Illiana approached her room, angered by her mother's words. *I don't understand her.... I probably never will. * She thought as she shut her door softly, even though she wished to slam it so hard that it knocked down all of mothers precious painting off the walls. Illiana crossed her room and flopped down her favorite chair, folding her arms. *Mother always seems so sad because she doesn't spend a lot of time with father because of their jobs. Why on Cardassia then does she wish for me to be unhappy as well? Can't she see that I don't want a husband that will spend more time with the elite commands of our planet? * Illiana shook her head, trying to forget about it all. She stood up and headed to her closet, to search for something to wear to her father's ceremony tonight.

*A million dresses and none of them suitable to wear! * She thought as she rummaged through her closet. Her father had given her so many dresses over the last few years and she had worn them all. She wanted to surprise her father with a dress he hadn't seen before, and show him how beautiful his daughter really was. Just as she was about to lose all hope, she remembered that her grandmother had sent her a dress a few years back. Illiana smiled and brought the box down from the shelf. Carefully she opened the box and pulled out a stunning dark blue dress. "I hope I'll actually fit into this now." She laughed. When she tried it on when she first received it, she couldn't quiet fill it out. Illiana pulled the dress over her head and looked into her mirror. A smile spread across her face, as she looked at herself. For the first time, she was actually not seeing a little girl but the start of a beautiful young woman.

"Illiana," A mothers voice called from the other side of the door. "May I come in?"

Illiana sighed. "Enter."

Dalena Ghemor opened the door and walked in, smiling. "The dress finally fits. You look stunning, my daughter." She picked up a brush. "Come; let me do your hair."

Illiana decided that she would let her mother do her hair even though she didn't want to speak to her mother right at the moment. "As long as you don't bring up cardassian military men."

Dalena nodded. "I will not." She said as she began to braid her daughter's hair. "I...am sorry, Illiana, for speaking so harsh to you. I do love you."

"I know mother and I love you to. I just wish that you would let me make my own choices in life. I am not a little girl anymore."

Dalena stopped braiding and turned her daughter's head towards hers. "I only want what is best for you. Please believe me when I say that."

Illiana could see in her mothers green eyes that she said it with much passion and honesty. She wasn't sure what to say, so she just nodded her head yes. Dalena smiled and continued to braid.

Day passed into night and the warm air blew through the streets of Cardassia. The Ghemor's slowly walked up to the Central Command Assembly Hall. Illiana gazed up at the huge structured building. It was so tall, that it seemed that it could reach the heavens. Midway up the building it had a large view screen where public announcements were frequently made by some high ranking official. The building itself did not have many windows except for a few above the view screen. There were two towers on both sides of the building. Illiana wondered what was kept in there, just as she was about to ask her father, he told her.

"See those towers, Illiana?" He asked his daughter while pointing at them. "That's where most of the big conferences are held. Delegates from all over the quadrant conduct there treaties, proposals, negotiations...whatever, there."

Illiana nodded in acknowledgement as they walked into the building. The inside of the building was beautiful, not exactly what she expected. She imagined that the Cardassian Command Center would be dreary and metallic, such as the exterior of the building. Instead the walls were elegantly painted and pictures of high-ranking Cardassian Guls hung on them. Illiana marveled at how the ceiling seemed to sparkle with the lights shining on them.

A young man approached the family. He smiled brightly when he recognized who they were. "Legate Ghemor!!" He said as he stuck out his hand "I'm Glinn Dorek. It's an honor to finally meet you. I'm sure you must be very excited about your promotion."

Ghemor took the young man's hand and shook it firmly. "I am still technically a Gul at least until after I'm sworn in." He smiled as he released the young man's hand. "This is my wife Dalena, and my daughter Illiana." He said to the Glinn as he gestured to his family.

The Glinn smiled and slightly bowed his head to Dalena Ghemor and then turned to Illiana and smiled at her, looking deep into her eyes. "Miss Ghemor." He said softly as he bowed his head barely taking his eyes off of her. He rose again and smiled to her and then walked off.

"He was a nice man and a Glinn, too. Perhaps you should find him later on this evening and talk to him." Dalena Ghemor spoke quietly to her daughter, as she hung her shawl up on the rack.

Illiana's smile faded. "He reminded me of a vole." She replied. "And anyway I'm not ready to think about anyone else at this time." Illiana looked at her mother's face and mustered up a small smile and then walked towards her father. Dalena shook her head and she walked over to some other officers' wives and began to chat with them.

Ghemor was talking to a few other men next to a large silver fountain, and smiled as Illiana approached them

"Ah there you are Illiana." He said putting his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "I want you to meet Legate Dukat of the 6th Order. He's one of my oldest friends from my training days. Dukat, this is my only daughter, Illiana. She looks absolutely stunning tonight." He smiled at his daughter, noticing how pretty she was in her dress.

Illiana smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you, Legate." She said as she bowed her head. Legate Dukat was a tall, bony Cardassian man. His blue eyes sparkled in the light and his onyx hair was slightly graying from age. He was a handsome man, Illiana thought to herself. Behind him stood an equally tall young man, who Illiana assumed was his son and another young man that was slightly heavier than the other two.

Legate Dukat smiled back. " A stunning young woman you are. Your father tells me that you will be attending the Art Institute in a couple of months. I hope to see your work hanging in an exhibition one day, so that I can say that I met the lovely woman before she was a star."

Illiana blushed slightly. "I hope that it will be on display someday, Legate."

The tall, skinny man stepped up from behind. Legate Dukat smiled at him and then turned to Illiana. "This is my eldest son, Glinn Skrain Dukat." He introduced.

"Nice to meet you Glinn Dukat." Illiana said as she bowed her head.

"Please call me Skrain. I hate to be so...formal, Miss Ghemor." He smiled and his icy blue eyes cut through her like a knife.

Illiana smiled back. "Please then, call me Illiana. I hate to be formal too."

Ghemor and Legate Dukat both looked at each other and then walked off in a different direction, leaving the two to talk in private. The heavy man that stood next to Glinn Dukat walked away as well. Skrain waited until he and Illiana were both alone before he spoke again.

"You're an artist? What do you like to draw?" He asked politely, still smiling, never taking his eyes off of her.

Illiana couldn't help to find this man charming. She liked everything about him, especially his smooth deep voice and his ice blue eyes. She kept staring into them like she was in some kind of hypnotic trance. "Oh, I draw just about everything I see. I mostly like to carve though, especially out of bone. I once made a Cardassian bowie knife out of a piece of Letarka bone I found while I was walking through the desert." She rambled. She stopped when she thought that what she was telling Skrain was irrelevant. "I'm sorry, I'm just rambling." She blushed.

Skrain smiled again and stepped a little closer to her. "No, don't be sorry. You sound like a fascinating woman. Someone whom I'd like to converse with. You must understand that most of the young women I speak to don't say much to me at all. It's very.... Irritating."

"Well, I do love to talk." Illiana smiled as she studied his face.

"Then that makes two of us. My father always tells me that I should shut up before I get myself into trouble." He laughed.

Illiana laughed with him. "Well I find the sound of your voice very pleasant and could listen to you speak all day if I had too." She felt her face get very hot and she had realized that she had made a mistake. *I didn't want to say that. I can't believe I did say that! * She thought to herself.

Skrain looked deeply into her eyes. Illiana felt her face growing hotter by the passing seconds. His eyes cut through her and he smiled like he knew what she was thinking. "Please tell me, beautiful Illiana, that you are not spoken for." He whispered softly. He took his left hand and placed it in hers, squeezing it lightly.

A soft gasp escaped from Illiana's lips when she felt his warm touch. "I...I'm not spoken for but I am not ready to have a relationship right now." She said to him looking directly into his eyes.

Skrain glanced down. "Oh, I see." He looked back up and met her gaze again. "Why not, may I ask?"

"I was in a relationship but it ended recently. I still have feelings for-" She started

.

Skrain put his hand up to stop her from saying anymore. "I understand. You needn't say anymore." He smiled putting his hand down and still kept his close distance. "But who on Cardassia would not want to be with you? Let me guess, It was you that turned your lover away because he is doing something that you don't approve of. He much rather do whatever than to be with you."

Illiana shook her head in disbelief. "You know me all to well, Skrain."

A smile played on his lips. "I hope to know you a lot more...when, of course, you are ready. Now if you will excuse me beautiful Illiana, I must return to my table, perhaps I shall see you later tonight?"

Illiana casually looked away and then back to him. "Perhaps, you shall." She flirted back. Skrain looked as if he wanted to kiss her right then and there but instead, he bowed his head, turned and walked the other way.

Illiana stood there for a moment watching his tall, lean body disappear into the crowds. She couldn't believe what just happened to her. *What am I doing! Yes he is charming. Yes he is handsome. Yes he is cultured. Yes he is a military officer! And I don't want to get involved with one. If I did then why would I have left Neelan!?* Illiana yelled at herself. Deep down inside she couldn't help to think if she really did want a military man and perhaps Neelan was not her soul mate after all. *Perhaps I was meant to stop seeing Neelan so I could meet this other man, Skrain. Besides Skrain seems different from Neelan. He seems much more eloquent and passionate than, Neelan. * Illiana sighed as she wandered over to the table were her parents were sitting.

"Hello mother, hello father." Illiana said as she took her seat next to her father.

Ghemor smiled. "Did you and Glinn Dukat have a nice talk?" He asked his daughter.

Illiana blushed slightly. "Yes, he's a very polite young man. I enjoyed speaking with him."

Mrs. Ghemor looked over and smiled at her daughter and said nothing. "That's excellent my dear. He comes from a fine family, I hope that you will talk to him again, if you wish to that is." Ghemor said to his daughter as he watched the head of the Central Command walk on to the stage. The lights in the room dimmed and the man began to speak.

"Tonight I am here to honor several men and women of the military that served Cardassia to the fullest. These six men and women have proved themselves for many years in making a difference in the Cardassian government. Tonight each one of them will be called up here and honored as they have graduated from Guls to Legates." The man said as he looked out over the crowd of people. "Will these six individuals, rise and join me up here. Gul Dal Layok of the Fourth Order, Gul Rinna Satoka of the Fifth Order, Gul Kotran Jotela of the Tenth Order, Gul Luvela Ocett of the Third Order, Gul Kavar Ta'Dar of the Fourteenth Order, and Gul Tekeny Ghemor of the Second Order. Will you please join me?" The man said as the individuals came up to him and was given a metal and then walked back to their seats.

Illiana rose out of her seat to greet her father when he returned back to the table. "Father I am so proud of you!" She said as she hugged him tightly. She noticed another man on the other side of the room staring at her. At first she thought he was staring at her father but then she knew he was looking at her when he looked straight into her eyes and smiled. Illiana turned the other way and tried to forget about him and focus on her father. *He's probably some creepy guy anyway! * She thought of the man.

Dalena Ghemor hugged her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "You've done well, my husband." She said happily to him.

"And I am proud of the two of you. I could not want a better family!" He said as he hugged them both tightly.

Illiana smiled at her father. "And now father I will present you with another award." She said as she pulled out a gift-wrapped present and handed it to her father.

"I've been looking forward to this all day." He smiled and then began to open the package carefully. He pulled out a beautiful carved sculpture of the Cardassian military insignia. It was so smooth and polished brightly, he looked at it, studying the craftsmanship of it. "Oh, Illiana this is gorgeous. I will treasure this forever." He said as he kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Attention everyone," The man on the stage spoke again. "I invite everyone to stay for dinner and fellowship to celebrate all the men and women of the military. The man concluded his speech and then walked down the stairs.

"Legate Ghemor, may I talk you?" Another Gul said happily as he came up to their table. Ghemor smiled and began to chat with the Gul.

Mrs. Ghemor smiled at her daughter. "Illiana, I am going to get some food, please come and get some to, considering that you missed breakfast this morning."

Illiana nodded. "Yes food sounds good." She looked over at the buffet. "Mother isn't that Makbar, over there?"

Dalena looked in the direction her daughter was pointing. "Oh, I haven't seen her since our Bamarren days. Get some food Illiana; I will get some too soon as I talk to her." She said happily, as she wandered over to where Makbar was.

Illiana was happy that her mother was away from her for the moment. She needed some time to think about this man she had just met, and she new if her mother found out how interested she was in the young Dukat, she would never hear the end of it. She looked around the entire room for Skrain Dukat but she did not see him anywhere. She really wanted to hear his voice again and see those icy blue eyes of his. She sighed, as she did not see him. She looked over at silver fountain again and saw the same man that she saw during the ceremony. He was watching her again. Illiana needed to know who he was and why he was watching her. Slowly and carefully she walked over to him but making sure she kept her distance.

"I say Sir, why have you been watching me?" She asked the man boldly.

The man stood up from his seat. "Allow me to introduce myself, Miss Illiana Ghemor. I am Tovin Entek, of the Obsidian Order. I have been watching you for sometime." He smiled slightly and then continued. "Do not be afraid of me Illiana, I will not hurt you."

Illiana backed away a little. People from the Obsidian Order were not the type of people to play around with.

"What do you want with me?" She asked suspiciously.

"Do you love your people and your planet, Illiana?" Entek asked. He gestured for her to sit down and she declined.

"Of course. But what do you want with me?!" She demanded again.

Entek smiled. "You are headstrong; you will make a fine agent of the Obsidian Order."

"What?! I'm not going into the military! I think you have the wrong girl, Mr. Entek." Illiana said as she turned to leave. Entek grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into the shadows.

"We are not the military!" He hissed into her ear. "Just listen to me, Illiana!" He eased his grip up on her but did not let her go entirely.

Illiana stood still. She knew that he could kill her if he wanted to so she didn't try to escape. "Go on Mr. Entek." She said quietly, trying not to show her shaky voice.

"We are looking for young women and men to go to Bajor and infiltrate different resistance cells. As you know, I'm sure, the Bajorans have been sabotaging and killing many of our men and women who have been stationed on their planet. They think that us being there is a nuisance and that we are robbing their planet of its natural resources. Does that give them the right to kill our people?" Entek concluded.

Illiana thought about the Cardassian Occupation on Bajor and the only thing that she had ever heard about it was all good. The planet Bajor was home of a race of aliens known as the Bajorans, who had no neck ridges but, ridges on their noses instead. Their skin was not gray like Cardassian skin but was like alabaster. Compared to the Cardassians, they were inferior and useless. But their planet was rich in ore, which Cardassia used for its main source of commerce. Illiana was grateful to the wealth that the ore brought to Cardassian and did not really care what happened to the Bajoran people as long as the ore was mined. The Cardassians used the Bajoran people as slaves making them work and mine the ore in the processing plants. But Illiana didn't know that, the Central Command never told anyone how they were mistreating the Bajorans. They only said that the Bajorans had 'agreed' to help Cardassia out. "It doesn't give them any right. They should be happy that we give them a job and food."

Entek nodded his head in agreement. "And now they are killing our people and sabotaging our military bases." He smiled a bit and released his grip completely from Illiana's arm. "How would you like to help your planet?"

Illiana thought about it for a second. She would like to help her people and her planet but she wasn't the fighting type. "I would, but I barely know anything about being a spy. Besides, I'm an artist, not a fighter."

"We'll train you Illiana. You needn't worry about that. Think of how proud your father and mother will be when they learn that you will be helping your planet!" Entek smiled. "You don't need to tell me if you want to right now but I do ask you if you will please think about it and contact me later in the week." He said as he handed her a small isoliner data rod. "My contact information is on this as well as information on the Obsidian Order training program." He looked at her with intense, serious eyes. "Do not tell anyone about our meeting Illiana, until you made your decision. If you do agree to help, I will personally contact your parents."

Illiana took the rod and studied it closely. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. Part of her wanted to help but the other part told her to stay away from the Order as far as possible. She looked up again to talk to Entek but he was gone. She gazed around the room for him but he was no where to be seen. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, as she put the data rod into her pocket. There was so much to think about, joining the Obsidian Order was something she wasn't sure she wanted to go through with. For one thing she had no intentions on joining the military but yet something in her heart told her that this was the right thing to do. Illiana placed her hand on her forehead. *Perhaps, I'll feel better if I get to sleep. * She thought as she made her way back to her table carefully through the crowd of Cardassian officers.

"Are you ready to go?" Her mother asked. As she pulled her shall on.

"Yes. I'm not feeling very well." Illiana replied, rubbing her temples.

Ghemor turned to his daughter. "You don't look very well my dear. We will get you home as quickly as possible." He took his daughter by the hand and led her out into the night air.

"It was very noisy in there; maybe you got a headache from all those people." Her mother said taking her other hand.

"Possibly. I just have a lot on my mind and would like to lie down." Illiana said as stumbled a little.

"Tekeny, let us get her home quickly!" Dalena urged her husband.

The Ghemor's led Illiana home as fast as possible and lead her up to her room. Dalena flipped on the light and Legate Ghemor laid his daughter on her bed and covered her up.

"If you need anything we'll only be a room away, daughter." Ghemor said brushing his hand over her hair.

Both of her parents kissed her goodnight and left the room. Illiana wanted to sleep, but she couldn't no matter how hard she tried, there was just too much to think about.

Continued in Iliana Ghemor: Agent of the Obsidian Order (coming soon).