The Cardassian Empire has been involved in a bitter, extended conflict with the United Federation Of Planets. An uneasy truce between the two adversaries was finally reached in 2366. During the negotiations, Ambassador Spock publically disagreed with his father, Ambassador Sarek, on the treaty.
Later that year, the treaty was violated by Starfleet captain Benjimin Maxwell, commanding the Starship Phoenix. Although Maxwell's actions were illegal, Starfleet authorities beleived his suspisions of illicit Cardassian military activity were correct.
In the past the Cardassians were a spiritual people. But because there planet was poor of resources, starvation and disease were rampant, and people died by the millions. With the rise of military to power, new territories and technology were acquired by violence, at the cost of millions of lives sacrificed to the war effort.
In 2367, a historic peace treaty established a fragile armistice between the Federation and the Cardassian Empire. Starfleet Captain, Edward Jellico was partially credited for the negotiations. Among other things, the treaty provided that captaives of either government would be allowed to see a representitive from a neutral planet following their incarceration.
The Cardassians annexed planet Bajor around 2328, and over the next several decades systematically stripped the planet of recources, and forced most Bajorans to resettle on other worlds.
In 2369, it was beleived that Cardassia was developing a metagenic weapon and planning to use it with an incursion into Federation space. Enterprise D Captain Jean - Luc Picard, along with Cheif Medical Officer Beverly Crusher and Security Officer Worf, were send covertly into Cardassian spece to investigate. The reports were found to be a ruse, designed to lure Captain Picard into Cadrassian captivity.
Also in 2369, the Bajoran resistance movement had forced the Cadrassians form Bajor after years of terrorist activity. In their retreat they abandoned Deep Space Nine, an old Cardassian mining station orbiting Bajor. This proved to be a major mis - step for the Cardassians, as the station became of major strategic, scientific and commercial value when the Bajoran wormhole was discovered shortly thereafter by two Starfleet officers.
The Obsidian Order has the power to contol the Central Command which, in turn controls all military forces in the Cardassian Empire.
It is said that you can not do anything without the Obsidian Order allready knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it.
On an assault on the Founders homeworld the entire Obsidian Order / Tal Shiar fleet was destroyed, thus the Dominion illimanated both powerful adversaries from the Alpha Quadrant.
The Cardassian Empire became a member of the Dominion, in a political attempt for the dominion to have a permenent presence in the Alpha Quadrant.
Dukat and Weyoun, allies aboard Deep Space Nine
The Cardassian homeworld is called Cardassia Prime.
Cardassians have 2 arms, hands, legs and feet, one head, rough, a grey coloured scaly textured skin covering 100% of the body.
Cardassians have a large protruding neck line. Around the face, eyes and chin is a large bone structure which extends up to both ears, this bone structure gives Cardassians a very domininating face.
Cardassians intensely dislike extremely cold climates as well as disliking bright light.
Cardassians are detested by the Bajorans for what they did to them during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor.
A typical Cardassian, two small ears with a large bone structure protruding around the face, eyes and chin, oval shaped, rigged head, grey scaly skin.