‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ I’VE MOVED !!

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ QELET TAG DUMP !!

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾  constablegoo​

           nog is patient as he listens to odo’s frumbles questions. he’s relaxed, easing into the reunion, some of his earlier childlike excitement ebbing away. this is still a diplomatic mission, and though he’s much older now, he wouldn’t have considered odo a friend before. an acquaintance, yes, a colleague in the latter years, but not a friend. 

in many ways, he still thinks of odo as the stick-in-the-mud security chief who spoiled his fun with jake and locked him in the brig on more than one occasion. he never understood why anyone would want to be odo’s friend, back then. and as he’d gotten older, he’d realized the truth — odo had very few real friends. there was kira, of course. vic. and — 

the pair exchange a look, and there’s something knowing in the hologram’s expression. nog has a feeling he knows what it is.

“it’s different,” he says honestly. “um... captain sisko did return to us. very briefly. it was when kasidy gave birth!” nog smiles a little at the memory. “but then he left again. he hasn’t been back. i don’t.... really believe in all that prophet stuff, but i think he’s okay. wherever he is, it’s where he’s supposed to be.” he nods, hoping that answer won’t cause too much distress. “kira’s a general now. she’s not on the station anymore — i think she’s alright, but we don’t see her very often. everyone’s still scattered, you know?” his voice takes on a sadder edge. “doctor bashir and lieutenant dax split up a while ago. she took a posting on a ship. he moved to cardassia with garak last year. they’re... well, as far as i know.” he clears his throat. “so. there’s not a lot of us left. even i’ve been busy the last few years. haven’t been on the station more than a month at a time or so. it’s really just....”

quark. quark’s the only one still there. 

“bar’s not the same without all you kids,” vic interrupts, and nog lets out a breath. “we really miss ya! that’s why i’m so glad noggles here brought me along. and brought you here too! what a delight!”

“right.” nog clears his throat. “and we’re fine! i’m in the quadrant for the next year. it just seemed wrong to not pay a visit while i was here.” he hesitates. “although... if you wanted to come back with us... just for a visit...”

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾  guttersniper​

             indeed it is, at least in part, a matter of civility. it’s just the kind of thing you say. but the ferengi have a very different sense of civility from humans, and nog means it, genuinely. 

he does his best to keep an eye on mutt and quark at the door, even as he’s chased away to help rom set the table. he fully intends to return mutt’s latinum to him before the end of the night — the locks on the deposit boxes aren’t complicated. so he grins and bears it while mutt and quark to the typical song and dance of new guests in the house, and as soon as mutt’s joined him again, he relaxes a bit.

“everyone, this is mutt,” nog says, when they’re all assembled around the table. a chorus of greetings follows. “we are all very lucky to be able to have these family gatherings,” he continues, a bit of an edge to his voice. “mutt doesn’t have that same privilege, so i asked him to join us tonight. please, don’t treat him like family.” 

all ferengi families do is exploit each other. there’s no need for that tonight. 

“he’s my guest. so be nice.”

and with that said, he sits, gesturing to the chair beside him. immediately, they all start digging in, reaching for bowls of steaming snails and crabs. “hope you like tube grubs,” he whispers under his breath, leaning over while sticking his hand into a platter.  

SS MSG: STARDUST CITY, FREECLOUD ⇨ BAJOR FROM: QUARK TO: DOCTOR M. POL SUBJECT: ODO

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Ferengi Culture in the 32nd Century

In the late 25th century, Ferenginar joined the United Federation of Planets. This was a result of the massive planetary and cultural changes brought about by Grand Nagus Rom over the course of his tenure, as well as the influence of Federation Ambassador Nog, who served from 2353 until his death in the mid-2600s. Ambassador Nog’s position made the negotiations possible, and so by 2480, Ferenginar became a member planet. Grand Nagus Rom retired in 2475, 100 years after he assumed office, and his successor, his granddaughter Ishka (named for her great-grandmother) spent her first 5 years working alongside her uncle to push Ferenginar through the end of the process. 

While Ferenginar remained focused on commerce, many Ferengi retained their shrewd business-minded sensibilities. Greed was a trait still common in the late 25th century, but it was no longer an expectation, nor was a lack of greed deemed unsavory. Trade relations with other Federation worlds improved, and as more and more Ferengi joined Starfleet, so did diplomacy. The fight for women’s equality which began in the 2370s with Grand Nagus Zek continued, and with generational changes, the gap grew smaller. Women held positions of power and office, and the first female Nagus (one who was 1/4 Bajoran) marked the beginning of a new era for Ferenginar. 

Work conditions improved, unions became the norm, and though Ferenginar still practiced currency-based economics, the acquisition of profit was no longer the prominent driving force of the planet. Latinum could be exchanged for Federation Credits with ease both among civilians and Starfleet officers.

Over the course of the next 600 years, Ferenginar continued to integrate into the Federation. Though they remained one of the more distinct and unique cultures, they became nearly indistinguishable from their 24th century counterparts. In 3053, on the 600th anniversary of Ambassador Nog’s death, the first Eisenberg-Class starship was commissioned, named after him. The USS Nog was one of the only ships of this class to survive the Burn in 3069, having been docked and inactive for maintenance at the time. 

However, following the Burn, Ferenginar was one of the first worlds to secede from the Federation. With countless Ferengi deaths, hundreds of ships destroyed, and millions if not billions in revenue lost, they withdrew from the crumbling union. Because the Ferengi Alliance remained one of the largest trade superpowers in the galaxy, the loss of warp capability resulted in heavy damage to their economy. The conversion rate from federation credits to latinum plummeted, with credits becoming next to worthless in comparison. At least one third of Ferengi citizens were using Federation credits exclusively, and in the subsequent economic collapse, lost nearly all their money when exchanged for latinum. 

The current Grand Nagus was deposed, replaced by a younger and more forceful successor who promised to not only carry Ferenginar through this economic and social crisis, but to restore the Alliance to its former glory, supposedly from the 24th and early 25th century before their Federation membership. The importance of latinum increased. Ferenginar once again became an economic superpower. Class differences were prominent and drastic, with those who had relied solely on Federation credits falling into poverty, and those who retained their latinum fortunes gaining power and notoriety. Trade increased across the galaxy, and the Ferengi Alliance formed a relationship with the Emerald Chain crime syndicate, with Ferengi businessmen working as independent contractors, merchants, and cargo pilots for the Orions and Andorians.

Less than 100 Ferengi Starfleet officers remained in active service following the Burn, though the meaning of this changed drastically in the immediate wake of the disaster. The majority of these officers had lost close friends and family and wished to honor their contributions and their deaths. Their Federation membership remained intact by proxy, despite their homeworld’s secession. This number steadily decreased over the next century, as elder officers retired and very few of their children chose to pursue Starfleet service. Those born on Ferenginar after the Burn were not permitted to join, even by recommendation from a Command-level officer. By 3189, the Ferengi population in Starfleet was reduced to a mere 45, with the majority all serving together on the recently re-commissioned USS Nog.

Though the Federation began to rebuild with the arrival of the USS Discovery in 3189 and the identification of the Burn’s origin, Ferenginar did not seek membership a second time. The disbanding of the Emerald Chain resulted in more initial profit loss, but ultimately the Ferengi Alliance began to see overall improvement, aided by the discovery of a dilithium repository on Theta Zeta. The remaining Ferengi Starfleet officers continued to represent their planet and their people to the best of their ability, just as their earliest predecessors did in the 24th and 25th centuries.