Sci-Friday is Here Again!
Cardassian History
Welcome back to Sci-Friday!
For this week’s edition, we have set a course to explore another aspect of the Star Trek Universe, this week it’s all about Cardassians. The aliens of the Alpha Quadrant that everybody loves to hate, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Before we dig into the rich history of the Cardassian people let me take a small movement of your time to acknowledge a few of the more qualified writers who participate in Sci-Friday.
Although the Cardassians have a sordid history of, as they put it, arrogant aggression and betrayal, it has been rumored on more than one occasion that ancient Cardassians were a peaceful people with a substantial artistic and spiritual history but not much more than that is known about ancient Cardassia Prime.
What we know about this period in Cardassian history is that their society suffered from a great famine and devastating disease. Eventually, nationalism took hold and a Military dictatorship ensued, under which the citizens of Cardassia Prime became obscenely prosperous.
Like with any enforced military dictatorship, a secret police force was developed and the citizens were harshly regulated by the Obsidian Order, an intelligence agency, and an internal security police force that kept the population under constant surveillance.
Eventually, the governing body became unsatisfied with what they had, and they sought more as they became imperialistic, waging war with other races and occupying their territory to exploit resources, does this sound familiar to anyone else or is it just me?
The Cardassian Empire quickly changed its name to The Cardassian Union to detract attention from its empirical impulses. As the empire or I’m sorry the “Union” expanded its influence through conquest and colonization, the iron grip they had on their people began to tighten and soon others would be at risk. Enter, the Bajoran Occupation.
One of the most significant events in Cardassian history was their occupation of the planet Bajor. In 2328, the Cardassians invaded Bajor, occupying it for forty years, during which time they forced many Bajorans into slave labor, using them in their various mining operations.
As a result of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, many people were forced to flee their homes to refugee camps away from Cardassian domination while other Bajorans became involved in the resistance movement, engaged in guerrilla warfare and organizing terrorist attacks against Cardassian targets. Go Bajor!
Due to the non-interference principles outlined in the Prime Directive, the Federation was unable to intervene during this time.
In 2369, following a long and bloody struggle, the Bajoran resistance forced the Cardassians to leave Bajor, after which the Bajoran Provisional Government invited the United Federation of Planets to set up base on the former Cardassian mining station of Terok Nor, renaming it Deep Space Nine.
The Dominion War was next as it sparked a turning point in Cardassian history when the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion. A powerful empire from the Gamma Quadrant, in opposition to the Federation alliance, taking a main role below the Dominion's rulers, the Founders.
This alliance brought devastation to the Alpha Quadrant, as the Dominion and Cardassians launched numerous attacks against the Federation and Klingon Empire. However, internal conflicts within the Cardassian Union led to a rebellion against the Dominion and ultimately contributed to their defeat.
After the Dominion War, the Cardassian Union was left in ruins, both physically and politically. The Obsidian Order and Central Command were dismantled, and the Union struggled to rebuild its society amid widespread poverty and political instability.
Some Cardassians sought to atone for the atrocities committed during the occupation of Bajor, while others clung to old ideals of militarism and aggression.
After the War, the Cardassians attempted to repair relations with their former enemies, under the leadership of Lim Garak and Legate Damar, the Cardassians began to work closely with the Federation and other Alpha Quadrant powers to rebuild and stabilize the region.
Cardassian society stands on shakey ground til this day, marked by periods of conquest, oppression, and conflict, as well as efforts towards reconciliation and redemption.
Their history serves as a warning about the dangers of militarism and authoritarianism, as well as the potential for redemption and reconciliation in the face of past atrocities.
It has been said that no citizen ever has been able to comply their way out of totalitarian or authoritarian rule, there is but one way out. Resistance, and in this case, resistance was not futile.
Awesome article, Brian! Science fiction right? Sounds ever so familiar to me. I'll just say wow.
Nice. I think I told you, I used to watch TNG with my folks! We could agree on that show, and that was really rare as a teenager. I think the Cardassians were introduced in TNG, but it wasn't until maybe Deep Space 9 that they started to become prominent. They were also on Voyager, although I don't recall much of that storyline.