For centuries, the Hebitian civilization was admired across the Alpha Quadrant for their
extraordinary artistic and cultural achievements.
They were a deeply spiritual people; whose ancient burial vaults were among the greatest
wonders of the galaxy, renowned for their unique sense of meticulous beauty.
Yet the enlightened and peaceful Hebitians could not survive the realities of their homeworld
and as resources dwindled, their society collapsed into ruin.
Amid widespread poverty and famine, a new vision for achieving stability, justice, and
prosperity took hold amongst the people.
By the time the last of their burial vaults had been plundered and sold, the Hebitian
way of life had become extinct, replaced by a new order and new name: The Cardassian Union.
The founding of the state was marked by the establishment of three separate governing
entities, the Detapa Council, Central Command and the Obsidian Order.
Although the Detapa Council represented the highest authority within the Cardassian Union,
it exerted only nominal control over state affairs and was forced to compete for political
influence and resources.
Over the course of its history, true power was instead consolidated within Cardassian
Central Command, the Union’s highest military authority.
The Detapa Council was only sporadically able to counteract a decision made by Central Command
making the Cardassian Union, in essence, a totalitarian military dictatorship.
Only the Obsidian Order, the primary intelligence agency of the Cardassian Union, could truly
compete with the military and maintain their independence and autonomy.
The Order was one of the most ruthlessly efficient organizations in the explored galaxy, rivaling
even the Tal Shiar of the Romulan Star Empire.
Their expertise in intelligence gathering and covert operations was directed as much
on their own citizens as any potential foreign adversary.
At its height, it was said that no Cardassian could sit down for a meal without every dish
being duly noted and recorded by the Order, down to each ingredient and method of preparation.
The highest members of the Central Command alone were above such scrutiny, who in turn
prohibited the Obsidian Order from ever operating its own warships, in order to maintain the
delicate balance of power between the two organizations.
The Union was widely viewed as repressive and brutal by outsiders, but its institutions
were reflective of Cardassian values and culture.
Cardassian society was fiercely hierarchical.
Before the establishment of the Union, this was expressed through an emphasis on family
with advanced age seen as a sign of strength, power, and wisdom.
Cardassian families were often multi-generational and great importance was placed on the continuation
of family lines.
Over time, the natural Cardassian predisposition towards clear hierarchies was manipulated
by the government with duty to one’s family replaced with duty to the state.
Complete loyalty and servitude to the Union became of the highest importance in the life
of every Cardassian.
Ancient spiritual beliefs were distorted and redirected into an almost religious-like worship
of the state itself, assumed to be omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent.
Modern Cardassian philosophy valued strength above all, not necessarily physical prowess,
but strength of personal and collective will.
These concepts were displayed in every facet of Cardassian society.
Their architecture placed individuals of importance in physically higher locations, while their
literature, in particular the “repetitive epic” genre, emphasised selfless devotion
to the state.
It was within their justice system however that these values were most clearly demonstrated.
Within the Cardassian Union, a criminal verdict was always known before the trial began and
it was always the same.
Cardassian courts were not intended to judge the innocence or guilt of the accused, but
rather demonstrate to the public the futility of crime and the infallibility of the judicial system.
While their efficiency was undoubtedly exaggerated for political and propaganda purposes, Cardassian
officials went to great lengths to maintain stability in their society.
Citizens were required to have a molar removed before the age of 10, collected alongside
various other personal information by the Cardassian Bureau of Identification.
The Cardassian military reflected this same level of meticulousness.
Covert actions and deception were often favored over direct confrontation.
Typical Cardassian strategies made extensive use of misinformation and were described as
“a plan within a plan within a plan leading to a trap”.
The complex nature of Cardassian doctrine was, in part, meant to offset their technological
shortcomings.
When confronting superior forces, Cardassian starships rarely travelled alone, instead
operating in tight, well coordinated formations.
It was the military’s expansionist policies that provided the Cardassian Union with the
raw materials and other resources it needed to make up for the barren nature of their
homeworld, Cardassia Prime.
In the aftermath of the Union’s founding, the military spearheaded the colonization
of nearby star systems, but progress was slow and unable to meet the demand.
In 2319, the Cardassian Union invaded and occupied nearby Bajor, home to the Bajoran
civilization whose rich culture and spirituality ironically resembled that of the ancient Hebitians.
The Cardassian occupation authorities enacted an extensive scheme of strip-mining and forced
labor which quickly deteriorated into slavery and genocide.
Cardassian expansion also brought it into conflict with the Klingon Empire and the United
Federation of Planets.
A series of border skirmishes, raids, and undeclared wars with the Federation eventually
led to the signing of an armistice in 2367 and the creation of a demilitarized zone three
years later.
Neither power remained satisfied with the agreement and the complex nature of the Cardassian-Federation
border territories would lead to extremism and terrorist attacks perpetrated by radical
elements on both sides.
Even though the Cardassian Union had fought the Federation to a standstill, the conflict
and subsequent need to maintain the border had exhausted much of their resources.
Constant terrorism and guerilla warfare by the Bajoran resistance and political pressure
from the Federation made the occupation of Bajor unsustainable and in 2369 the Cardassian
Union formally withdrew.
Emboldened by perceived Cardassian weakness, former Federation colonists now calling themselves
“The Maquis” began directly attacking Cardassian ships and outposts.
Meanwhile, the discovery of the galaxy’s first stable wormhole in the Bajoran system
infuriated the Cardassian government, who had let control of the most strategic site
in the Alpha quadrant slip through their fingers.
Cardassian ships and pioneers participated in the exploration of the newly accessible
Gamma Quadrant, but the emergence of the Dominion, an enormously powerful and hostile empire
would prove to be disastrous.
With no major power in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants willing to stand firm against the threat of
the Dominion, Enabran Tain, former leader of the Obsidian Order re-assumed command of
the organization.
Together with the Tal Shiar, the Obsidian Order assembled a secret fleet which was sent
through the wormhole to eliminate the Dominion’s leadership in a preemptive strike.
Already infiltrated by Dominion agents, the joint Cardassian-Romulan strike force was
lured into a trap and completely destroyed.
Crippled beyond repair, the Obsidian Order collapsed and within weeks, Central Command
had been overthrown as well.
With long suppressed Cardassian dissident movements now free to act, political power
was transferred to civilian authorities and the Detapa Council fully restored.
To the Klingon Empire, this massive internal destabilization was seen as evidence of Dominion
infiltration.
In 2372, Klingon forces launched a massive attack into an unprepared and weakened Cardassian
Union.
Desperate to restore Cardassian prestige, Gul Dukat, the former Prefect of Bajor during
the occupation, secretly negotiated an alliance with the Dominion and in 2373, the Cardassian
Union became its newest member.
Membership gave the Union the time it needed to recover, while Dominion reinforcements
from the Gamma Quadrant successfully forced the Klingon Empire to retreat from the systems
it had occupied.
Dominion forces also annihilated every Maquis colony within the DMZ, returning to the Cardassians
a sense of pride and raising the Union to once again be a major power within the Alpha
Quadrant.
The Dominion’s desire to bring order to the galaxy, combined with Gul Dukat’s personal
ambitions, made conflict with the United Federation of Planets and its allies inevitable.
When war was finally declared, the Dominion and Cardassian Union were unmatched on every
front consistently forcing the Federation and Klingons to retreat.
The former Cardassian mining station of Terok Nor, now situated at the entrance of the wormhole
was retaken and Dominion fleets were quickly within striking distance of major Federation worlds.
While the eventual collapse of the Federation seemed inevitable, a bold attack in the Bajoran
system allowed Starfleet to retake control of the wormhole.
The astonishing nature of the defeat caused Gul Dukat to have a complete mental breakdown
and he was captured by the Federation soon thereafter.
Legate Damar was appointed as the new leader of the Cardassian Union, but soon grew disillusioned
when he discovered just how much his people had lost in exchange for Dominion membership.
After an entire Cardassian Order was abandoned and destroyed during a Klingon offensive,
Damar, together with loyal elements of the Cardassian military, rebelled against the
Dominion.
While Damar’s insurgency achieved only mild successes, the entry of the Romulan Star Empire
on the side of the Federation forced the Dominion to retreat back to the capital of Cardassia Prime.
As the allies launched a final attack against the Dominion, the Cardassian population joined
Damar in rebellion.
In retaliation, the Dominion began bombarding Cardassia, killing hundreds of millions.
When word of this reached the Cardassian fleet, it switched sides and together with the United
Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, and Romulan Star Empire, forced a complete surrender
of the Dominion.
The Cardassian Union, once a proud and unrelenting force across the Alpha Quadrant, had again
been reduced to a nation plagued by famine, disease, and destruction.
Whether the Cardassian Union rises once again or is picked apart by its rivals remains to
be seen, for as a plain, simple tailor once said “We live in uncertain times."
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