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For other uses, see Cardassia.

The Lotus Flower is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel by Una McCormack. It was published in 2004 in Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Volume 1.

Description[]

CARDASSIA: The last world ravaged by the Dominion War is also the last on which Miles O'Brien ever imagined building a life. As he joins in the reconstruction of Cardassia's infrastructure, his wife Keiko spearheads the planet's difficult agricultural renewal. But Cardassia's struggle to remake itself — from the fledgling democracy backed by Elim Garak to the people's rediscovery of their own spiritual past — is not without opposition, as the outside efforts to help rebuild its civilization come under attack by those who reject any alien influence.

Summary[]

Miles and Keiko O'Brien are on Cardassia, assisting with a project at Andak to make a barren area fertile. However, although they have the support of Alon Ghemor, many members of the funding committee prefer a similar project at Setekh which has military applications so O'Brien travels to the capital to argue their case.

In his absence, Vedek Yevir visits the project. However, in the middle of his speech to the crowd, Nyra, the teenage daughter of one of the Cardassian scientists, produces a bomb and threatens to detonate it if the government is not disbanded, the Oralian Way banned and all aliens expelled.

O'Brien and Macet head back to Andak to try and resolve the situation. Yevir manages to win Nyra's trust, telling her of how Bajor survived its own occupation, and stops her detonating the bomb when Macet's troops storm the building.

Garak realizes that Nyra has been used as a pawn by the True Way and contacts Legate Korven, a member of the group who he "broke" while working with the Obsidian Order. Korvan tells him another leading member is Entor, an opponent of the Andak Project, and Garak and Ghemor are able to blackmail him into voting with them. Garak also learns that Ghemor's assistant Jartek manufactured the whole incident, feeding Korven and Entor information in order to precipitate a crisis and allow Ghemor to be hailed as a hero for resolving it, and warns him never to try anything without telling him again.

Synopsis[]

In the rebuilding of Cardassia, Alon Ghemor’s progressive government faces staunch opposition by the old guard Directorate, who don’t want Federation ideals inhibiting Cardassia’s return to former glories. Much of their society is barely surviving, facing disease and limited food and resources while trying to cope with the aftermath of the Dominion’s destruction. Many people are the only members of their family still alive. Keiko O’Brien leads the Andak Project, an effort to revitalize a barren valley into a major source of food. It’s the first step in making Cardassia agriculturally self-sufficient, a solution to the world’s historically greatest deficiency, which drove them to invade other planets. Some hope it will also be the start of a social and cultural revolution, setting their whole society on a new path. While the Andak Project is endorsed by Ghemor, it competes for funding with the Directorate-backed project at Setekh, a quick fix with military applications. Miles travels to the capital to champion Andak to the funding committee while Keiko deals with the politics of administration and tries to build not only a team, but a whole community. Many traditional Cardassians do not mix well with the Federation scientists or even those Cardassians who openly practice the (now-legal, but unpopular) Oralian Way. Professor Tela Maleren leads protests of the public Oralian ceremonies.

Vedek Yevir and a press contingent visit Andak, though his speech to the community is interrupted when Maleren’s teenage daughter, Nyra, threatens to detonate a bomb. Though she claims to be acting alone, she is a voice for the True Way, who believe alien influence pollutes Cardassia and threatens to destroy what little remains of their culture. She calls for the dissolution of Ghemor’s “puppet” government, the outlawing of Oralian lies and superstitions, and the expulsion of all aliens from Cardassian soil. Several people try to reason with Nyra, though Yevir himself—a figurehead of hated alien influence—is the only person to get through to her. He draws parallels between the suffering of Bajor and Cardassia (without reproaching her people) and convinces her that she has more to offer her world than more death and destruction. When Gul Macet’s forces storm the building, Yevir stops her hand from detonating the bomb and stays with her in the hours following the crisis. Tela Maleren reconsiders her hardline stances, distraught that she may have spurred her daughter into the hands of extremists.

Garak, now a top aide to Ghemor, intimidates an old acquaintance into revealing the True Way’s role in the affair; how they infiltrated Andak and misled the vulnerable Nyra into doing their dirty work. He learns of Directorate representative Merak Entor’s connection with the terrorist group, enabling Ghemor to force Entor back in line or risk a scandal. Garak also discovers that Ghemor’s aide Jartek secretly orchestrated the whole event to give Ghemor a very public win; he threatens Jartek not to do it again without consulting the former spy. Andak secures its funding and the O’Briens re-commit themselves to building their community and facing down threats. In the spring, Andak blossoms with unprecedented growth.

References[]

Characters[]

Lamerat AnjenCharles DruryMerak EntorElim GarakAlon GhemorJack EmmettMev JartekKira NerysKorvenFeric LakhatAkellen MacetNyra MalerenTela MalerenNaitheCrom NeretKeiko O'BrienKirayoshi O'BrienMiles O'BrienMolly O'BrienRemarTeris JuzeYevir Linjarin
Referenced only
Julian BashirCorat DamarSkrain DukatEkoshaOdoOraliusShoggothBenjamin SiskoEnabran TainTarinasWeyoun

Locations[]

AndakAndak MountainsCardassiaCardassia CityCardassian sunVictory Square
Referenced only
BajorDeep Space 9EarthEmpok NorLakarian CitySarpedion VSetekh

Races and cultures[]

BajoranBolianCardassianHuman
Referenced only
Jem'HadarProphets

Starships and vehicles[]

States and organizations[]

Andak ProjectCardassian GuardCardassian UnionDirectorateFederation News ServiceInterstellar Agricultural Aid CommissionSetekh ProjectStarfleetStarfleet Corps of EngineersOralian WayTechnological Appropriations CommitteeTrue WayUnited Federation of Planets
Referenced only
Cardassian Science AcademyCultural Conservation CommitteeCultural Restoration and Reconstruction CommissionDepartment of Rhetorical AdministrationObsidian OrderStarfleet IntelligenceTwelfth Order

Other references[]

aramanthAttainderBajoran religionBattle of Cardassiacanka nutCastellan of the Cardassian UnionDominion Wardroknaenigma talegulholodramaholosuitekaikanarkotralegatemeya lilyOccupation of BajorpaghpokerPrime Directiveraktajinoredleaf teaRelief of RakanthaSchoolschool belltemperature modulatortransporterTzeka fevervedekxenosociology

Appendices[]

Related media[]

Background[]

Images[]

Connections[]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine relaunch publications and stories
Novels A Stitch in TimeAvatar, Book One‎Avatar, Book TwoAbyssDemons of Air and DarknessTwilightThis Gray SpiritCathedralLesser EvilRising SonThe Left Hand of Destiny, Book OneThe Left Hand of Destiny, Book TwoUnity • "Cardassia: The Lotus Flower" • "Andor: Paradigm" • "Trill: Unjoined" • "Bajor: Fragments and Omens" • "Ferenginar: Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed" • "The Dominion: Olympus Descending" • WarpathFearful SymmetryThe Soul KeyThe Never-Ending SacrificeThe MissingSacraments of FireAscendanceForce and MotionThe Long MirageEnigma TalesOriginal Sin
Miniseries and anthologies The Lives of DaxDivided We FallMission GammaWorlds of Deep Space Nine (Volume One, Two & Three)
Short stories and novellas "Horn and Ivory" • "The Officers' Club" • Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)Rules of AccusationI, The Constable
Comics N-Vector • "Crossfire" • "No Quarter" • "All Fall Down" • "United We Stand"
Omnibuses Twist of FaithThese Haunted Seas
Related Star Trek: Section 31Star Trek: Terok NorStar Trek: DestinyStar Trek: Typhon PactStar Trek: The FallStar Trek: Coda
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine collected short stories, novellas and short novels
The Lives of Dax "Second Star to the Right..." • "First Steps" • "Dead Man's Hand" • "Old Souls" • "Sins of the Mother" • "Infinity" • "Allegro Ouroboros in D Minor" • "The Music Between the Notes" • "Reflections" • "... and straight on 'til morning"
Prophecy and Change "Revisited" • "Ha'mara" • "The Orb of Opportunity" • "Broken Oaths" • "... Loved I Not Honor More" • "Three Sides to Every Story" • "The Devil You Know" • "Foundlings" • "Chiaroscuro" • "Face Value" • "The Calling"
Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Volume One ("Cardassia: The Lotus Flower" • "Andor: Paradigm") • Volume Two ("Trill: Unjoined" • "Bajor: Fragments and Omens") • Volume Three ("Ferenginar: Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed" • "The Dominion: Olympus Descending")
Strange New Worlds I ("Life's Lessons" • "Where I Fell Before My Enemy") • II ("Research" • "Change of Heart") • III ("Ninety-three Hours" • "Dorian's Diary" • "The Bottom Line" • "The Best Defense..." • "An Errant Breeze") • IV ("Captain Proton and the Orb of Bajor" • "Isolation Ward 4") • V ("Fear, Itself") • VI ("Fabrications" • "Urgent Matter" • "Best Tools Available") • VII ("Infinite Bureaucracy" • "Barclay Program Nine") • 8 ("Trek" • "Gumbo" • "Promises Made" • "Always a Price") • 9 ("Shadowed Allies" • "Living on the Edge of Existence" • "The Last Tree on Ferenginar: A Ferengi Fable From the Future" • "The Tribbles' Pagh") • 10 ("So a Horse Walks into a Bar..." • "Signal to Noise") • 2016 ("The Façade of Fate" • "The Manhunt Pool" • "The Dreamer and the Dream")
Star Trek: Explorer "A Night In" • "By Special Request" • "The Mission" • "Things Can Only Get Better" • "Frontier Medicine" • "The Victim" • "You Can't Buy Fate" • "Lost and Founder" • "A Year to the Day I Saw Myself Die" • "Academy Acquisition"
Misc. short stories "The Badlands, Part IV" • "The Second Artifact" • "Mirror Eyes" • "Requital" • "The Officers' Club" • "A Terrible Beauty"
Misc. novellas & short novels "Horn and Ivory" • "Saturn's Children" • "Seeds of Dissent" • "A Gutted World"

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel:
Unity
DS9 novels
(Post-finale)
Next novel:
Andor: Paradigm
Previous story:
Face Value
Stories by:
Una McCormack
Next story:
Hollow Men
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
Malefictorum
Epilogue
Memory Beta Chronology Next Adventure:
Genesis Force


Translations[]
2012
German : Cardassia: Die Lotusblume, translated by Christian Humberg. (Cross Cult)

External link[]

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