Quark

For additional meanings of "Quark", please see Quark.

File:Quark2375.jpg
Name:	Quark (2375)
Gender:	Male
Species:	Ferengi
Mother:	Ishka
Father:	Keldar (deceased)
Brother:	Rom
Nephew:	Nog
Actor:	Armin Shimerman

Quark was a Ferengi, the eldest son of Keldar and Ishka and older brother to Rom. During the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, he opened a bar on the Cardassian space station, Terok Nor.

Early life

Quark was born on Ferenginar, the son of Keldar and Ishka. His brother Rom was born some time after him. Like all good Ferengi children, Quark idolised his father, who tended to blame all his financial failures on his domineering wife. As a result, Quark grew to loathe his mother, while his brother Rom, always a more compassionate sort, tended to take her side. Quark left his home quicky upon achieving the Age of Ascension, while Rom stayed on for ten more years.

When forced many years later to confront his mother over her illegal business dealings, Quark was forced to learn that his father's failures were due to his own failings as a businessman, and if it hadn't been for his mother's prudence the family would have gone bankrupt. Nonetheless, Ishka stood by him as a wonderful husband and father. Ironically, despite their mutual animosity, Ishka noted that it was Quark to whom she was most similar, wheras Rom closely resembled his father. (DS9: "Family Business")

Early Career

Prior to opening his bar on Terok Nor, Quark served as an apprentice for a Sub-nagus, and apparently was set for a golden future in the Ferengi business world. Unfortunately, he forgot Rule of Acquisition no. 112: Never have sex with the boss's sister. Disgraced, he was fired and had to start again from scratch. (DS9: "Playing God" At some point, Quark served for eight years as a cook aboard a Ferengi freighter. (DS9: "Babel") Despite being a cook, Quark commonly carried a disruptor pistol with him at all times, because every member of the freighter's crew thought himself a food critic. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Deep Space 9

Quark was best known as the owner and barkeep of Quark's Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade (better known simply as "Quark's"), located on the Promenade of what would become starbase Deep Space 9 in 2369. In this job, he was assisted by his brother Rom.

While on Terok Nor during the Cardassian Occupation, Quark, though Ferengi customs frowned upon it, was somewhat sympathetic to the Bajorans, selling food to them cheaply, and on occasion, was willing to furnish alibis, for a small fee, of course.

Quark was considering closing his bar and leaving the station following the departure of the Cardassians and the station's occupation by the Federation. However, the station's new commander, Benjamin Sisko, coerced him into staying and keeping his bar establishment open, essentially blackmailing him with the fact that his nephew, Nog, was incarcerated aboard the station at that time. (DS9: "Emissary")

He later became involved with Rao Vantika who had taken over Bashir's body in a smuggling operation. (DS9: "The Passenger")

Quark engaged in numerous shady ventures that Constable Odo routinely interrupted. For instance in 2369, Quark attempted to buy a stolen crystal through a pair of Miradorn, Ah-Kel and Ro-Kel, but he was suspiciously honest and would not pursue the deal without a bill of sale. When Croden, a visitor from the Gamma Quadrant interrupted the transaction to steal the crystal, it was revealed that Odo had been posing as a glass and was in the room; though Quark went free due to his "legal" behavior, he had in fact hired Croden to steal the jewel. Despite incidents such as this, Odo let the Ferengi "get away" with a transaction every now and then. (DS9: "Vortex", "His Way")

Quark helped Verad and his cohorts to board the station illegally because he thought he was buying contraband goods. In reality Verad wished to steal the Dax symbiont. Quark also ran a crooked racquetball game between O'Brien and Bashir in order to steal customers from a rival bar. He tried to make a sexual holoprogram of Kira without her permission in order to sell it to one of his best customers, named Tiron. This plan was foiled when Kira substituted Quark's head onto the image of her body. Quark also tried to cheat the Wadi, the first race that made contact from the Gamma Quadrant. When they visited his bar, he cheated them at dabo. When the Wadi found out, they made Quark play a game with some of the station's personnel as game pieces. Quark believed that it was a life and death game, but in the end it turned out to be harmless. (DS9: "Invasive Procedures", "Rivals", "Move Along Home", "Meridian")

In general, Quark was a "shade of gray" aboard the station, something to which Worf did not easily become accustomed. Just as Odo let Quark get away with things, Quark gave Odo tip-offs occasionally, if only because the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition stated, "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies." Worf, who was unaccustomed to Quark's nature, became frustrated that Odo did nothing while Quark was conducting a black-market deal with a Markalian criminal. The Klingon interrupted the deal to arrest them, only to find that the bag in which Quark had been holding his latinum was Odo, who had wanted to use Quark to infiltrate a larger smuggling ring. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition", "Crossfire")

In 2369, Quark became involved with Vash. She had returned from the Gamma Quadrant where she had spent time with Q. He arranged an auction to sell off some of the items she brought back with her. One of the items was a crystal that caused a gravometric power drain on the station. It was beamed out into space before it destroyed the station. (DS9: "Q-Less")

Also in 2369, Quark became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance after the apparent death of Grand Nagus Zek. Unfortunately for him, this was only a temporary position — Zek had faked his death in order to test his son Krax. (DS9: "The Nagus")

In 2362, Quark helped Fallit Kot to hijack a shipment of Romulan ale. Kot was arrested and sentenced to eight years in a Romulan prison. When he returned to the station he attempted to kill Quark, but later entered into a business deal with him. The deal turned bad when Fallit Kot killed one of the partners and kidnapped Melora Pazlar and Jadzia Dax, holding them as hostages. (DS9: "Melora")

When Major Kira asked Quark to hire the Bajoran musician Varani in the hope that Varani's music would help her people recuperate in the wake of the Cardassian Occupation, profits declined sharply. Mesmerized by Varani's beautiful playing, the customers in Quark's bar stopped gambling, eating and drinking as they enjoyed the soothing melodies. Quark panicked and got hold of Kira as soon as possible; although she made him keep his promise to hire Varani for a full month, Kira asked the man to play something more lively, which met with Quark's approval. (DS9: "Sanctuary")

That same year, the Skrreea refugees came aboard Deep Space 9 in droves, which Quark found thoroughly distateful. On top of not buying anything, the former residents of the Gamma Quadrant flaked and left dead skin all over his bar; tensions came to a head when his nephew Nog provoked a Skrreean boy into a fight. Quark was more than happy to see the Skrreea leave the station several days later. (DS9: "Sanctuary")

In 2370, he completed the first trade negotiation with the Dominion. With the help of Pel, a female Ferengi disguised as a male, he sold wine to the Dosi. It was illegal for Ferengi females to do business, and Quark almost got into trouble with the Grand Nagus. He briefly became romantically involved with Pel. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")

Quark was almost murdered after he retrieved a list of collaborators from the station for a Bajoran woman named Pallra. This incident reopened a five-year old murder case. (DS9: "Necessary Evil")

Later that year, Quark was reunited with the love of his life. Quark had had a one-month love affair with Natima Lang, which ended when he stole Cardassian Communication Service money using her access codes. She admired him for selling food to the Bajorans before she realized he was doing it just for profit. She arrived on the station with some of her students, while fleeing the Cardassian authorities for being political dissenters. Quark helped them escape. (DS9: "Profit and Loss")

Not only was Quark the first to deal with the Dominion via the wine sale to the Dosi, he, along with Benjamin Sisko, was one of the first to meet the soldiers of the Dominion. During a camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant, he and Sisko were captured by the Jem'Hadar. They were rescued along with a alien named Eris. After returning to the station, it was Quark who found out that Eris, a Vorta, was an agent of the Dominion. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar") Quark was also one of the last people from the Alpha Quadrant to speak to Harry Kim and Tom Paris before they disappeared to the Delta Quadrant in 2371. (VOY: "Caretaker")

Quark had his next romantic fling with Grilka, a Klingon, whose husband Kozak, Quark had killed accidently. In danger of losing her house and property, she kidnapped Quark and married him. D'Ghor, brother to Kozak, wanted to inherit his brother's property. Quark proved that D'Ghor was trying to bring down the House of Kozak by financial means. Grilka was given her house back, divorced Quark, and gave him a passionate kiss for his help. Two years later, Grilka returned to the station to ask Quark's help in the financial aspects of her house. They spent a great deal of time together – so much so that one of her bodyguards challanged Quark to combat. Using a special device, Worf was able to control Quark's body and help him the combat. Grilka and Quark resumed their affair. (DS9: "The House of Quark", "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")

Quark had many dealings with the Grand Nagus Zek and Brunt, the FCA's chief liquidator. Quark helped Zek regain his senses after he was affected by the Prophets and re-wrote the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. The new rules were in direct contrast to the old ones that emphasized greed. Quark was able to convince the Prophets to change Zek back. Later that year, he met Brunt, who was investigating Ishka, Quark's mother, who violated Ferengi law by earning profit. Quark got his mother out of trouble when she agreed to give back the profits, or so Quark and Brunt thought, for she kept two thirds. (DS9: "Prophet Motive", "Family Business")

Brunt showed up to make Quark's life miserable in 2372 when Quark's employees, led by Rom, formed a union. The employees refused to dissolve the union even after Brunt threatened them. As a result, Brunt had his Nausicaan thugs beat Quark to show the employees what could happen to them. Quark secretly conceded to the demands of the workers and they in turn dissolved the union. Later that year, Quark was told he had a fatal illness. He auctioned off his body parts to the highest bidder, not knowing that it was Brunt. When he found out that it was a mistake and he did not have the illness, Brunt still insisted that he keep the contract by killing himself or Brunt would revoke Quark's business license for breaking the contract and a supreme Ferengi law and he would not be allowed to earn profits. Quark ultimately broke the contact and Brunt conficated everything in his bar. Quark was able to reopen with the help of his friends on the station. (DS9: "Bar Association", "Body Parts")

In return for restoring his license, Quark tried to break up his mother and Zek, who had fallen in love. He later learned that Zek was becoming forgettful and Ishka had been helping him. Brunt wanted the relationship over with so that Zek could not function and Brunt could become Nagus. Once again, Quark foiled Brunt's grab at power. In 2374, Brunt again tried to become Nagus. He had Zek deposed because Zek was promoting female rights. Quark became female to convince Nilva, one of the most influencial Ferengi, to support Zek, which he did, and Zek was returned to power. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs", "Profit and Lace")

He later helped disarm a Jem'Hadar torpedo that was stuck in the hull of the USS Defiant, saving the ship from destruction. (DS9: "Starship Down")

As the resident bartender, Quark concocted new beverages from time to time. One of his less successful creations was "Quarktajino", a self-named version of raktajino sans the caffeine. He created the drink at the request of Chief O'Brien, who wanted Major Kira to stop drinking caffinated beverages while she carried his child. Both the chief and the major thought the drink tasted horrible, and O'Brien refused to pay for it. (DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong")

Quark, his brother Rom and his nephew Nog were once transported in time to Earth of 1947. This became known in Earth history as the Roswell Incident. (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Quark became involved with an arms dealer named Hagath. His cousin Gaila offered him a job with Hagath. Quark eventually helped break up the arms ring when he was horrified to realize that money was being made by people's deaths. (DS9: "Business as Usual")

Quark also visited the mirror universe. His counterpart in there had been killed by the Alliance. He and Rom were able to rescue the Nagus from the Alliance and help the rebels capture one of the leaders of the Alliance. (DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak")

Dominion War

File:Quark on Baku.jpg

Quark on Ba'ku

After the Dominion captured Deep Space 9, Quark remained on the station. He was instrumental in helping the Defiant retake the station, when he freed Kira and Rom from the holding cells during the attack and they were able to deactivate the weapons on the station. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

Later he lead a group of Ferengi in rescuing Ishka from the Dominion. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")

Quark got involved with Morn's former associates, thinking Morn was dead, and went looking for the latinum they had stolen in a heist with Morn. He also participated on Sisko's baseball team when they played against Sisko's Vulcan rival on the holodeck. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn", "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")

He later accompanied Worf on a mission to destroy the Dominion shipyards so that Jadzia could enter Sto-vo-kor. (DS9: "Shadows and Symbols")

Quark's moment of truth came in 2375 during the siege of AR-558. During a savage Jem'Hadar attack, he saved Nog, who was wounded, by killing a Jem'Hadar who had entered into the infirmary. (DS9: "The Siege of AR-558")

In a scene cut from Star Trek: Insurrection, it was established that Quark travelled to the Ba'ku planet aboard the USS Ticonderoga, where he hoped to build a spa. Jean-Luc Picard told him that the Federation would not allow him to do so, and the USS Enterprise-E took him back to Deep Space 9.

Later in 2375, Quark was visited by Grand Nagus Zek on Deep Space 9, thinking he would be named his successor. Instead, Rom became Nagus. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

At the end of the war he remained on the station. Colonel Kira, who assumed command, told Quark she would watch his every move. Quark stated that the more things change, they stay the same. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

During the novel Unity, part of the Deep Space Nine relaunch, Quark was named as the Ferengi ambassador to Bajor, with the bar becoming the official Ferengi embassy. He did not have diplomatic immunity.

Values

Unlike his mother, Ishka, brother Rom and nephew Nog, who have fully embraced Federation values of equality and generosity, Quark sees himself as a bastion of traditional Ferengi business practices. He relishes flouting the law, holds his mother in contempt for daring to wear clothes and perform business deals, and is a firm believer in the fundamental law of Ferengi culture, once you have their money, you never give it back. He threatened to dock his brother's pay when he nearly died of an ear infection (DS9: "Bar Association", "Body Parts"). He particularly loathes the Federation, which he expresses in his hatred for root beer, a cloying, bubbly, sickly sweet force bent on corrupting the core of Ferengi culture. Nonetheless, by Ferengi standards, Quark is a compassionate and generous man who is occasionally open to business deals with highly favorable terms, and willing to sell needed supplies at cost to parties in difficult circumstances. This behavior was considered anathema to the Ferengi authorities, especially to Brunt, an agent of the Ferengi Commerce Authority who prosecuted Quark numerous times and inflicted severe punishments on him for his deviance. His time in destitution, and the aid offered him by his Starfleet friends, made him realise that he actually had a conscience. (DS9: "Body Parts", "Business as Usual")

Friendships

Odo

From the time they met aboard Terok Nor, Odo and Quark were bitter adversaries. When Odo came to Quark's looking for the proprietor, Quark recognized him from his performance of the Cardassian neck trick, and it was obvious from the start that the two did not get along. Odo was the only person among the station's security force whose vigilance Quark did not believe he could overcome when conducting criminal activities, due in part to Odo's status as a Changeling.

Through the years, though, they gained a mutual respect for each other. They enjoyed insulting each other, and Quark felt that Odo was the closest he could get to a best friend. Their relationship fluctuated as much as a love/hate one would. Quark was also one of the few people who suspected Odo's feelings toward Kira and encouraged him to reveal them to Kira.

When they were both marooned on an inhospitable planet, they saved each other's lives and eventually were able to send out a distress call, saving them both.

As Odo left the station to join the Great Link, Quark found him to say good-bye. He stated that Odo loved him, which he probably did. (DS9: "Crossfire", "The Ascent", "What You Leave Behind")

Dax

Jadzia

Quark and Dax had a long term friendship while together on the station. She understood and liked Ferengis. She spent long hours with Quark playing tongo and dabo. Quark often confided in Jadzia and asked her advice. Quark was infatuated with Jadzia, but she thought of him as a friend, and did not return his romantic feelings. ^{(citation needed • edit)} When she was killed, Quark was extremely upset. He participated in attacking a Dominion shipyard to honor her and help her gain entrance to Sto-Vo-Kor (DS9: "Image in the Sand", "Shadows and Symbols"). The only major interruption in their friendship occurred when Quark became business partners with Galia and Hagath in their arms dealing operation. Dax was utterly disgusted to discover that Quark participated in that industry and refused to even speak to him. However, once Quark managed to double-cross Hagath and Galia and leave the business they resumed their friendship 9 (DS9: "Business as Usual").

Ezri

When Ezri Dax came aboard the station Quark was immediately attracted to her. However, he faced both Worf and Julian Bashir as rivals for her affection. In fact, he even attempted to enlist divine help in eliminating Bashir as a romantic rival. Quark's feelings were not totally unrequited, and Ezri maintained a friendly relationship with the Ferengi. (DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak")

Major Kira

Major Kira Nerys had a cool relationship with Quark that was initially hostile. This antagonism may have derived from the sexist attitude of Ferengi toward females. She was not beyond taking advantage of his connections and unique skills, however, and even asked him to hack into the Vedek Assembly database on one occasion. In the end, Kira accepted Quark and acknowledged that there was a good side to him, such as his decision to sell the Bajorans food during the Occupation at only slightly above cost. ^{(citation needed • edit)}

Benjamin Sisko

Commander Benjamin Sisko was not especially fond of Quark, but he tolerated the Ferengi entrepeneur. Sisko's essentially blackmailed Quark to remain on the station, threatening to send Nog to prison for an attempted break in and theft of ore samples. In exchange for the boy's freedom, Quark agreed to become a community leader, and would not face any Starfleet interference if he ran fair games (DS9: "Emissary)". Sisko used Quark when he needed to, such as in making first contact with the Founders or in bribing Quark to drop assault charges against Grathon Tolar so that there would be no record of his presence on the station (DS9: "The Search", "In the Pale Moonlight"). However, Sisko did not grant Quark a blank check, and could punish Quark as he needed. For example he threatened to collect back rent if Quark did not settle the strike crippling his bar (DS9: "Bar Association"). Furthermore, when the Bajoran Provisional Government instructed Odo to drop arms dealing charges against Quark (presumably on the behest of Hagath) Sisko gave Quark a very stern warning that any minor infraction would be met with a harsh punishment (DS9: "Business as Usual").

Other

After the incident of exposing D'Ghor's crimes at considerable personal risk, Quark gained considerable respect in the Klingon community as a Ferengi of unusual bravery.

In the DS9 relaunch novel series, Quark began a romantic relationship with Ro Laren after she became security chief on board the station.

Family

Rom

Quark loved his brother, but, like a good Ferengi, treated him like a servant. Quark often swindled Rom out of his share of the profits. In fact, Rom's contract for Quark's bar actually stated that everything that went wrong in the bar was Rom's fault. (DS9: "Heart of Stone") Sometimes, though, Quark would watch over Rom and took care of him. He made Rom his partner in many business adventures and provided latinum for Rom.

Nog

Nog was Quark's nephew, and as such he initially treated him similarly to Rom. When Starfleet first took over control of the station, Quark used Nog in an attempt to steal ore samples that the Cardassians left behind (DS9: "Emissary"). Quark was very much opposed to allowing Nog to have contact with the "hew-mons" on the station (especially his friendship with Jake Sisko), fearing that they were a corrupting influence on the boy. This further intensified when Nog decided to apply to Starfleet Academy (DS9: "Heart of Stone"), even going so far as to attempt to sabotage one of Nog's entry examinations (DS9: "Facets"). When Starfleet permanently posted Nog to the Deep Space Nine, Quark was not above expressing his disapproval of Nog's career choice. However, Quark also had no problem taking advantage of the boy either. For example, he once used the fact that Jake Sisko and Nog were taking a school field trip to the Gamma Quadrant in order to attempt to manipulate Benjamin Sisko (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar").

Ishka

Ishka was Quark's mother. She drove him crazy. She was not a typical Ferengi woman: she liked to earn profit, she wore clothes, and she became an advisor and lover of the Grand Nagus Zek. This caused Quark many problems, especially with Brunt. But Quark loved her very much and supported her with a generous stipend.

Leeta

Leeta was Quark's Bajoran sister-in-law. Initially the knew each other because Leeta worked as a Dabo girl for Quark. Quark was skeptical of Leeta's professed attraction to his brother (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...") and did not do much in helping the couple get together, and in fact actively attempted to dissuade Rom from marrying her. When the couple did tie the knot, Quark did not seem to believe that the marriage would last long (DS9: "Call to Arms"). However, once the couple did get married he did not act openly hostile towards the fact that they were married.

Others

Father

• Keldar (deceased)

Grandfather

• Adred

Uncles

• Frin
• Gorad
• Pax

Cousins

• Barbo
• Gaila
• Kono
• Stol

In-law

• Prinadora

Alternate Timelines

• In one alternate timeline, Quark abandoned Deep Space 9 when the Federation relinquished control of it to the Klingon Empire. He later bought a moon with Rom. Nog told Jake Sisko that Rom "stops it falling out of orbit." Morn stayed on Deep Space 9 and took over Quark's bar in that timeline. (DS9: "The Visitor")

• Another alternate timeline took place on Gaia, where the crew of the Defiant crashed 200 years in the past. Jadzia Dax programmed a simulation of Quark from the ship's security files to teach math to children born there. Yedrin Dax noted, "Quark was always good with numbers." (DS9: "Children of Time")

Background Information

• Quark was played by Armin Shimerman throughout all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as TNG: "Firstborn" and VOY: "Caretaker". Shimerman also filmed an appearance as Quark for Star Trek: Insurrection, but his scenes were deleted prior to the film's release.

• Quark's relationship with Odo is a clear homage to the classic 1942 film Casablanca, with Quark in Humphrey Bogart's role of Rick Blaine and Odo as Claude Rains' Captain Louis Renault.

• The Joan Pearce Research Associates noted in their initial report on the names and terms used in the DS9 pilot script that the word Quark was coined by Murray Gell-Mann, "to denote a theorectical particle". Gell-Mann actually borrowed the word from James Joyce's Ulysses, where it had no readily apparent meaning. (The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

• Along with Evek, Morn and Q, he is one of only four characters to appear in all three Star Trek series based in the 24th century: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.

• In DS9: "What You Leave Behind", Quark insists that his bar will be the last outpost where Ferengi can still be greedy and under-handed. That's the last time we see Armin Shimmerman as a character. The first time we see Armin Shimmerman as a character was in TNG: "The Last Outpost".

External links

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