cardassia star trek

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• Cardassians
• Humanoid species
• Races and cultures
• Alpha Quadrant races and cultures
• Alpha and Beta Quadrant races and cultures
• Dominion races and cultures
• Reptilian races and cultures
• View history
• 1.1.1 Medical conditions
• 1.2.1 Beliefs
• 1.2.2 Family Life
• 1.2.3 Society
• 1.2.4 Sayings
• 1.2.5 Rituals
• 1.2.6 Foods and drink
• 1.3 History
• 1.4 Alien perception
• 2.1.1 Appearances
• 2.2 External link

History and specifics [ ]

They were a generally militaristic race. The Cardassian state, the Cardassian Union once occupied Bajor and later allied themselves with the Dominion before a crushing defeat that devastated their civilization. The democratic Reunion Project political group arose to power during the reconstruction process, with the authoritarian Directorate deciding for the time to play a part in the political process as an opposition party. ( DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time )

Biology [ ]

The Cardassian appear to have evolved from a creature with both reptilian and mammalian traits, perhaps similar to Earth's prehistorical Therapsids. Standing roughly 1.8 meters tall, Cardassians tend to possess gray or grayish-green skin tones with shiny, black hair. Members of the race are barrel-chested and slightly heavier than Humans , a result of Cardassia 's thicker atmosphere and slightly higher gravity. Elongated vertebrae covered in scaly plate sections extend along their necks. Segmented brow ridges extend down from the forehead and circle the eyes, giving them a slightly "hooded" look reminiscent of a Terran cobra. An unsegmented ridge known as chufa extends upward from the tip of the nose to a spoon-shaped protrusion in the center of the forehead. Their thick skins and tough bodies allow Cardassians to tolerate pain better than most other species which meant that they possessed a higher pain threshold. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

The head and torso has an array of prominent ridges which are of cartilage construction and evolved as a defense against predatory attack. These ridges grow more prominent as young Cardassians develop through adolescence. Cardassians are a species which have many features common to both mammals and reptiles, their skin is only scaled around their ridges and females have breasts or breast like protrusions on their chests. Cardassians have straight hair that varies in color from jet black to the less common dark brown. Males typically slick their hair back, while the females have more varying hairstyles. Unbetrothed Cardassian females have a cosmetic blue coloration in the dip of skin between ridges on their foreheads. ( DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time , et al.)

The Cardassians possessed a unique enzyme which made them immune to infestation by the Bluegill parasites . However, this did not prove to be a method of making other species immune from possession as the enzyme had the side effect of dissolving the membranes present within other species bodies. As such, only the Cardassian race has proven to be immune to the Parasites infection. ( DS9 novel : Unity )

It was revealed in the 24th century that the Cardassians were genetically similar to an advanced alien race known as the Varahat with the two being cousin species. ( DS9 comic : " Genesis Denied, Part II ")

Medical conditions [ ]

• Calebrian plague
• Kalla-Nohra Syndrome
• Pottrik Syndrome
• Rudellian plague
• Tzeka fever
• Viper's eye
• Sethik's disease
• Yarim Fel Syndrome

Culture [ ]

Beliefs [ ].

The early Hebitian people were deeply religious but the ages of hardship on Cardassia would shift the Cardassian people to more militaristic and expansionist views in order to survive. As such, the concept of religious beliefs were replaced with a patriotic duty in the state itself which results in many Cardassians being very loyal to their government which is seen as being omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent. ( DS9 episodes : " The Wire ", " Second Skin ")

According to Cardassian beliefs, their race was raised to sentience from the swamps of Cardassia by their creators who watched over Ailam and Neeron ; the first Cardassians. The Cardassians were gifted with both sentience and a soul by the creators who gave the race the umbilicus which marked their foreheads. ( DS9 - Millennium novel : Inferno ) Post-Oralian religion practiced the worship of the helmeted Galor , a type of demonic deity that symbolized power. This mythological, warrior being also inspired Cardassia Prime to launch the vessel class with the same name. Its shape, depicted in the hull form, with the insignia carrying the likeness, as well. ( DS9 omnibus : Millennium )

Religion was a rare thing with the Cardassian government with suppression of certain groups such as the Oralian Way . After First contact with the Bajoran race, the Oralian Way was exterminated though fragments of it continued to exist secretly in their society. ( TLE - Terok Nor novels : Day of the Vipers , Night of the Wolves )

Following the collapse of the Cardassian Union in 2376 , such suppression began to be lifted and the Oralian way began to grow in popularity. The Mogrund was a creature in Cardassian mythology. ( DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time )

Family Life [ ]

A Cardassian's family is considered one of their greatest assets, with two or three generations living within the same household. Though this is an admirable trait, the Cardassians see orphans as outcasts and are often forgotten. ( DS9 episode : " Cardassians ")

This meant that females were considered too important among their people to be allowed within the military due to the capability of carrying young. Marriage ceremonies were known as enjoinments , which typically required the woman to return to relative safety while the male continued to serve. As such, females that had lost the ability to give birth were considered outcasts among their people. In such circumstances, the enjoinment ceremony was typically canceled as part of tradition. When faced with such a fate, certain Cardassian women were known to have taken their own lives rather then continue such an existence though this was not always the case. ( TLE - Terok Nor novel : Night of the Wolves )

All Cardassians receive intense mental training during childhood which helps them improve their memory and meant that they possessed an eidetic memory. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

Unlike Humans , Cardassians did not fear old age and in fact respected the wisdom and dignity such a position granted to the Cardassian in question. ( DS9 episode : " Distant Voices ")

Advanced age is a sign of great dignity. Cardassians respect authority and age, usually equating the two. A junior will attach himself to an up-and-coming superior or already successful elder, assisting his chosen mentor in any number of tasks intended to further their career, and presumably furthering his own, as well. This can be dangerous, however, should the mentor's fortunes turn, as the apprentice makes a convenient patsy on which to blame everything.

The older a Cardassian, the more feared he is because he is likely to know many secrets and maintains an extensive, and hidden, web of connections. When a Cardassian dies, he leaves his secrets to his relatives so they can gain the benefit of his knowledge, use the information to preserve the family's fortunes, and exact revenge on his rivals. Family is very important to Cardassians, with several generations living under one roof. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

Society [ ]

Cardassians were noted for their love of trickery and pranks that they played on both enemies as well as allies. They often did such jokes in order to gloat upon the misfortunes of others. ( DS9 novel : Vengeance )

Within Cardassian society, men and women are treated equally and both are allowed to participate within the military. However, only men were drafted into service while women were given the optional choice to enter the military or not. Women often opted to enter the field of science working for the Cardassian Science Ministry . ( TNG episode : " Journey's End "; DS9 episode : " Destiny ")

The Cardassian people tended to favor the triumvirate and tended to arrange things in groups of three. ( TOS novel : Captain's Blood )

A typical Cardassian is xenophobic, arrogant and paranoid. They believe theirs is the greatest civilization in the universe; other, lesser species are intent on preventing Cardassia from taking its rightful place as the most powerful empire in the quadrant. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

Certain Cardassians tended to think their species were superior to other races. This was particularly the case with the Bajorans with many Cardassians claiming that they were victims to terrorist attacks while they were attempting to "uplight" the Bajoran people. This went as far as certain Cardassians claiming that the Bajoran race was genetically inferior, with studies claiming that their brains were not very advanced. ( DS9 - Millennium novel : The Fall of Terok Nor )

The Cardassians valued efficiency, Cardassian mines were almost always on class M worlds, as the expense of excavating in other non-native environments was not cost effective. ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky )

Sayings [ ]

• "There are ways to die....and there are ways to die." quoted by Garak ( DS9 video game : The Fallen )
• "Anger is a tool. Use it; do not let it use you." quoted by Gul Verden . ( TNG novel : Debtors' Planet )
• "The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination." quoted by Garak ( DS9 episode : " Improbable Cause "

Rituals [ ]

Foods and drink [ ], history [ ].

The Cardassian First Republic existed during the latter part of the 21st century . ( DS9 episode : " Destiny ")

The Cardassians had entered space relatively near to future Federation space as early as the 2150s . At least one Cardassian resided on Vulcan as early as the 2240s ; the Starfleet admiralty was secretly aware of the existence of the Cardassian Union in the mid-2260s, due to hostile encounters with long-range Federation scouts. As far back as the 2280s , the Federation had settled colony worlds close to the Cardassian border (such as the Iadara Colony ), which created a number of political tensions on both sides, and resulted in the UFP colonists of that region growing tough, resourceful, and not easily rattled. ( ENT episodes : " Dead Stop ", " Observer Effect "; VAN novel : Storming Heaven ; TOS novel : Unspoken Truth ; DS9 episode : " Destiny ")

Nevertheless, by the early 24th century , the Cardassians were still largely an unknown entity when initial moves were made to form diplomatic relations with the species. Within the next 20 years of the opening of official diplomacy, peace talks would fail, leading to the Federation-Cardassian War . ( TOS comic : " Enter the Wolves "; Star Trek novel : Articles of the Federation )

The Cardassians later allied themselves with the Dominion, an act which would eventually cause disaster as the Dominion attempted genocide in the final hours of the Dominion War . On the wreck of Dominion-devastated Cardassia, a new democratic government arose. ( DS9 episode : " What You Leave Behind "; DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time )

Later on, the Cardassians had revolted under Gul Kentar , who attacked the Federation's Reserve fleet while the Federation was counterattacking the Borg , built a technology that allowed Species 8472 to enter "our" realm. The Klingon Battle Fleet then brutally put down the rebellion, and Chancellor Martok personally killed Gul Kentar. ( TNG video game : Armada II )

Alien perception [ ]

Cardassian cuisine was something of a unique taste; following the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, Quark had a great deal of foods and drinks, such as Kamoy syrup , which he found impossible to sell. ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky )

A common slur used when referring to Cardassians is " Spoonheads ". ( DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time , et al.)

Appendices [ ]

Appearances and references [ ], appearances [ ].

• TNG episode : " The Wounded "
• TNG episode : " Ensign Ro "
• TNG episode : " Chain of Command, Part I "
• TNG episode : " Chain of Command, Part II "
• TNG episode : " The Chase "
• TNG episode : " Lower Decks "
• TNG episode : " Journey's End "
• TNG episode : " Preemptive Strike "
• DS9 episode : " Emissary "
• DS9 episode : " Past Prologue "
• DS9 episode : " Duet "
• DS9 episode : " The Homecoming "
• DS9 episode : " The Circle "
• DS9 episode : " Necessary Evil "
• DS9 episode : " Playing God "
• DS9 episode : " The Maquis, Part I "
• DS9 episode : " The Maquis, Part II "
• DS9 episode : " The Wire "
• DS9 episode : " Crossover "
• DS9 episode : " Tribunal "
• DS9 episode & novelization : The Search
• DS9 novel : Proud Helios
• DS9 episode : " Second Skin "
• DS9 episode : " Civil Defense "
• DS9 episode : " Defiant "
• DS9 episode : " Life Support "
• DS9 episode : " Destiny "
• DS9 episode : " Through the Looking Glass "
• DS9 episode : " Improbable Cause "
• DS9 episode : " The Die is Cast "
• DS9 episode : " Explorers "
• DS9 novel : Station Rage
• DS9 episode : " Indiscretion "
• DS9 episode : " Our Man Bashir "
• DS9 episode : " Return to Grace "
• DS9 episode : " Shattered Mirror "
• DS9 episode : " For the Cause "
• DS9 episode : " Body Parts "
• DS9 episode : " Broken Link "
• DS9 episode : " Apocalypse Rising "
• DS9 episode : " Things Past "
• DS9 episode : " In Purgatory's Shadow "
• DS9 episode : " By Inferno's Light "
• DS9 novel : The Conquered
• DS9 novel : The Courageous
• DS9 novel : The Liberated
• DS9 episode : " Ties of Blood and Water "
• DS9 episode : " Empok Nor "
• DS9 episode : " Call to Arms "
• DS9 episode : " A Time to Stand "
• DS9 episode : " Rocks and Shoals "
• DS9 episode : " Sons and Daughters "
• DS9 episode : " Behind the Lines "
• DS9 episode : " Favor the Bold "
• DS9 episode : " Sacrifice of Angels "
• DS9 novel : ...Sacrifice of Angels
• DS9 episode : " Statistical Probabilities "
• DS9 episode : " Waltz "
• DS9 episode : " Far Beyond the Stars "
• DS9 episode : " Change of Heart "
• DS9 episode : " Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night "
• DS9 episode : " Inquisition "
• DS9 episode : " In the Pale Moonlight "
• DS9 novel : Hollow Men
• DS9 video game : The Fallen
• DS9 novel : The Fall of Terok Nor
• DS9 novel : The War of the Prophets
• DS9 novel : Inferno
• DS9 episode : " Tears of the Prophets "
• DS9 episode : " Image in the Sand "
• DS9 episode : " Shadows and Symbols "
• DS9 episode : " Afterimage "
• DS9 episode : " Treachery, Faith, and the Great River "
• DS9 episode : " Covenant "
• DS9 episode : " The Emperor's New Cloak "
• DS9 episode : " Penumbra "
• DS9 episode : " 'Til Death Do Us Part "
• DS9 episode : " Strange Bedfellows "
• DS9 episode : " The Changing Face of Evil "
• DS9 episode : " When It Rains... "
• DS9 episode : " Tacking Into the Wind "
• DS9 episode : " The Dogs of War "
• DS9 episode & novelization : What You Leave Behind
• DS9 short story : " The Orb of Opportunity "
• DS9 short story : " The Dreamer and the Dream "
• VOY episode : " Caretaker "
• VOY episode : " Parallax "
• VOY episode : " Phage "
• VOY episode : " Emanations "
• VOY episode : " Prime Factors "
• VOY episode : " State of Flux "
• VOY episode : " Maneuvers "
• VOY episode : " Alliances "
• VOY episode : " Lifesigns "
• VOY episode : " Investigations "
• VOY episode : " Basics, Part I "
• VOY episode : " Basics, Part II "
• VOY episode : " Nothing Human "
• VOY episode : " Shattered "
• VOY episode : " Worst Case Scenario "
• TTN novel : Taking Wing
• TTN novel : The Red King
• TTN novel : Orion's Hounds
• TTN novel : Sword of Damocles
• TTN novel : Over a Torrent Sea
• TTN novel : Absent Enemies
• TTN novel : Synthesis
• TTN novel : Fallen Gods
• TTN novel : Sight Unseen
• PIC novel : Second Self
• PIC novel : Firewall

External link [ ]

• Cardassian article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Cardassian article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Odyssey class
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-F)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jan 30, 2020

On Cardassia, Literature Shapes Society

One fan looks at Garak's reading habits to dissect what literature can teach us about Cardassians.

StarTrek.com

One of the most frequently praised aspects of the Star Trek universe is its willingness to explore and develop alien species and the cultures that surround them. Throughout the franchise's 50+ year canon, fans have come to be intimately familiar with details about dozens of fictional races — what kind of food can get Vulcans drunk, what Ferengeis consider to be erogenous zones, and even why Klingons are terrified of adorable little furballs called Tribbles. However, while it's easy to take a species at face level because of what is said about them on screen, there is also a vast wealth of detail about races and cultures that can be derived from less obvious sources.

One excellent example is the lore surrounding Cardassians — when first introduced in The Next Generation , Cardassians are shown as ruthless, brutal species who have no qualms about attacking the weak. In fact, for the majority of their early appearances on both Next Generation and Deep Space Nine , the Cardassians are given very few sympathetic traits, instead presented as oppressive dictators. However, as Deep Space Nine progressed and Cardassian characters like Gul Dukat and Garak became key players in the show's narrative, Cardassia began to become more than just a brutal regime.

While it can mostly be attributed to the further development of Cardassian history, there is another aspect of their culture that I think deserves much closer inspection. It's a key characteristic of Cardassian life that not only provides insight into individual characters like Garak, but that also illustrates the inner workings of Cardassia as a whole. I'm talking about Cardassian literature, and thanks to Dr. Bashir's many lunches with Garak, viewers can take a closer look at how their opposing views and perceptions of Cardassia (and Earth's) literary canon shed light and characterize the Cardassian people.

The first time we are introduced to Cardassian literature (as with many aspects of Cardassian culture) is through Elim Garak, DS9’s resident tailor/ex-Obsidian Order spy. During one of his aforementioned lunches with Bashir, Garak gives us small insights into all sorts of aspects of Cardassian culture, and literature seems to be of special importance to not just him, but Cardassia as a whole. In "The Wire", we get our first taste of Cardassian literature during a friendly discussion between Bashir and Garak about the merits of a novel Bashir is finishing, titled The Never Ending Sacrifice . Garak is excited to hear Bashir’s thoughts on what he describes as “the greatest achievement” of a form of Cardassian literature known as the repetitive epic.

Bashir isn't as enchanted, however, and he tells Garak that he finds it dull because, in his words, "all of the characters lead selfless lives of duty to the state, grow old, and die… then the next generation comes along and does it all over again." Garak, however, finds The Never Ending Sacrifice to be a work of art precisely because of such a rigid, authoritarian structure. Although I don’t think anyone would refer to Garak as someone easily duped, his entire upbringing on Cardassia was based around a strict set of principles that guided both his thoughts and actions. As the son of the leader of the Obsidian Order, he would have been taught (like all good Cardassian citizens) that there is no greater purpose or honor in life than giving everything you have to the state.

However, Garak’s strict upbringing also meant that he would have every reason to hate and reject everything taught to him by his father. His mother was murdered, he was exiled by the world he tried to defend, but he nevertheless continued to find pleasure in literature that glorified obedience to the state. Garak, one of the sharpest minds in the Star Trek universe, seems to have been conditioned by the state to find beauty in the constant servitude depicted in the repetitive epics — an indication of the extent to which the Cardassian government was able to foster loyalty in its citizens. The exchange ends with Garak referring to Bashir's thoughts on the novel as "a Federation viewpoint if ever I heard one" — an example of the underlying xenophobia bred into Cardassians through works of art and literature that never goes away, even when talking with a friend.

The repetitive epic isn’t the only form of Cardassian literature discussed by Bashir and Garak, however, nor is it the only form of Cardassian literature characterized by faith and compliance toward the state. In “Distant Voices” Garak gives Bashir an early birthday present, a holosuite program modeled after one of  Shoggoth’s enigma tales. The enigma tale, like the repetitive epic, is a genre of Cardassian literature. However, the enigma tale is more akin to an Earth mystery novel — which is why Garak thinks it will suit Bashir’s fancy.

However, as Bashir points out, all enigma tales end the same way — every suspect is always guilty. This characteristic of enigma tales can be directly correlated to the Cardassian legal system, in which the verdict of every trial is predetermined before it even begins. As Gul Dukat once tells Captain Sisko, “The people demand it. They enjoy watching justice triumph over evil every time. They find it comforting." Cardassian society is one that is entirely reliant on total and absolute faith in the state — whether it be in the guidance of how to live one's life or the outcome of a legal trial.

Garak’s fondness for the structure and “elegance” of Cardassian literature (and, adversely, his disdain for the lack thereof in human works like Julius Caesar ) is a window into the inner workings of the Cardassian military state — a regime so efficient and consuming that even the sharpest of minds can be lulled into believing its propaganda by something as innocent as a mystery novel.

Lauren Coates (she/her) is a Chicago-based student with a weakness for junk food, a passion for film & television, and a constant yearning to be at Disney World. Follow her on Twitter @laurenjcoates.

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Star Trek: The Cardassian Race, Explained

Who were these dinosaur-looking space Nazis, and what role do they play in the Star Trek universe?

Over the years, Star Trek has slowly and steadily expanded. New shows exploding onto the small screen even today, and each one brings with it a new host of characters, alien races, and vastly complex intergalactic socio-political atmospheres.

While new is good, there are still races that return time and again to play important parts in the various shows. Vulcans are one timeless classic, but there are some races that make a big impact in a show, only to be delegated to the background after the show concludes. One of the biggest examples is the highly antagonistic Cardassians.

RELATED: Star Trek: How Did Odo Keep His Job After The Occupation Of DS9?

What is the Cardassian Race?

The Cardassian race is, like many races in the Star Trek franchise, humanoid in appearance , though they are distinguished by the ridges on their foreheads, cheeks, and necks. The Cardassians hold dominion within the Alpha Quadrent. Their space and domain are creatively named the Cardassian Union, at the center of which is their home world Cardassia Prime. Their appearance is memorable, with the dinosaur-like head ridges and gray skin. However, it was their personality and attitude that made them stand out from the rest of Star Trek ’s memorable aliens.

Cardassians are among the most ruthless of species known to the Federation. They managed to even surpass the mighty Klingons in their ferocity. Their main attribute is extreme xenophobia toward other races, considering themselves to be superior. The biggest example of this was their occupation and enslavement of the Bajorans, whom they put to work, tortured, and oppressed much like what Nazi Germany did to others during WWII. They are referred to by many as natural predators. To quote the Cardassian enemy and much-disliked Captain Jellico , they have an "instinctive need to establish a dominant position in any social gathering."

Alongside their historic brutality, the Cardassians are known to be extremely intelligent, often due to rigorous training since childhood. They are known to possess photographic memory, and often were able to resist Vulcan mind melds , a staggering feat of resilience and mental discipline. Their hearing, however, was said to be less sensitive than that of humans, and, at least according to Patrick Stewart, they smelled pretty bad.

When Do Cardassians First Appear?

While the Cardassians played a massive part in Deep Space 9 's story, they were actually first introduced in The Next Generation . They appeared as a tentative enemy of the Federation throughout their appearances. The fairly militaristic Starfleet had several run-ins with them prior to their first appearance in TNG, despite there being a peace treaty in place between their cultures.

The Cardassians first showed their faces in the episode "The Wounded," which first showed their nefarious nature. However, it was when TNG introduced the notion of the Bajoran occupation and the famed Maquis rebels in season 5 that they began to make a name for themselves as serious antagonists. The episode “Chain of Command” is burned into many a fan’s mind as a prime example of the Cardassians' brutality. In the episode, Picard is captured and tortured by a Cardassian officer named Gul Madred, actions not only sanctioned but encouraged by their government.

Cardassian appearances in TNG left such an impact that they became a main focus of the DS9 series that followed. The titular space station was an old Cardassian station where Bajorans were put to work during the horrific occupation that ended several years prior. The show focused heavily on the tensions between the two races under an uneasy peace treaty, showing not only the emotional aftermath of occupation on both parties , but the awkward line the Federation had to walk to keep peace.

Who is the Most Popular Cardassian Character?

It was in DS9 that some of the most popular Cardassians characters where introduced. The three most memorable are Gul Dukat, Garak, and Legate Damar.

Of course, popular does not always mean well-liked. Gul Dukat was a masterfully created villain, hated by many fans but at the same time oddly relatable. He was not always an active villain. Instead, he spent most of his time trying to politically undermine Starfleet for the nefarious gains of Cardassia, all while maintaining and keeping (at least appearing to keep to) the treaty. He ultimately snapped after the death of his daughter and became the unhinged villain he was always supposed to be. He was a slippery character, cunning, smart, and manipulative, all fantastic traits for a great series villain.

Legate Damar

Legate Damar was another great Cardassian figure, whose story is memorable perhaps because of how devastating it was . He replaced as head of the Cardassian Union during the Dominion war, and went from being a big bad guy to one who sacrificed everything to bring peace to the Quadrant. He saved not only the Cardassians, but the Federation, from being entirely wiped out by the Founder dictatorship. He was the first political leader of Cardassia that could have actually made a difference, and brought Cardassians into a new era of peace in which they could make amends for the sins of the past. This was all nipped in the bud. Not only was he brutally killed right in the last moments of war, but his entire family met their deaths too.

Of course, there could not be a list of favorite Cardassians without including the franchise's best anti-hero and talented tailor Garak. Garak, an ex-spy for the very secretive and often downright evil Cardassian Obsidian Order ( basically their equivalent to the Federation's section 31 ), played a massive part in changing the franchise forever . His actions in the famous episode “In the Pale Moonlight” set the tone for the much darker DS9 series .

However, it was his camp, playful, and often innuendo-ridden persona that made fans fall in love with him. They knew he was dangerous, but it was all so perfectly hidden behind an expert facade that made him so interesting. Occasionally, cracks would show, no more so than in his wonderful monologue in the aforementioned episode. But even then he remained a wonderful enigma that was enjoyable to watch.

MORE: Star Trek Voyager’s Most Unexpectedly Sad Moment

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Tanora Zuval , a Cardassian female

Cardassians are the dominant species of the Cardassian Union . Their home world is Cardassia in the Alpha Quadrant . After the Dominion War the Cardassians have struggled to reform their society.

• 1 Physical appearance
• 5.2 Duty officers
• 6 External links

Physical appearance [ | ]

Cardassians are gray skinned humanoids. They are easily identified by their unusually wide necks and a spoon-shaped bone on their foreheads. Cardassians favor heat and aridity, conditions also found on Cardassia.

History [ | ]

In ancient history, the First Hebitian civilization on Cardassia was renowned for its art and beauty. It collapsed due to a lack of resources, leading the surviving Cardassians to turn to the military and imperialistic expansion. Their occupation of Bajor saw Bajorans used as a slave caste as their world was stripped of resources to feed Cardassia.

Following the fall of the Obsidian Order (one half of the Cardassian government) in the 2370s, Cardassians established their first civilian government in centuries with the Detapa Council . However, the Klingon Empire believed this government was infiltrated by Changelings and began an invasion of Cardassia.

Losing a war to the Klingons, the military re-took control and Cardassia joined the Dominion ; who helped Cardassia rid itself of both the Klingons and the Maquis. However as the war turned for the worse, the Cardassians bore the brunt of the Dominion's war and eventually the two sides turned on one another. In the final days of the war, much of the Cardassian population was murdered.

The survivors chose to rebuild as a de-militarized, democratic power, supported by the Federation.

Culture [ | ]

Cardassian society is extremely hierarchical and values family and loyalty to the government. Their culture and literature, which was once held in the highest esteem, reflected this with novels such as The Great Sacrifice , detailing a generational history of service to the state. For much of its life, the state represented a union of the military and secret service; these two ran a kafkaesque government where sentences are determined in advance of trials, with proceedings merely there to show the viewing Cardassians that justice is carried out. How Cardassian society has shifted in response to its trauma and post-war democratisation is as yet unclear.

Traits [ | ]

• +2 Accuracy Rating per stack (5 stacks max)
• +2 Defense Rating per stack (5 stacks max)
• +2% Weapon Damage per stack (5 stacks max)
• excluding Stubborn and Sure Footed

People [ | ]

Duty officers [ | ], external links [ | ].

• Cardassian at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
• 1 Kirayoshi O'Brien
• 2 Playable starship

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Where to Find Cardassian Hostiles in Star Trek Fleet Command

Star Trek Fleet Command’s newest event, dubbed “Deep Space Nine,” sees the introduction of a brand-new sector of space to explore. Up in the northwestern regions of the galaxy lies the Cardassian and Bajor space, alongside powerful armadas that are waiting to be challenge. Do you have what it takes? Today, we’ll show you where to find Cardassian hostiles in Star Trek Fleet Command!

Locating the Cardassian Hostiles in Star Trek Fleet Command

The Deep Space Nine event is a new battle pass for all players to take part in and enjoy. The battle pass will see players head out to the new regions and complete brand-new story missions, while earning new Officers along the way.

For some battle pass missions, players will be tasked with taking down Cardassian hostiles. The new Cardassia sections are in the top left corner of the galaxy map, as shown here . You’ll need to be high enough level with strong ships in order to make the warp jump over there, so be prepared.

Related | How to Access DS9 Missions in Star Trek Fleet Command

If you need additional directions, the Cardassia system is located directly west of the Borg cube region. Again, it’s quite the journey up there, so you may or may not be able to make the jump, depending on your level.

Starting with the Bajor system and going westward, you’ll encounter Cardassian hostiles scattered throughout the various nearby systems. You should have no problem finding them once you’re up here.

If you’re too low level and your ships aren’t strong enough to make the trip, make sure that you’re using an Officer that boosts your warp range, such as Cadet Scotty . These kinds of Officers really come in handy when they introduce new areas like this.

However, just making it to the Cardassian system is only just the beginning. If you’re planning to take on the Cardassian hostiles, be prepared for a fight as they can range anywhere from 130,000 to 201,000 strength !

That concludes our guide on where to find Cardassian hostiles in Star Trek Fleet Command . If you have any other tips or questions, let us know in the comments below!

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See Sisko Fight To Stop A War In Preview Of ‘Star Trek’ #18

| March 19, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 4 comments so far

This week IDW’s ongoing Star Trek series wraps up the “A Savage World of Glass and Bone” storyline, with Captain Sisko and the crew of the Theseus trying to stop a war with the space dinosaur Tzenkethi… and their Romulan friends. Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing co-write the series with art by Marcus To. We have covers and a preview of issue 18.

Star Trek #18

Tzenketh is on the brink of war against the Federation… and it’s all the fault of Captain Sisko and his crew. A battle between the Tzenkethi, Romulans, and Cardassians is imminent, while Tzenketh itself begins to tremble. The Theseus crew’s actions have exacerbated the volcanic instability of the planet-another thing the Romulans will undoubtedly pin on the Federation. The Romulan Magistrex’s plot to build an alliance that will destroy the Federation is underway, can Sisko and his crew manage to save this savage world of glass and bone? Find out in the finale of arc three of the Eisner-nominated series!

Cover by Marcus To

Cover B by Rod Reis

Cover C by Jake Bartok

Setup/credits:

Five-page preview:

Star Trek #19 available Wednesday, “The Pleroma” starts in April

Star Trek #18 arrives on March 20. You can order issue 18 or upcoming issues at TFAW . Or pick up individual digital editions at Amazon/comiXology .

A new 6-issue storyline “The Pleroma” starts next on April 17 with issue #19 (see cover below). The new arc delves into the issues of divinity that have arisen since Sisko’s return from the celestial temple.

Cover A by Megan Levens

“The Pleroma” will also feature variant covers by J.J. Lendl which fit together to make a stained glass style piece of art. Each cover features different “gods” from Star Trek history. You can see how all six Lendl covers fit together below…

Six covers by J.J. Lendl for “The Pleroma”

New Star Trek collections

last week IDW released a hardcover collection of last year’s “Day of Blood” crossover of their ongoing Star Trek and Defiant series. The release collects Star Trek: Day of Blood , Star Trek: Day of Blood–Shaxs’ Best Day , Star Trek 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue, Star Trek issues #11–12, and Star Trek: Defiant issues #6–7. You can order now at Amazon for $27.99 or get the Kindle eBook version for $9.45 .

Keep up with all the Star Trek comics news, previews and reviews in  TrekMovie’s comics category .All Eyes Are On Lieutenant Harry Kim In Preview Of ‘Star Trek’ #17

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Is Kim in S31?

So what exactly is IDW’s hiring policy for writers? Submit the worst fan-fiction you can think of?

I gave up after 3 issues. All these comics have is nostalgia wank and continuity references. And a non-binary Vulcan with hipster hair. I miss the glory days of the early 90’s DC comics. Never know what you have until it’s gone.

Sounds a lot just like that mythical Star Trek Legacy show that will never exist

8 Alpha Quadrant Things Star Trek: Voyager Found In Delta Quadrant

• Star Trek: Voyager finds familiar things from the Alpha Quadrant in the Delta Quadrant, sparking important questions and connections.
• Encounter with Ferengi negotiators leads Voyager crew to stop their interference in a pre-warp civilization for profits.
• Janeway and crew discover humans abducted by aliens in the 1930s living in the Delta Quadrant, including Amelia Earhart.

For a show with the conceit of being so far from home, Star Trek: Voyager found a surprising number of things in the Delta Quadrant that originated in the Alpha Quadrant, including several from Earth itself. The USS Voyager, commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), and Commander Chakotay's (Robert Beltran) Maquis raider Val Jean were both brought to the Delta Quadrant in 2371 by the Caretaker (Basil Langton). After Janeway destroyed the Caretaker's array to save the Ocampa , Voyager and the Val Jean were left without a ticket back to the Alpha Quadrant, and banded together to make the long journey.

Finding something familiar in an otherwise totally alien corner of the galaxy brought a sense of familiarity to the USS Voyager crew and viewers at home alike, but the presence of something from the Alpha Quadrant in the Delta Quadrant inevitably raised important questions , like how familiar people and objects traveled 70,000 light years from home in the first place, and whether the find could lead Captain Kathryn Janeway towards a quicker path home to Earth.

Star Trek: Voyagers 20 Best Episodes Ranked

A pair of ferengi negotiators, arridor and kol, star trek: voyager season 3, episode 5 "false profits".

The USS Voyager encounters a pair of Ferengi negotiators, Arridor (Dan Shor) and Kol (Leslie Jordan), who claim to be the prophesied Great Sages of the Takarians, a society with Bronze Age level technology. The Ferengi have no Prime Directive to deter them from interfering with the Takarians' development , so they're performing "miracles" with a standard replicator to reap the monetary benefits of the Takarians' worship. Voyager's crew know the Ferengi reputation well enough to know they're no Sages, so they must figure out how to put a stop to Arridor and Kol's grift.

"False Profits" serves as a Star Trek sequel episode to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 8 "The Price", as Voyager catches up with Arridor and Kol (formerly played by J. R. Quinonez) seven years after their Delta Quadrant arrival. The Ferengi took a test flight through the supposedly stable wormhole near Barzan II, which was supposed to emerge in the Gamma Quadrant, but instead stranded the Ferengi in the Delta Quadrant, where they made the best of their situation as only Ferengi can.

Star Trek: Voyager Season 3, Episode 23 "Distant Origin"

"Distant Origin" opens on Forra Gegen (Henry Woronicz), a scientist who discovers that his people, the Voth, share certain genetic similarities with the humans aboard the USS Voyager. While this confirms Gegen's theory that the Voth are the descendants of a species brought to their homeworld millions of years ago , religious leader Minister Odala (Concetta Tomei) refuses to accept the truth. Even with Commander Chakotay present as a living specimen of humanity, Odala pushes Gegen to recant, because Gegen's theory goes against the Voth Doctrine that keeps Odala in power.

After meeting Gegen's assistant, Tova Veer (Christopher Liam Moore), Janeway and the Doctor use the holodeck as a research guide to extrapolate how hadrosaurs might look in the 24th century if they'd been able to evolve into a humanoid form with comparable intelligence. The result resembles Veer, so Janeway and the Doctor conclude, like Gegen, that the Voth evolved from hadrosaurs into a highly advanced species on Earth , then fled to the Delta Quadrant in spacefaring vessels instead of being wiped out with the other dinosaurs.

The Friendship One Probe

Star trek: voyager season 7, episode 21 "friendship one".

By Star Trek: Voyager season 7 , the USS Voyager is in regular contact with Starfleet Command, and Starfleet gives Voyager a mission to retrieve a 21st-century Earth probe, Friendship One . The probe proves difficult to find, but once discovered on an alien planet suffering devastating climate collapse, the implications of Friendship One's launch become clear. Besides the irreversible damage to the planet's climate, the inhabitants are all suffering from radiation sickness, and bear understandable hostility towards Earth, because the aliens believe humans orchestrated their destruction with the Friendship One probe.

The United Earth Space Probe Agency was one of the early names for the organization the USS Enterprise belongs to in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Charlie X".

Friendship One was launched in 2067 by the United Earth Space Probe Agency with the intention of making friends with whomever found it, as the name implies. Although Friendship One, the 400-year-old Earth probe, traveled for centuries carrying messages of peace, musical recordings, and ways to translate languages, the people who discovered Friendship One in the Delta Quadrant took a greater interest in the antimatter it used to travel across space. Without the proper knowledge of its use, antimatter proved devastating to the planet and its people, resulting in death and disease for generations.

Dreadnought, a Cardassian Missile

Star trek: voyager season 2, episode 17 "dreadnought".

The USS Voyager discovers a dangerously powerful, self-guided Cardassian missile in the Delta Quadrant, which Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) recognizes as one nicknamed "Dreadnought" . When B'Elanna was with the Maquis, Torres had actually reprogrammed the missile herself, with the intention of turning the Cardassians' own weapon against them. Without a Cardassian target in sight, the artificially intelligent Cardassian Dreadnought targets a heavily-populated Class-M planet , Rakosa V. B'Elanna determines she must be the one to keep Dreadnought from hurting anyone else, and boards the missile to convince it to stand down.

While no concrete reason is given for exactly how the Dreadnought wound up in the Delta Quadrant, its last known location in the Alpha Quadrant was the Badlands, the same rough patch of space where Voyager and the Val Jean, Chakotay's Maquis raider, fatefully met. Because of this, Torres theorizes that Dreadnought arrived in the Delta Quadrant the same way that Voyager and the Val Jean did , courtesy of the Caretaker.

Star Trek: Voyagers BElanna Is More Klingon Than TNGs Worf Ever Was

A klingon d-7 class cruiser, complete with klingons, star trek: voyager, season 7, episode 14 "prophecy".

The USS Voyager certainly never expected to find a Klingon ship in the Delta Quadrant, but more surprising is the fact that the crew of the Klingon D-7 Class Cruiser believes their savior, the prophesied kuvah'magh, is aboard Voyager . Janeway assures the Klingon captain, Kohlar (Wren T. Brown), that the Federation and Klingon Empire have been allies for the past 80 years, and offers Voyager's own half-Klingon, Lt. B'Elanna Torres, as proof their societies are working together now. The kuvah'magh is Torres' unborn daughter, who does save the Klingons, but not the way they expected.

Centuries ago, Kohlar's great-grandfather set off on a quest to find the kuvah'magh, and the Klingon D-7 Cruiser became a generation ship that is now crewed by the descendants of its original crew . The quest begun by Kohlar's great-grandfather brought Kohlar and his crew to the Delta Quadrant after four generations of searching. Whether B'Elanna's child is actually the kuvah'magh or not, Kohlar desperately wants the baby to be their savior, so that his people may finally rest.

Amelia Earhart

Star trek: voyager season 2, episode 1 "the 37s".

The discovery of a 1936 Ford truck, seemingly disconnected from any parent vehicle, leads the USS Voyager to a nearby Class-L planet, where they find eight humans who have been in cryo-stasis since they were abducted by aliens in the 1930s. Among them are one of Janeway's personal heroes, legendary American aviator Amelia Earhart (Sharon Lawrence) , who disappeared without a trace while attempting to fly around the world, and Earhart's navigator, Fred Noonan (David Graf). Earhart and the other preserved humans are known by the planet's inhabitants as "The 37s", and revered as sacred.

Originally thought to be aliens, the natives of the unnamed planet are the descendants of humans. A species called the Briori abducted the natives' ancestors, along with Earhart and the other 37s, from Earth centuries earlier , and took them to the Delta Quadrant. Once held as slaves, the humans who weren't in stasis revolted to free themselves from the Briori, and developed a thriving, Earth-like civilization in the Delta Quadrant. Voyager's crew consider staying with the humans in their little slice of home, while Janeway also offers a ride back to Earth to anyone who wants it, including Amelia Earhart.

The USS Equinox

Star trek: voyager season 5, episode 26 & season 6, episode 1 "equinox".

The crew of the USS Voyager believe they're the only Starfleet vessel in the Delta Quadrant until they find the USS Equinox, five years into their journey home. Captain Rudolph Ransom (John Savage) and the Equinox crew have had a harder time in the Delta Quadrant than Voyager, with more damage, fewer starting resources, and fewer opportunities to make friends along the way. Ransom's survival tactics include sacrificing innocent nucleogenic life forms for a more efficient form of fuel, which Janeway finds hard to stomach, and decides that Ransom needs to be held accountable for defying Federation ideals, regardless of how badly the Equinox is damaged.

Although Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) suggests that the Equinox might be in the Delta Quadrant on a rescue mission to find Voyager, the USS Equinox's specs don't fit the profile of a starship that would be assigned to a long-range mission. The explanation of how the Equinox arrived in the Delta Quadrant in the first place seems fairly simple, because Captain Ransom tells Janeway that the Equinox was also abducted by the Caretaker , just like Voyager, but the Equinox has only been in the Delta Quadrant for 2 years, and Janeway destroyed the Caretaker's array 5 years earlier.

Seven of Nine

Debuts in star trek: voyager season 4, episode 1 "scorpion, part 2".

When Captain Kathryn Janeway allies with the Borg in order to secure safe passage across Borg space, Janeway refuses the cursory assimilation that the Borg want to use to communicate with Janeway and Voyager's crew, and instead requests a speaker for the Borg, citing the existence of Locutus (Patrick Stewart) as precedent. Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, is selected as the Borg drone to act as liaison between the Collective and Voyager, likely because Seven of Nine had once been a member of Species 5168, like most of Voyager's crew -- in other words, human.

Voyager season 5, episodes 15 & 16, "Dark Frontier" provides even more detail of the Hansens' fateful journey.

After Seven's link with the Collective is severed, more information about Seven's human origin comes to light. In Voyager season 4, episode 6 "The Raven", when Voyager nears the Hansens' ship, the USS Raven, memories of Seven's early life surface, revealing that Seven had been six-year-old human Annika Hansen , the daughter of Magnus Hansen (Kirk Baily) and Erin Hansen (Laura Stepp), Federation scientists who were studying the Borg when they were assimilated. Voyager season 5, episodes 15 & 16, "Dark Frontier" provides even more detail of the Hansens' fateful journey, showing the Raven arriving in the Delta Quadrant by following a Borg Cube through a transwarp conduit.

10 Ways USS Voyager Changed In Star Treks Delta Quadrant

Star Trek: Voyager links back to the greater Star Trek universe with people and starships from the Alpha Quadrant. Connections to the familiar were especially important early on, because Voyager 's place in the Star Trek franchise was established and aided by the legitimacy these finds offered. Later, when the USS Voyager used the Hirogen communications array to communicate with Starfleet Command, links back to the Alpha Quadrant were plentiful again, not only to prove that the USS Voyager was closer to home, but to help Star Trek: Voyager maintain connections to Star Trek and carry the franchise in its final years.

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Voyager

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Rating TV-PG

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Comic Book Preview – Star Trek #18

March 18, 2024 by Gary Collinson

IDW Publishing releases Star Trek #18 on Wednesday, and you can check out the official preview of the issue below…

Tzenketh is on the brink of war against the Federation… and it’s all the fault of Captain Sisko and his crew. A battle between the Tzenkethi, Romulans, and Cardassians is imminent, while Tzenketh itself begins to tremble. The Theseus crew’s actions have exacerbated the volcanic instability of the planet — another thing the Romulans will undoubtedly pin on the Federation. The Romulan Magistrex’s plot to build an alliance that will destroy the Federation is underway, can Sisko and his crew manage to save this savage world of glass and bone? Find out in the finale of arc three of the Eisner-nominated series!

Star Trek #18 is out on Wednesday, March 20th.

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, television and digital content producer and writer, who is the founder of the pop culture website FlickeringMyth.com and producer of the upcoming gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket'. He has over 20 years of experience within the industry, including a decade of teaching and lecturing in film and media, and is the author of the book 'Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen'.

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Screen Rant

Star trek confirms the breen are powerful enough to destroy the federation.

The Breen are one of the most mysterious races in the Star Trek universe, and now it is confirmed they have what it takes to beat the Federation.

• The Breen are a highly mysterious and powerful species in the Star Trek universe, and were a major player in the last days of the Dominion War.
• Sons of Star Trek #1 explores an alternate reality where the Breen are winning a war against the Federation.
• Never underestimate the Breen, - their advanced technology and ruthless tactics make them a formidable adversary.

Warning: contains spoilers for Sons of Star Trek #1!

Star Trek has confirmed that the Breen are powerful enough to destroy the Federation. The Breen are one of the most mysterious races in the Star Trek franchise, with rumors swirling throughout the galaxy about their true nature. The Breen allied themselves with the Dominion during the War, and as seen in Sons of Star Trek #1, they have the ability to take the Federation down to the wire.

Sons of Star Trek #1 is written by Morgan Hampton and drawn by Angel Hernandez. Jake Sisko is at a crossroads in his life, and Q Jr, seeing an opportunity to help, sends Jake and his friends to an alternate universe. In this new world, Jake is not only in Starfleet, but the Federation is on the losing side of a ten-year war with the Breen. The Breen have been raiding Federation outposts and starships, stealing precious dilithium crystals.

Without the crystals, Starfleet is practically useless, which leaves the Federation easy pickings for the Breen.

The Breen Are The Most Mysterious Species in the Alpha Quadrant

The breen may also be the most powerful.

The elusive Breen were mentioned a handful of times during Star Trek: The Next Generation’s seven-season run, but was never seen. The brief descriptions given painted an intriguing picture, but it would not be until Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s fourth season that the Breen finally made their presence known. After a few one-off appearances on Deep Space Nine , the Breen joined the big leagues by allying themselves with the Dominion during the War’s final days. The Breen proved themselves a bloodthirsty foe, creating an energy dampening weapon that allowed them to attack even Earth, something previously thought impossible.

Never turn your back on a Breen-Romulan proverb

The Breen’s appearances throughout the franchise have been scant, especially when compared to other species such as the Klingons or the Cardassians, but these fleeting glimpses show them to be a formidable foe. First contact between the Klingons and the Breen ended in disaster, and the Romulans coined a phrase: “never turn your back on a Breen.” Their actions during the Dominion War were atrocious, and their unique weapons gave that side a huge advantage. The Breen’s ships were otherworldly, breaking with traditional starship designs. They also wore environmental suits when traveling off their homeworld, which obscured their appearances.

Early life [ ]

Elim Garak was the son of Enabran Tain : a nefarious Cardassian who never grew tired of repeating to his son " I should have killed your mother before you were born. You have always been a weakness I can't afford. " ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

Garak had a strong, almost crippling, case of claustrophobia . ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ") He told Ezri Dax that, in his youth, his father would discipline him by locking him in a closet . ( DS9 : " Afterimage ")

At age four, Garak and his father spent a day in the country together, their "only day" as Garak would later recall. Garak impressed his father by mounting a riding hound despite falling off numerous times. As he limped home, his father held Garak's hand and would later recall that he was very proud of him that day. ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

At one point, Garak also spent time on Tzenketh , where he was trapped in a small room with moving walls. ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ")

Life in the Obsidian Order [ ]

At one time, Garak was a high-ranking member of the Cardassian intelligence agency, the Obsidian Order . He was the protégé of his father, who had become the head of the Order in 2348 , though their familial relationship was kept secret throughout Garak's life (and only openly addressed by Tain on his deathbed). During his time as an operative, Garak was instrumental in the arrest, torture and execution of Gul Dukat 's father . ( DS9 : " The Wire ", " For the Cause ", " In Purgatory's Shadow ") That fact contributed to Dukat later regretting not having had Garak executed (though not for lack of trying, according to Garak). ( DS9 : " Civil Defense ") Garak had a vindictive streak and once tried to invent charges of treason against a gul just for being long-winded, but Tain stopped him. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ") He also spent time on Romulus , posing as a gardener at the Cardassian embassy . During his time there he may have been involved in the deaths of several important Romulan officials, including Proconsul Merrok and Sub-Commander Ustard and the Romulan ambassador (though this was based on stories Garak told of his own past, which were not reliable). ( DS9 : " Broken Link ", " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

As an Obsidian Order operative, Garak had a cranial implant installed in his skull which would help him resist torture . The implant caused his brain to release endorphins when in pain, thus making the experience of torture pleasurable. When Garak was exiled to DS9 he hacked the device so that it remained on continuously, in order to make his exile tolerable. Finally the implant failed and he was brought to sickbay in excruciating pain. While there he confessed to Bashir that life on DS9 was itself torturous. Despite Garak's best efforts, he was unable to acquire a replacement implant and was thus forced to endure life without the pleasure creating endorphins that he had become addicted to. Enabran Tain told Bashir that he wanted Garak to live a long, miserable life, rather than simply executing him. ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

Garak's masterful skills for subterfuge were such that even in the most dire of scenarios he would lie and misdirect any attempt to ascertain the truth or his intentions. Enabran Tain commented that Garak would " Never tell the truth when a lie will do. " ( DS9 : " The Wire ") Later, Garak claimed that he considered lying a skill that required constant practice. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ", " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

Garak was an expert interrogator and torturer. In one interrogation, Garak eschewed physical torture and extracted a confession simply by staring at his prisoner, a Doctor Parmak , for hours. Garak took a great deal of pride in his ability to force information from people and did not need to be ordered to do so. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ")

Garak learned Klingonese at some point during his time at the Obsidian Order, a fact he revealed when he spoke to a group of Klingons confronting Constable Odo . ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

In 2368 , Garak somehow betrayed Tain, and Tain ordered him killed. Garak escaped, but was exiled from his homeworld of Cardassia Prime .

While suffering from the degradation of his cranial implant, he gave three versions of the reason for his exile to Doctor Julian Bashir :

• He first claimed he was a gul in the Cardassian Mechanized Infantry and was exiled for killing several Cardassians, including his first officer, a man named Elim, as well as the daughter of a prominent military official, who were on board a transport going from Bajor to space station Terok Nor , when he destroyed it. Garak thought he was in fact killing members of the Bajoran Resistance who were planning to sabotage Terok Nor.
• He then changed his story to say that as he and his assistant Elim were interrogating a group of Bajoran children he felt pity for them and let them go instead of turning them over to be executed. He was exiled when Elim turned him in to the authorities.
• Garak also said that he was exiled after being framed by his best friend Elim with evidence that a member of the Obsidian Order was allowing Bajoran prisoners to escape.

Dr. Bashir later discovered from Enabran Tain that "Elim" was actually Garak's first name, indicating that none of these explanations were entirely true. ( DS9 : " The Wire ") Another time, he claimed he was exiled for tax evasion. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ") Even this account (and any others), however, are almost certainly fabricated or distorted, as Garak was fond of saying, "The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination." To Garak truth is the lines in between lies; he once claimed that all he says is true – " especially the lies". ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

When Sisko asked Garak if the attempted assassination plot against him in 2371 was somehow related to his exile, he stated that he seriously doubted that the finance ministry would try to kill him for not paying his taxes. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ")

After his exile, Garak took up residence aboard Terok Nor, under the command of Gul Dukat. Bitter over Garak's involvement in his father's death, Dukat attempted to have Garak executed. ( DS9 : " Civil Defense ") Garak again escaped death's grip, surviving to see the Cardassian government withdraw from the station in 2369 . He set up a tailor's shop, and went into business soon after his fellow Cardassians left the station. ( DS9 : " Past Prologue ")

Garak loved Cardassia and the Cardassian state, which he saw as one and the same, and he loved working for the state. Exile to him was torturous. He longed to return to Cardassia, even at one point agreeing to murder fleeing members of the Cardassian dissident movement in return for a pardon (an agreement that was broken by the gul who made it with him). ( DS9 : " The Wire ", " Profit and Loss ")

Those who had exiled Garak from Cardassia said he didn't deserve a quick death. His old Obsidian Order boss Enabran Tain said, " I want him to live a long, miserable life. I want him to grow old on that station, surrounded by people who hate him, knowing that he'll never come home again. ". ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

Life on Deep Space 9 [ ]

Garak hated living on Deep Space 9, mostly because it meant he was exiled from his home, Cardassia, which he loved and which he now felt like he could not serve. ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

Garak kept contacts in the Cardassian Union after his exile, and when Starfleet took control of Terok Nor, renaming it Deep Space 9 , he attempted on occasion to use his position as the only Cardassian still aboard to regain his usefulness. Many on the station believed Garak was still a spy. He befriended Dr. Julian Bashir, and began to reveal small bits of information to the doctor about his past and current events. When once asked by Bashir whether he was an outcast or a spy, Garak suggested that maybe he was "an outcast spy." The Doctor asked how he could be both, and Garak simply replied " I never said I was either. " ( DS9 : " Profit and Loss ") Bashir and Garak began to have weekly lunches , where they grew to be friends. ( DS9 : " Cardassians ") His assigned quarters were Chamber 901, Habitat Level H-3. ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

Garak helped uncover Tahna Los ' real intentions after he was granted asylum by Sisko. He invited Bashir to hide in his shop and overhear the Duras sisters selling a substance that was used for explosives . ( DS9 : " Past Prologue ")

Garak after having his hand bitten by Rugal

Along with Bashir, he foiled a plot by Dukat to embarrass a Cardassian diplomat who opposed Dukat's dictatorial ways. Dukat had accused Kotan Pa'Dar of abandoning his child after the occupation of Bajor ended. ( DS9 : " Cardassians ")

In 2370 , Garak was offered a chance to regain his position on Cardassia by killing members of the Cardassian Underground . When the deal was revealed to be a lie, he instead killed the gul who had made the offer and helped the rebels escape. ( DS9 : " Profit and Loss ")

Garak grimacing in pain caused by his malfunctioning cranial implant

Later that year, Garak began having life-threatening headaches. He had been using his cranial implant continuously for two years to alleviate the pain of being exiled to a Bajoran space station (he had had the implant inserted into him years previously by the Obsidian Order in order to help him resist torture: the implant released endorphins into his body). The implant began to malfunction, and Doctor Bashir was forced to deactivate the device. Garak had to learn to live without it, overcoming severe withdrawal symptoms. ( DS9 : " The Wire ")

Garak was not part of the crew that entered the Gamma Quadrant in search of the Dominion, however, he was included in a simulation conducted by the Founders after capturing that crew. In the simulation, the Garak character was killed trying to stop the Dominion from taking over Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ")

He helped rescue Kira from the Cardassians who had surgically altered her and tried to convince her that she was actually a Cardassian agent who had been reprogrammed into thinking she was Kira Nerys, which was in reality an attempt to reveal the ties a former legate had to the Cardassian Underground. When the station was set to self-destruct because of an automated Cardassian anti-terrorist program, he tried to use his Cardassian security codes to disable it. He became part of Bashir's nightmare caused by an alien who was using mind control on Bashir. ( DS9 : " Second Skin ", " Civil Defense ", " Distant Voices ")

Reunited with Enabran Tain in 2371

In 2371 , an explosion destroyed Garak's shop. Garak was later revealed to have caused the explosion himself, to preempt an upcoming assassination attempt by the Flaxian Retaya by drawing Odo into the investigation. The two later learned that the assassination was ordered by his former mentor, Enabran Tain . Tain offered Garak his old position in the Order back, and despite their past history, Garak accepted. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ") Garak joined Tain on a joint Obsidian Order/ Tal Shiar mission to destroy the Founders' homeworld in the Gamma Quadrant . During this time, he was briefly assigned to interrogate Odo using an experimental device that prevented him from shape-shifting when approaching the point when Odo would have to return to his natural form, but Garak eventually ended it after Odo revealed nothing more interesting than that he still wanted to return to his people, Garak realizing that he didn't have it in him to torture those he was close to any more. The mission failed and the Dominion destroyed Tain's fleet at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula , though Garak escaped aboard the USS Defiant . He returned to Deep Space 9 and rebuilt his shop. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ")

Garak hemming trousers for Morn

When, in 2372 , Starfleet learned of the Invasion of Cardassia, rather than betray the Klingons Captain Benjamin Sisko asked Garak to measure him for a suit while Worf made an intelligence report to the captain. When it was clear that the captain wasn't in need of a suit, and the entire meeting was a method of back-channel communication to the Detapa Council , Garak thanked the captain and said that he had " Everything I need. " Garak contacted Gul Dukat to warn him of the impending Klingon invasion of Cardassia. The two enemies fought side-by-side to defend the Detapa Council members during the First Battle of Deep Space 9 . ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ") Garak later admitted, however, that he was tempted to shoot Dukat in the back during the conflict but decided against it, if for no other reason than that he couldn't possibly defeat all of the Klingons alone. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

Garak with Bashir in the Julian Bashir, Secret Agent holoprogram

When Quark wanted to hire Garak as an assassin in order to kill himself as part of a contract he should not have done when he thought he was dying, Garak, realizing he did not want to die, seemingly played along with his wishes in order to help him deal with the horrible dilemma he was in and, in time, solve it. ( DS9 : " Body Parts ")

When Dukat's half - Bajoran daughter, Tora Ziyal , came to the station in 2373 , Ziyal became attracted to Garak. The two formed a bond as the only Cardassians on the station, and Ziyal fell in love with him. ( DS9 : " For the Cause ")

In hopes of finding any survivors of the Cardassian fleet, Garak returned to the Gamma Quadrant on the Defiant in 2372 . During the trip he was informed by the Female Changeling that there were no survivors, and that in fact, one day all Cardassians would die by the Dominion's hand. While in orbit of the Founders' new homeworld, Garak attempted to obliterate the Great Link using the ship's quantum torpedoes . His attempt failed when he was discovered by Worf, and he was imprisoned on Deep Space 9 for six months. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ")

Garak embracing Tora Ziyal

Garak received a message from the Gamma Quadrant the following year from Enabran Tain. Traveling to Dominion space, Garak and Lieutenant Commander Worf were captured and imprisoned on Internment Camp 371 . There he found Tain, dying. On his deathbed, Tain finally admitted that Garak was his son, and told Garak that he was proud of him. While Garak was at the camp, Gul Dukat, as the new leader of Cardassia, arranged for the imprisoned Cardassians to be freed – with the single exception of Garak. Despite his claustrophobia temporarily immobilizing him when he was forced to work in a confined space, Garak eventually modified Tain's subspace transmitter to allow the prisoners to escape from the camp, with Worf and the recovered General Martok both complimenting his courage, Garak in return complimenting Worf's strength at providing him time by fighting with various Jem'Hadar. He returned to his shop on the station, and Ziyal. ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ", " By Inferno's Light ")

Garak, after boarding Empok Nor

For some reason, the inhabitants of the station eventually began to trust Garak, something he found disconcerting. He joined a mission to station Empok Nor to find parts to repair Deep Space 9. While there, he was exposed to a psychotropic drug. Garak became deranged and killed a Starfleet officer, Amaro , before being subdued by Chief Miles O'Brien. After recovering from the effects of the drug, Garak asked O'Brien to express his regrets to Amaro's wife. The event also made Garak and O'Brien come closer to each other because of their similar traumatic experiences in their life. ( DS9 : " Empok Nor ")

The Dominion War [ ]

When Starfleet withdrew from the Bajoran sector at the start of the Dominion War , Garak joined the crew of the USS Defiant . He explained that he would rather stay with his Federation associates than live on the station, which would soon be under the command of Gul Dukat once more. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

Garak with Sisko on a Jem'Hadar vessel

He was part of Sisko's crew that destroyed a Ketracel-white facility. Though the attack was successful, the ship was disabled, and crash landed on an uncharted planet. Garak helped fight Jem'Hadar soldiers also stranded on the planet. ( DS9 : " A Time to Stand ", " Rocks and Shoals ")

Following this, Garak remained at Starbase 375 where he underwent several debriefings, as his knowledge of the Cardassians proved a valuable asset to Starfleet Intelligence , though he cooperated rather reluctantly. He rejoined the Defiant 's crew for Operation Return . ( DS9 : " Favor the Bold ") When Starfleet retook Deep Space 9 during Operation Return , Garak found that Ziyal had been killed by Damar , noting to Major Kira that he had never understood Ziyal's feelings for him and would now never have the chance to learn more about them. ( DS9 : " Sacrifice of Angels ")

Helping Captain Sisko in 2374

Later in 2374, Captain Benjamin Sisko asked for Garak's help in finding evidence that the Dominion was planning an invasion of Romulus. Garak contacted his remaining contacts on Cardassia Prime and found them willing to assist, but then they were all killed within one day of speaking with him. Garak then proposed that they fabricate the evidence in order to give the Romulan Star Empire reason to join the war. However, he doubted that the faked recordings would fool the Romulans, so without Sisko's knowledge, he had Romulan Senator Vreenak assassinated and implicated the Dominion so that the Romulans would enter the war. ( DS9 : " In the Pale Moonlight ")

Garak with Ezri Dax

Garak spent the rest of the war decoding Cardassian transmissions for Starfleet Intelligence. Although he excelled at this duty, the thought that he was betraying and enabling the deaths of numerous Cardassians was so deeply troubling that it subconsciously aggravated his claustrophobia to such a debilitating severity, that even by Garak's own admission, spaces he found tolerable, such as his tailor shop and other areas, were now inducing panic attacks. However, Ezri Dax , in her first major case as the station's counselor , was able to treat his psychological difficulty to a manageable degree, helping Garak accept that defeating the Dominion had to take priority. ( DS9 : " Afterimage ")

During the final months of the war, Garak used his contacts in the Cardassian Union to find the leader of the Cardassian Liberation Front , Damar. Finally returning to his people with Commander Kira – given a battlefield promotion to Starfleet commander so that the Cardassians would find it easier to take orders from her on Garak's suggestion – and Constable Odo, Garak aided Damar's resistance against the Dominion. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ") When the fledgling resistance was crushed by the Jem'Hadar , Garak, Kira, and Damar retreated to Tain's house, his boyhood home, where he was reunited with Tain's housekeeper and confidante, Mila . From there they led a civilian uprising on Cardassia. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

After Mila was killed in the final days of the Dominion War , Garak led the uprising with Damar and Colonel Kira and participated in the storming of Dominion Headquarters , killing Weyoun 8 , who was the last of Weyoun 's clones. With the war over, Garak's exile had ended. He returned to his planet as a possible leader, being supported by the Federation and Klingon and Romulan Empires. However, the Cardassia he knew was gone forever, destroyed by the Dominion. The reconstruction would be dire, as his final, preoccupied and sorrowful look showed. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Friendships [ ]

Garak introduced himself to Bashir during the Tahna Los incident on the station, in which Bashir suspected him of being a spy, which made him curious about him. ( DS9 : " Past Prologue ") This developed into many mutual meetings, in which they both liked each other's intellect, which led to a long-term friendship, which was then enforced when they worked together to expose a plot by Dukat to embarrass a Cardassian official who wished to reconcile Cardassia with Bajor. ( DS9 : " Cardassians ")

When his past as a spy was exposed and Julian had a need to learn about being a spy, in which Garak knew a lot, their friendship was solidified. ( DS9 : " Our Man Bashir ")

Garak and Odo both hide their feelings very well, which led to the beginning of a friendship when Garak learned about Odo's wish to return home, a sentiment he was quite familiar with. Odo reciprocates his friendship offer, when he takes notice of their similarities and realises how ashamed Garak was about having tortured him on Tain's orders. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ")

In time, it also led to them having many meetings during dinner and to many other close conversations. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ", " Broken Link ", " Call to Arms ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Truth is in the eye of the beholder, doctor. I never tell the truth because I don't believe there is such a thing. That is why I prefer the straight line simplicity of cutting cloth. "

" I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences. "

" Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't? " " My dear Doctor, they're all true. " " Even the lies? " "Especially the lies. "

" Treason, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. "

" Are you sure that's the point, doctor? " " Of course. What else could it be? " " That you should never tell the same lie twice. "

" Do you know what the sad part is, Odo ? I'm a very good tailor. "

" The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination. "

" Paranoid is what they call people who imagine threats against their life. I have threats against my life. "

" Lying is a skill like any other. And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly. "

" A pity. I rather liked him. "

" You'd shoot a man in the back? " " Well, it's the safest way, isn't it? "

" That's why you came to me, isn't it, captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing. Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. And if your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant, and all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal… and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain. "

" I don't understand. " " That's the thing about love. No one really understands it, do they? "

" I'm going to miss our lunches together. " " I'm sure we'll see each other again. " " I'd like to think so… but one can never say. We live in uncertain times. "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Past Prologue "
• " Cardassians "
• " Profit and Loss "
• " The Wire "
• " The Search, Part II " (simulation only)
• " Second Skin "
• " Civil Defense "
• " Distant Voices "
• " Improbable Cause "
• " The Die is Cast "
• " The Way of the Warrior "
• " Our Man Bashir "
• " For the Cause "
• " Body Parts "
• " Broken Link "
• " Things Past "
• " In Purgatory's Shadow "
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " Empok Nor "
• " Call to Arms "
• " A Time to Stand "
• " Rocks and Shoals "
• " Favor the Bold "
• " Sacrifice of Angels "
• " In the Pale Moonlight "
• " Tears of the Prophets "
• " Afterimage "
• " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges "
• " When It Rains... "
• " Tacking Into the Wind "
• " Extreme Measures "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind "
• VST : " Holograms All the Way Down " (background hologram)

Background information [ ]

Garak was played by actor Andrew Robinson .

According to the script for "Afterimage", the character's first name was pronounced as "EE-lim". [1]

Characterization [ ]

Getting the characterization of Garak right was important to both the crew and the actor himself. Of the origins of the character, Peter Allan Fields said that " we needed a Cardassian who didn't act like one, so I finally put him in a tailor shop, and nobody hit me, so we kept him there. " Director Winrich Kolbe said of the performance that " we agreed that Andy could push the envelope, but he couldn't leave the Cardassian platform. We had long talks about wardrobe and makeup, but we also talked about attitude, so that he would retain that stiffness that you see in all Cardassians. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 22))

Ronald D. Moore commented: " I know that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was definitely one of the influences on Garak's character. Ira in particularly is a big fan of that British series ". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 49 ,  ? )

Andrew Robinson was involved in the development of Elim Garak as a character, particularly in the later stages of the series where he became a key part of DS9. The actor commented, " Garak is one of those guys, we all know someone a bit like him, who you can't trust as far as you can spit. The moment you see him you put your hand on your wallet, and the moment he opens his mouth you know he's going to lie to you, but yet, somehow, you'd rather be in his company than with almost anybody else. He's a charming rogue, you can't deny it. Even I get sucked in by him. Although it's me playing him, when I see Garak on TV, I swear to god this is true, I'm fascinated. " [2] Robinson also said of the character, " He's all subtext. If a smart guy like Garak says that he's 'plain and simple', you realize that he's not plain and not simple. And that there is a lot going on. Regardless of how innocuous or simple each line is, there's always something going on underneath that belies the line. And his eyes and the tone of his voice say something different than the words he's speaking. It's not an easy thing to work with subtext, but when you do it well, you really get people's attention. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 22))

Andrew Robinson provided insight into his role when interviewed by Amazon.com, stating, " I started out playing Garak as someone who doesn't have a defined sexuality. He's not gay, he's not straight, it's a non-issue for him. Basically his sexuality is inclusive. But – it's Star Trek and there were a couple of things working against that. One is that Americans really are very nervous about sexual ambiguity. Also, this is a family show, they have to keep it on the 'straight and narrow', so then I backed off from it. Originally, in that very first episode, I loved the man's absolute fearlessness about presenting himself to an attractive Human being. The fact that the attractive Human being is a man (Bashir) doesn't make any difference to him, but that was a little too sophisticated I think. For the most part, the writers supported the character beautifully, but in that area they just made a choice they didn't want to go there, and if they don't want to go there I can't, because the writing doesn't support it. " [3] See also: Non-heterosexual characters in Star Trek

Contributing to this speculation is his occupational status as an operative in the Obsidian Order, where romance and sexuality would have been an intolerable distraction and liability to one involved in such treacherous business (as they proved to be in Enabran Tain 's case, who was obligated to conceal his amorous relationship and subsequent fatherhood of Garak, these familial connections perpetually posing "a weakness [he couldn't] afford.") ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

Ira Steven Behr commented: " I wish we could have done a little bit more with the Garak character. I talk about it in the doc. I mean, he was clearly gay or queer or however you want to say it. I think I would have loved to have taken that and see where that went and how that affected his relationship with Bashir ". [4]

Robinson commented: " I’m not saying anybody was jealous about the amount of material I was getting, but some of the regulars would laugh and say, “Jesus, you’re getting a good bite out of this.” And it’s true. If I fell in love with Garak, I think it’s because the writers fell in love with Garak. As a matter of fact, I know they did ". [5]

Garak originally had a larger role in " Tears of the Prophets ", the final episode of the sixth season . Ronald D. Moore commented, " In the original outline, we had included a Garak-Kira storyline which had them going off to the Badlands in an attempt to find and intercept Dukat. Garak had been obsessively looking him for months and then got a lead on his movements which suggested he was in Dominion territory and might be crossing back over the border soon. Garak and Kira go out to the Badlands to lie in wait for him, but in the end they are tricked into capturing the wrong ship, allowing Dukat to slip past them and arrive on DS9. We dropped this story because ultimately it went nowhere and served only to make our heroes look bad. " ( AOL chat , 1998 )

Garak's profession as a tailor was an homage by producer Peter Allan Fields to the 1960s television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , in which Del Floria's tailor shop served as the secret entrance to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. Fields was a writer on that show. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia  (2nd ed., p. 492))

Reception [ ]

Ira Steven Behr commented, " Garak is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. So who he is, what he really is, who the hell knows? And I think it took a more sophisticated audience to really get behind that kind of a character, because back in the day, it seemed anyway, that mystery and … I don't want to say subtlety, but something along those lines … That's not what people want, that they wanted their TNG good, bad, everything very clear, everything very clean, everything very understandable. And at the end of the day, everything was safe. Everything was basically safe. And Garak is not a safe character. And the fact now that he's so popular says something about how the audience has matured. And that's a good thing ". [6]

Behr also commented, " Getting back to telling character-oriented stories, getting back to having conflict between human beings; plot at the service of character… I think we created a much more complete universe in which you can have all these characters with all these back stories, all these races, all these supporting characters. You knew more about 'Garak' or 'Gul Dukat', ultimately, than you knew about ' Riker '. " [7]

Hans Beimler commented, " To me, the guy that embodied the show was Garak. He was a fuckin' spy, man! He was a bad guy, in a way. But you got to know and understand him. And he got to know us and understand us. Even appreciate us. He wasn't such a bad guy at the end of the show. " ( Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004 , p. 270)

Andrew Robinson commented, " He’s an every man. All of us have our secrets and sometimes have challenges to our ethical and moral lives. In that way, he’s very human. He’s not a brave, heroic figure like Captain Kirk. Nor was he one of the bad monsters on a planet that the original cast or The Next Generation cast would visit weekly. Garak was something else. " [8]

Apocrypha [ ]

Literature [ ].

The Deep Space Nine relaunch novel A Stitch in Time , written by Andrew Robinson himself, portrayed Garak's life on Cardassia, following the Dominion War, and the role he played in the rebuilding of Cardassian society, detailing his role in Cardassia's reconstruction. The novel revealed that Mila was, in fact, Garak's mother; this would explain why she was so dear to Garak, and why Garak lived with her and Tain when Tain never acknowledged him as his son. It's also revealed that after Garak was exiled from Cardassia, he came to Terok Nor and was placed under Dukat's command. Though Dukat wanted to kill Garak, Tain arranged it so he couldn't, and instead assigned Garak the meager task as station tailor in the hopes of demeaning him. Garak, however, decided to infuriate Dukat by proudly taking up his new post and performing his duties well. After the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor, Garak decided to stay, hoping to act as the eyes and ears to a world where he was no longer welcome in the chance of redeeming himself. Andrew Robinson based the novel on the notes about Garak which the actor had written and kept during the run of the series, so the novel provided a large amount of background information on Garak developed by Robinson.

In the novel The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack , Garak became the Cardassian ambassador to the Federation and resides in Paris . Following political turmoil on Cardassia Prime in the later novel The Crimson Shadow , Garak stood for election as Castellan, the post-Dominion head of state, and won handily due to his ties to Damar and to the first post-war leader of Cardassia, Alon Ghemor, both venerated figures to the Cardassian people. He recognized that he was the only qualified candidate who truly understood the wisdom of Cardassia maintaining its alliance with the Federation, musing that he will attempt to make sure that he made the right decisions in his new role by thinking of Tora Ziyal when he has to make an important decision and asking himself what she would approve of. Enigma Tales also continues this storyline.

In the anniversary trilogy Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium , Garak traveled twenty-five years into the future with the crew of the Defiant , and was briefly trapped in a Pah-wraith Hell – where he was condemned to work as a Bajoran slave, given orders by Tain that he was incapable of carrying out – until he was "rescued" by Dukat (although Garak was able to use techniques he learned in the Obsidian Order to escape by himself and leave Dukat trapped in his Hell once Dukat's presence confirmed the unreality of his current situation). While attempting to undo the events that created the future timeline they experienced, Garak traveled back to before the Day of Withdrawal and met with his own younger self, providing his past self with the necessary codes to deactivate Terok Nor's self-destruct sequence after the Cardassians leave, the younger Garak later erasing his memory of his future self's visit.

Elim Garak of the alternate reality

The alternate reality version of Elim Garak appears in the fourth issue of the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Q Gambit where he leads a group of Cardassian soldiers in a set-up created by Quark to capture Kira, Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy . Though Kira attempts to fight, Spock restrains her seeing as the fight is already lost, with Garak agreeing. He then seizes the Reckoning Tablet and explains how he heard rumors of it being buried on Bajor but didn't believe them until now. Kira then threatens to break out and take back the tablet and wouldn't stop until she was dead, to which Garak replies that he has no permission to kill them just yet, so he takes the three prisoners and the tablet back to Terok Nor to discover its secrets together.

In the Star Trek: Picard novel Second Self , Garak became the Cardassian Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets following the end of the Dominion War and diligently performed his duties for years until he retired in the early 2390s . By 2399 , Garak had fallen out of favor with both the Cardassion Union and the Federation when Cardassia considered him an embarrassment as he was the last surviving member of the Obsidian Order, and the Federation considered him a liability as protecting him could mean a straining in the Federation-Bajoran relations so when Bajoran Intelligence discovered that in 2340 that he had been responsible for the destruction of a Bajoran settlement on the planet Ordeve, he was branded a criminal and forced to hide. When he was sighted on Ordeve, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard tasked Lieutenant Commander Raffaela Musiker to track him down and arrest him. She recruited Elnor and the two were transported onto the planet by Captain Cristóbal Rios with the USS Stargazer . By then, Garak had surgically altered himself to look Bajoran and adopted the cover identity of a vedek named "Saba Taan", a man he had first met on the planet almost 50 years before. He was found and identified by Raffi and Koma Tath agent Toze Falus and taken prisoner, but they were unable to take him to custody as a force field protected by Obsidian Order codes had activated behind them, forcing them to go further in the Caanta valley. There they found a Bajoran settlement where people reacted to Garak's presence by welcoming him with happiness and love and revealed to him that they were the children who had survived Garak's attack in 2340 and that he really was Saba Taan, and due to a temporal causality loop , was destined to go back in time to save them from his actions and protect the Orb to redeem himself for his crimes, while Toze initially opposed the news, he eventually allowed Garak to use the Orb of Restitution to travel back in time, official reports listed him dead while trying to protect the Orb from a Tal Shiar attack. Garak arrived in 2340 five months before the arrival of his younger self and used the time he had to create a safe haven for the children and help the Bajoran Resistance smuggle weapons through the local temple, he also briefly met his younger self and told him that he forgave him for what he was about to do. When the younger Garak attacked the settlement, he snuck away with the children and the Orb in the Caanta valley where he raised and protected them until he died in 2357 after performing Shri-tal with his Bajoran charges. After his death, he was buried in a tomb adorned with a Bajoran holy symbol and the coat of arms of the Obsidian Order and was remembered by his new family with much love.

Computer games [ ]

Robinson reprised his role as Garak for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen .

The story for Star Trek Online had Garak becoming a leader of the new Detapa Council on Cardassia. Garak appears in the game's fourth expansion, Victory is Life , voiced once more by Andrew Robinson. Garak attends a conference on DS9 called by Odo to deal with the threat of the Hur'q ; following the conference, he can be regularly found in his old tailor's shop. In the course of the campaign, Garak discovers a transponder of apparent Dominion manufacture on the Dominion world of Karemma , attuned to lure in the Hur'q; he informs Odo and Captain Kira Nerys that he found one of similar design in the Kendra Province on Bajor just after the recent Hur'q attack against DS9. In the mission "Tenebris Torquent", during the confrontation with the Female Changeling on the ruined Hur'q homeworld, Garak reveals that he set one of the transponders on the Founder homeworld of Empersa as insurance. Following the success of the campaign, Garak conducts successful negotiations to bring the Cardassian Union into the Khitomer Alliance, remarking to the player that they could expect to see more Cardassians around (a reference to Cardassians being made a playable species in Victory is Life ).

External links [ ]

• Elim Garak at StarTrek.com
• Elim Garak at Wikipedia
• Elim Garak at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Elim Garak at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 2 Star Trek: The Next Generation
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)