(This is an all to brief teaser to my latest attempt at fanfic writing which I shall devote my time and effort towards fully posting. This is a slightly AU future of the current 'novelverse' era. I hope you enjoy it...)
A new day dawned over the battered ruined planet, its globe bestrewn with the raging fires of the dying cities. Across the harsh and arid surface lay the bodies of that world’s once fearsome inhabitants, their fate meted out by an unforgiving justice and a terrible betrayal by one of its most infamous sons.
Cardassia Prime was lain low by the heartrending tragedy that was the Dominion War. But...as the whole galaxy would discover, it is wise never to underestimate the strength and will of the Cardassian people...
2382
Sarpedion V: The Cardassian Union
Gul Auget Tark felt a another huge headache about to erupt in the dark caravans of his abused and long suffering mind which was made worse only by the fact that he was partly to blame for this circumstantial hell.
How easy could this be after all? Just invite the Typhon Pact, the Khitomer Accords Alliance and every other bloody power with a functioning warp drive to a major conference at what is still one of the most heavily militarized planets in several quadrants with a survelk from Kora II to run the whole debacle!
The good Gul’s self pitying monologue was swiftly halted by the arrival of Dalin Yerok Parduk of the Third Order who had the most estimable honour to be the chief aide de camp to the beleaguered prefect of the Sarpedion system and new head of the Twelfth Order, that most august being now rubbing his forehead in a vain attempt to dispel the aggravating ache therein.
The younger man loudly cleared his throat, startling his superior out of his self inflicted stupor.
“Sir, we’ve just received word from the Corat Damar, they will be in orbit in several rotations and Legates Dijmas and Macet are requesting permission to transport straight to the command centre in order to begin security preparations for...”
“Of course they do, it’s not as if this isn’t the most fortified position in the entire Union is it? Or that we have spent days going over every aspect of the conference, planning for every aspect, no matter how ridiculous so as to stop any Romulan spy from stealing classified military data or witless Klingon boar from breaking something valuable! It’s always good to see that the Central Command truly values our contributions and accords us the proper respect.”
Tark saw his aide’s pained expression and forced himself to withdraw from such useless self pity. Instead, he smiled self deprecatingly, shaking his head in mock anger as he walked around his large desk towards his youthful subordinate.
“Ah, just the ramblings of a foolish Gul my young friend please, pay me no heed. Tell ‘em both that the Fortress of Cardassia awaits their pleasure and that I also await their company with some fine 2380 Kanar. Naturally you and the staff shall be joining us too.”
Dalin Parduk nodded with a pleased smile and strode out of the room, once again reminded of what a privilege it was to serve under such a venerable leader. And not even the hectic events of the next few days would dissuade him from this honest opinion...
The CDS Corat Damar
Gul Adur Lekat tried and failed to keep a smile of deep pride and satisfaction from crossing his face as he gazed at the viewscreen in front of him. The measured chaos of a major Cardassian base was spread out before him with dozens of ships of every size and description from across the League dancing across the star speckled void with a brace of starbases and weapons platforms straddling the planet like a deadly necklace. The rust coloured surface of the globe complimented the artificial beauty with its own natural splendor, captivating the Gul’s keen eyes which drank in every detail.
Reluctantly he forced himself away from the sights before him and turned to his first officer. “Establish standard communication protocols with Sarpedion Central Command requesting permission to move into a standard orbit and confirmation that everything is ready for the delegation.”
As the Dalin bent to her task, Gul Lekat stood up and paced the bridge of his ship double checking on the station heads and correlating the last minute reports pertaining to running such a mighty vessel.
And He was truly an impressive sight, the pinnacle of Cardassian engineering and style. An heavily updated and refitted Kulinor class dreadnaught,the Damar was armed with the most advanced weapons and defensive systems that Cardassia could provide, including several additions from the newest members of the Union and the technology ‘gained’ from the Occupation by the tundra dammed Dominion.
Merely the second in his class, the Damar was the most tactically advanced variant in the Cardassia type; the namesake Cardassia being the state flagship suitably equipped with high end diplomatic furnishings not least of which was top secret communications system currently unknown to any of the League’s neighbours whilst the Ghemor functioned as the premier exploration pathfinder for the Union. All three were unique examples of the revitalised strength of the Cardassian peoples, fully the equal of anything that the Pact or the Alliance had in their fleets.
I would like to see those Romulans try to sneak pass us, thought the young Gul with a certain savage delight, or the Klingon’s for that matter. Lekat could see the potential for this conference and what it could mean for the Union but he was still on edge about having so many Romulans (from both their decaying Empires no less!) so deep inside sovereign Cardassian territory, not to mention having to deal with the accursed Klingon Empire...
“Still locked deep inside your own head eh?” asked a smooth cultured voice in gentle good humour as two uniformed Cardassians made their way into the bridge. Lekat smiled warmly at his fellow Lakarian as he crossed the deck to greet his superior officers.
“Naturally; isn’t it the safest place to be?” he asked rhetorically as Legates Vertak Dijmas and Akreen Macet came to a stop beside him. The three of them would had made an odd tripartite leadership in the Cardassian military, a former low ranking Gul of the Border Militia, a dangerously free thinking Gul who had earned the enmity of the old guard and a lapsed literature scholar. However giving recent events over the past two decades with the Borg Scourge and the birth pains of the Typhon Pact, not least the formation of the League, a shakeup of the Cardassian leadership was required.
The Union now had a beating functioning heart.
Legate Macet cast a proud eye over the busy crew noting that there was no abeyance in their work at the sight of the two most senior members of the Central Command. He nodded once in a precise elegant motion, the standard signal of a higher ranked officer expressing pride in his lower ranked comrade.
“You have a fine crew here Gul, I have not seen such dedication and talent in all my years of service. This is what we sweated so much blood and tears for, a new and better fleet to protect our people and guide...”
Dijmas laughed warmly interrupting Macet’s monologue. “Akleen my friend, I know that there is a certain amount of nerves involved in addressing the assembled ranks of our allies and enemies upon such an historic day but surely that is no excuse to inflict one of your oh so prepared speeches on the entire bridge crew.”
Macet threw his fellow legate a look of mock indignation as Lekat laughed softly at the wordplay between the two.
“Only a Cardassian would monologue in order to stop another monologue” he said to appreciative chuckles from the rest of the crew, clearly enjoying the relaxed atmosphere encouraged by the three commanders.
“In any case, the time for proclaiming has surely passed as we are now in orbit over Sarpedion V and ready to transport down to the conference facility as soon as the CC confirms acceptance.”
As if cued to do so, the young Gorr working at the comm station swung his chair around to face Dijmas and reported that the surface had reported ready for their arrival. The Gul looked into the heavily ridged face of one of the newest members of the Damar’s complement once gain marveling at the sudden and welcome changes in the Central Command.
“My thanks Gorr Hetanjher, please inform them that we shall be there momentarily.”
The Nausicaan smiled slightly at his Gul and turned back to his duties with the eager demeanor common to all League personnel.
“Well, gentlemen, shall we go and make history?”
A new day dawned over the battered ruined planet, its globe bestrewn with the raging fires of the dying cities. Across the harsh and arid surface lay the bodies of that world’s once fearsome inhabitants, their fate meted out by an unforgiving justice and a terrible betrayal by one of its most infamous sons.
Cardassia Prime was lain low by the heartrending tragedy that was the Dominion War. But...as the whole galaxy would discover, it is wise never to underestimate the strength and will of the Cardassian people...
2382
Sarpedion V: The Cardassian Union
Gul Auget Tark felt a another huge headache about to erupt in the dark caravans of his abused and long suffering mind which was made worse only by the fact that he was partly to blame for this circumstantial hell.
How easy could this be after all? Just invite the Typhon Pact, the Khitomer Accords Alliance and every other bloody power with a functioning warp drive to a major conference at what is still one of the most heavily militarized planets in several quadrants with a survelk from Kora II to run the whole debacle!
The good Gul’s self pitying monologue was swiftly halted by the arrival of Dalin Yerok Parduk of the Third Order who had the most estimable honour to be the chief aide de camp to the beleaguered prefect of the Sarpedion system and new head of the Twelfth Order, that most august being now rubbing his forehead in a vain attempt to dispel the aggravating ache therein.
The younger man loudly cleared his throat, startling his superior out of his self inflicted stupor.
“Sir, we’ve just received word from the Corat Damar, they will be in orbit in several rotations and Legates Dijmas and Macet are requesting permission to transport straight to the command centre in order to begin security preparations for...”
“Of course they do, it’s not as if this isn’t the most fortified position in the entire Union is it? Or that we have spent days going over every aspect of the conference, planning for every aspect, no matter how ridiculous so as to stop any Romulan spy from stealing classified military data or witless Klingon boar from breaking something valuable! It’s always good to see that the Central Command truly values our contributions and accords us the proper respect.”
Tark saw his aide’s pained expression and forced himself to withdraw from such useless self pity. Instead, he smiled self deprecatingly, shaking his head in mock anger as he walked around his large desk towards his youthful subordinate.
“Ah, just the ramblings of a foolish Gul my young friend please, pay me no heed. Tell ‘em both that the Fortress of Cardassia awaits their pleasure and that I also await their company with some fine 2380 Kanar. Naturally you and the staff shall be joining us too.”
Dalin Parduk nodded with a pleased smile and strode out of the room, once again reminded of what a privilege it was to serve under such a venerable leader. And not even the hectic events of the next few days would dissuade him from this honest opinion...
The CDS Corat Damar
Gul Adur Lekat tried and failed to keep a smile of deep pride and satisfaction from crossing his face as he gazed at the viewscreen in front of him. The measured chaos of a major Cardassian base was spread out before him with dozens of ships of every size and description from across the League dancing across the star speckled void with a brace of starbases and weapons platforms straddling the planet like a deadly necklace. The rust coloured surface of the globe complimented the artificial beauty with its own natural splendor, captivating the Gul’s keen eyes which drank in every detail.
Reluctantly he forced himself away from the sights before him and turned to his first officer. “Establish standard communication protocols with Sarpedion Central Command requesting permission to move into a standard orbit and confirmation that everything is ready for the delegation.”
As the Dalin bent to her task, Gul Lekat stood up and paced the bridge of his ship double checking on the station heads and correlating the last minute reports pertaining to running such a mighty vessel.
And He was truly an impressive sight, the pinnacle of Cardassian engineering and style. An heavily updated and refitted Kulinor class dreadnaught,the Damar was armed with the most advanced weapons and defensive systems that Cardassia could provide, including several additions from the newest members of the Union and the technology ‘gained’ from the Occupation by the tundra dammed Dominion.
Merely the second in his class, the Damar was the most tactically advanced variant in the Cardassia type; the namesake Cardassia being the state flagship suitably equipped with high end diplomatic furnishings not least of which was top secret communications system currently unknown to any of the League’s neighbours whilst the Ghemor functioned as the premier exploration pathfinder for the Union. All three were unique examples of the revitalised strength of the Cardassian peoples, fully the equal of anything that the Pact or the Alliance had in their fleets.
I would like to see those Romulans try to sneak pass us, thought the young Gul with a certain savage delight, or the Klingon’s for that matter. Lekat could see the potential for this conference and what it could mean for the Union but he was still on edge about having so many Romulans (from both their decaying Empires no less!) so deep inside sovereign Cardassian territory, not to mention having to deal with the accursed Klingon Empire...
“Still locked deep inside your own head eh?” asked a smooth cultured voice in gentle good humour as two uniformed Cardassians made their way into the bridge. Lekat smiled warmly at his fellow Lakarian as he crossed the deck to greet his superior officers.
“Naturally; isn’t it the safest place to be?” he asked rhetorically as Legates Vertak Dijmas and Akreen Macet came to a stop beside him. The three of them would had made an odd tripartite leadership in the Cardassian military, a former low ranking Gul of the Border Militia, a dangerously free thinking Gul who had earned the enmity of the old guard and a lapsed literature scholar. However giving recent events over the past two decades with the Borg Scourge and the birth pains of the Typhon Pact, not least the formation of the League, a shakeup of the Cardassian leadership was required.
The Union now had a beating functioning heart.
Legate Macet cast a proud eye over the busy crew noting that there was no abeyance in their work at the sight of the two most senior members of the Central Command. He nodded once in a precise elegant motion, the standard signal of a higher ranked officer expressing pride in his lower ranked comrade.
“You have a fine crew here Gul, I have not seen such dedication and talent in all my years of service. This is what we sweated so much blood and tears for, a new and better fleet to protect our people and guide...”
Dijmas laughed warmly interrupting Macet’s monologue. “Akleen my friend, I know that there is a certain amount of nerves involved in addressing the assembled ranks of our allies and enemies upon such an historic day but surely that is no excuse to inflict one of your oh so prepared speeches on the entire bridge crew.”
Macet threw his fellow legate a look of mock indignation as Lekat laughed softly at the wordplay between the two.
“Only a Cardassian would monologue in order to stop another monologue” he said to appreciative chuckles from the rest of the crew, clearly enjoying the relaxed atmosphere encouraged by the three commanders.
“In any case, the time for proclaiming has surely passed as we are now in orbit over Sarpedion V and ready to transport down to the conference facility as soon as the CC confirms acceptance.”
As if cued to do so, the young Gorr working at the comm station swung his chair around to face Dijmas and reported that the surface had reported ready for their arrival. The Gul looked into the heavily ridged face of one of the newest members of the Damar’s complement once gain marveling at the sudden and welcome changes in the Central Command.
“My thanks Gorr Hetanjher, please inform them that we shall be there momentarily.”
The Nausicaan smiled slightly at his Gul and turned back to his duties with the eager demeanor common to all League personnel.
“Well, gentlemen, shall we go and make history?”
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Of course! The Dominion broke a lot of valuable things during their attack, so there's no reason to lose even more.
)
) and completely above board on this one. The scheming is being done by someone completely different...
