Quark had run the establishment on the space station for five years under the Cardassian occupation and made a great profits in the black market. He was preparing to leave the station, due to the instability of the provisional government on Bajor, when the Federation stepped in to help the planet. In an attempt to cash in one last time, Quark sent his nephew Nog and a B'kaazi named Jas-qal to clean out the ore samples in Section A- 14. Nog was apprehended in the act and Sisko used a form of Ferengi plea bargain so Quark could remain on the station. By making Quark a community leader, Sisko was able to convince other merchants to stay at the decrepit station. Quark was the bait.
Quark likes Bajorans, yet he complains that they make a dreadful ale. The Ferengi insists he never trusts ale from a God-fearing people or a Starfleet officer who has a member of his family in custody. Quark likes Bajorans because they leave him alone, with the exception of the enormous amount of red tape with which he must deal.
Quark preferred working for the Cardassians. They were brutal and deceitful and Quark had taken advantage of their vices, making profits from Cardassians seeking escape from the harrowing duties of an occupying army. Quark also served the Bajorans who sought their escape in the seclusion of a holosuite. Widows and orphans in the refugee camps would use their imagination to forget the harsh realities of their existence. Quark was always ready to make a dream come true--as long as he got the gold-pressed latinum.
Quark does not appreciate the implication that he is simply a bartender. His establishment on the Promenade is more than a bar or a gambling den--it is the place to be in that sector of the galaxy, especially after the discovery of the wormhole, a magnet for business opportunities both legitimate and illicit.
On Deep Space Nine's bustling Promenade, Quark is the unproclaimed king of commerce. He has a hand in everyone's business to some degree, if not in their pockets as well. He hears about everything on the station; and so his nemesis, Constable Odo, is often forced to turn to Quark for information no one else can obtain.
Quark's business interests are varied, encompassing all forms of entertainment.. The bar is the center of operations--it is here that he meets the varied aliens, humans or otherwise, who pass through the station and provide him with grist for his greedy mill. The gambling houses--specializing in Dabo and other games of chance and often rigged by Quark--are a real generator of the gold-press latinum. Upstairs, the holosuites caters to any fantasy. Quark certainly keeps up-to-date on the latest developments in erotic holo programs-a Ferengi is as sensuous a being as he is avaricious, especially in the highly erogenous ear zone.
The station and several key crew members have been saved by Quark on occasion. On the other hand he has helped invaders take over the station and even hired assassins and aided them in obtaining a runabout. His best moments came when he took command at Ops during an aphasia attack that sidelined every being except Quark and Odo. This was perhaps Odo worst nightmare: marooned on Deep Space Nine, quarantined with Quark. Kira was stunned to hear Quark welcome her back to the station when she returned with a scientist who was able to find a cure for the airborne disease.
Another high point for Quark occurred when the Ferengi agreed to Odo's offer to become his deputy (as opposed to becoming his prisoner). Quark discovered the secret location of the "Circle's" headquarters. The Bajorian revolutionary army, led by Minister Jaro Esso with support from fundamentalist Vedek Winn, was planning to torture and kill Major Kira. With Quark's crucial information, Sisko and Bashir were able to free Kira. Quark's intervention also saved Bajor from the Cardassians, who were secretly funding the attempt to overthrow the weakened provisional government.
Quark's low points include hiring mercenaries to take over a cargo ship. He led them to the run-about, but was surprised to find that Dr. Bashir was the assassin with which he was doing business. In fact, Bashir was being dominated by an alien body thief.
Quark does like Dax, for Ferengi live for fantasies and possibilities. She is kind to him and often meets with him for card games--quite remarkable since females are normally forbidden. Dax gets an honorary exemption, as a Starfleet officer and former man. Kira cannot understand why Dax spends time with "Ferengi vermin," but Dax enjoys the manner in which Quark and the other Ferengi enjoy life. She gets annoyed with their behavior on occasion, but she, in the case of the renegade Trill, she understood that Quark did not want to injure her. He thought the thieves would simply buy some stolen gems and leave; he was unaware of their real intentions.
Quark had a recent romance that can only be described as bizarre. An ambitious new Ferengi had become a favorite of Quark's due to "his" ideas and knowledge of all the Rules of Acquisition, and their proper applications. Quark is overcome with odd confusion when his assistant, Pel, suddenly kisses him while on a business trip to the Gamma Quadrant. Even more embarrassing, others witnessed the kiss. Quark is relieved to discover that his assistant is a female but his relief is temporary: he passes out when he realizes he has broken every Ferengi law in the book by doing business with a female. He is saved only by the fact that the Grand Nagus, himself, was doing business with her. To use the law against Quark would also invoke it against the Nagus.
The wily Ferengi has tried to be open-minded. Quark and Kira have developed unusual friendship that overcomes their mutual animosity. The key to understanding Quark is examine the love/hate relationship he has with his mortal enemy, his antithesis, the bane of his existence, and his best friend-- Odo. Quark, Kira and Odo form a complex trio whose interaction on the Cardassian ore processing station sets the stage for their time together on Deep Space Nine.
Now that Starfleet has command and the Bajorans administrate' Quark will perform an occasional good deed, but only the result is a reasonable profit. He does not have the same moral code as the others. For example, he sees nothing wrong with theft. For Quark the only problem with theft is the possibility of getting caught. Yet the Ferengi does have a code of conduct. He was outraged when a former colleague robbed and killed a man during a business deal that he had arranged. Quark is far from the typical Ferengi, but even farther from the typical Starfleet officer. Sisko allows him to stay in business, refusing to enforce Starfleet regulations as long as Quark's games are (relatively) honest and fall within Bajoran rules and regulations. It is unclear what Sisko really thinks of Quark. While Sisko seems to find him amusing, he has also made it obvious to the Ferengi that he can close down his business at any time. Thus Quark remains wary of crossing Sisko's path.
Because of their five year history together on Deep Space Nine, Odo knows perfectly well of what Quark is capable, and thus knows exactly when to consider him a suspect in something nefarious. Odo will not hesitate to confront Quark and accuse him outright of a specific crime; he usually has more than enough proof to implicate the Ferengi. Quark sometimes has to do some fast talking and even faster sidestepping to direct Odo to someone even more guilty than Quark--which is not to say that the Ferengi was completely innocent of the specific crime, simply a little bit guilty.
Odo and Quark have something of a truce. The security officer frequently stops by to needle Quark, particularly when he discovers that Quark has been the victim of someone else's shenanigans. Odo has actually saved Quark's life. In "The Nagus," the Ferengi was targeted for assassination. Without the timely intervention of the security chief, Quark would have been blasted out of an airlock. Odo will allow Quark a long time to repay this debt.
The two have a playful sparring arrangement, with Quark often demanding payment for his help. Quark constantly reminds Odo of his duties. Odo makes it clear to the Ferengi that he will not mourn Quark's passing; he even suggests that he will happily partake in the Ferengi tradition of purchasing and selling a piece of the corpse, for even in death a Ferengi can make a profit.
Quark recently had to reevaluate Rom's intelligence. He had always assumed that Rom was an idiot but his brother showed that he could work an electronic lock pick and use chemicals to burn into Quark's safe. Rom showed remarkable skill, yet dubious judgment, in letting Quark know he could get into the storeroom as well as Quark's floor vault. Odo is not so naive, telling Rom, "You're not as stupid as you look," to which Rom replies, "I am so!"
When Vedek Bareil visited her quarters on the station, she admitted that Quark was a friend. However, Kira was outraged at Quark when his failed attempt to fence stolen jewels led to a renegade Trill and his Klingon accomplices taking control of Deep Space Nine. Since Quark is a Ferengi he is an incurable sexist and revels making advances towards Major Kira. When she violently rebuffs him he merely becomes more excited with the possibilities should she succumb. When he once put his hand on her waist and she threw him against the wall he happily stated, "I love a woman in uniform!"--a particularly interesting comment since Ferengi women traditionally wear no clothes.
Quark provides a sympathetic ear to Miles O'Brien. Miles is amused at some of Quark's antics, yet he finds that Quark does listen. Quark encouraged O'Brien to risk his life and violate the Prime Directive to help Tosk, when the alien prey was pursued by hunters from his homeworld. Quark is on O'Brien's repair list, but Miles would just as soon give the Ferengi a wide berth.
Quark finds the libidinous of Doctor Bashir amusing, yet fails to interact with Julian in most situations. Dr. Bashir treated Quark after members of the "Circle" branded their logo on Quark's head. Later, Quark was nearly killed when he was shot in the chest with a Compressed Tetryon beam set to kill: Quark had found a list of Bajoran collaborators for the widow of the man whose murder first brought Odo to Deep Space Nine. Julian was able to stabilize Quark. Quark survived the injuries and a subsequent assassination attempt in sickbay and eventually identified his attacker.
At times the Ferengi seem to possess one mass personality--an obnoxious one. They live and breathe predatory capitalism and practice it in every underhanded manner possible. Receiving stolen goods is not considered a bad thing--unless you get caught, and no one can whine and weasel like a Ferengi. They consider the law and order represented by the Federation to be something of a nuisance and dislike the "do-good-er" mentality that the representatives of the Federation impose. The Ferengi also dislike the fact that their reputation precedes them: being distrusted makes it more difficult to pull a fast one in a business deal. Getting the better of someone in a deal is a must for the Ferengi. They tend to deal with other races because dealing with each other becomes a nasty duel.
Unlike Sisko and some of the others, Quark is no newcomer to Deep Space Nine. When it was controlled by the Cardassians, Quark was there, running his operations and bribing officials to look the other way when his games were investigated for being fixed. The Cardassians appredated the entertainment services offered by Quark's Place, particularly the range of sexual progranuning in the holosuites. To Quark nothing is too kinky so long as there is a profit in it for him. The Cardassians are masters of exploitation, themselves, so they respect the Ferengi; however that does not mean they trust them. Rather they knew exactly what to expect from Quark. Quark was ruthless in business and the Cardassians were ruthless in everything.
Commander Sisko tends to have as little to do with Quark as possible. Sisko did prevent Quark from closing his place and fleeing the station after the Cardassians left; Sisko knew that he could not convince all the merchants to remain on the station, but if Quark stayed then many of the others would stay as well. There must be money to be made anywhere Quark operates: the Ferengi calculates his profits not weekly, but hourly.
Quark justified his decision to remain behind on Deep Space Nine by stating that the Federation would bring new business to the station. The Ferengi could not have anticipated, however, that the only stable wormhole in the galaxy would be discovered nearby, making the space station a key stopover point for commerce with the otherwise distant Gamma Quadrant. Previously Bajor was a remote outpost and now it was one a major hub of the entire galaxy. New visitors would be arriving at the station daily. Suddenly Quark's reluctant decision to remain on became the best business decision in his life.
"Quark's Place" contains the primary entertainment concessions on the space station. When visitors stop at Deep Space Nine on their way to the Gamma Quadrant or upon arriving in the Alpha Quadrant through the wormhole, they invariably visit Quark's establishment. They can find gambling of all kinds as well as holosuites. Originally the holosuites were only brothels but under pressure from Commander Sisko these have been reprogrammed for family entertainment such as baseball and other non-sexual interests.
Quark is more than willing to let someone else do the time for his crimes. When he and a cousin sold defective warp engines to some aliens, Quark implicated his cousin who went to prison instead of Quark. Similarly, he engineered the hijacking of some Romulan ale on which he was the middleman. When the Romulans caught the thief, Quark eluded involvement and his henchman did eight years in a Romulan prison camp. Another cousin stole some rare items from a museum and was caught trying to sneak aboard the space station, presumably to meet with Quark. Although the Ferengi denied involvement, Quark was clearly crestfallen to hear about his cousin's capture.
On the other hand, when Quark discovered that his new partner, Pel, was actually a female Ferengi in disguise he relinquished all interest in a deal with the Nagus--a deal which would have been worth millions--in order to protect her and grant her free passage to the Gamma Quadrant. Clearly Quark felt something for Pel and did not want to see her hurt. We saw a compassionate side to the Ferengi, a side never before seen. Clearly, Ferengi are not just one dimensional cartoons capable of expressing only negative personality characteristics.
Occasionally Quark even helps solve a problem, as long as there's something in it for him. For example, he agreed to a shutdown of the casino to fool some Cardassians in "The Emissary." Sometimes all that's in it for Quark is simply the continued benevolence of the authorities. Sisko has his power and knows how to use it; and Quark knows how to get along with those in power. After all, he opened his business up under the ruthless Cardassian occupation.
And so it's business as usual for Quark, because for a Ferengi, life is business. Watching the universe from the comfortable hub of his thriving establishment, Quark is located in the ideal spot to sense new opportunities for profit. His head spins with dreams of more gold-press latinum for his coffers, but with both feet on the ground, he pursues his single-minded goal with great practicality, distracted only by his ongoing feud with the dour Odo. It would be hard to imagine Deep Space Nine without him.
Quark is a Ferengi so he is, by definition, a sly fox, ready to sell out his best friend for gold. But the proprietor of the gambling establishment on the Promenade at Deep Space Nine is a surprisingly complex person. At times he is an irredeemable sexist pig, drooling over Dax and flirting shamelessly with Kira. He is capable of heroism if pressed and, all too often, of villainy.
The Skilled Opportunist
Quark is a wheeler and a dealer. He might be small potatoes compared to some of the hotshots and big ears in the Grand Nagus' entourage, but he has everything a Ferengi needs to make a killing in the cutthroat world of galactic commerce: an eye for opportunity, a talent for behind-the-scenes intrigue, and plenty of that ultimate Ferengi virtue-greed.
Grace Under Fire
Quark is well-versed in Ferengi politics. Odo once observed that Quark had all the character traits of a politician. When Zek, the Grand Nagus of all Ferengi, decided to retire, he named Quark to take control of the Ferengi Alliance. Zek was actually using Quark to get his son to show some initiative. The son joined forces with Quark's brother, Rom, and attempted to assassinate Quark. When Odo saved Quark, the Ferengi demonstrated what humans would consider an unusual response: instead of being furious with Rom, he embraced his brother for his ambition. Rom probably wished he had tried to kill Quark sooner. Quark enjoyed his brief time as Grand Nagus, even if Odo did refuse to kiss his scepter.
Breaking the Rules
In a more serious infraction, Quark allowed a group of mercenaries--led by a renegade Trill--to bypass security and enter the station. Deep Space Nine had been running with a skeleton crew due to a massive plasma storm, so Quark allowed the complex to be captured. This misadventure nearly turned tragic when the Trill stole Dax, the symbiont, from the body of Jadzia, the host. The newly created Dax was about to leave the station, which would have led to Jadzia's death, when Sisko risked the symbiont's life and shot the renegade host with a phaser. The host was stunned and Dax was returned Jadzia. Quark hated the fact that he caused Jadzia pain and so he led the escape attempt and enabled the crew to regain control of the station.
Paying the Consequences
Quark admired the woman's fortitude, yet was so caught up in Ferengi beliefs that he had trouble picturing women as being clothed and taking part in business. Ferengi women are kept nude, pregnant and ignorant on purpose: otherwise they would beat the socks off Ferengi men. But Quark has learned to interact with females of all species. The sexy Boslic freighter captain, for example, provided him with the key earring which led to Kira and Miles' trip to Cardassia IV to rescue a Bajoran hero. He even managed to negotiate with the unpleasant Klingon sisters, Lursa and B'Etor.
The Odo Connection
Quark was the first regular to locate on the Promenade of Deep Space Nine. He had met Kira Nerys the night before he met Odo when Kira paid him to supply her with an alibi. Odo was appointed by The Prefect of Bajor, Gul Dukat, to investigate the murder of a Bajoran who collaborated with the Cardassians. Odo visited Quark to check out Kira's alibi. At first Quark supported Kira's story, but when Odo threatened to charge Quark as an accomplice to the murder, he admitted she had paid for the alibi. Odo does not like Quark yet the two do begin to build a relationship--one that neither will address. When 0do was suspected of murder, Quark was one of the few to come to the shapeshifter's defense. He told the Bajoran bigots that Odo was neither a killer nor a collaborator. When reminded that Odo was his worst enemy, Quark noted Odo came the closest to being his friend.
Rom the Devious
Quark can inevitably be found behind the bar. Although his brother Rom works for him in the bar, Quark does really trust him--he is a Ferengi, after all. Rom has demonstrated cleverness at times but, more often, he displays deviousness. However Rom is not very bright, insuring that he will forever be under his brother's thumb. Quark and Rom are brothers but are far from being equal partners in running the gambling establishment on the Promenade. Rom has tried to kill Quark: attempting first with explosives, joining forces with the son of the Grand Nagus; and then sending him out an airlock without a pressure suit. Interestingly, Quark was proud of Rom for showing initiative by attempting to kill him and take over the bar.
Major Kira Nerys
Kira has little love for the being she refers to as a "little troll," but the two have worked together, when forced. Kira endures Quark's incessant flirting and cannot understand how Dax can be friends with the Ferengi. Quark did earn points with Kira when he brought her the earring of Li Nalas, as that allowed her and O'Brien to track down the Bajoran freedom fighter on Cardassia IV. A beautiful Boslic freighter captain gave the earring to Quark, who in turn gave it to Kira. Quark was actually responsible for saving Kira's life when he discovered the secret hiding place of "The Circle," where Kira was being tortured for Starfleet information.
Dax, O'Brien and Bashir
Quark is infatuated with Jadzia Dax, the lovely Trill whom he often serves Roctageno and spice pudding. Quark feels he was victimized when his attempt to fence stolen jewels led to Dax being removed from Jadzia; he had no idea the mercenaries would attempt to steal the symbiont from the Trill. He started the rescue attempt, faking injury to get to sickbay, then helping Bashir free Odo.
A Question of Stature
The Ferengi did not exist until Star Trek-The Next Generation. The Klingons were now friends of the federation and in "The Last Outpost," the Ferengi were to replace the Klingons as the new antagonists. However, somewhere between conception and execution the Ferengi were not created to be imposing characters: unlike the tall, powerful Klingons, the Ferengi were five feet tall. Prior to "The Last Outpost," which introduced the Ferengi, a reference was made to the Ferengi being so fearsome that even the Klingons felt threatened by them. Once introduced, however, the Ferengi were hard to take seriously. At first they wielded powerful electric whips but the whips were never seen after "The Last Outpost." By their second appearance a few episodes later, in "The Battle," the Ferengi were portrayed as the ultimate businessmen.
Rules of Acquisition
The word "greed" would best define the Ferengi race. Although it is well known that they will do anything for a profit, the Ferengi consistently deny reports that they are unscrupulous, branding them as vicious rumors. Yet, without fail, members of the Ferengi race demonstrate a willingness to achieve success with underhanded methods. The Ferengi operate under a code called the 285 Rules of Acquisition. For example, rule 21 is "Never place friendship above profit"; rule 33 is "It never hurts to suck up to the boss"; and rule 48, "The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife."
The Deal Maker
Quark has been known to exhibit a range of emotions, from greed to cowardice. When a former business partner was sent to a Romulan prison camp for a deal with Quark that went sour, the Ferengi showed both fear and cunning as he attempted to bribe his way off the man's death list. Fate played into Quark's hands as the criminal chose to commit more crimes rather than accept Quark's generous bribes; these crimes led to the thief's undoing.
Insider Trading
Quark deals in information as though it were a commodity and he uses it to remain in Sisko's good graces. Although Commander Sisko does not trust Quark, he and the entire senior staff know what to expect from the Ferengi. While they do not imagine that Quark will develop a taste for honesty overnight, Odo insures that Quark is regularly made aware of the penalties associated with a serious violation. When Quark is caught cheating he is forced to make restitution, which is particularly painful for a Ferengi. After all, giving back hard earned latinum is like giving up a piece of his own flesh. This form of punishment is opposed to a Ferengi's basic instincts, but Quark is willing to accept it--perhaps as a challenge. After all, the key word is caught. Getting around the rules is one of the first skills a Ferengi learns; other people's rules are merely obstacles to overcome.
Always an Angle
But what is Quark like beneath that ruthless veneer? He has been shown to be capable of any number of things, both good and bad. In "The Passenger" he helped supply mercenaries to a serial killer who planned to hijack a shipment which would be passing through the space station. When Vantaka's hijacking failed, Quark managed to elude prosecution as an accessory in the crime. The fact that Quark would willingly deal with a murderer showed a disturbing side to his "anything for a profit" motivation.
A Charming Ferengi?
Quark is, despite his studied exaggeration of socially agreeable behavior, actually a fairly charming representative of his species--although he is prone to overdo it from time to time. "My benevolence is known throughout the galaxy," he crows at one point, and one can only wonder exactly how little truth lies behind that grandiose statement. Perhaps this strangely repulsive charm is what makes Commander Benjamin Sisko so oddly tolerant of Quark; or perhaps Sisko realizes that the vigilant Odo makes it unnecessary for Sisko to worry much about Quark's shady doings.
Bravery Within Limits
When it comes to physical confrontation, Quark is essentiallly a coward, although he proved otherwise at least once by attacking a Klingon in "Invasive Procedures." Quark pretended to be injured and was taken to Sickbay so he could team up with Doctor Bashir. Together they overcame, by trickery of course, one of the desperadoes who had taken over the largely abandoned station. Attacking a Klingon--even ineptly--takes quite a bit of courage. Quark may have been moved to this act because he was the one who gave the criminals access to the station, not realizing that their goal was to steal the symbiont Dax from Jadzia's body. Quark certainly had no desire to see Jadzia die. Not only is there no profit in her death, but he truly likes her, perhaps because the Trill seems to like him. Quark makes amends and saves the day, using his sensitive ears and highly developed Ferengi lock-picking skills to free Odo from a containment box. He does pause a moment before letting his nemesis out of the box. There may be a conscience between those huge lobes somewhere after all. In "Move Along Home," he is caught cheating at Dabo by visiting Wadi, the first aliens to officially come across from the Gamma Quadrant. He is forced to play their game known as Chula. Slowly, Quark suspects that the four game pieces he is moving in this game--whose rules he does not even know--represent Commander Sisko, Doctor Bashir, Major Kira and Dax. Their lives hinge on the outcome of the game and so Quark adjusts his playing accordingly in order to optimize their survival. In fact, they were never in real danger, but Quark never knew that and he actually swears that he will never cheat again. Only time will tell about this particular Ferengi oath - wagers, anyone?
Business as Usual
Sometimes Quark lives dangerously. He sets up criminal activities, mostly thefts and robberies--although his vast information network, which even Odo cannot help but admire, probably involves theft of information as well. But when a robbery planned by Quark results in the death of a twinned Miradorn raider, Quark and Rom scramble to keep this information under wraps, since the surviving Miradorn is bent on revenge and will certainly kill them both, especially Quark, if he learns of their involvement. Luckily, the Miradorn is killed pursuing Odo and the man who pulled the trigger, leaving the Ferengi brothers in the clear. Their only regret is that the vengeful Miradorn did not somehow dispose of Odo before his untimely demise. This is a victory of sorts for Quark, although he could not get his hands on the valuable artifact he desired, at least he didn't get caught.