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Subsurface, Cardassia Prime-The ambiguous feelings nurtured by the Cardassian people regarding the Dominion occupation and their subsequent “liberation” by the Federation stop short of extending to their perceived hero and savior, Legate Damar. Beyond the prying ears and eyes of the Federation humanitarian aid workers, the Cardassians discuss in hushed tones the new and massive Federation presence on their homeworld and reexamine the final, tragic moments of the Dominion occupation, questioning, reevaluating. But not a single voice is raised in criticism of Damar.
........Since arriving on Cardassia Prime we have heard whispered rumors spread among the refugee camps, over firelight and downcast eyes that Damar survived the final, tragic moments of the war, despite the story of his murder at the hands of the Jem’hadar spread by the Federation. These rumors have held that Damar was not killed and survives still in a secret Dominion installation beneath the surface of Cardassia Prime. For weeks, we of Dateline Dominion have sought to verify these rumors, seeking an audience with the legendary Damar and some answers to the many questions left by the Federation’s version of the end of the Alpha Quadrant War.
........Our search at last achieved results when we discovered a cell of soldiers from the now defunct Cardassian Army, living among refugees on Cardassia Prime’s equatorial continent. These Dominion loyalists were able to present us with coordinates for the underground installation which they had assisted in constructing almost two years prior to the dramatic withdrawal of the Dominion from Cardassia Prime.
........Armed with this information, we made our way to the top secret location, the entrance to which was disguised as part of the omnipresent rubble which now cloaks the planet. Cardassian sentries loyal to the Dominion masquerading as refugees recognized our press credentials and granted us admittance to the compound. Inside, the compound runs with all of the clockwork precision which this planet displayed while under Dominion administration, prior to the arrival of the Federation. Much of the Dominion’s treasured biotechnology was transported to this locale to prevent it from falling into the hands of our enemies. Banks of this slick, functional technology line the walls and glom chambers, boasting of the Dominion’s unsurpassed technological prowess in this area. Everything here contrasts so starkly with the ruined surface of Cardassia Prime that it is impossible not to expereience a rising faith in the rumors spread among the people here.
........Nestled among the biotech cradles glutting the installation we were granted limited access to one of the compound’s greatest treasures, the feeble but recuperating Legate Damar. Though critically wounded, Damar has survived here thanks to the intervention of the Dominion. During the brief interview we were able to conduct with this legendary figure, we sought to clarify the story of the Dominion’s withdrawal from Cardassia Prime as presented by the Federation.
........The popular intuition that the Federation’s account is a work of fiction was confirmed by Damar. Damar confessed his betrayal of the Dominion and recounted his involvement in anti-Dominion terrorist activities which coincided basically with that story released by the Federation. However, after entering Dominion headquarters on Cardassia Prime, his account diverges sharply from that popularized by the Federation.
........As recalled by Legate Damar, “As soon as we breached Dominion headquarters I knew that something was seriously wrong. Much of the facility had been completely abandoned. As we penetrated the interior, approaching the command center, I began to notice signs of a Federation presence, pieces of technology, personal items. Of course, I said nothing of my suspicions to my companions [Colonel Kira Nerys and Garak]. We entered the command center without being broached by a single Jem’hadar soldier. I knew that something was seriously wrong.
........"The command center itself bristled with Starfleet personnel. I was able to make out an extensive array of holography and broadcasting equipment. I had only a moment to take all of this in. As I turned to contact Kira I heard the whine of phaser fire. She shot me at point blank.”
........This account presented by Legate Damar exclusively to Dateline Dominion leaves room for many possible interpretations and many deep questions. The presence of the equipment described by Damar inside the Dominion command center suggests the possibility of an elaborate hoax perpetrated by the Federation against the Cardassian people. However, it is also possible that Damar, a known traitor and Federation collaborator has invented this story for some purpose of his own. At this point, one can only speculate on the true nature of the events leading to the Dominion withdrawal from Cardassia Prime.
........If made available to the public here on Cardassia, this information regarding the folk hero, Damar, would surely change the balance of power which currently allows the Federation to inundate this planet in the name of humanitarian aid. However, the extreme secrecy of this installation which we have been granted access to prevents this Dateline Dominion team from returning to the surface of Cardassia Prime. For now, it will have to be enough for the truth to be circulated among Dominion citizens and loyalists. We will continue on in this facility, pursuing the truth as it is presented by the Dominion personnel stationed here.
From somewhere beneath the surface of Cardassia Prime, Eruth
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