Cardassians: Military Orders Hello, Cardassian fans. It's been a while since I've revised this text. So after I finished the Cardassian guide I opened this file and started to update it. I have received some nice compliments regarding my work, which I greatly appreciate. Thanks a bunch!:) It's not everyday that people are interested in what I have to say, which normally isn't much, but important enough to jot my words down and post/upload it. Also, I realized that several texts could have been organized: more detailed and more concise. I offer my sincerest apologies. In the future I will be sure to make the texts reader friendly, not my old guttural utterance.(uh...uh...uh.):) ***************************************************************** AUTHOR'S DISCLAIMER and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Star Trek is a trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation. The Art Of War by Sun Tzu; edited by James Clavell, is a trademark of Delta. All other copyrights and trademarks associated with the text properties listed above are hereby acknowledged and respected. Cardassians: Military Orders is a copyright (c) 1994 by Tiffany L. Edenfield. Version 2.0 copyright (c) 1995. The information presented here is in no way intended to infringe upon the established copyrights and trademarks of Paramount Pictures Corporation. It is solely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for sale. It may be freely distributed, subject to the following conditions: (1). The copyright notices listed above and the author's name must accompany all copies of the file, whether in electronic or hard copy form. (2). The file may not be modified in any form without the expressed written consent of the author. (3). No fee, other than reasonable distribution compensation, be charged. Please all comments to tiffanye@ix.netcom.com Table of Contents 1). Author's Notes 2). Obsidian Order: The Rules of Espionage 3). The Cardassian union: The Nine Orders 4). Military Order Structure 5). End Note Author's Notes: Here goes another brave adventure; the ever so assiduous novice writer strikes again. I know many Cardassian fans would like to know more about our favorite alien race, the Cardassians. That cool exterior; pompous demeanor; and narcissistic mien drive people to diligently collect any tidbit of information from various electronic boards, magazines, and episodes on the race. You long for a spin-off series where nothing but Cardassians rule. You even start letter writing campaigns to Berman, demanding Garak be made a regular and more appearances of Gul Dukat. Well my fellow Cardassian fans you're not alone, hence, the Marc Alaimo Fan Club (Gul Dukat), the Cardassian Inquisitor (newsletter), The Official Andrew Robinson Fan Club, Terok Nor (Cardassian fanzine), and alt.startrek.cardassian (Usenet). That's only to name a few!:) As with the previous works regarding the Cardassians, it isn't endorsed by Paramount Pictures who own the rights to the character. So all you Cardassians, Cardassian wannabees, or 'pure and simple' fans: this is based on supposition by a compulsive Cardassian fan. Actually, I'm not that extreme. I just enjoy writing about them.:) YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! >;] ***************************************************************** A Chinese philosopher named Sun-tzu stated in his "Rules for Political and Psychological Subversion" that "there is no art higher than that of destroying the enemy's resistance without a fight on the battlefield." The Obsidian Order The Rules of Espionage (1). The ways of the prey. Study your enemies habits, patterns of movement, and routines. "We've known about the loan of a Romulan cloaking device to the Federation." -Koronis, Obsidian Order Observer DSN "Defiant" (2). Implicate the emissaries of the major powers in criminal undertakings; undermine their position and destroy their and destroy their credibility. Destroy their reputation in other ways as well; and exposed them to public ridicule of their fellow citizens. The Obsidian Order suspected Legate Tekeny Ghemor, of the Cardassian Central Command, is a "dissident," a political faction opposed to the current government. In order to expose his activities, Entek had Major Kira kidnapped, then altered to appear the daughter (Illiana) of Legate Ghemor. He knew the Legate would never permit his daughter to be interrogated; he attempted to help her escape. "When it comes to the Order, nothing is impossible." -Entek, Obsidian Order Field Operative (3). Destroy their reputation in other ways as well; and exposed them to public ridicule of their fellow citizens. "The verdicts are always known before the trial begins, and the sentence is always death; the people demand to see justice triumph over evil." -DSN "Tribunal" and "The Maquis, Part II" (3). Do not shun the aid of even the lowest and most despicable people. Obsidian Order objective: Establish contacts with the Yridians, who are information trade/gatherers. They often sell information to the Cardassians. -TNG "The Chase" (4). Disrupt work of their government with every means you can. Obsidian Order objective: Claim sectors (Orias system); forbid entry; disobey direct orders (possess armaments). -DSN "Defiant" (5). Spread disunity and dispute among the citizens of the enemy's country. Turn young against old. Use every means to destroy their arms, their supplies, and the discipline of the enemies forces. Obsidian Order objective: Alter Operatives and infiltrate enemy encampments. -DSN "Second Skin" and VOY "State of Flux" (6). Debase old traditions and accepted gods. "Cardassians were once a spiritual race." -Gul Madred, Cardassian Interrogator TNG "The Chain of Command, Part II (7). Be generous with promises and rewards to purchase intelligence and accomplices. "A border patrol can be paid to look the other way." -Joret Dahl, Cardassian military officer TNG "Lower Decks" =============================================================== The Cardassian Empire The Nine Orders The mightiest rivers lose their force when split up into several streams. -J. Lewis May There are nine Orders in the Cardassian Union, the ninth being the Obsidian Order, which I will expound on later in this text. I'm not positive that this is an established fact, nor do I know the delineation of each Order. I have come across a post regarding Gul Dukat. The poster mused that Dukat's designation was once the First Order while he was in command of Terok Nor, and perchance, demoted immediately after the wormhole was discovered. That supposition is a definite possibility. But who demoted him? In the DSN episode, "Cardassians," Civil leaders (political faction within the government) were 'involved' in the decision to withdraw from Bajor, which, supposedly, Gul Dukat opposed. However, there's no mention of the Central Commands involvement. Now, you may ask yourself: What does Dukat's possible demotion have to do with the Orders? To understand how the Orders work, one must understand how, most importantly, who makes the appointment; the Central Command? That much is obvious. But let's say the government were somehow involved in the decision. After all, the government was the power in Cardassian society until famine struck, and necessity for survival outweighed the government's influence. When the government showed weakness in their abilities to handle the famine crisis, the military stepped in, stripped the government of their control, and proceeded to meet their peoples's needs by any means necessary. If it meant an invasion of alien worlds at the risk of Cardassian lives, then so be it. In the wake of starvation death was an option they were all too familiar with. If the government has no voice, how could it be involved in any command decision? I know I have piqued someone's, if not everyone's interest regarding this question. Nevertheless, the questions are only posed, not answered, they don't disclose any information on the Orders. Before I continue I feel I must warn you that what I'm about to write is solely conjecture-no mix of fact and fiction-strictly my supposition. Now that we know several Orders exist within the military, fans can inject their musings. I believe an Order-Commander, comparable to a Starfleet Fleet-Admiral, in-charge of a fleet of warships, which consists of nine warships. Some of you might disagree over the number, believing the number should be substantial. After all they have several units within the Cardassian Guard: the Cardassian Mechanized Infantry, the Defense Forces, and Militia 4-1, to name a few. First I would like to say that the Cardassians prefer balance to symmetry, and it's a known fact that they like everything in sets of three's(hence, nine warships are assigned in three divisions for various duties and functions). Also, I'm cognizant of the fact that Trek writers normally mention and/or show one ship when in contact with the Federation. In recent Deep Space Nine episodes they're are usually three (DSN: "Emissary" and "Explorers"). And why, you might ask, do the writers contradict the DSN bible? Cost is one reason.:) As for the second reason, each writer has his or her own interpretation of Cardassians. Military Order Structure The Orders are large, consisting of ten Galor-class, type-III warships. Type three is the most powerful ships in the Cardassian fleet. It is normally commanded by a Gul. The remainder of the Order consists of officers that hold the same rank, but must adhere to the directive of their command leader. An Order Commander is an equivalent to a Starfleet Fleet-Admiral. Remember, this is all conjecture. There's no written material available that would support this theory. But when you think of previous DSN and TNG episodes you will see evidence that-although don't support my theories-it shows that not all of them are postulated. In the TNG, "Chain of Command, Part II," we see Gul Lemeck in command of an invasion force, a fleet of Galor-class warships. Second, to support my theory that Gul's command a warship, but don't possess the authority to initiate an invasion, think of previous Deep Space Nine episodes featuring Cardassian Gul's. Some only identify the rank they represent. For Example: Gul Jasad, of the Fourth Order, notice he didn't declare he was the "commander" of that Order? So we have a Command leader and Sub-Commanders that hold the rank of Gul. But not all Guls command ships, some are positioned in other fields within the military. Again, I state this is purely conjecture. Normally, over six hundred people would be assigned to a warship. The number is much greater than Starfleet's (200 on the "Defiant"), then again, their ships are larger. An entire Order boasts a strength of six thousand men, not including ground support, which various Sub-Commander's govern. Order Commander: Adhere to the directive of his/her authority-a Legate of the Central Command. Order Sub-Commander: Adhere to the directive of the Order Commander. Order Division Commander: Various units within the Order's structure who is responsible for various forces; tactical, weapons, ground assault. I believe the Obsidian Order was once affiliated with the military (Ninth Order). Nevertheless, recent Deep Space Nine episodes nearly to disproved that belief. In DSN: "Defiant," Gul Dukat informed Commander Sisko (before the promotion) that "the Obsidian Order, in theory, answer to the political authority of its 'toper' council just as the military does. In practice, we both run our own affairs." Also, it was revealed the Obsidian Order was established over five centuries, and the practice between both the Central Command and the Obsidian Order has endured. It is known that the Order is an intelligence unit, possibly a extragovernmental division. They are called information gatherers; some like to call them spies. Their main function is to obtain intelligence about the size, location, and logistics of an enemy base, as well as to ensure loyalty among the citenzry. It is said that even a citizens meal is duly recorded and noted (DSN: "The Wire"). However, the face of that Order is changing in ways not even the Central Command could imagine. They are becoming their worse nightmare. The Obsidian Order believe that in warfare spies are a necessity, one most know the enemy as well as he know himself before an invasion could commence. Liberalities are given freely in the hopes that the information they gather will yield a glorious victory. But what price will the retainer (government/Central Command)of the spies pay? In DSN: "Improbable Cause" and "The Die Is Cast," the Obsidian Order has proven no wealth; no fear; no deception is too great to risk when the ends justify the means (they were forbidden use of military equipment of "any" kind). End Note I hope you've enjoyed reading this text, and you're looking forward to viewing more literature on the Cardassian race. Next edition will be the breakdown of the Cardassian Empire. If you have any comments and/or questions regarding this text or any other that I've composed, please feel free to send e-mail to: tiffanye@ix.netcom.com.