Was Garak going to kill Natima?

Question

In the DS9 episode Profit and Loss, Toran confronts Garak and persuades him to kill Natima and the others she came with, Garak seems to agree because he could be rewarded for doing so by Central Command.

TORAN: Then I don't suppose you'd be interested in going home again?

GARAK: Am I to be rewarded for informing the Central Command about the presence of Hogue and Rekelen on the station?

TORAN: Perhaps. But only after you see to it that they don't leave this station alive.

GARAK: And how do you propose to arrange this unfortunate incident?

TORAN: I'm sure you'll think of something. You always did in the past. Don't you see? Lang's death will benefit us both. Unless of course, you intend to spend the rest of your life as a tailor.

GARAK: I see your point.

TORAN: I knew you would.

In the end he kills Toran because he loves Cardassia.

Did he always plan to stop Toran, even if he didn't kill him? Or did he plan on killing Natima but changed his mind?

Answer 1

Garak seems to have had every intention of killing Natima and her students (and Quark) and then blowing up their ship to make it look like an accident. He came armed, he spoke to them briefly about his regret and was very obviously psyching himself up to kill them by reminding himself of his former position as a member of the Cardassian Obsidian Order.

Garak: Before I became a tailor, I lived by a simple motto: "Never allow sentiment to interfere with your work." A bit of a cliche, but true nonetheless.

It wasn't until Toran confirmed that he was going to double-cross Garak for a second time in as many days (the first being his recommendation that they kill Natima instead of arranging a prisoner exchange) that Garak realises that his position would be improved, or at the very least not worsened, by killing Toran and then blaming the whole sorry mess on him for letting them escape.

TORAN: I can't believe that you were once considered clever. Do you think that completing this one simple task your reputation will be restored at Central Command?

GARAK: No, I suppose not.