THE CARDASSIAN UNION is the home of the Cardassian species, humanoids who replaced their democratic government with a Military Regime and unleashed a war of occupation that was horrific in its scope. Their first contact with the Federation consisted of their firing upon a Starfleet vessel conducting research. The Cardassian battlecruiser captured the scout ship and tortured its crew. The Federation responded by interdicting the 'Badlands' buffer zone and attacking all Cardassian shipping found there. Ten years later, Federation colonists in the Badlands were struck by Cardassian attacks, at the same time as the brutal occupation of Bajor occurred.

Federation Citizenry formed a group called "the Maquis" to resist Cardassian aggression, in the seeming disinterest of the UFP-Starfleet to counter the threats. Because of political stalling in the Federation Council on the part of the 'New Reform' party, the Cardassian occupation of Bajor went unchecked, to the disgust of many in the Federation. It took Federation assistance and weapons to free Bajor, and the Maquis were disgusted that the Federation seemed more interested in the Bajoran Wormhole than the lives of its own colonists along the Badlands. Maquis harassment of the Federation stepped up, and some Starfleet officers joined the Maquis ranks. During the start of the Dominion war, the Cardassians claimed neutrality. This changed rapidly, when they came out on the side of the Dominion and allowed the Dominion access to the Alpha Quadrant from their Chin'toka system. The Dominion rapidly occupied Cardassia, choking their 'allies' as they no doubt had planned to do all along. When the Federation opposed Klingon plans to invade Cardassia, it nearly wrecked the Alliance.

When the Alliance started pushing back the Dominion, the Cardassian populace revolted. During the revolution, it was revealed that the Founders, leaders of the Dominion, had actually been the impetus behind the Military Occupation Forces of Cardassia. Like the Breen, the Cardassians were denied military weapons and spilt into three Occupied Areas, supervised by the Allies. They continue weapons building programs in secret, and use the Badlands as staging grounds for their continued tests. They are in a state of disbelief that their entire civilization and culture were both too thoroughly manipulated by the Founders.

The Cardassian Union is less than a quarter the size of the Federation, and is located to the "west". The Cardassians were once a peaceful, spiritual people, but Cardassia Prime was and is resource-poor, and starving citizens put the military into power. It began a program of conquest which continues to this day, and enjoys great popular support, since it brings in food, technology, and wealth. Cardassia is a straightforward military dictatorship. It is governed by the Nine Military Orders. The Ninth, or "Obsidian Order", provides intelligence and espionage services. The Cardassian Union began a brutal but low-level conflict with the Federation in 2350. An uneasy truce was reached in 2366, and was more firmly established in 2367. In 2732 a civilian government was put in power; time will tell if it will outlast the recent Klingon/Cardassian hostilities. Cardassians behave like Klingons without honor and nobility, like Romulans without subtly and finesse. They freely use rape, torture, and mind control as instruments of policy. Most actions, even trade, cover war by other means. They lost a great deal when they lost Bajor and the Terok Nor space station, given the subsequent importance of the stable wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, and there are not a few Cardassians who have been scheming to get all that back.

As part of a three-pronged attack by Triad forces, Cardassia Prime was invaded and conquered by the Triad. Since then, the Triad has continued to expand its takeover of former Cardassian territories.

CURRENT FEDERATION STATUS: OCCUPIED PROTECTORATE, PROBABLE HOSTILE