Gul Damar

Prelude Damar first appeared in Star Trek Deep Space Nine as a follower of Dukat in the fourth season episode "Return to Grace". It was 2372 and Dukat had lost his standing with the Cardassian government for having refused to kill Ziyal, his half-Bajoran child born out of wedlock. His rank of "Legate", equivalent to "president", stripped away, Dukat was reduced to a lowly freight captain with a scant crew of the vessel Groumall. His humilitating insignificance did not affect Damar, who still stood by Dukat's side.

In 2373, Dukat agreed to smuggle four Deep Space Nine officers into Klingon space to expose Chancellor Gowron, whom they suspected to be a Changeling operative in disguise. Damar, the second in command of the ship, brushed off the attempts of the surgically disguised officers as a suicide run and was more interested in a frontal attack on the command center at Ty'Gokor. Dukat pulled his ship out after beaming down the four officers. [ Apocalypse Rising ]

In Cardassian military rank, Gul is a captain, and Glinn is the officer immediately below a Gul. Damar was promoted to a Gul in 2373 when his proposed solution to the dismantling of the minefield was successful.

Jump to >> A Call to Arms | Behind the Lines | Favor the Bold | Sacrifice of Angels

A Call to Arms
In late 2373, Dukat secretly negotiated for Cardassia to join the Dominion. Shortly after, Dominion convoys of arms and Jem'Hadar began pouring through the wormhole into Cardassian space, prompting Captain Sisko to mine the wormhole with clustered, cloaked, and self-replicating explosives in an effort to block the Dominion route. Dukat, standing on the side of Weyoun and the Dominion now, subsequently attacked Deep Space Nine and seized it when the Federation retreated. Damar was a Glinn under Dukat at the time. He believed whole-heartedly in the alliance, and like many others, thought Cardassia was stronger for it.

Dukat and Damar Dukat's most trusted officer. Wherever Dukat appeared, Damar was not far behind.
Dukat and Damar in DS9 Ops Glinn Damar was a faithful follower of Dukat, whom he still considers a friend, and a great man even though Dukat brought Cardassia into the Dominion in the first place.
Behind the Lines
Damar had little liking for the Vorta or the Founders from the start, and he actually plotted a way of poisoning the already dwindling supply of Ketracel White. When he accidentally lost the PADD he had written on, Damar went to Quark's to ask after its whereabouts. While downing some kanar at the bar, some Jem'Hadar confronted him with that very same PADD and a bar room brawl ensued. Damar escaped harm but several Cardassians were killed.

Though the Dominion had succeeded in taking over Deep Space Nine, the minefield before the wormhole entrance prevented Dominion reinforcements from coming through to the Alpha Quadrant. It fell to Damar to provide a solution to the problem, and he proposed using an antigraviton beam with a modified main deflector array. For this achievement, formerly Glinn Damar was promoted to Gul. When he went to Quark's to celebrate the imminent removal of the mines, Quark pried the plans out of a very drunk Damar and relayed it to Kira and Rom. Kira and Rom devised a plan to take down the antigraviton beam emitter while Odo was supposed to run a diagnostic and shut down security fields within the A51 conduit where Rom would sabotage the deflector array. However, Odo was linking with the female founder at the time he was supposed to shut down internal security alarms, and Rom was captured red-handed in the conduit.

Damar at Quark's Damar in a celebratory mood at Quark's. Having figured out a way to dismantle the landmines, he orders some kanar.
Damar about to fight some Jem'Hadar Some Jem'Hadar confront Damar, accusing him of plotting to poison Ketracel-White.
Favor the Bold
With troop morale low, Sisko knew the Federation needed a big victory. He convinced Starfleet Command of the necessity of retaking Deep Space Nine. It is the key to the Alpha Quadrant, he said, and the top brass gave the go-ahead after some deliberation. The armada of Starfleet and Klingon vessels, headed by Sisko, was still badly outnumbered by two to one, but the determination to retake Deep Space Nine provided enough motivation to risk it.

Tracking the movements of the Federation fleet, Dukat and Weyoun realized something big was being planned. However, Dukat at the time was more concerned about reconciling with Ziyal, who had turned away from him when he refused to set Rom free. He sent Damar to convince Ziyal to come and talk with her father, but Damar, who had a thinly-disguised dislike for the girl, treated her callously, greatly angering the near-by Major Kira. She attacked Damar ferociously, doing heavy damage and knocked him out cold. Later, Damar asked Dukat for permission to arrest Kira, but the Gul seemed only concerned with what Ziyal had said during the encounter.

Odo had come out of that shell of non-emotion that the female founder had imbued in him the previous time they linked. He began to feel apologetic for his actions and asked for Kira's forgiveness. But Kira could no longer trust Odo, who likely revealed everything he knew while linking with the female Founder.

Damar and Kira do not get along Damar and Kira exchange unpleasantries in Quark's Bar. Possessing knowledge of Kira's plans, he dares her to try something.
Damar thrashed by Major Kira Damar very badly beaten by Major Kira. Damar had always treated Ziyal badly, but this time crossed the line.
Sacrifice of Angels
After conquering Deep Space Nine, Damar had a large part in the task of station security, and he took especial delight in harassing Federation sympathizers Odo, Kira, and their small resistance cell. With Rom slated for execution but the others free, he voiced his concern to Dukat that Jake, Leeta, and Kira might again try to sabotage the station and got permission to arrest the group. Dukat assented, but gave explicit instructions not to harm them in any way, pointing out that Kira was important to Ziyal and himself. When Damar requested that Ziyal be confined to her quarters, Dukat would not hear of it, "She is my daughter. It may mean nothing to you, but it means everything to me."

Quark enlisted Ziyal's help in freeing Rom, Kira, Jake and Leeta from the brig. Odo rejoined his comrades when he realized the female Founder planned to execute Kira, "for his own good". However, the minefield was deactivated before Rom and Kira could prevent it. The wormhole entrance open, Dominion troops pouring through the gateway would certainly take over the entire Alpha Quadrant.

Meanwhile Sisko's task force began its strike, severely outnumbered notwithstanding. Dukat's supreme arrogance allowed the Defiant through the lines on purpose, thinking it great fun to see Sisko being toyed with before death. The Defiant headed straight for the wormhole, its captain determined to do all he can to save the Federation and the freedom of the Alpha Quadrant. When the alien prophets appeared to him, Sisko asked the prophets to prevent the Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar from passing through the wormhole. The armada of Jem'Hadar warships then suddenly disappeared without a trace. The happy, exuberant mood of Terok Nor quickly turned into panic. Where were those ships? "Time to start packing!" Weyoun announced when it was apparent no Gamma Quadrant reinforcements were going to arrive and that 200 more Federation ships were on the way. Despite the upheaval around him, Dukat only thought of his daughter Ziyal and pleaded with her to come with him. When she refused and revealed that she helped Kira and the others escape from the holding cell, Damar killed her with one shot of his weapon, calling her a traitor. He then urged Dukat to leave the station while he can, but Dukat was oblivious to all but his dying daughter. Ziyal told Dukat that she loved him just before she died. Devastated, Dukat crumbled physically and emotionally.

Damar sitting in Odo's office. Being nasty to Ziyal... and loving every moment of it.
Damar and Dukat conversing in Ops about the baseball Sisko left behind. "This means he will be back," says Dukat.
With the minefield down, Ops erupts with spontaneous laughter and happy faces. Ever seen Damar smile so sincerely?
Damar and Dukat watching the viewscreen, expecting Dominion reinforcements now with the mines down.
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