History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E18BusinessAsUsual

Quark meets Gaila's partner Hagath and the pair assure him that they won't ask him to bring weapons onto the station. Hagath takes an instant liking to Quark but warns him, "Never cross me." Quark uses his holosuits to give buyers demonstrations with holographic replicas of their wares and proves to be an excellent salesmen. Hagath funnels Quark's earnings directly to his creditors to make sure that he doesn't become compromised by his debts. The group is riding high until Odo storms in on Quark and arrests him for selling weapons without a license. But then Sisko and Kira arrive and announce that Hagath and Gaila have been granted clemency by the Bajoran Provisional Government in thanks for selling them the arms that they used to win their freedom. Odo releases Quark reluctantly, but everyone warns him that he's on precariously thin ice with the law.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: When Gaila sees Dax, he describes a clothed woman as "titillating" while rubbing his lobes -- a well-known erogenous zone. [[ADateWithRosiePalms Really, Gaila?]]

* RejectedApology: Quark tries to make amends with Dax before sabotaging the deal, knowing he will likely die, but she rebuffs him. She's much more receptive, though, afterwards when everything is back to normal.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Hagath is extremely displeased with Farrakk, who was vacationing on Risa instead of conducting a weapons deal. Needless to say, Farrakk doesn't leave the station alive.

* AMillionIsAStatistic: Gaila tries to invoke this in his "one star in the sky" speech to Quark, but [[EvenEvilHasStandards Quark disagrees]]. Later, Quark considers the death of the Regent (and the narrow escape of Hagath and Gaila) to be a small price to pay for saving the lives of 28 million people--a sentiment Sisko agrees with.

--> "''This?!'' He's going to enjoy ''this?!'' [samples a plate] Well he should, it's delicious."

* EvilBrit: Hagath. He is played by Steven Berkoff, after all.

-->"So let's forgo any further attempts at jocularity, shall we? And get down to THE BUSINESS!!"

-->'''Hagath:''' "What chance do they have? Invest in a winner, sell to the Cardassians."

* WarForFunAndProfit: Subverted - Quark acts like he's willing to sell to both sides, but he's really setting it up so that the leaders of both sides will "accidentally" run into each other and [[LetsYouAndHimFight start shooting]].

** Played for black comedy in the penultimate when Sisko presents the repair bill for Cargo Bay 4 to Quark.

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Hagath has Farrakk killed in a warp core explosion. It's implied that this how he deals with everyone who makes a screw up that hurts his profit.

* LoopholeAbuse: Quark knows that Odo would ''never'' allow any weapons onto the station, so buyers are given demonstrations using holographic replicas instead. All the actual shipping takes place outside Federation territory, so they can't get busted by Starfleet.
** Odo acknowledges it later after detaining Quark, noting it's a mere technicality and it won't hold up legally (at least until he's forced to let Quark go on the orders of the Bajoran Government).

** The [[Recap/StarTrekS1E18Arena Metrons]] are mentioned as being among Hagath's potential customers, though it seems a bit odd that that a species previously shown to abhor violence would want to buy weapons. Perhaps the Metrons weren't so much buying the weapons as confiscating them?

* BerserkButton: For the love of God, do ''not'' do ''anything'' that will hurt Hagath's profits

* BadBoss: Hagath showers his associates with praise and gifts when everything is going well, but the moment they disappoint him, he turns into seething rage and will kill them just for spite,

* BadBoss: Hagath showers his associates with praise and gifts when everything is going well, but the moment they dissappoint him, he turns into seething rage and will kill them just for spite,

** Hagath's dialogue with Quark parralels an exchange from ''Film/{{Scarface|1983}}'':

** Hagath sends Quark's pay directly to his creditors to pay off his debts, as he doesn't want Quark to act irresponsible with his profits and not pay back his debters, but he also recognizes the importance of his business partner not having that pressure on him anymore. Given the general behavior of Ferengi and the business Hagath is in, making sure Quark has no obligations to anyone else and keeping control of his money for the time being are good ideas.

Quark is treated as an outcast by Federation citizens on the station, but he's still got his arm deals running He's given pause when Hagath confronts one of his other business partners, Farrak, for poor performance and fires him on the spot. Gaila confides in Quark that he's thinking of retiring and giving Quark a greater stake in the business, but the deal doesn't sound so inviting after Gaila mentions that Hagath had Farrak killed on his flight from the station.

* AngerBornOfWorry: Sisko dressing down Quark in his office during the penultimate scene. Sisko's justifiably furious that Quark's attempts to sabotage the arms deal instead triggered a firefight on the Station. At the same time, though, it's implied (and the Teleplay's direction confirms) that Sisko's secretly relieved that Quark's managed to get himself out of this mess.

* AngerBornOfWorry: Sisko's dressing down Quark in his office during the penultimate scene. Sisko's justifiably furious that Quark's attempts to sabotage the arms deal instead triggered a firefight on the Station. At the same time, though, it's implied (and the Teleplay's direction confirms) that Sisko's secretly relieved that Quark's managed to get himself out of this mess.

** Hagath sends Quark's pay to his creditors to remove his debt to ensure Quark doesn't want any of his associates compromised. Given the business he is in, it's hard to fault his logic.

* StatusQuoIsGod: In this episode, Quark incurs huge debts, gets a new job, pisses off the Federation, pays off his debts, quits his new job, and mends his ties with the Federation.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Odo brings Quark in when he suspects him of arms dealing, but as it turns out, his new employer Hagath helped the Bajoran Resistance and made their independence possible. As such, the Bajoran government, owing a boon to Hagath, lets Quark walk. Nonetheless, Sisko warns him that it would be the last favor he ever get.
** Afterwards, Quark asks Hagath and Gaila why they sold to the Bajorans if they didn't have any money. They point out that sometimes cultivating a connection is more valuable than money.

[[caption-width-right:350:Oh, Quark. You are in deeper trouble than you've ever been in your entire life.]]

* VillainHasAPoint: Hagath sends Quark's pay to his creditors to remove his debt to ensure Quark doesn't want any of his associates compromised. Given the business he is in, it's hard to fault his logic.

* BadBoss: Hagath showers his associates with praise and gifts when everything is going well, but the moment they dissa*ppoint him, he turns into seething rage and will kill them just for spite,

* BerserkButton: For the love of God, do '''not''' do '''anything''' that will hurt Hagath's profits
* CallBack:
** This is not the first time that Gaila and his weapons business have been mentioned. Dax also brings up that time [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E08LittleGreenMen he tried to kill Quark]].
** The [[Recap/StarTrekS1E18Arena Metrons]] are mentioned as being among Hagath's potential customers, though it seems a bit odd that that a species previously shown to abhor violence would want to buy weapons. Perhaps the Metrons weren't so much buying the weapons as confiscating them?

* BadassBoast: Quark gets off thanks to Hagath's old connections with the Bajoran government due to his business with the Resistance during the occupation. But Sisko makes sure he knows he's skating on ''super'' thin ice.
-->'''Quark:''' Better luck next time.\\
'''Sisko:''' ''(gets in Quark's face)'' You'd better hope there isn't a next time, mister. I have cut you a lot of slack in the past. I even looked away once or twice when I could have come down ''hard'' on you, but those days are over. Now we may not get you for selling weapons, but you so much as ''litter'' on the Promenade and I will nail you to the wall!
* BatmanGambit: Quark decides to turn against both Hagath and Gaila by arranging for the Regent and his mortal enemy to run into each other in the Cargo Bay.
* BenevolentBoss: Hagath is a kind boss to his associates while they do their jobs right. He pays well, and will [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections use his connections to keep his subordinates out of jail]]. Just, do '''not''' screw up a deal. You will meet with an [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident an accident]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Quark, while not evil ''per se'', has done some pretty reprehensible things over the course of the series, but even his conscience can't justify ending ''28 million'' lives for the sake of profit.
* EveryoneHasStandards: While the crew is usually content to roll their eyes at Quark's greedy nature, his entry into weapons trading is the straw that breaks the camel's back. All of the Starfleet crew immediately stop coming to the bar. Even Jadzia freezes him out.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Hagath, again. He appears jovial and kind, seeing to it that all of Quark's debts are settled and gives him a set of rare glass beads as a token of his appreciation. Just don't make him lose his temper. [[BadBoss Because he will actually have you murdered.]]
* HeroInsurance: Averted for Quark, who finds himself in debt to ''Sisko'' at the end of the episode for the firefight that caused damage to part of the station. Sisko is open to a payment plan, thankfully, and Starfleet is not a creditor that is liable to resort to thuggish measures unlike his previous ones.

[[caption-width-right:350:Oh, Quark. You are in deeper trouble than you've ever been in your entire '''life.''']]
With all his debts about to catch up to him at once, a desperate Quark agrees to enter the dangerous world of weapons trading with his treacherous cousin Gaila and a feared Bajoran weapons merchant named Hagath. But can he stomach the immorality of such a racket?

-->'''Sisko:''' You'd better hope there isn't a next time, mister. I have cut you a lot of slack in the past. I even looked away once or twice when I could have come down ''hard'' on you, but those days are over. Now we may not get you for selling weapons, but you so much as ''litter'' on the Promenade and I will nail you to the wall!

-->'''Hagath:''' Don't cross me, Quark. Don't you ever cross me.

* AMillionIsAStatistic: Gaila tries to invoke this in his "one star in the sky" speech to Quark, but [[EvenEvilHasStandards Quark disagrees]]. Later, Quark considers the death of the Regent (and the narrow escape of Hagath and Gaila) to be a small price to pay for the lives of 28 million people--a sentiment Sisko agrees with.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Quark, while not evil ''per se'', has done some pretty reprehensible things over the course of the series, but even his conscience can't justify ending ''28 million'' lives.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Odo brings Quark in when he suspects him of arms dealing, but as it turns out, his new employer Hagath helped the Bajoran Resistance and made their independence possible. As such, the Bajoran government, owing a boon to Hagath, lets Quark walk. Nonetheless, Sisko warns him that it would be the last favor he would get.
** Afterwards, Quark asks Hagath and Gaila why they sold to the Bajorans if they didn't have much money. They point out that sometimes, cultivating a connection is more valuable than money.

* VillainHasAPoint: Hagath sends Quark's pay to his creditors to remove his debt to ensure Quark doesn't want any of his associates comprised. Given the business he is in, it's hard to fault his logic.

* WorthIt: Implied several times regarding Quark's screwing of the deal at the climax. If Quark died in the execution, it was worth it to stop the slaughter of 28 million people. (As he himself puts it: "One life for 28 million. Best deal I ever made.") He sheds no tears over the Regent's death when it's revealed, and he doesn't even try to wiggle out of being sent the bill for the damage dealt in the firefight, only asking for a payment plan that Sisko agrees to.