10 Star Trek Assassinations That Changed Everything
6. Romulan Proconsul Merrok
Romulan Proconsul Merrok was mentioned by name in Broken Link, though it would take Garak's diary to truly explain his significance. While en route to meet with the Founders, the tailor regales Odo with stories from his past to distract him from his suffering.
Merrok was an interesting name to choose as his assassination paved the way for the Tal Shiar/Obsidian Order Alliance and the assault on the Founders' original homeworld.
He had been a sponsor of the Tal Shiar and wielded enormous influence over the organsiation, though he was openly hostile toward Cardassians in general. He even supported an alliance with the Klingons to further solidify Romulan interests in the Alpha Quadrant, which brought him into conflict with Enabran Tain.
Tain dispatched Garak to Romulus, who at that time was posing as a gardener. With the careful cultivation of Edosian Orchids and the White Star Of Night (a plant native to Vulcan that is also found on Romulus), the operative was able to poison the Romulan with the flower's toxic blooms.
This cleared the opposition to Tain, leaving the road open for the Alliance, eventual destruction of the Obsidian Order, and crippling of the Tal Shiar.