Ashalla Pact

The Ashalla Pact is a multi-species political alliance led and controlled by the Cardassian Union.

History
The more formal association known as the "Ashalla Pact" grew out of a series of bi-lateral treaties between the Cardassian Union and various client species. Prior to contact with the Federation in 2304, the Cardassians had little interest in long-term alliances with other species. This is not to say they were isolationist. Rather, when the Union decided it wanted something from another species such as territory or resources sites, it would exert military pressure until its demands were met. Otherwise they were ignored.

This changed with the discovery of the United Federation of Planets, a multi-species alliance capable of exceeding Cardassian military might and focused on signing up other species as affiliates and allies. The Cardassians were quick to realize that their prior tactics would only result in isolation and that their long term ability to maintain status as a peer power of the Federation would require affiliates (or "clients" as the Cardassians called them) of their own. The Cardassians immediately began a diplomatic blitz, struggling with the Federation over species on their mutual frontier such as the Apiatans, the Indorians, and even an attempt wrest away the Amarki. Their only major success in direct conflict with the Federation was obtaining an alliance with the Sydraxians. However, they were able to make progress with a number of species with whom Federation contact was more limited, such as the Dylaarians, the Bajorans, the Dawiar, and the Lecarre.

Initially each treaty governed relations only between the Cardassians and that particular species. At some point, the Cardassians realized that a more formal structure was required for coordinating relationships among all their clients. The precipitating incident was the Cardassian invasion and occupation of Bajor in late 2311. As Bajor was secured, the Cardassians invited representatives from all of their clients to meet in the Bajoran capital of Ashalla to hammer out terms. These meetings happened in 2312, with the Ashalla Pact as an entity revealed to the galaxy at large during the Treaty of Celos in early 2313, where the Cardassians formally claimed exclusive diplomatic channels to all of their clients. Note that this was somewhat premature, as the final treaties had not all been signed and the Ashalla Pact did not come into formal existence until 2314.

Current

 * Cardassians (leaders)
 * Lecarre
 * Dylaarians
 * Bajorans (Occupation Government; completely controlled by Cardassians)
 * Goshawnar
 * Konen
 * Imelak

Former

 * Dawiar (now Gorn clients)
 * Sydraxians (now Federation clients)

Ashalla Pact Terms
Despite some claims, the Ashalla Pact is not a "Federation of Fear" mirror to the Federation of United Planets. There is no "Ashalla Council". Rather, it is a complex series of military, economic, and and foreign policy agreements among member stellar nations. The Cardassian Union dominates the pact primarily by exclusive rights to conduct foreign policy on behalf of the Pact (supposedly subject to approval by a majority of member nations, but they are not likely to lose such a vote) and also by serving as the arbiter of disputes between members.

The terms of the Pact are not entirely one-sided. Sharing of technology and resource sites is guaranteed, and there are promises of mutual military assistance as required. Citizens of all member nations are guaranteed equal treatment. In particular, the Dylaarians and Lecarre appear quite pleased with Pact membership, while the Konen sullenly acknowledge that after a history of losing military conflicts with the Cardassian Union, their guaranteed autonomy as a junior partner in the Ashalla Pact was a better result than they had feared.