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For the mirror universe counterpart, please see Nog (mirror).
"I may not have an instinct for business, but I have my father's hands and my uncle's tenacity."
– Nog, 2371 ("Heart of Stone")

Nog was a Ferengi male who lived during the latter half of the 24th century. A resident of Terok Nor during the Occupation of Bajor, and a former waiter at Quark's, Nog became the first Ferengi to enter Starfleet, and served with distinction aboard Deep Space 9 and the USS Defiant during many of the most important battles of the Dominion War.

Early life[]

Nog was born in 2353 as the only son of Rom and Prinadora, and the nephew of Quark. (DS9: "Emissary", "Heart of Stone") Rom had married Prinadora under a standard Ferengi five-year marriage contract, but was so blinded by love that he let Prinadora's father swindle him out of all of his money. Prinadora left Rom, and Rom was forced to raise Nog alone. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

"As a baby," according to Quark, Nog was the "cutest thing you ever saw," later recalling his prototypical quirks, like how "every little thing" he picked up went "straight into [his] ears." Quark also "used to love reading to him," including one familiar literary tale that went, "See Brak acquire. Acquire, Brak, acquire." (DS9: "Accession")

Recalling life as a young boy on Ferenginar, he learned "about the Great Material Continuum while we still have our first set of ears." (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

By his teens, he was required to memorize the Rules of Acquisition, knowledge he was still perfecting in late 2370. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar") In time, he was expected to become a merchant and to acquire wealth like a good traditional Ferengi male. (DS9: "Heart of Stone")

At some point during the latter years of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, Rom and Nog took up residence on Terok Nor and began work as waiters in Quark's bar. (DS9: "Emissary", "Shadowplay")

Life on Deep Space 9[]

Odo and Nog

Young Nog in trouble

In 2369, Nog was still living on Terok Nor when the Cardassians withdrew. The Bajoran Provisional Government asked Starfleet to take over administration of the station, and it was rechristened Deep Space 9. On the day that new station commander Benjamin Sisko arrived, Nog was helping a Markalian rob the assay office by stealing ore samples. He was apprehended by Odo, the station's chief of security, and put into custody in the station's holding cells. Sisko used Nog's release as a bargaining chip in order to persuade Quark (who was the real thief) to stay on the station and keep his bar open and to become community leader, Sisko's way of giving the disparate community there a focus and a reason to stay. (DS9: "Emissary")

Soon after, Nog met Jake Sisko, Commander Sisko's son, as there were only a few children on DS9. Although Nog was initially not interested in befriending a "Hew-man", he relented as the two became fast friends. Jake and Nog spent a lot of time together and many adventures and misadventures together and often engaged in mischief and occasionally got in trouble for playing pranks on the station. Much of their time was spent on the Promenade, where they watched the passengers disembark.

Benjamin Sisko initially did not approve of Jake's friendship with Nog. He believed him to be too old and too corrupting for Jake. However, his disapproval quickly faded when he discovered that Jake and Nog were not planning another prank as he had suspected, but that Jake was teaching his friend how to read, indicating a deep and constructive friendship. Realizing that Nog was not a bad influence on Jake, Sisko finally began respecting his son's friendship with the Ferengi boy.

Nog eventually attended Keiko O'Brien's primary school on the station, despite his father's initial reservations at his son being taught by a Human female. (DS9: "A Man Alone", "The Nagus")

When the Bajoran factions Paqu and Navot were negotiating an agreement on DS9, Nog saw Varis, the Paqu negotiator, who was an attractive young girl, and became instantly infatuated with her. Because he was reluctant to meet her, he asked Jake if he could arrange it. Upon meeting Nog with Jake, Varis shared her frustrations about the ongoing negotiations and Nog offered her a suggestion how the dispute could be solved to the satisfaction of both parties. Although Nog did not become romantically involved with her, he did get a kiss on his cheek when Varis left DS9 after successfully finishing the negotiations. (DS9: "The Storyteller")

In 2370, Nog was evacuated for a short time from DS9 because of the threat of Bajoran incursion. (DS9: "The Siege") He also was attacked by Tumak when he sprayed some foul-smelling fluid on him. (DS9: "Sanctuary")

In 2372, Nog's uncle Quark received a shuttle from his cousin Gaila (which was sabotaged) and he decided to bring Nog, accompanied by his father, to Earth so he could enter Starfleet Academy. When they were close to Earth, the sabotage was revealed, which caused them to crash land and they found themselves on a military base in Roswell, New Mexico in the year 1947. There they were observed and thought to be Martians, and after they repaired their universal translators, Quark tried to make a profit from the situation. When things started to go badly, Nog tried to bluff their way out of the situation by telling their military interrogators that they were the first of an invasion force. Fortunately for them, they were helped with their escape and were able to return to their own time period. (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Three years later, Nog offered his help when Bashir and O'Brien discovered a "jack-in-the-box" in the Fontaine holoprogram. The program had generated new characters who took control of the casino and kicked Vic out. In an elaborate scheme which involved almost the entire senior staff of DS9, Nog used his excellent hearing to crack Frankie's safe so he and Odo could steal the money that Frankie was supposed to deliver to his boss Carl Zeemo. By doing so they compromised Frankie, upon which Carl escorted Frankie out of the casino to a lethal fate, making it Vic's again. (DS9: "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang")

Starfleet career[]

When Nog was asked to go on a camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant with Jake and Commander Sisko, he could not say "no" to the invitation, but was less than pleased when his uncle Quark insisted on coming with him. After they landed on a planet, Jake and Nog went into the woods and when they returned to the campsite, they discovered that Sisko and Quark were gone. Soon they discovered that the two had been captured by a previously unknown force from the Gamma Quadrant – the Dominion – and decided to take the runabout USS Rio Grande and return to DS9, but encountered problems when they realized the controls of the runabout were secured. Nog told Jake that he could circumvent the security protocols, but he only partially succeeded and was able to restore altitude control but not warp capability. While being chased by Jem'Hadar, they were located by Miles O'Brien, piloting another runabout. The two were present to witness the destruction of the USS Odyssey before they safely returned to DS9. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")

Nog convincing Sisko

Nog tries to convince Sisko that he is serious about joining Starfleet

After they returned, Nog decided that he wanted to be the first Ferengi to serve in Starfleet, but at the time of his application, Ferenginar was not a member of the Federation. Because of this, his application needed to be endorsed by a command-level Starfleet officer, where upon Nog asked Commander Sisko if he would support his application to Starfleet Academy. Sisko was suspicious of Nog's motives and initially refused the request. After some persuasion, he decided to test Nog to see if he was serious about the endeavor. He assigned Nog a cargo bay inventory, by himself, to test his dedication as well as his honesty. To his surprise, Nog not only persisted, he also surpassed Sisko's expectations. Sisko confronted the boy about why a Ferengi would want to join Starfleet, a profession with no potential for profit. Nog finally admitted that he wanted to make something of his life so that he wouldn't end up like his father. Nog had seen how his father could have been chief engineer on a starship, but instead had pursued only profit like "a good Ferengi," and as a result, ended up with nothing to look forward to but the slim chance he would someday inherit Quark's Bar, and Nog didn't want to follow in his footsteps. On hearing this, Sisko finally understood and was glad to give Nog his full endorsement. (DS9: "Heart of Stone")

When Nog applied to the Academy, Chief O'Brien proctored his stress reaction test in one of Quark's holosuites using program Delta-5-9. Nog studied hard and was prepared for the test, but he erroneously believed it would be a test on his performance as pilot of a runabout. The actual test put Nog in Deep Space 9's operations center; O'Brien had intentionally led Nog to believe otherwise, as this made it a truly stressful test rather than routine review of something Nog knew well.

On his first try, Nog failed because Quark had sabotaged the holo-program. When Rom found out, he was furious with his brother, and went straight to Sisko about what happened and allowed Nog to retake the test. Nog later passed and was accepted into the Academy. (DS9: "Facets")

Starfleet Academy[]

During his time in the Academy, Nog was a frequent visitor of Sisko's, a Creole restaurant owned by Joseph Sisko in New Orleans. It was the only eatery on the planet where he could get tube grubs. (DS9: "Homefront")

Nog's time at the Academy is featured in the "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" comic book series, where he's one of the main characters. In the short story "The Bottom Line" in the Strange New Worlds anthology book, we see how he handles the famous Kobayashi Maru test.
Kira, Dax, and Nog decode message

Nog assisting Kira and Dax in unscrambling a recorded message

During the Changeling scare on Earth, when some Starfleet officers felt that a coup was necessary to protect Earth, Nog supplied information to Sisko that helped foil the coup. Sisko suspected that officers in Starfleet had caused a world-wide power failure in order to declare martial law. Nog told Sisko about Red Squad, an elite group of cadets, and gave him the names of the members. They were the ones who caused the power failure on the orders of Admiral Leyton. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")

In 2373, Cadet Nog was stationed on DS9 during his sophomore year as part of a field studies program. While there, he used his superior hearing to help Lieutenant Commander Dax and Major Kira unscramble a recorded message in the hope of solving the mystery of who was killing the surviving members of the Shakaar resistance cell. Jake also moved in with Nog at this time. (DS9: "The Darkness and the Light", "The Ascent")

Garak capturing Nog

Nog captured by a crazed Garak

In that same year, Nog took part in a mission to retrieve components from Empok Nor, an abandoned Cardassian space station, to repair DS9. During this mission, two stasis chambers containing Cardassians were activated. When the two Cardassians destroyed the runabout that had brought Nog and O'Brien to Empok Nor and killed Crewman Boq'ta and others, he and the chief were the only ones left to deal with Elim Garak, who had been infected by the same psychotropic drug which had driven the other Cardassians insane. After Chief O'Brien successfully saved Nog and Garak, Nog vowed he would never turn his back on the Cardassians again. (DS9: "Empok Nor", "Rocks and Shoals")

He later used his Ferengi skills to wheel and deal to help Jake obtain an old baseball card for Jake's father. (DS9: "In the Cards") He also used his skills to get a new graviton stabilizer for the Defiant on O'Brien's request. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

Dominion War[]

Nog fought in the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 when the Dominion and Cardassian forces captured the station. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

In 2374, after the outbreak of the war between the Federation and the Dominion, Nog took part in the raid to destroy the major production facility of ketracel-white inside Dominion territory. Although the mission was a success, the captured Dominion ship was severely damaged and had to make an emergency landing on a remote planet, leaving them seventeen years from the nearest starbase. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")

Nog and Garak, 2374

Nog, trying to stay behind Elim Garak while walking

While Nog and Garak were searching for food, they were captured by Jem'Hadar soldiers and brought to their wounded Vorta leader. Garak told them that they had a doctor with them, and they were exchanged as hostages for Captain Sisko and Doctor Bashir. In the end, they had to fight the Jem'Hadar because the ketracel-white they depended on had run out and their Vorta leader could no longer control them. During their last attack, all the Jem'Hadar were killed. (DS9: "Rocks and Shoals")

A short time before Operation Return was to be carried out, he was promoted to ensign. This is after just two years as a cadet, as opposed to the normal four. He took part in the battle to retake Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

Nog in dress uniform, 2374

Nog wearing his dress uniform

Nog was a guest at the wedding of Jadzia Dax and Worf in 2374 and wore his Starfleet dress uniform for the event. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

When the USS Defiant was captured by the Jem'Hadar, he helped retake the ship. He pretended he was fixing the warp drive that had been damaged in the attack. But this was a delaying action until they could be rescued. He also helped restore Zek as Grand Nagus after he was deposed by Brunt. (DS9: "One Little Ship", "Profit and Lace")

On Stardate 51825.4, Ensign Nog was en route to Ferenginar with Jake aboard the runabout USS Shenandoah when they were attacked by Jem'Hadar fighters. Suddenly, they were beamed aboard the USS Valiant, a Defiant-class starship. Nog recognized the crew operating the Valiant as Red Squad from Starfleet Academy. Their twenty-year-old captain, Tim Watters, told him that the rest of the crew had been killed and that he intended to complete the Valiant's mission of gathering data on a new Dominion battleship. Nog, a long-time admirer of Red Squad ever since his time at the Academy, was enthusiastic and joined the crew. He was given a field promotion to lieutenant commander and made chief engineer, where he adjusted the Valiant's warp capabilities as he had seen O'Brien do on the Defiant. When Watters wanted to attack the battleship, Jake told Nog that it was a suicide mission, but Nog refused to listen to him. Watters overheard this conversation and had Jake confined to the brig. During the battle, the Valiant sustained heavy damage and only Nog and Dorian Collins were left alive. They released Jake from the brig and used an escape pod to leave the Valiant before it exploded. They were later picked up by the Defiant. Nog then returned the Red Squad insignia he had received from Watters to Collins. (DS9: "Valiant")

Nog AR-558

Nog after being injured

During the siege of AR-558, Nog performed well as an advance scout, using his superb Ferengi hearing to identify a large column of advancing Jem'Hadar when tricorder scans were ineffective due to a Jem'Hadar jamming signal. It was during this action that he lost his leg after fierce fighting with Jem'Hadar soldiers, who outnumbered the Starfleet forces three-to-one. When Nog was recuperating in a makeshift infirmary, a Jem'Hadar burst in but Quark managed to kill him, saving his nephew from certain death. In part because of Nog's actions, and those of his fellow troops, the Federation was able to hold the planet and the vital Dominion communication array there. (DS9: "The Siege of AR-558")

Vic and Nog

Nog with Vic Fontaine

When he returned to DS9, Nog was still recovering from his injuries and, although his leg was replaced by a biosynthetic one, he was still struggling to cope emotionally and physically with his wound. Because he did not want to be helped by anyone, he took his medical leave in one of his uncle's holosuites, hiding in the 1962 Las Vegas club of singer Vic Fontaine. During this time, Vic affectionately nicknamed him "Noggles".

Later, when Nog found Jake and his date Kesha in Vic's lounge, he was upset and in an angry outburst, he punched Jake, whereupon Vic threw Nog out of his club. Ezri Dax visited Nog to persuade him to leave the holosuite, but he refused. He even threatened to resign his Starfleet commission if she tried to make him leave. While Ezri observed him, she noticed that he had made progress. He no longer seemed to limp or need to use his cane. Congratulating Vic with his accomplishments with regards to Nog, Ezri let him know it was time for Nog to leave the holosuite. When Vic told Nog he had to leave he protested, but to no avail, considering that Vic resorted to ending the program on his own and resisted it being reactivated. In the end, Vic convinced Nog that it was better for him to leave and rejoin the real world. Nog thanked him, and to show his gratitude, made arrangements with his uncle Quark to keep the holoprogram running permanently. (DS9: "It's Only a Paper Moon")

Nog took part in the Second Battle of Chin'toka as a member of the Defiant crew, and when the Dominion War ended in 2375. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "What You Leave Behind")

Post-war[]

Following the conclusion of the war, Nog continued to serve aboard DS9, under Colonel Kira, performing seemingly mundane, and welcome tasks such as creating duty rosters and cargo inventories.

As a testament to how far he had advanced, Nog was promoted to lieutenant junior grade in one of Benjamin Sisko's last official acts as the commanding officer of DS9. Indeed, Colonel Kira congratulated Nog on his promotion; with both realizing with some sadness that Captain Sisko must have promoted Nog just before his disappearance. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

Legacy[]

By 3189, the Eisenberg-class starship, USS Nog was named after him. (DIS: "Die Trying")

Relationships[]

Family[]

Nog and Rom shake hands

Nog with his father Rom

Nog's father, Rom, worked for his uncle Quark as a waiter in his bar, Quark's. He also worked as a private engineer for him. Although Nog told his father several times he could do better, Rom always dreamed of taking over the bar from Quark, perhaps because Nog's mother, Prinadora, had left him and his father several years earlier in favor of a richer man. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

It was expected that Nog, like all Ferengi, would go into business as well. However, Nog showed early inclinations of pursuing other careers. At first, Rom strongly disapproved and even attempted to prevent Nog from learning to read or attending Keiko O'Brien's school on the station.

When Grand Nagus Zek visited the station for an important conference, he, along with the other Ferengi present, was disgusted to learn that Nog was attending a Human school. Attempting to remain in Zek's good graces, Rom forbade Nog from returning. Though he eventually changed his mind this event further convinced Nog that he wanted to pursue non-traditional avenues toward success. (DS9: "The Nagus")

Over the years, Rom's attitudes softened, and he encouraged his son in his goals. His ambition for his son grew to the point where he felt directly invested. When Nog expressed his interest in applying for Starfleet Academy, Rom congratulated Nog on his decision, assuring him that he would be proud to have a son in Starfleet. (DS9: "Heart of Stone") Quark, however, remained opposed to the idea. When Rom discovered that Quark had altered the settings of the holosuite to distort the results of a spatial perception exam so that Nog would fail, he confronted his brother about it. Having already reported the incident to Commander Sisko, who allowed Nog to retake the test, Rom warned Quark that if he tried to interfere again, he would burn his brother's bar to the ground. To Rom, Nog's happiness was more important to him than anything, even latinum. (DS9: "Facets")

Leeta and Rom's wedding

Nog at his father's wedding in 2373

Unlike his uncle Quark, Nog was genuinely thrilled when his father married Leeta, a Bajoran employee of Quark's Bar, even addressing her as Moogie. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

In 2374, Nog's grandmother Ishka was taken prisoner by the Dominion. Nog was recruited by Quark, who was enticed by Zek's reward of 50 bars of gold-pressed latinum for Ishka's rescue, to lead a rescue expedition with his fellow Ferengi. They succeeded in freeing Ishka and even captured a Vorta prisoner and brought him back to DS9. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")

Jake Sisko[]

One of the strongest relationships Nog forged while on Deep Space 9 was with Jake Sisko, the son of the station's commanding officer. Because there were relatively few children on the station immediately after the end of the Cardassian occupation the two spent a lot of time together. Neither Jake's father, nor Nog's approved of the situation but despite their attempts to keep them separate the two grew even closer and would spend numerous hours together watching the Bajoran transports docking at the station.

Early in their relationship, Nog and Jake released some Garanian bolites onto the Replimat, which made people turn blue for a short moment when stung. They were caught in the act by Odo and brought before Commander Sisko for disciplinary action. At the time, Keiko O'Brien was lobbying for a school on the station and Sisko, who saw the school as an opportunity to keep the juveniles busy, agreed, leaving only Nog's father to be convinced by Keiko to send his son to school. Although Nog was reluctant to attend school at first, he was encouraged by Jake to do so, not in the least because Jake had started to teach him to read and write. (DS9: "A Man Alone", "The Nagus")

According to Jake, Nog was the one who told him all about women much to the disappointment and concerns of Jake's father. (DS9: "Move Along Home")

Lissepian Captain

Noh-Jay Consortium negotiating

In 2369, Nog and Jake formed the Noh-Jay Consortium for the purpose of carrying out a business deal with his uncle Quark. They discovered that Quark had a huge amount of Yamok sauce which he could not sell, so they tried to sell it for five bars of gold-pressed latinum to a Lissepian freighter captain. However, the Lissepian captain convinced them to trade the sauce for self-sealing stem bolts. They agreed, but the transaction left them with the new problem of trying to unload the stem bolts. Once again, rather than sell the bolts they were talked into a trade, this time for seven tessipates of land on Bajor. Jake was enthusiastic about the arrangement as he considered land to be a solid investment. Nog, however, was discouraged because he did not think they would find any buyers for "dirt". They soon learned, through Quark, that the Bajoran government was trying to buy this land for a civic expansion. Quark, eager to get his hands on land which he believed he could sell for a premium, was astonished to learn his nephew was in possession of the land because he had not believed Nog "had the lobes" to take such a crafty position ahead of market demand. Nog and Jake agreed to sell the land to Quark for five bars of gold-pressed latinum, and Quark in turn sold it to the government. (DS9: "Progress")

Jake was less than impressed by Nog's treatment of females. In 2371, Jake reluctantly agreed to have a double-date with Leanne and Riska, after he had to cancel their dom-jot match against some Terrellians. The date, however, did not go well and despite Jake's attempts to lighten the mood, it ended when Nog asked Riska to cut up his food for him. Nog clearly thought that he was being sensitive to "hew-mon" sensibilities by not asking the young lady to chew his food for him, but an angry Jake refused to talk to Nog ever again. Fortunately for them, Sisko and Odo helped Jake and Nog reconcile their cultural differences and to remain friends. (DS9: "Life Support")

Nog was supported by Jake in his quest to enter Starfleet Academy, and when he succeeded, Jake realized it was a bittersweet victory for both of them, since it meant they would see far less of each other. (DS9: "Little Green Men")

When Jake wanted to give his father a present of a Willie Mays baseball card, Nog was talked into putting up his lifetime gold-pressed latinum earnings to purchase it. But they were outbid by Dr. Elias Giger, who seemed to have an ulterior motive. He wanted to trade the card in return for some equipment he needed, which only Nog and Jake could get. Hearing what Dr. Giger wanted, they thought he was crazy but nevertheless they agreed and in the end, they were able to present the card, in mint condition, to Jake's father. (DS9: "In the Cards")

Martok[]

Nog managed to gain the respect of General Martok and the Klingons aboard Deep Space 9, although he had to work for it. At first, Martok refused to even acknowledge Nog's existence (which perhaps had something to do with the height difference). The issue first began to surface when Cadet Nog was helping Worf to improve the Defiant's phaser relay efficiency and Martok came on to the bridge and started talking to Worf about a transfer. He completely ignored the Ferengi and stood in such a way that Nog was trapped between the two towering Klingons. Nog, unsure if he was being noticed, had to interrupt Martok's conversation so he could slip by. Martok, who had to look down to see the cadet, let Nog pass with a shake of his head. (DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire")

Nog stands up to Martok

Nog threatens to arrest Martok for loitering

During his next dinner session with Captain Sisko, Nog complained that the Klingons were ignoring him, whereupon Sisko recommended him to stand up and confront them the next time it happened; even if it meant that he would have his butt kicked, at least it would be hard for the Klingons to ignore him any longer. Before Sisko could finish, Martok entered Sisko's quarters, wanting to talk to Sisko… alone. Just before Nog was about to confront Martok, Jake stopped him and told Nog to confront the Klingon another time. Slightly discouraged but still determined, Nog began to look for opportunities to assert himself in front of the Klingons. While the Klingons were having a head-banging contest at Quark's Bar while obviously drunk, Nog waited patiently for them to disturb the peace, and when their laughter exceeded seventy decibels, Nog believed his opportunity had arrived. He was about to get up from his bar stool when he suddenly lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, sending the Klingons into hysterical laughter. Nog, too humiliated to even get back up, would have to wait for another time to confront them.

Nog, Martok, and Kira

Nog gaining Martok's respect to Kira's amazement

Nog's moment finally came when several Klingons were loitering at his and Jake's old Promenade spot. He decided not to take it anymore and confronted the Klingons by asking them to move along. Martok, one of the Klingons present did not take the young Ferengi seriously and refused to budge. Nog, determined to get them moving, stated that they were breaking station regulation 82/7B and threatened to arrest them if they did not move. When Martok asked Nog if he was brave or stupid, Nog replied he was a little of both. An impressed Martok moved from the spot and stated that courage came in many sizes. It seemed that Nog had finally gained Martok's respect, as was evidenced in a subsequent encounter in Ops when Martok, upon seeing Nog, immediately acknowledged him as "Cadet", to which Nog replied "General." This prompted Kira to ask what that was all about. Nog simply told her that it was respect. (DS9: "Blaze of Glory")

Two years later, Martok was visibly grateful that Nog brought back barrels of 2309 bloodwine, a better vintage than the ones his wife sent him. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

Miles O'Brien[]

Nog and O'Brien prepare Defiant

O'Brien explaining the chances of Nog commanding the USS Defiant while a cadet

One of the most surprising relationships developed during his time on Deep Space 9 was the friendship that Nog formed with Chief O'Brien. O'Brien had once recommended to Commander Sisko that his son Jake stay away from Nog, considering him a bad influence. Though O'Brien had worked closely with Nog's father, Rom, he, like many others, was skeptical about Nog's dedication and ability when it came to Starfleet. (DS9: "The Nagus", "Heart of Stone")

Nog soon won the chief over with his work ethic and eagerness to please. O'Brien was one of the first to congratulate him when he received his field commission to ensign and noted that he would have to begin addressing Nog as "sir." (DS9: "The Ascent", "Favor the Bold", "Facets")

Nog received further encouragement when O'Brien selected him to be part of the mission team to Empok Nor in 2373. Nog and the chief were the only members of the team that survived to confront Elim Garak, who had been infected by a psychotropic drug. Garak captured and threatened Nog in an effort to lure O'Brien out into the open. Nog remained helpless as O'Brien succeeded in defeating Garak by rigging a phaser to explode, knocking the Cardassian unconscious. (DS9: "Empok Nor")

Nog's wheeling and dealing helped him out when he offered Chief O'Brien his help in fixing the Defiant's graviton stabilizer. The chief was in need of parts and Nog promised him that he could get them in exchange for a return favor. His maneuvering almost got him in serious trouble when he arranged for Captain Sisko's desk to be removed from his office as part of the exchange; however, true to Ferengi form, he recovered, and the desk was returned before Sisko noticed its absence. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

Benjamin Sisko[]

Though not as close to Benjamin Sisko as he was to Jake, Nog and the captain developed a solid relationship based in no small part on Sisko's support of Nog's application to Starfleet Academy. Though at first resistant to the idea of a Ferengi in Starfleet, Sisko came to realize the young Ferengi's dedication and the contributions he could make. He served as a role model to Nog and provided him with encouragement. (DS9: "Heart of Stone", "The Ascent", "Homefront", "Paradise Lost")

The relationship worked both ways. In 2375, Nog was asked by Captain Sisko to participate in a game of baseball, in order to fulfill a bet Sisko had made with Captain Solok of the USS T'Kumbra. A team comprising Nog, Worf, Kira, Ezri, Bashir, O'Brien, Quark, Leeta, and Nog's father, Rom, took on the Vulcan baseball team. By the end of the first training session, most of the team members were in need of medical attention. Nog himself performed better than might be expected despite his confusion over the rules of play and a lack of overall physical strength. (DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")

In addition to asking Nog to play on his team, Sisko also began to learn that there were aspects of Ferengi culture that he could appreciate. He even went so far as to learn at least a few of the Rules of Acquisition, and even quoted the 190th Rule – "Hear all, trust nothing" – to Nog before the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 when rumors were rampant, including a rumor the Romulans signed a nonaggression pact with the Dominion. (DS9: "Call to Arms") He once used puree of tube grubs as a sauce for the home-cooked dinner of squid he made for Jake and Nog, saying it was only fair they try Ferengi food since Nog was having Human food. It was clear Sisko thought the combination went together quite well. (DS9: "Blaze of Glory")

Sisko congratulated him on a job well done when Nog used his superior hearing to locate the Jem'Hadar on AR-558 and welcomed him back to Deep Space 9 after he returned from his rehabilitation on Starbase 235. (DS9: "The Siege of AR-558", "It's Only a Paper Moon")

In one of Sisko's last official acts as commanding officer before he left to join with the Prophets at the end of the Dominion War, he promoted Nog to lieutenant junior grade in recognition to how far he had come. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

Alternate timelines[]

In 2389, in an alternate timeline, Starfleet Commander Nog visited his friend Jake in New Orleans on Earth. This visit was the result of an accident on board the USS Defiant in which an inversion of the wormhole caused Benjamin Sisko's temporal signature to change and dematerialized him. After admitting he was more popular with women after he stopped asking them to chew his food, Nog talked about his recent science mission to the Gamma Quadrant. He stated that the Klingons were leaving Deep Space 9 derelict. Both Jake and Nog laughed when he revealed that Morn was still on the station, running the bar. Jake spent most of his life trying to rescue his father from the anomaly, with one attempt using the USS Defiant. In 2422, Nog, by then promoted to captain, headed the mission, which unfortunately ended in failure. An older Jake figured how to save his father from the anomaly. Consequentially, the alternate timeline, and Captain Nog, ceased to exist. (DS9: "The Visitor")

Appendices[]

Appearances[]

With 45 appearances, Nog was the most frequent recurring character credited on Deep Space Nine.

Background information[]

Nog was played by Aron Eisenberg throughout all seven seasons of DS9.

Following the actor's death in 2019, some fans petitioned for the series Star Trek: Picard to include a Captain Nog statue.[1] Alex Kurtzman commented that he was aware of the petition and would look for an opportunity to honor Eisenberg. [2] The USS Nog, featured in "Die Trying", was said by Kurtzman to be named for the character, and called an Eisenberg-class vessel in tribute of Aron. [3]

Characterization[]

Aron Eisenberg had said of Nog, "The thing that I thought they did so well with Nog was that they didn't make him perfect. He joined Starfleet with the determination and the tenacity to succeed, but he didn't always make the right decision, but he always kept trying again. And I always felt that Nog was one of the most Human characters on that show." (Hidden File 08, DS9 Season 7 DVD special features)

"Heart of Stone" is an important episode for Nog; he first approaches Sisko with the intent of applying to Starfleet Academy. Robert Hewitt Wolfe commented "It just struck me one day that out of Wesley, Jake and Nog, the one who will really become Starfleet and stand on a bridge to say 'engage' twenty years from now would be Nog. There was a nice irony, and something cool to do with that character, especially after Jake said he did not want to enter Starfleet". (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 91) Ronald D. Moore added; "I think that was an interesting direction. Somehow, Captain Nog sounds cool". (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 91)

Ronald D. Moore stated that, as of DS9 Season 6, Nog was "probably" a Federation citizen. (AOL chat, 1997)

Trivia[]

While it is sometimes believed that Geordi La Forge has held more ranks on screen than any other Star Trek character, Nog certainly is a competitor. Nog is first seen in his cadet's uniform in "Facets" (albeit before formally entering the Academy) and retains this rank until he is promoted to ensign in "Favor the Bold". In the series' finale, "What You Leave Behind", he is promoted to lieutenant junior grade. However, while serving on the USS Valiant in the episode of the same name, Nog was assigned the duties of chief engineer with the rank of lieutenant commander by acting captain Tim Watters. Furthermore, in the alternate timeline of "The Visitor", Nog was seen first as commander and then later on as captain. In all, there are six ranks: cadet, ensign, lieutenant junior grade, lieutenant commander, commander, and captain, thus equaling La Forge's number.

What makes this classification somewhat dubious is a costuming error in "Valiant". Although it is very clear in the dialogue that Captain Watters gives Nog the rank of lieutenant commander, Nog still carries the insignia of a lieutenant junior grade (one gold and one black pip) for most of the episode. This is very well seen when Nog introduces his new rank to Jake Sisko. However, in a scene preceding this one, where Nog reconfigures the warp core in main engineering it is unclear whether he wears his correct rank at the time (two gold and one black pip, rather than a single gold and one black) or not. It thus seems that the outcome of the contest between Nog and La Forge depends on whether the costuming error was committed already in this scene or only in the subsequent ones.

Documentary[]

In the season eight sequences in What We Left Behind, Nog has been promoted to captain and commands the Defiant.

Apocrypha[]

Novels[]

Nog is a main character in the Deep Space Nine novel relaunch, serving, for a short time as security chief and later chief engineer of the USS Defiant.

He was also featured in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, which followed his early days at the academy as part of Omega Squad.

In the 1990s, several Star Trek: Deep Space Nine young adult novels featured several adventures of Nog and Jake.

Nog has an appearance as a main character in the TNG novel Indistinguishable from Magic in the role of chief of security with a rank of lieutenant commander aboard the USS Challenger in 2383 under the command of first Captain Montgomery Scott and then Geordi La Forge.

In Raise the Dawn, Nog is assigned to the Bajor sector and helps O'Brien design the new Deep Space 9 station and is assigned to the now operational station by the time of Revelation and Dust. Nog is temporarily reassigned to Starfleet Intelligence black ops team Active Four in the Star Trek: The Fall novel The Poisoned Chalice, where he assists Tuvok and Thomas Riker in investigating the recent assassination of the Federation President, although they soon learn that their team was actually set up to be killed as part of a plan to frame the Typhon Pact – a new organization composed of various Federation adversaries such as the Romulans and the Breen – for the assassination while eliminating the true perpetrators of the Cardassian organization the True Way.

Nog also appears in the Star Trek: Enterprise novel The Good That Men Do, where he and Jake investigate the "death" of Charles Tucker III and the actual founding of the Federation. It also mentions that his biosynthetic leg was removed in favor of a new leg grown from his own tissue and he had been married four times, five if you count the wife he married twice.

In the Millennium series, the DS9 crew meet an alternate future version of Nog from a reality where DS9 was destroyed in the opening of a second wormhole. Having transferred to the USS Enterprise-E after the loss of his friends and family, Nog becomes a protégé of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, joining the captain in his quest to save the universe and retaining a great deal of respect for him, despite Picard being crippled by Irumodic Syndrome. At the conclusion of the series, this version of Nog, along with the future Picard and the Vash of the present, travels back in time twenty-five thousand years, where the three become some of the most prominent seers in Bajoran history (Although Nog apparently always wore a hooded cloak to prevent anyone knowing he wasn't Bajoran).

In the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Dawn of the Eagles, Nog moves to Terok Nor with Rom and begins working at Quark's in 2363 after Rom is swindled by Prinadora's father Dav.

Computer games[]

In the Star Trek Online timeline, Nog becomes chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-E in 2397 when Geordi La Forge assumes command of the USS Challenger. In that same timeline, his enrollment in Starfleet Academy serves to inspire the application of a growing number of Ferengi to Starfleet; by 2410, the period of the Iconian War, he has risen to the rank of captain.

Nog appears in-game for the feature episode "Time in a Bottle", voiced again by Aron Eisenberg. Haunted by his experiences in the Dominion War, Nog primarily worked on exploration ships, as well as two stints on DS9 and a period at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, before assuming command of the experimental USS Chimera. Nog and the player character track down a Krenim artifact found by a disreputable Ferengi trader in the Delta Quadrant and investigate the reasons why the Krenim were targeted for extermination by the Vaadwaur. He helps construct the Krenim weapon ship to fight the Iconians, including the final battle on Earth. In the "Victory is Life" expansion, Nog greets the player character when they arrive on DS9 for Odo's conference to discuss the Hur'q threat, and later – in a "sequel" of sorts to "The Magnificent Ferengi" – joins his uncle in infiltrating an Iconian dreadnought to recover the Sword of Kahless, using his knowledge from the Iconian War to navigate through the ship.

External links[]

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