Cardassian Union

The Cardassian Union is an interstellar political entity in the Alpha Quadrant, headed by the civilian Detapa Council and the military Central Command, based on planet Cardassia Prime.

The 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. In 2372, the Detapa Council took control of the government, sparking suspicions of a Dominion-influenced coup and leading to a Klingon invasion. (DS9 episode: "The Way of the Warrior") In 2373, Gul Skrain Dukat, then military advisor to the Detapa Council, secretly negotiated an alliance with the Dominion, making himself the nominal head of the Cardassian Union. (DS9 episode: "By Inferno's Light")

In the aftermath of the Dominion War, a democratic government was established, headed by Alon Ghemor. (DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time)
 * The name Cardassian Union is first given in the TNG episode "Chain of Command", while an earlier episode, "Ensign Ro", had referred to the government as the Cardassian Empire.

History
Tret Akleen is remembered as the "father" of the Cardassian Empire; Akleen was a Cardassian from Ventani II. (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")

Occupation of Bajor
In 2309, Cardassians first arrived at the planet Bajor, stating a desire to help the Bajoran people. They soon occupied the planet, and by 2328, had officially annexed it. Their occupation of the planet was notoriously cruel, as the Cardassians took the Bajorans' homes, and violated and tortured the people. While occupying the planet, the Cardassians were frequently targeted by terrorist attacks. Although the Federation was not an advocate of this occupation, they did not interfere, as Bajor was within the designated borders of the Cardassian Union. (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro", DS9 episode: "Emissary")

After spending decades stripping the planet of valuable resources (as well as eight of the nine Bajoran orbs), the Cardassians abandoned Bajor in 2369. As the Cardassians had severely impaired the Bajorans' self-sufficience, Bajoran territory, as well as the mining station Terok Nor, soon came under the protection of the Federation. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")
 * For more information, see Occupation of Bajor.

Conflicts with the Federation
The Cardassian Union engaged in a war against the United Federation of Planets for at least a decade. The Cardassians rejected at least one offer, made by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to end the conflict diplomatically. One infamous conflict of the war was the Setlik III Massacre. The war finally ended in 2366 (circa stardate 43400). A treaty was signed, but the Cardassians upheld a strong military presence along the border, which included several innocuous-looking starships and facilities that were really serving covert purposes. For some time, it was not considered wise to "stay too long on a Cardassian border without making your intentions known." (TNG episode: "The Wounded") Hundreds of thousands of Cardassian citizens were killed during the war, which had a very demoralizing impact on the people of the Union. The Union's food supplies were also depleted. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")

In 2367 (circa stardate 44400), an armistice was reached between the Union and the Federation; Edward Jellico was among those who helped to negotiate. The armistice resulted in several disputed territories being ceded to both parties, with allowances for further negotiations. Another diplomatic resolution between the two powers was the Seldonis IV Convention, which related to the treatment of prisoners. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")
 * For more information, see Federation-Cardassian War.

Shortly after the armistice was signed, two days before stardate 44429.6, the USS Phoenix destroyed a Cardassian outpost in the Cuellar system (sector 21505). Many Cardassians assumed this to be an undeclared rebirth of the war, and reacted accordingly. However, it was an isolated incident, which was resolved by Captain Picard and Chief Miles O'Brien of the USS Enterprise. During this incident, the Cardassians gained the ability to read Starfleet transponder codes; Starfleet was already capable of reading Cardassian codes. The Cardassian death toll from the actions of the Phoenix numbered over seven hundred. (TNG episode: "The Wounded")

Months later, on stardate 45076.3, Cardassian ships attacked a Federation colony on Solarion IV. The Bajoran terrorist Orta was implicated, and a Cardassian liaison met discreetly with Starfleet's Admiral Kennelly to discuss ways of eliminating Orta's threat. Two Galor-class warships intercepted the USS Enterprise in the Valo system while she was escorting a ship carrying Orta home; the Cardassians destroyed Orta's ship, only to find that the escort had been staged, and the ship empty. The Cardassians' duplicity was discovered, and they returned home. (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro")

After the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, many forces were redeployed along the Federation border. The Union intended to take possession of several territories that had been ceded to the Federation by the armistice. On stardate 46358, a Cardassian delegation led by Gul Lemec of the Reklar met with Captain Jellico of the Enterprise to negotiate a Federation withdrawal from the border. A Cardassian fleet was stationed in the McAllister Nebula, waiting to attack should it become necessary. Meanwhile, the Cardassians carried off an elaborate ruse involving metagenic weapon signatures on Celtris III for the purposes of capturing Jean-Luc Picard, who would have a pivotal role in the Federation defense plans, should a conflict ignite. A team from the Enterprise surreptitiously mined the Cardassian fleet, and the Union was forced to withdraw and return Picard. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")

The Union had another close call with the Federation days later, when the Bajoran wormhole was discovered. A ship commanded by Gul Dukat entered the wormhole to negotiate for Prophet technology, and was immediately lost when the wormhole disappeared. The Seventh Order, under the command of Gul Jasad, came looking for Dukat and was unwilling to believe the story of the wormhole's temporary existence. Jasad traded shots with Major Kira Nerys of Deep Space Nine before the wormhole reappeared. Although the system had once again become a valuable commodity, the Cardassians departed after witnessing Dukat's ship saved by Commander Benjamin Sisko. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")

The discovery of the wormhole renewed the Union's interest in possessing Bajoran territory. In 2370, the Cardassians secretly supplied the Alliance for Global Unity, an anti-Federation political movement on Bajor, with weapons. However, The Alliance's political strength was undermined when news of the Cardassians' involvement was spread. (DS9 episode: "The Circle")

Post Dominion War Reconstruction
Following the Dominion War, the Cardassian Union was occupied by the Federation, as well as the Klingon and Romulan Empires.

Politics
The Cardassian Union is currently a representative democracy. However, it was a military dictatorship as recently as 2375. The Detapa Council acts as the legislature of the Union.

As of 2369, the Cardassians were allied with the Klaestron. (DS9 episode: "Dax")

Groups

 * Applied Science Directorate
 * Bajor Division
 * Detapa Council
 * Cardassian Central Command
 * Obsidian Order (dissolved)
 * 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
 * Oralian Way
 * True Way

Diplomatic Treaties

 * Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty
 * Jankata Accord
 * Federation-Cardassian Treaty
 * Seldonis IV Convention

Culture
Cardassian colonies tend to have a Re-education Center present on the planet in order to ensure the loyalty of the population. (TNG game: Birth of the Federation) The Oralian Way is a repressed religious group in the Cardassian Union. (DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time)

Artifacts

 * Dujonian's Hoard

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. (VOY: Nothing Human) Though the Proficient Service Medallion was also a prestigious award. (DS9 episode Duet)

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. (TNG episode: "The Wounded", DS9 episode: "Emissary")

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. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")
 * The Trager may be the flagship of the Cardassian Guard in 2375.

Territory
Territory belonging to the Cardassian Union is bordered by four other states: the Federation, the Tzenkethi Coalition, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Breen Confederacy.

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. (TNG episodes: "The Wounded", "Ensign Ro", "Chain of Command", "Parallels")

Sectors 21305 and 21503 are on the Federation side of the border, while sector 21505 is on the Cardassian side. The McAllister C-Five Nebula is also in Cardassian space, 7 light-years from Federation space. (TNG episodes: "Ensign Ro", "Chain of Command")

Cardassian territory was at least partially re-defined in 2369, as the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")

Planets

 * Amleth Prime
 * Cardassia
 * Cardassia IV (DS9 episode: "The Homecoming")
 * Celtris III (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")
 * Doltec
 * Kestian
 * Ventani II (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")

Star Systems

 * Chin'toka system (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")
 * Cuellar system (TNG episode: "The Wounded")
 * Hurik system
 * Kelrabi system (TNG episode: "The Wounded")
 * Ketch'Tor asteroid belt
 * Pentath system
 * Torg'Q system (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")
 * Ventani system (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")

Conflicts

 * Lissepian Campaign
 * Bajor Occupation
 * Ubarrack Conflict
 * Cardassian-Federation War
 * Betreka Nebula Incident
 * First Klingon-Cardassian War
 * Dominion War
 * Second Klingon-Cardassian War

Alternate Versions
In a parallel universe visited by Worf in 2370, the Cardassian Empire was overthrown by the Bajorans. In this same universe, a Cardassian served as the conn officer of the USS Enterprise, suggesting an alliance between the Empire and the Federation. (TNG episode: "Parallels")