Cardassian Union

Lore & Background

The Cardassian Union was introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode "The Wounded", first screened in January 1991. The script related that the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets were involved in skirmishes for many years but had signed a peace treaty. In the fifth season episode "Ensign Ro", first screened in October 1991, it was explained that the Cardassians had annexed the Bajoran homeworld, Bajor, 40 years earlier, with many Bajorans fleeing their planet as refugees and often fighting back with militant tactics. "Chain of Command Part I", screened in December 1992, included the first mentions that the Cardassians' homeworld was called "Cardassia", and the "Cardassian Union" as the name of their interstellar state. It also introduced the news that the Cardassians had withdrawn from Bajor, setting the stage for the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Over the course of Deep Space Nine, the Cardassians' internal politics and their relationships with the Federation and Bajor go through many upheavals. An ill-advised attack by the Obsidian Order, the Cardassian intelligence agency, against the alien empire known as the Dominion crippled the power of the Cardassian military dictatorship and allowed a civilian government to take control. Later in the series, Gul Dukat negotiated Cardassia's membership in the Dominion in exchange for his own appointment as ruler of Cardassia, leading to a war against the Federation. When Dominion rule became too oppressive for the Cardassians, Dukat's successor Damar led a resistance movement against the Dominion with the support of the Federation and Bajorans, restoring Cardassia's independence.

In Their Own Story

In "The Wounded", the USS Enterprise-D, captained by Jean-Luc Picard, was sent to stop the renegade Federation starship USS Phoenix under Captain Benjamin Maxwell, who was convinced the Cardassians were rearming for war against the Federation. The Cardassian Gul Macet came aboard the Enterprise to assist. In "Chain of Command", the Federation gained intelligence that the Cardassians were developing a genetically engineered virus on an uninhabited planet. Picard was sent to infiltrate and destroy the weapon but was apprehended and tortured by the Cardassian Gul Madred. In "The Chase", it was revealed that humans and Cardassians—as well as the Klingons and Romulans—are all descended from an ancient species who seeded many planets with life. In "Journey's End", it was explained that the treaty between the Federation and the Cardassians left various Federation planets in Cardassian territory, and that many of these Federation colonists refused to leave. Their presence and struggle for independence from Cardassian rule was a recurring theme in both Deep Space Nine and Voyager. In the Deep Space Nine pilot "Emissary", the Federation took control of Deep Space Nine, a Cardassian-built space station orbiting Bajor, at the request of the Bajoran provisional government. The station's new Starfleet commander, Benjamin Sisko, was visited by the Cardassian who formerly served as prefect of Bajor, Gul Dukat.

Reader's Guide

The Cardassian Union is governed by a military government. The Cardassian military controls the Union, with the Obsidian Order as the Cardassian intelligence agency. Key figures include Gul Dukat, who served as prefect of Bajor and later negotiated Cardassia's membership in the Dominion, becoming its ruler. Damar succeeded Dukat and led a resistance movement against the Dominion. The Cardassian Union's capital is Cardassia Prime. The Union's primary military force is the Cardassian military, with the Obsidian Order as its intelligence branch. The Union was formerly allied with the Dominion. After the Dominion War, Cardassia was recovering from occupation and civil war.

Did You Know?

• The Cardassians were devised in 1991 for the series Star Trek: The Next Generation before being used in the subsequent series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.
• The design of the Cardassians was undertaken by costume designer Bob Blackman and makeup designer Michael Westmore, who sought to give the species a 'snakelike' appearance.
• Marc Alaimo's appearance as Gul Macet in 'The Wounded' made him the second actor, after Mark Lenard, to play three separate alien species in the Star Trek franchise.
• In 'Chain of Command Part I', the Cardassians' homeworld was first called 'Cardassia', and their interstellar state was named the 'Cardassian Union'.
• The Cardassian spaceship design in 'The Wounded' was based on the Egyptian ankh symbol, as the Cardassians were like the Pharaohs to the Bajoran slaves.