivshalda (*Rivçalda*) from Lakarain City (*Lăkariy'an*).

Akleen was able to unify the disparate movement, which pushed for greater rights for the lower classes and greater loyalty to the state over oneself. Several skirmishes occurred before a decisive and violent battle erupted outside the Republic’s federal offices in late 1875. Akleen and his followers were victorious and reorganized the government into the Detapa Council early the next year. At the same time, the military Orders were unified under a Central Command, forming the Guard (*Cardăsa Çăthiyrho*), while the Obsidian Order was formed as a check against the power of the military and to serve as the intelligence agency of the state. The new government was known as the Union (*Cardă'ăsa*) with Akleen serving as its first head of state, known as the castellan.

As resources continued to dwindle in the 23rd century and expansion efforts were frustrated by pirates and other powers, Central Command quietly pushed the Detapa Counci to the background and stepped in to maintain order and stability. This gave Guard leadership a strong influence on federal policy, which they used to fund a massive starship construction program beginning in the 2270s. The first product of the plan was the *Vystan*-class (*Viystăn nay'ut*), named for Gul Haktet Vystan, the first leader of the Obsidian Order. Launched in 2372, the vessels led a new wave of imperialistic expansion for the Union.

## Organization

### Government

The government of the Union was legally tripartite, with power shared equally, at least on paper, between the Detapa Council, Central Command, and the Obsidian Order. In reality, the civilian Detapa Council was powerless and served at the whim of Central Command, which was at constant odds with the Obsidian Order.

### Military

The *Cardăsa Açevro*, meaning the "guardians of Cardassian" and known in Federation Standard as the "Cardassian Guard," was the military service of the Union until its dissolution in the late 2370s. During its activity, the Guard was organized into twelve Orders.

During its demilitarization, the Union organized the Civil Defense Force from many former elements of the Guard to serve as a local peacekeeping force.

## Territory

Cardassia Prime, the Union capital and Cardassian homeworld, was located in a resource poor region of the Alpha Quadrant. Once disaster struck Prime, territorial expansion became a chief priority of the Union government. Some planets were stripped while a select few were utilized for agriculture and colonization.

The first long-term Cardassian colony was located on Ventani II. Other efforts had been made on planets closer to Cardassia Prime, but settlement had diminished quickly as the worlds were over-farmed or stripped of resources. Ventani II is notable for being the birthplace of Tret Akleen, the putative founder of the Union.

The only habitable world in the Corwin star system, Corwin Prime was located within the DMZ. It remained unsettled until after the Dominion War and was the location of a joint Cardassian-Federation agricultural effort inspired by the Andak Project.

Goralis III was first colonized by Cardassians in 2287. It suffered little damage during the Dominion War, outside of a Jem'Hadar purge in the final day.

Efforts to terraform Kalesta III began in the early 25th century. The plan was to have the planet serve as another join effort between the Federation and the Union for an agricultural world.

Still containing Hebitian ruins from its first settlers, Kinjun III was an L-Class world with a Cardassian colony on one of its continents.

A plan to colonize Lahra Prime was not undertaken until the 25th century. Typically considered too cold for Cardassian preferences, the Union government provided enticements to convince settlement.

Mirish Prime was one of the first worlds claimed by the Union in its expansion efforts. Rich in duridium and cortenide, the planet was first explored in 2205 and quickly became the Cardassian's primary mining world. By the 25th century, the planet was believed to be exhausted, but advances in scanning technology soon proved that additional deposits resided kilometers beneath the surface.

The first colony outside the Cardassian star system was on Reimers IV. A Class-M world only a few lightyears from Cardassian Prime, the colony never grew to a large size due to the limited resources of the planet. Even by the 25th century it had less than a million residents.

## Appendices

### Connections

**Notable spacecraft:** CUV *Damar* • CUV *Letau* • CUV *Taced* • CUV *Tain*

**Spacecraft classes:** *Brinok* • *Damar* • *Detapa* • *Galor* (*Keldon*) • *Ghemor* • *Groumall* (*Tuffli*) • *Hideki* (*Yukuwa*) • *Kulinor* • *Rasilak* • *Sartan* • *Thakliv* • *Vasad* • *Vidren* • *Vystan*

**Facility classes:** *Cefta* • *Nor*

### Sources consulted

* Cardassian Union article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Cardassian Union article at *Memory Beta*.
* Cardassian Union article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* *Star Trek Adventures - Star Trek: Discovery (2256-2258) Campaign Guide* by Modiphiüs Entertainment.