Obsidian Order The Obsidian Order was the primary intelligence agency of the Cardassian Union . One of the most ruthless and efficient organizations in the quadrant , the Obsidian Order eclipsed even the Romulan Tal Shiar in intelligence gathering and covert operations . Almost all Cardassian s lived in fear of the Obsidian Order , whose constant surveillance had led to the sudden eliminations of numerous " traitors " . It was said that The Order is so efficient , a Cardassian citizen couldn ' t sit down to a meal without each dish being duly noted and recorded by the Order , down to its preparation and the exact measurement of each ingredient . ( ) History . The Obsidian Order was formed in the 19th century , under the theoretical authority of the civilian Detapa Council . However , in practice it and the Central Command operated with complete autonomy . The Obsidian Order was responsible for matters of security and espionage , and was therefore forbidden from interfering in military operations . The Obsidian Order and the Central Command frequently came in conflict with each other , particularly since members of the Cardassian military were not immune to Obsidian Order inquiries . The only restriction that the Order had was that it was explicitly forbidden to possess military equipment of any kind . ( ) The organization of the Obsidian Order was separated into semi - autonomous cells , which were insulated from each other so that the capture of any particular operative has a limited ability to compromise the organization . ( ) Certain agents of the Order were also equipped with cranial implant s so that they could better resist torture . ( ) They also developed a substance called promazine , which its operatives used in case of capture . ( ) In 2371 , the Obsidian Order was responsible for the abduction and surgical alteration of Kira Nerys in an operation to expose Legate Tekeny Ghemor as a sympathizer to the Cardassian dissident movement . ( ) The Order also sabotage d the ' s attempt to vaporize a silithium - laden comet headed for the Bajoran wormhole , hoping to undermine the peace treaty between Cardassia and Bajor . ( ) Also that year , the Obsidian Order was engaged in a major operation to mount a joint attack with the Tal Shiar on the . Masterminded by former Order head Enabran Tain , and in blatant violation of the non - military restriction , the Order had assembled a fleet of warships in the Orias system , consisting of an advanced version of the standard starship , the , without the knowledge of the Central Command , and thereby " de facto " becoming an illegal military organization . ( ) The attack , however failed due to a Changeling , and the entire fleet was destroyed in an ambush by the Jem ' Hadar . This failure crippled the capabilities of the Obsidian Order , essentially causing it to cease to exist and ending its short - lived existence as a military organization . ( ) With the looming threat of the Dominion , and without the Order ' s tight control over popular dissent , a civilian uprising overthrew the Central Command in 2372 , reinstating the authority of the Detapa Council . ( ) After the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion , the Obsidian Order ' s role was assumed by Dominion security and the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau , who by all accounts were just as efficient . ( ) Appendices . Background information . The organization known as the Obsidian Order was originally to have been called " the Gray Order " , though Robert Hewitt Wolfe changed it after noticing that the governing body of a specific alien species in " Babylon 5 " was named the Gray Council . He later remembered , " " I thought , ' Damn ! , ' and then I made up a huge list of different kinds of metals , gems , and colours , and finally came up with obsidian , which I actually like better than grey ! " " ( " " , p . 142 ) Regarding the portrayal of the Obsidian Order in , Ronald D . Moore remarked , " " It was relatively late in the creative process that we came up with the mysterious buildup of the Obsidian Order . " " ( " Captains ' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages " , p . 87 ) Apocrypha . The non - canon novel " A Stitch in Time " provides extensive detail about Garak ' s recruitment into the Obsidian Order and several of his missions . As a further example of the friction that existed between the Order and the Central Command , it is revealed that Garak was exiled to Deep Space 9 after he was caught having an affair with the wife of a prominent military officer .