Cardassia Prime After the Dominion War
Cardassia Prime After the Dominion War
Canon History + Campaign Expansion
Canon Foundation (End of DS9 & Aftermath)
The Dominion War left Cardassia Prime in ruins—its population decimated, infrastructure obliterated, and national pride in tatters. The Cardassian Union, once a coldly efficient and authoritarian power, was reduced to rubble, both physically and ideologically.
Over 800 million Cardassians were killed in the Dominion's final retaliation for the rebellion led by Damar.
The Obsidian Order—once the regime's omnipresent intelligence agency—was already crippled after its failed pre-emptive strike on the Dominion (DS9: "The Die Is Cast"). What little remained of Cardassia's intelligence infrastructure was either dismantled or driven underground.
Post-War Governance & Federation Influence
Canonically, Cardassia fell under Federation-assisted reconstruction, akin to post-war Germany or Japan.
- Reformists like Elim Garak and Gul Macet were positioned (sometimes reluctantly) as the face of the new provisional government.
- The military was defanged and subject to oversight.
- The civilian government—if it can be called that—was fragile, volatile, and prone to being hijacked by old-guard loyalists.
- The Federation provided aid, infrastructure, and advisors—but not trust. Starfleet Intelligence and diplomatic observers remained deeply embedded.
Campaign Expansion: “Ashes and Ambition”
While the fires of war were extinguished on Cardassia Prime, vengeance, shame, and old pride smolder beneath the surface. The Cardassians have not forgotten:
- How they were abandoned by the Dominion.
- How they were humiliated by their own rebellion.
- How the Federation now walks their streets as "saviors."
Cardassia is officially in recovery—but ideologically, it is still in identity crisis.
Two Faces of Cardassia: Reform & Restoration
| Faction | Ideology | Methods | Attitude Toward Federation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reformists (Garak's Lineage) | Pro-democratic, cautious integration | Transparent governance, education, diplomacy | Cautiously allied; sees Federation as a guide |
| Restorationists (Military Loyalists) | Return to military-led order and discipline | Subtle infiltration, rhetoric, black ops | Distrustful; views Federation as occupiers |
| Order Remnants (Obsidian Shadows) | Technocratic control, elite manipulation | Rebuilding intelligence networks | Veiled contempt; slow subversion of influence |
Obsidian Order: Reformed or Reborn?
Officially dissolved, the Obsidian Order never truly died. It mutated.
- Some cells merged into the new civilian government as "security advisors."
- Others went dark, embedding within reconstruction infrastructure, academia, and even humanitarian agencies.
- A few are experimenting with Borg tech, AI matrices, and surveillance integration, believing that information is the one weapon that cannot be outgunned.
They don’t control the Cardassian Union anymore—but they’re building the next version of it. Smarter. Harder to see. Less… flamboyant.
Cardassia Prime Today: Rebuilding with Hidden Steel
Physically, Cardassia Prime is a planet under constant reconstruction:
- Cratered urban centers have been replaced by Federation modular housing.
- Mass transit grids and resource pipelines were rebuilt with joint Federation-Cardassian technology.
- There's a cultural renaissance underway—art, poetry, philosophy—seen as a way to reclaim identity without domination.
But make no mistake: Cardassians are playing the long game.
They build museums by day… and sharpen knives by night.
Campaign Use: The Smiling Mask of the Future
The Cardassian Union might claim to be a cooperative player on the galactic stage—but for your campaign, it offers perfect shades of gray:
- Allies when needed, rivals when ignored.
- Federation tech advisors working alongside former Obsidian officers.
- Shadow projects buried under research grants and civilian titles.
- Diplomatic envoys that are also deep-cover information harvesters.
They're not invading with fleets. They're embedding themselves in systems—so that when the quadrant shifts again, they'll already be in the right places to seize control.
TL;DR:
Cardassia Prime is a planet of contradictions:
- Rebuilt but restless.
- Civil but coiled.
- Ashes on the outside, ambition underneath.
It no longer seeks overt conquest—it seeks influence, leverage, and the upper hand in the next war… before it even begins.
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