aytlik broth: thick and nourishing Cardassian soup made from vegetables
canka nut: when roasted, a popular Cardassian street snack (Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—Cardassia)
Chief Archon: senior judicial figure in the Cardassian Union (“Tribunal” [DS9])
D’jarra system: the Bajoran caste system, effectively destroyed by the experience of Occupation (“Accession” [DS9])
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): the demilitarized area between Cardassian and Federation space, established in the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370; the treaty also involved the exchange of a number of colony worlds, which triggered the creation of the Maquis; the DMZ remained strife-ridden until the destruction of the Maquis in 2373 by combined Cardassian and Dominion forces (“The Maquis” [DS9])
elta: climbing plant, native to Cardassia Prime; its leaves are a delicacy
enigma tales: Cardassian mystery stories in which the purpose is not to establish the guilty party but rather the nature of each character’s guilt (“Destiny” [DS9])
feyt: Cardassian dish made from mashed legumes; originally a staple rural food, it later became fashionable among wealthy urbanites
gelat: hot bitter Cardassian drink, served in small cups
geleta house: establishment selling gelat; popular gathering places in densely populated urban areas like the Torr Sector in Cardassia City
hasperat: spicy Bajoran food (“Preemptive Strike” [DS9])
honge: large carnivorous raptor, native to Cardassia Prime (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—A Stitch in Time)
Ih’valla caste: Bajoran caste of artists (“Accession” [DS9])
indika: Bajoran flower with purplish petals
ithian: tall, long-living deciduous tree native to Cardassia Prime; its leaves have a distinctive copper color
jumja stick: Bajoran confectionary made from sweet, sticky tree sap (“A Man Alone” [DS9])
kanar: Cardassian alcoholic drink (“The Wounded” [TNG])
keye: small furry domesticated animal, native to Cardassia Prime, a popular pet
kosst: Bajoran expletive (Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers)
kotra: Cardassian board game (“Empok Nor” [DS9])
lek: Cardassian unit of currency, went into free fall after the Dominion War (“Caretaker” [DS9])
leya: Cardassian fruit with white flesh, often squeezed for its juice
leyik: large, furred, Cardassian land mammal hunted to extinction for its bones, which were used to make highly prized decorative objects
litik: a Cardassian shellfish, popular street snack in coastal towns
mekla: large Cardassian shrub with scarlet flowers
metric: unit of time, roughly equivalent to a minute (Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers)
moba: sweet Bajoran fruit (“Rejoined” [DS9])
perek: Cardassian flower with scarlet petals, given as a symbol of respect on the death of an individual; the flowers are displayed outside the house and their petals later used during the Cardassian burial rite
petha fowl: small game bird, native to Cardassia Prime
raktajino: Klingon coffee (“The Passenger” [DS9])
ratamba stew: Bajoran stew (“For the Cause” [DS9])
regnar: reptile, native to Cardassia Prime (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—A Stitch in Time)
reta: semiprecious, dark red stone mined on Cardassia IV
riding hound: large domesticated canine, native to Cardassia Prime (“In Purgatory’s Shadow” [DS9])
rikot: fast-paced Cardassian racket-and-ball game with impenetrable rules, played on a court with three players; something between squash and cricket
shri-tal: a Cardassian deathbed ritual during which the dying person’s secrets are passed on to a close family member (“Ties of Blood and Water” [DS9])
skrit: offensive word on Cardassia for someone without parents; an orphan or bastard
spoonhead: pejorative Bajoran word for Cardassians (“Things Past” [DS9])
temet roots: edible part of the temet plant
tuli fish: tiny Cardassian fish, eaten as delicacy
water fever: acute infectious disease affecting Cardassians, contracted from contaminated water
yatik fever: infectious disease affecting Cardassians which can spread rapidly in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, e.g., dilapidated urban areas or refugee camps
zabu stew: Cardassian stew, which Keiko served to Rugal and Miles, to the unifying horror of both (“Cardassians” [DS9])
CARDASSIAN MILITARY RANKS
This list of Cardassian ranks and their Starfleet equivalents borrows from the work of Steven Kenson’s unpublished Iron and Ash supplement for the Star Trek Roleplaying Game from Last Unicorn Games.
garresh: noncommissioned officer
gil: ensign
glinn: lieutenant
dalin: lieutenant commander
gul: captain
legate: admiral
Acknowledgements
My thanks and love, as ever, to Matthew.
I would like to thank: Andrew J. Robinson, James Swallow, S. D. Perry, Britta Dennison, and Olivia Woods—all of whom have so brilliantly illuminated aspects of Cardassia’s dark heart. Also, my appreciation to all those who have contributed to the Star Trek wiki sites. You deserve medals.
Grateful thanks to: my partner-in-crime Brenda Evans for continued transatlantic friendship; Dwimordene for the Chicago Summit and so much pleasurable communication over the years about the ups and downs of writing; Kathryn Andersen for the stone garden; Ina Rae Hark, who first set me thinking about Cardassian ties of blood and nation; Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, who knew that 78 rue de Lille, Paris, was the only possible address for the Residence of the Cardassian Ambassador to the Federation; and Kat Woods for Dawn Wind, one of countless gifts of friendship.
Big thanks to Margaret Clark, for enthusiasm and support during the latter stages of this project.
Above all, thank you to Marco Palmieri, who has made me believe I really could do this writing thing.
Una McCormack is the author of two previous Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novels: Hollow Men and Cardassia—The Lotus Flower, which appeared in Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume 1. Her short fiction has appeared in The Year’s Best Science Fiction 2007 (ed. Gardner Dozois), Subterfuge (ed. Ian Whates), Glorifying Terrorism (ed. Farah Mendlesohn), and Doctor Who Magazine. She lives with her partner, Matthew, in Cambridge, England, where she reads, writes, and teaches.
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