Icon from a picrew by grgikau. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
“Can you see it from here?” Julian asked softly. Garak did not turn. He had not heard Julian’s approach, but the opening of the door had flooded light into the dark, empty space.
“See what, my dear?” He knew. They both did.
“Cardassia.”
Cardassia Prime twinkled to the right of the viewscreen. Garak could have pointed to it without even looking. He had become a compass, during exile; no matter where he was, he could always point out Cardassia in relation. His anchor, no matter how far into space he sailed.
“No,” Garak lied. “Not from here.”
Fellow Cardassia Nerds: What do we think regnars eat? I swear Garak never says, and he also iirc never mentions insects while climbing all over the Mekar. There’s nothing on Memory Beta about what they eat which seems to confirm it is never mentioned. Maybe they feed on the roots of indigo sunsearchers? Or maybe there is a parasitic insect that eats the sunsearcher roots and regnars eat the insects thus creating a symbiotic relationship between lizard and plant. Hmmm now I like this idea. But I would still love your input!
Something I’ve seen expressed on here is “why are people so into Cardassia? Why do y'all write so much about the fascist lizards and not about Bajor?”
I think there’s 2 main reasons for this for me personally, and I’d like to talk about it.
1. And this is the silly and obvious reason: we like Garak and Garak is Cardassian. Any exploration of his character is going to require an exploration of Cardassia/Cardassians at least a little
2. As an American person, I feel my own country is more like Cardassia than Bajor or the Federation. The idea of an empire being laid low and having to rebuild and figure out what was good and what must be changed is compelling. I live in an Empire. I am not meaningfully able to change its course. If the empire prioritizes things over its citizens (and it does), we will be the ones who suffer. If it occupies somewhere, and hurts those people, I can protest or not participate, but I can’t stop it. My position as an average American is like that an average Cardassian in many ways. The idea that a place like Cardassia can be broadly and dramatically transformed is a fantasy, and as an American it is an appealing one.
I was just playing around with what one might see at a Cardassian zoo, and thought you guys might get some enjoyment out of it. Some of these animals are mentioned in canon, but I mostly came up with the descriptions. I also came up with a term for an animal that is somewhere between mammal and reptile - tUrn’hU (warm scale), inspired by @feltelures and @tinsnip Kardasi, thought the concept itself is mine.
Vole
(tUrn’hU) – small, six-legged creature with a scattering of
hair and sharp teeth, poor eyesight, minor “spoon” on the head, spends most
time underground or in other dark places, often considered a “pest,” common
across most of Prime·
Regnar
(reptile) – small reptile, usually found in the desert and
surrounding areas, blind, capable of blending into the environment, very fast,
population unknown due to speed and “cloaking” ability·
Zabu
(mammal) – large domesticated mammal, similar to a cow, used
in agriculture for both its meat and its milk, which is especially prized for
the thick, sweet cream that can be made from it, large hump around shoulders
which stores reserves during times of draught and food scarcity, very sturdy
animal, able to survive in most environments, variations found across Prime·
Măgath
(reptile) – snakes, ranges in size, coloration, temperament,
can be either venomous or non-venomous, various subspecies found in all regions
of Prime.
Common
Garden Kut Măgath – medium sized black snake often found
in gardens, eats small rodents, lizards, and insects, non-venomous, fairly
non-aggressive unless directly threatened.
Roklan
–
the largest species of snake native to Cardassia Prime, found only in the
jungles of the Southern continent, non-venomous, but extremely rare due to
habitat loss.
Cova
- medium to large snake found in the lower
mountainous regions and rocky outcroppings, coloration ranges from sandy to red
to brown, often has bands or speckles to help it camouflage, very thick body,
highly venomous, venom causes seizures and distress on the pulmonary system, a
single bite can kill an adult Cardassian, the venom has been known to have been
harvested by the Obsidian Order for use in toxic agents, vulnerable (pronounced sho-vah)·
Taspar
(bird) – small avian species found in less arid regions of
Prime, colorful, known for its beautiful song, most common along the coastal
regions, but has been known to colonize cities where water is plentiful·
Regova
(bird) – avian species found primarily in the desert and
surrounding areas, four legs and two large wings, powerful jaws and talons for
attacking prey and defending their nests, females are particularly aggressive,
especially when nesting or guarding recently hatched young, feathers are
generally rust colored with a shiny black beak and large black eyes, vulnerable
due to eggs being harvested for food·
Riding
Hound (mammal) – canine like animal, approximately the
size of a horse with a long snout and a tufted tail, large, tufted paws good
for moving on desert sands and rocky areas, colors range from light gray to
black, mostly domesticated, though can be willful, originally used for
transportation, but now mostly kept for sport and enjoyment, common·
Dwarf
Riding Hound (mammal) – a miniature version of a Riding
Hound, approximately the size of a goat, domesticated and very docile,
originally breed to pull carts and plows, now used for children’s riding and
enjoyment, greater range of color and coat patterns than full size Riding
Hounds, common·
Kovabug
(insect) – a small, hard-shelled insect known for its
beautiful coloration, the outer shell is a deep blue with hints of green in the
sunlight, the shell splits to deploy the wings underneath, which make a
pleasant humming sound as the insect flies, highly prized by Cardassian
children, who often collect the colorful discarded shells when the insect
molts, common in most regions with decent vegetation·
Urall
(mammal) – a largish herbivore, prized for its hide, which is
used to make high-end leather, extinct in the wild, but kept by a small handful
of artisans who produce the leather for the Cardassian elite ·
Flayers
(tUrn’hU) – extremely dangerous predatory animal, found in
the desert, sand colored fur and scales with deep gray forehead “spoon,” large,
piercing fangs, excellent eyesight and hearing, armored back and ridges along
spine and around eyes, six legs, prey on everything from gettle to zabu, have
been known to even attack and kill adult Cardassians, hunt in small packs of
5-10 members, but can be cannibalistic, vulnerable·
Gettle
(mammal) – smaller pack animal, grazers that live off of the
sturdy grasses that grow on the outskirts of Prime’s many deserts, reddish-brown
colored fur with a white underbelly, all have spiraling black horns, though the
males are larger than the females, have become extremely rare due to poaching·
Onyx
Beetles (insect) – named for their color, commonly found
in gardens, will often burrow underground and eat the roots of plants, common·
Sleg
Corgan (reptile) – large reptile native to the lower
regions of the Northern continent, carnivorous, but has also been known to
scavenge on deceased prey, incredibly well adapted to food scarcity, it eats
only twice a year, known for slow movement, except when hunting, and spends
most of its time completely motionless, rare·
Utoxa
(bird) – water fowl, found primarily along the coast near
Lakarian City and Culat during the warm winters in that area, will migrate to
the equatorial region during the cooler months, long turquoise feathers with
dark blue underbellies and webbed feet, fish eaters, vulnerable·
Scottril
(tUrn’hU) – related to the vole, six legs and a small forehead
“spoon,” lives primarily in city sewers and other dark, damp areas, colors
range from dark brown to black, limited eyesight, but extremely keen sense of
smell, common ·
Toj’Lath
(tUrn’hU) – ancientancestor of the modern Cardassian, about half the height of an
adult Cardassian, but very broad, similar ridge structure and coloration, though
it has more blue highlights and scaling, highly intelligent, has a series of
horns that start on the bridge of the nose, which increase in size as they run
up to the hairline, strong prehensile tail, unlike most tUrn’hU, the “egg horn”
never drops off, but stays in the place of the forehead “spoon,” revered by the
Hebitians and often depicted on ancient tombs and religious artifacts, rare·
Hekant
(mammal) – a small, herbivorous mammal with long ears, known
for its downy coat, mostly domesticated and used for meat and fur, though there
are still some wild varieties found in various regions of Prime, selectively
bred for a variety of colors and coat patterns, sometimes kept as pets, common ·
Rhirzum
(mammal) – a large feline with elongated fangs, also found only
in the jungles of the Southern continent, however, fossil evidence suggests
that this species used to be found across Prime, only known mammalian species
on Prime to have developed venom, which can be sprayed and is akin to acid, causing severe pain, scarring,
and blindness, it is believed that their venom was diluted with other compounds
by the Hebitian clergy and when ingested produced trance-like states, rare due
to habitat loss·
Thăv’os
(tUrn’hU) – a medium sized, horned animal with six legs and a very
faint forehead “spoon,” found in the upper regions of the mountains, remarkable
at climbing the steep cliffs, the bones of its legs were extremely thin, but
very solid and were often harvested to be used as writing implements, primarily
covered in light gray scales, but has a mane of white, feathery hair on its
head, chest, and shoulders, vulnerable ·
Vompăt
(mammal) – a small, domesticated animals with a long, furry body
and four short legs, extremely friendly and curious, make excellent pets,
common·
Zeryd
(bird) – a large avian animal, two pairs of small,
non-functional wings, but has two long, extremely powerful legs ending in two
clawed toes, a kick can disembowel most prey and they will eat almost anything,
including carrion, tearing off chunks of flesh with their razor sharp beaks, both
males and females are covered in shiny, black feathers, despite being found in
more arid regions of Prime, rare·
Arafta
(tUrn’hU) – a moderately sized animal found only on a small island off the Southern
continent peninsula, it is covered in beige armored scales, though it also has
a smattering of fur, it spends most of its life in the trees, where it uses its
claws to dig into the bark for insects, though it will also eat fruit, lives in
small family groups, intelligent and curious, but extremely rare due to
limited habitat
DS9’s overarching story about societal retribution is pretty damn revolutionary actually. It took several generations and the better part of a century, but eventually the same Cardassian political and social hubris that led them to enslave and exploit a whole world led to them making a series of decision that led to th Dominion alliance which wrought a level of devastation on Cardassia far greater than anything Bajor experienced. While this is cosmic karma and in some ways immensely satisfying, it’s also clear that the majority of Cardassians suffering were not high war criminal facists but just regular people. Every Cardassian deserved it and no Cardassian deserved it. The message of DS9 is not, well sucks that innocent Cardassian children are gonna die of starvation now but that’s what happened to lots of Bajoran kids so payback time bitches. It’s that since Cardassia was led by fascism, greed, and corruption all of Cardassia will eventually come to bear the burden of that. The fury of that reckoning cannot be controlled or limited to those who “really deserve it” it will come to all. It takes your breath away as a viewer, and. As an American watching an American show. I’ll never forget that message.
I will also never forget the conversations had by Kira, who was still rightfully still extremely angry over the occupation and ravaging of her planet, with the Cardassians about how to free THEM. About how unbelievably hard it was to also chose to turn around and liberate the very same people who had tortured her and slaughtered so many of her loved ones. There were also Bajorans who wanted nothing to do with helping Cardassia, and they were allowed to feel that way. Kira just had enough perspective by that point to recognise the only way to make the entire quadrant safer was by destabilising the Dominion and freeing Cardassia.
It wasn’t okay and it wasn’t easy. It was awful and messy as fuck, and maybe it also wasn’t graceful, but you know what it was: a beautiful, terrible story I have never forgotten and think about from time to time. There are a lot of storylines on DS9 like that for me.
DS9’s overarching story about societal retribution is pretty damn revolutionary actually. It took several generations and the better part of a century, but eventually the same Cardassian political and social hubris that led them to enslave and exploit a whole world led to them making a series of decision that led to th Dominion alliance which wrought a level of devastation on Cardassia far greater than anything Bajor experienced. While this is cosmic karma and in some ways immensely satisfying, it’s also clear that the majority of Cardassians suffering were not high war criminal facists but just regular people. Every Cardassian deserved it and no Cardassian deserved it. The message of DS9 is not, well sucks that innocent Cardassian children are gonna die of starvation now but that’s what happened to lots of Bajoran kids so payback time bitches. It’s that since Cardassia was led by fascism, greed, and corruption all of Cardassia will eventually come to bear the burden of that. The fury of that reckoning cannot be controlled or limited to those who “really deserve it” it will come to all. It takes your breath away as a viewer, and. As an American watching an American show. I’ll never forget that message.
