/||\ Lakat, Cardassia /||\
There were great crowds gathered in plazas across the capitol city of the Cardassian Union. Indeed a strange energy had spread across the entirety of the planet, reaching out even to distant colony worlds. Citizens across the Union were gathering in an attempt to decipher the recent news.
Tragedy had struck the upper most echelons of the Detapa Council.
No information had come from the Council complex, though there was an obviously-increased military detachment standing guard on its bastions. The only word given that some high-level officer of the Council would be making a statement in short order.
And so the crowds gathered.
Finally a face appeared on the screens spread across the city. It was a face nearly everyone knew; he was known across the Union as the protector of the Cardassian people, a noble and honorable man with a will set entirely on the defense and prosperity of the Union.
"People of Cardassia," a somber Vi-ria Gul Vinet Durel called out; the peoples' voices hushed immediately. "I come to you today in mourning. In a plot aimed and undermining the people's government, in a heinous scheme meant to cripple our glorious Union, the lives of the senior Detapa Council members have been stolen from us."
A gasp reverberated across several sectors of space.
"It was only by chance that I, representative of the High Command, was not present at the Council session this morning," Durel continued, grief apparent on his scaly features. "Though one of my closest aides was killed in the attack. All that remain of the Council are myself, my adjutants, and a number of lower-level representatives from but a handful of our colony worlds."
The gasp quickly turned into hushed mumbling as the people began talking amongst themselves, even as the Vi-ria Gul continued.
"We do not know who has orchestrated this blatant act of war against our people, though our intelligence networks have discovered evidence that definitely call for further investigation. Whomever these terrorists are, they are an obvious threat not only to those working in the people's government, but also to the citizens themselves."
The murmurs drifting about the crowd changed pitched as the gathered people expressed their concerns for such a breach of security on the homeworld.
"It is with the security of the people in mind that I make the following proclamation. Under Article 5 of the Union Constitution, with an immediate and deadly threat to the sovereignty of the people of the Cardassian Union, Martial Law is declared. All law enforcement authority is hereby deferred to the oversight of the High Command."
The murmurs grew in volume, with several people shouting across the plazas and the streets of the planet. There was a mixture of responses to this declaration; a great many people seemed almost happy to have the military stepping up to ensure their security, but nearly just as many expressed anger at this infringement of their still-adolescent civil liberties.
"Also, to oversee the investigation into this assault, I hereby reinstate the body of government formerly known as the Obsidian Order. Their actions will fall under the purview of the High Command, with Legate Koldan overseeing their activities."
This news, above almost all the rest, was the most shocking (nearly terrifying) news. For over forty years now the Union had been without the Obsidian Order watching over their shoulders, leaving citizens to constantly second guessing their actions. Following the unsuccessful assault on the Founder's home masterminded by Enabran Tain the Order fell into chaos and, eventually, was completely abolished.
Its resurrection would undoubtedly strike fear into the hearts of many citizens.
