The Cardassians were a humanoid species from the Alpha Quadrant. They were native to the planet Cardassia Prime, capital world of the Cardassian Union.
History
The Cardassians had entered space relatively near to future Federation space as early as the 2150s. At least one Cardassian resided on Vulcan as early as the 2240s; the Starfleet admiralty was secretly aware of the existence of the Cardassian Union in the mid-2260s, due to hostile encounters with long-range Federation scouts. As far back as the 2280s, the Federation had settled colony worlds close to the Cardassian border (such as the Iadara Colony), which created a number of political tensions on both sides, and resulted in the UFP colonists of that region growing tough, resourceful, and not easily rattled.
Nevertheless, by the early 24th century, the Cardassians were still largely an unknown entity when initial moves were made to form diplomatic relations with the species. Within the next 20 years of the opening of official diplomacy, peace talks would fail, leading to the Federation-Cardassian War. A second war broke out when the Klingon Empire launched an unprovoked and unjustified invasion into Cardassian territory, after a successful rebellion had overthrown the military's rule. The Klingons believed the coup to be a result of Changeling infiltration, and therefore attempted to take over the Cardassian Union. The coup was in fact successful, due to the Obsidian Order having collapsed after the Battle of the Omarion Nebula. This war devastated Cardassian infrastructure, with a great loss of life and territory.
The third and largest of these conflicts was the Dominion War. In order to drive out the Klingons from their territory, destroy the Maquis in the Demilitarized Zone and regain Cardassia's status in the Alpha Quadrant, Gul Dukat signed a treaty making Cardassia a member of the Dominion. Cardassian and Dominion forces proceeded to push the Klingon fleet out of Cardassian territory and wipe out the entire Maquis movement within a few days.
While initially the alliance with the Dominion seemed to be beneficial to Cardassia, in the long run, it resulted in an exponential loss of life. Near the end of the Dominion War, Cardassia Prime was struck by Jem'Hadar raids and orbital bombardment from Dominion and Breen forces in orbit of the planet, which attempted to wipe out the Cardassian species entirely for their betrayal. Nearly one billion Cardassians were killed in a few short hours. On the wreck of Dominion-devastated Cardassia, a new democratic government arose.
Biology
Cardassians preferred a darker, hotter, and more humid environment than Humans or Bajorans.
Externally, Cardassians were easily recognizable by each having light-gray skin, two thick, vertical neck ridges that receded back to the crown of their head, and an inverted tear-shaped ridge in the center of the forehead. The ridge was thickest immediately above the eyes, protecting them and creating an especially deep-set appearance. This trait earned them the derogatory nickname "spoon heads." Some Cardassians had another ridged feature, also in the shape of an inverted tear, in the center of their chests, while other members of the species were missing this trait.
Society & Culture
Known throughout the Alpha Quadrant for being extremely ruthless, the Cardassians became one of the greatest enemies of the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, when the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion in 2373. Cardassians had a xenophobic attitude towards other species, which was well established throughout the quadrant after the Setlik III massacre during the Cardassian Border Wars, as well as when Cardassian atrocities during the Occupation of Bajor were revealed after they withdrew from the planet Bajor in 2369.
It was common for female Cardassians to apply blue makeup to the indentation in the center of their forehead and to apply coloring to their neck ridges.
The ideal Cardassian life was one of complete loyalty and servitude to the State and family. The Cardassian government was assumed to be omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent.
A typical example of the Cardassian approach to life was found in their jurisprudence and criminal trials, in which the conclusion was always determined beforehand – the ruling of each case was a guilty verdict – and the purpose of the proceedings was not justice in the Human sense but bringing the offender to recognize the power and benevolence of the State.
Cardassian philosophy placed a central value on strength; not necessarily physical strength, but strength of personal and collective will.
Cardassian philosophy typically upheld the idea that the ends justified the means. After the Cardassians unearthed the burial vaults of their ancestors, which were filled with rare artifacts, they sold them to other species to pay for their own war efforts as well as to feed the starving population on the Cardassian homeworld. Additionally, the extraction of Bajor's natural resources was considered an appropriate means to feed Cardassia's population, despite the fact it required the occupation of the Bajorans' homeworld.
