Shortly after the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor?, a Federation? presence was established aboard [Terok Nor]?--renamed [Deep Space Nine]?--to assist the [Bajoran Provincial Government]? in rebuilding Bajor? only to discover a wormhole? to the Gamma Quadrant. (Emissary), Roughly four months later, the Federation?-Cardassian? borders were redefined, with the two sides buffered by [the Demilitarized Zone]?. However, the Cardassians harassed the Federation? colonists in the DMZ who then retaliated by forming a resistance movement known as [The Maquis]?.
Around the same time, the [Obsidian Order]?--the Cardassian intelligence agency--began to gain power, becoming almost the [Section 31]? of Cardassia. However, it was destroyed when it allied with the [Tal Shiar]?--the Romulan? version--in a preemptive strike against [The Dominion]?, a new threat from the Gamma Quadrant. (The Die Is Cast)
In January of 2372 (Stardate 49011), the [Klingon Empire]? attacked the Cardassians believing the [Detapa Council]? had been infiltrated by the Dominion. (The Way of the Warrior) The attack was lead by General Martok who, it turned out, had been himself replaced by a shapeshifter?--the leaders of [The Dominion]?. (In Purgatory`s Shadow)
Then, sometime between October 2373 and February 2374, with a Dominion? attack on DS9? imminent, [Gul Dukat]? announced [the Cardassian Union]?'s entry into [The Dominion]?, shocking not only [the Federation]? but most Cardassians as well. At the same time, [Gul Dukat]? announced his ascension as leader of [the Cardassian Union]?. Five days later, [the Maquis]? were all slaughtered by [The Dominion]?. (All but those on the USS Voyager, that is.)
The Cardassians (and therefore The Dominion]) captured DS9, (Call to Arms) but [the Federation]? managed to plant the wormhole? with self-replicating mines preventin The Dominion from sending in reinforcements.
Unfortunately for [the Federation]?, [Gul Damar]? discovered a way to disable the self-replication of the mines and completed the procedure and fired on the minefield seconds before O'Brien? and Nog? disabled the weapons in hopes to prevent just that. The [USS Defiant]? attacked DS( and managed to take it back when [The Bajoran Prophets]? destroyed an entire Dominion fleet on its way through the wormhole. [Gul Dukat]? was captured after his daughter? was killed by [Gul Damar]?, who was then promoted to Legate. (Sacrifice of Angels)
Under the leadership of Damar?, [the Cardassian Union]?, along with The Dominion, continued to gain ground over the Klingon-Federation? alliance, and even after Sisko? and Garak? tricked the Romulan?s into breaking their nonaggression treaty with The Dominion and joining the alliance (In the Pale Moonlight) they still managed to keep the upper hand.
Damar?, however, was not happy. While he had hoped that Cardassia? joining The Dominion would strengthen their power, he felt that they were no longer in control of even their own planet, having to report to Weyoun? and The Founders, and with Cardassian troops sacrificed seemingly meaninglessly without his permission. Shortly after the Breen? joined The Dominion--almost guaranteeing The Dominion's victory--Damar? organised a revolt. Broca? became Legate.
The revolt started out just as a small legion of troops headed by Damar?, but during the final assault on The Dominion by the Federation?-Klingon-Romulan? alliance, Damar? managed to get an open revolt started on Cardassia? itself with the civilians joining in and the Cardassian fleet turned during battle and assisted the alliance. [The Female Shapeshifter]? ordered every Cardassian on the planet killed.
With the Cardassian fleet helping the alliance and the rebel's attack on The Dominion headquarters on Cardassia? The Dominion surrendered, ending [the Dominion War]?, but leaving Cardassia? in shambles.
In the [Mirror Universe]?, the Cardassians formed an alliance with the Klingon Empire after destroying [the Federation]?.
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