The citizens of Cardassia couldn’t make a single move without the Obsidian Order breathing down their necks, and that’s only one reason why this intelligence agency makes the list of scariest Star Trek organizations. Another was that the Order somehow managed to both work with the government and operate in secret. Its high-ranking associations gave the Order a long reach when it came to micromanaging Cardassian society. They even chose what people ate, and were known to make people disappear if they chose wrong. However, doing so behind closed doors meant the Order wasn’t subject to the same guidelines as rule-abiding organizations like the Cardassian Union.
Spies like Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) could order assassinations and hold people in indefinite custody, all in the name of protecting the government, which in return protected the people. It was a perfect symbiosis of order, fitting for a race of beings dedicated to putting duty above all else. The Order had a seedy nature and a dark past. It makes sense that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the first to introduce the organization, since the series had an enthusiasm for exploring complex topics. Viewers got glimpses into the Obsidian Order’s power and influence, but not enough to sate their curiosity.
Security & Espionage
The Obsidian Order’s main function wasn’t solely making citizens afraid of choosing the wrong breakfast foods. Like Section 31, Star Trek established that spies like Garak used clandestine tactics in the name of keeping Cardassians safe. It’s why the Order was given carte blanche to do whatever it deemed necessary to achieve its goals. On paper, the Obsidian Order answered to the Detapa Council, or the Cardassian Civilian Government. They were supposed to keep the Obsidian Order answering to the people.
In truth, however, Deep Space Nine revealed that the Council had no more control over the Order than it did over Cardassian Central Command. It got so bad that Cardassians formed the Dissident Movement to restore authority for the Detapa Council in season 2, episode 18, “Profit and Loss.” But how does one oppose a military operation in a society that is obsessed with militaristic pursuits? Moreover, how does one fight back against a political opponent with the ability to target their opposition with assassins?
It’s not an impossible task, since organizations fall even in an idealistic future. Yet, it does make things hard when anyone brave enough to speak out can be made to disappear under ‘mysterious circumstances’ at a moment’s notice. At the same time, the Obsidian Order claimed to protect Cardassians while solely seeking to control them for their own personal gain. This is apparent in the work it did when it was still active.
Missions of the Obsidian Order
If the Obsidian Order was a weapon, then Enabran Tain (Paul Dooley) was the masterful hand wielding it during some of its most important missions in Deep Space Nine. They abducted Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) in season 3, episode 5, “Second Skin” and turned her into the long-lost daughter of Legate Tekeny Ghemor (Lawrence Pressman). This was all in the name of trying to expose Ghemor as an ally for members of the Cardassian Dissident Movement. If he’d been an actual member hiding behind his high military ranking, then spies like Garak would have ensured he didn’t survive the encounter at all.
The Obsidian Order later tried to stir up drama between Bajor and Cardassia again in season 3, episode 15, “Destiny,” by messing up the USS Defiant’s ability to deal with a threat to the wormhole – aka the Celestial Temple. The most important mission by far, though, was the one that ended the Obsidian Order for good in season 3, episode 21, “The Die is Cast.”
The Order partnered with the Romulan intelligence agency known as the Tal Shiar to take out the Founders’ Homeworld during the Dominion War. The only problem? It’s hard to fight Changelings when they can shift their physical appearance to look like anyone or anything. It’s even worse when they have their own equivalent to attack dogs in the form of the Jem’Hadar. But who exactly did the Obsidian Order have on their side?
Notable Members
The Obsidian Order had many members. No organization with that much political pull could operate without spies to carry out its dirty work. Under the guidance of Enabran Tain (Paul Dooley), the Order maintained power by making itself invaluable to the Cardassian government. Enabran maintained important relationships while also being constantly aware that he was enemy number one, simply by being associated with the Obsidian Order. Perhaps that’s why he was so hard on his son Garak, who was something of a nepotism baby among his fellow spies.
Even after he was exiled from Cardassia and forced to live out the rest of his days as a supposed “simple tailor” on DS9, the shadow of his father haunted Garak. Deep Space Nine showed just how troubled their relationship was in various episodes. However, Tain’s death in season 5, episode 14, “In Purgatory’s Shadow,” showcased just how deep these issues were. Despite having spent years putting Garak down, Tain spent his last moments telling him how proud he was of his son’s fighting spirit.
In Deep Space Nine, Tain proudly exclaimed that “[everyone] has reason to fear the Order.” The Obsidian Order had eyes everywhere. The only Cardassians capable of avoiding them were members of Central Command. The Order was something of an ominous presence looming over Cardassians, making sure they toed the societal lines laid before them from birth. The Order didn’t care about feelings, family ties, or even the rules of the very society it sought to protect. It only knew carrying out its goals and silently handling anyone that got in the way.
The Obsidian Order was a formidable part of Star Trek, and its legacy lives on. Garak was one of many spies that made up the Obsidian Order, but he was also one of the few to successfully walk away. Most of the other members were killed under mysterious circumstances. That didn’t stop the ghost of the Order from dogging Garak's steps.
These days, Star Trek fans are more likely to bring up Section 31 than the Obsidian Order when talking about creepy intelligence agencies. But that doesn’t mean it lacks an impact, or that viewers won’t still be talking about the Order for many years to come. It just means they’ll have to do a little more digging to find the answers they seek.