How Cardassian Families Behave
From The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack. The book follows the life of Rugal Pa’Dar, the young Cardassian, raised by Bajorans, who appears on the DS9 episode “Cardassians.” This episode occurs not long after he’s arrived back on Cardassia. He’s with his father and grandmother, the only two living members of his Cardassian family.
Kotan relaxed his hands. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. Even if it meant the end of me, I would not have Rugal any place other than where he is now. Back home, with me."
Rugal swallowed. He felt he ought to say "thank you,” but that was wrong. He didn’t want to be here. If it meant trouble for Kotan, why ever had he brought him back, against Rugal’s wishes? It was perverse. It was typically Cardassian. Geleth gave her son an odd look, a mixture of contempt and affection. “Sentimental. This is why you’ve never been much of a politician."
"Mother, the reason I’ve never been much of a politician is that I am a scientist. If you wanted me to excel, you’d have left me in my laboratory. "
"Duty is it’s own reward, Kotan,” the old woman said piously.
Kotan snorted. Contempt and affection again, this time from him. Rugal felt as if his head was spinning. Was this how Cardassian families behaved? Bickering and scheming, lurching from mutual recrimination to deadly loyalty at any mention of their enemies? Migdal’s idea of scheming had been to punch first and talk later.
Geleth yawned and stretched, each joint in her body is seeming to crack. Then, with a swish of her long full skirt, she stood up. “Surely it’s time for dinner? Let me go and put on my reta beans, and then the two of you can escort me down.” She went through a little door into the next room. Kotan leaned over to whisper to Rugal. “When I was your age, I used to wonder what she did in here all day. Plotted against my enemies, I hoped, although there’ve been occasions when I’ve suspected her of plotting against me. "
"So which is it?” Rugal whispered back.
Kotan smile broadly. He almost winked. He reached over to his mother’s couch, slipped his hand down the side of the cushion, and brought out a date padd. He thumbed it on and then handed it over to Rugal, who look down at a page of text infested by exclamation marks.
“Enigma tales,” Kotan explained. “Really bad ones. She’s addicted to them.”
They just had time to shove the padd back down into its hiding place before Geleth came back in. Both smiled brightly at her. She gave them a suspicious look but said nothing, taking her son’s arm and allowing him to lead her down the stairs. Rugal follow behind.
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