Elim Garak

Cardassian Elim Garak was a member of the Cardassian Obsidian order until his exile to the space station Terok Nor in 2368.

Garak was the only son of Enabrin Tain, head of the Obsidian Order at the time, and Tains housekeeper and confidant, Mila.

Garak grew up believing that his father was a man named Tolan, who was in fact his uncle. Tolan first introduced Garak to the teachings of the forbidden Cardassian religion, the Oralian Way.

The Bamarren Institute
When Garak was of age, he was sponsered at the Bamarren Institute For State Intelligence where he learned the skills he would use in his career with the Obsidian Order.

While there, he answered only to the designation of Ten Lubak, as using real names was forbidden.

While attending the institute, Garak first met the woman named Palandine.

The Obsidian Order
Garak's career with the Order took him all over the Cardassian Union and beyond. Garak eventually became Tain's most trusted and dependable operative.

Garak's speciality for the order was as an interogater. One such interogation cost the life of the father of Gul Skrain Dukat. Garak and Dukat remained bitter enemies until Dukats death in 2375.

in 2365, Garak first came to the Terok Nor station on an assignment to assassinate an Ullian telepath named Yenla Tosh. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Marvel comic # 15 Requiem in Obsidian)

Years after meeting her at the Bamarren Institute, Garak had an illicit affair with Palandine, who was married to a Cardassian officer named Barkan Lokar, and had a daughter named Kell. Palandine was a member of the Oralian Way.

When Tain found out about the relationship, he ordered Garak to end it immediately, and never see Palandine again. Garak went to see her anyway, and was cptured by Lokar. The resulting confrontation ended with Lokars death.

Tain saw Garak's disobdience as a betrayal, and did nothing to help him with his resulting legal troubles. Garak was exiled from Cardassia, never to return on thre pain of death.

Lokar had served under Skrain Dukat, and Dukat had Garak 'assigned' to his command on the space station, Terok Nor, in the Bajorann sector. Dukat saw to Garak's humiliattion by assigning him the tasks of a humble tailor. Much to Garak's surprise, he was a very good tailor.

When the Cardassians abandomned the Bajoran sector in 2369, they left only garak behind, to act as the eyes and ears to a world where he was no longer welcome. (Unless otherwise stated, all of the above information comes from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, A Stitch in Time.)


 * (more later)