Date: 2319-2369

Drawn by Bajor’s resources and strategic value, the Cardassians imposed military rule, dismantled Bajoran institutions, and transformed the planet into a source of forced labor and raw materials for the state. Under Cardassian authority, Bajorans were subjected to mass arrests, executions, cultural suppression, and systematic enslavement. Millions were sent to labor camps, families were destroyed, and religious practices were outlawed or tightly controlled. The former Cardassian mining station Terok Nor stood as the symbol of this oppression, orbiting Bajor while overseeing resource extraction and planetary control. Despite overwhelming force, Bajoran resistance never ceased. Underground cells, saboteurs, and freedom fighters waged a long, costly struggle against the occupiers, sustaining hope through faith in the Prophets and belief in eventual liberation. The resistance inflicted enough damage that the occupation became politically and economically unsustainable for Cardassia. In 2369, the Cardassian Union withdrew, leaving Bajor devastated and fractured. Terok Nor was abandoned and later became Deep Space Nine, administered by the United Federation of Planets.