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Rules of Acquisition (DS9 episode)
Encyclopedia
"Rules of Acquisition" is the 27th episode
of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
.
business presence in the Gamma Quadrant and wants to purchase a large amount of tulaberry wine from a species called the Dosi. Zek enlists Quark
as his representative and Quark asks Pel, one of his Ferengi waiters, to be his assistant. Unbeknownst to Quark, Pel is a female. Ferengi females are not allowed to wear clothing, earn money, or leave Ferenginar, so she is forced to keep her identity a secret. However, Pel proves to be a valuable assistant.
At the meeting with the Dosi, Quark and Pel request 10,000 vats of wine, but the Dosi offer them half that. They are close to making a deal when Zek informs Quark that he now wants 100,000 vats. When Quark tells the Dosi what Zek said, they leave the station. Zek is furious but Pel steps in and informs him that she and Quark plan to follow the Dosi back to the Gamma Quadrant. The two of them travel to the Dosi homeworld and find that the Dosi have a Ferengi-like desire for profit and Klingon
-like tempers.
The Dosi from whom Quark and Pel were originally going to buy the wine still refuses their offer. Another Dosi informs them that the entire planet does not have 100,000 vats of tulaberry wine, but she offers to put them in contact with another race she calls the Karemma. The Karemma are a powerful member of what the Dosi calls "The Dominion,"
and when Quark and Pel hear the name, they realize Zek's true intentions. He has no interest in tulaberry wine; he wants to find out more about the Dominion.
Although they return to the station emptyhanded, Zek tells Quark and Pel that he intentionally requested more wine than the Dosi could provide in order to make contact with someone from the Dominion. Unfortunately, while Quark and Pel were gone, Rom
discovered Pel's true identity. He tells Quark, who instantly faints. When he wakes up, Quark orders Rom not to tell anyone, knowing his own career would be ruined. Pel later reveals her identity to Zek herself, but when Zek threatens to put Quark and Pel in prison, he realizes that he too did business with Pel. The group decides to keep Pel's identity a secret and she leaves to make a new life in the Gamma Quadrant.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
.
Overview
Quark acts as the Grand Nagus' representative in what appears to be a plot to establish a Ferengi business presence in the Gamma Quadrant.Plot
Grand Nagus Zek plans to establish a FerengiFerengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
business presence in the Gamma Quadrant and wants to purchase a large amount of tulaberry wine from a species called the Dosi. Zek enlists Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
as his representative and Quark asks Pel, one of his Ferengi waiters, to be his assistant. Unbeknownst to Quark, Pel is a female. Ferengi females are not allowed to wear clothing, earn money, or leave Ferenginar, so she is forced to keep her identity a secret. However, Pel proves to be a valuable assistant.
At the meeting with the Dosi, Quark and Pel request 10,000 vats of wine, but the Dosi offer them half that. They are close to making a deal when Zek informs Quark that he now wants 100,000 vats. When Quark tells the Dosi what Zek said, they leave the station. Zek is furious but Pel steps in and informs him that she and Quark plan to follow the Dosi back to the Gamma Quadrant. The two of them travel to the Dosi homeworld and find that the Dosi have a Ferengi-like desire for profit and Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
-like tempers.
The Dosi from whom Quark and Pel were originally going to buy the wine still refuses their offer. Another Dosi informs them that the entire planet does not have 100,000 vats of tulaberry wine, but she offers to put them in contact with another race she calls the Karemma. The Karemma are a powerful member of what the Dosi calls "The Dominion,"
Dominion (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek universe, the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state consisting of many different races. The Dominion wages war on the United Federation of Planets and its allies in the late 24th century, acting as an antagonist in the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space...
and when Quark and Pel hear the name, they realize Zek's true intentions. He has no interest in tulaberry wine; he wants to find out more about the Dominion.
Although they return to the station emptyhanded, Zek tells Quark and Pel that he intentionally requested more wine than the Dosi could provide in order to make contact with someone from the Dominion. Unfortunately, while Quark and Pel were gone, Rom
Rom (Star Trek)
Rom is a recurring character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is played by Max Grodénchik.Rom is a Ferengi, the son of Keldar and Ishka. He is Quark's younger brother, and the father of Nog.-Overview:...
discovered Pel's true identity. He tells Quark, who instantly faints. When he wakes up, Quark orders Rom not to tell anyone, knowing his own career would be ruined. Pel later reveals her identity to Zek herself, but when Zek threatens to put Quark and Pel in prison, he realizes that he too did business with Pel. The group decides to keep Pel's identity a secret and she leaves to make a new life in the Gamma Quadrant.
Arc significance
- The Dominion is mentioned for the first time. Two of its members, the Dosi and the Karemma, are also mentioned.