u.s.s. Lancelot NCC-74410

diplomatic/JAG dEPARTMENT

CARDASSIANS

Cardassians are humanoid bipeds from a very warlike planet. They have a limited exoskeleton, most notably evident on their faces which gives them damage resistance, and also makes them slightly harder to kill than other races .  In appearance they are tall, long-necked, and marked by several bony protrusions and ridges. Their skin type and hair color varies from light purple to a greenish hue, and nearly black. The race has also developed night vision.

The military training provided by Cardassians to their soldiers provides a slight increase in strength, dexterity, and health. This training also provides their military with combat reflexes and other advantages.
These skills and advantages are all learned at a very early age. The training also produces a bond between Cardassians and the government, and also manages to convince them Cardassians are better than anyone else. This makes them tend to be belligerent.

Cardassia Prime, also known simply as Cardassia, is the homeworld of the Cardassian Union. It is a Class-M planet, poor in natural resources. The Cardassians were once a peaceful and spiritual people. But because their planet was resource-poor, starvation and disease were rampant, and people died by the millions.

With the rise of the military, new territories and technology were acquired by violence, at the cost of millions of lives sacrificed to the war effort. The military plays a significant role in Cardassian society, and there is compulsory military service for males. Military monuments, with some serving as burial sites.

In ancient times, Cardassia Prime was home to a splendid civilization whose legendary ruins are still considered some of the most remarkable in the galaxy.

These were the Hebitians, the ancestors of the modern Cardassians. Their burial vaults were uncovered on Cardassia Prime in the late 2160s. The tombs, said to be magnificent, are reputed to have been filled with many jeweled artifacts.

When families and disease struck Cardassia, the tombs were plundered, and priceless artifacts stolen. The military itself was involved in the plunder, and sold many valuable objects to finance invasions of alien worlds. A few of Cardassia's ancient artifacts remain preserved today in a vault under the direct control of the Obsidian Order.

The Cardassians are considered to be master architects, though their engineering regulations do not match Starfleet standards, as can be seen in the inferior construction of the space station Terok Nor (now known as Deep Space Nine) in the Bajoran system.

Cardassian buildings seem to indicate that they prefer everything in sets of three, which is dominant feature in their structures. They believe in honesty in design, and what to show the columns and beams which make up a structure, rather than disguise them.

Cardassian lighting is quite dim by human standards, and the pervading gloom is accentuated even further by the use of dark colors in their structures.

It has been said that the Cardassian educational system is unparalleled in the Alpha Quadrant. "Education is power and joy is vulnerability," Gul Dukat once remarked.

Cardassians are famous for their photographic memories. Children have been known to be placed into intensive mind-training programs as early as four years old. This mental training even provides enough discipline to enable some Cardassians to deflect a Vulcan mind-meld.

Another trait of Cardassians is their attention to detail, which is almost obsessive. They have taught record-keeping to several planets, including Bajor when that world was under their domination.

Other cultures do not necessarily share the Cardassians' taste in food, such as yamok sauce - a favorite condiment on Cardassia Prime. They also enjoy kanar, which is a dark, thick, syrup-like beverage - though Glinn Daro, a Cardassian aide to Gul Macet, once admitted to Chief Miles O'Brien while on board the USS Enterprise NCC 1701D that the drink took "some getting used to".

Another favorite, the taspar egg, is the ova of a Cardassian fowl. Boiled tarpar egg is considered a great delicacy on Cardassia Prime, however, the raw egg of the taspar is revolting to Cardassians.

On Cardassia, civilians generally favor dark colors. Military uniforms are black with a bodysuit worn underneath the armor, which consists of metal torso, chest, and arm plates. Metal boots are worn with shin guards. The communicator is part of a large band which is worn around the wrist.

Starfleet Captain Edwards Jellico described the Cardassians as being "like timber wolves, predators. They're bold in large numbers, and cautious by themselves. They have a distinctive need to establish a dominant position in any social gathering."

However, not all Cardassians are one-dimensionally evil. Some walk the same line between duty, choice, and belief as we do.

Family is central to Cardassian life. Men and women are rude to one another when they are courting - insults are terms of endearment to Cardassians. They tend to have large families.

On Cardassia, families of up to four generations often under one roof. Caring for parents, as well as children, is of great social and ethical importance.

For Pa'dar, an important Cardassian politician, knowledge that he abandoned his child on Bajor - even one he thought dead - was enough to publicly and privately humiliate him, effectively ruining his career.

This is particularly ironic because, despite this devotion to family and children, true orphans have no status in Cardassian society and are simply forgotten.

Their children keep pets, such as the white and furry Wompat. Cardassians celebrate birthdays, respect marriage, and honor advanced age as a sign of power and dignity.

They like orderliness in all things, and believe that there is no dilemma that cannot be solved with a disciplined mind.

The Cardassians are an extremely talkative race, and are fond of literature, which seems to reflect their sense of duty - one of their greatest books is 'The Never Ending Sacrifice'.

In Cardassian society, everything seems to be determined by social caste; marriage, career, land holdings, political, and social status. Those of the military caste marry in order to secure their career and position in the government.

Cardassians are very protective of their territories. They don't permit anyone to travel in their space without the express permission of the Cardassian Empire. This rule is enforced by military patrol vessels, strategically placed at perimeter checkpoints throughout Cardassian space and territories within their system and the Demilitarized Zone.

In 2309, the Cardassians occupy the planet Bajor, subjugating the people. The occupation lasts for 60 years.

They construct the space station, Terok Nor (now under Starfleet jurisdiction and renamed Deep Space Nine), initially as a mining station. Then they systematically striped the surface of Bajor of its resources. They do the same to Terok Nor when they abandon it, leaving the station in a shambles.

The Cardassians are infamous for their maltreatment of prisoners. But in the world of commerce, they are known for paying their bills, though their officials and officers are not above taking bribes - even from lowly Bajorans.

While it is a major force in the Cardassian government, not much else is known about the military. We know military commanders, called Legates, appear to administrate military affairs.

The Obsidian Order is the Cardassian intelligence unit. For many years, they are known for their diligence and ruthlessness, and are the ears and eyes of the Cardassian Empire.

It is said that a Cardassian citizen cannot sit down to a meal without each dish being duly noted and recorded by the Order. They claim to be more efficient than the Romulan Tal Shiar, who can't compete when it comes to intelligence gathering and covert operations. However, the Order is weakened by an unsuccessful attack on the Dominion in 2371.

Cardassians boast that they have the most efficient criminal investigation system in the quadrant. The verdict is always known before the trial and it is always the same - guilty.

Cardassian citizens enjoy watching justice triumph over evil every time, and find it comforting. The authorities believe it's good for the populace to see these spectacles of justice, feeling that the trials demonstrate the futility of 'contrary' behavior.

An uneasy truce existed between the Cardassian Union and the Federation, which was reached in 2366. This truce has been violated, in principle at least, by both sides, but no war was declared by either side since the truce until that of the Dominion War.

Cardassian Union and United Federation of Planets Treaty

Should you have any questions or comments please e-mail the Chief Diplomatic/JAG Officer at the Diplomatic/JAG Department aboard the U.S.S. Lancelot.