A powerful Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, this science fiction saga explores the fall of the Cardassian Empire through the eyes of a man caught between two cultures during the aftermath of the Dominion War.

Rugal is a Cardassian orphan raised by the Bajorans, the very people his race once conquered. Reluctantly returned to Cardassia as a teenager, he becomes a firsthand witness to the collapse of Cardassian power—first under Klingon occupation, then through the empire’s catastrophic alliance with the Dominion, a partnership that ends in devastation and near-genocide.

As Cardassia fractures and its people struggle to survive the consequences of their choices, Rugal’s unique perspective reveals the political arrogance, moral compromises, and cultural blind spots that led to ruin. Yet even as he believes he understands the failures of his people, Rugal discovers that the Cardassian soul—and his own divided identity—are far more complex than he ever imagined.