DS9 Stories/News: Hewitt: Creating The World Of Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe shared memories of his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine including setting up long term storylines, actor influence on storylines and lack of interference by the studio.

The writers of Deep Space Nine had more freedom than they found on some shows due to that lack of studio interference. “On Deep Space Nine, we got virtually no studio notes ever,” said Wolfe. “They largely just let us do what we wanted. Things went very smoothly.”

One thing that the writers realized rather quickly was that having the characters on a stationary space station as opposed to being on a traveling starship freed up the writers to create more serialized stories. “We very rapidly realized that being on a space station meant not ending stories every week,” said Wolfe. “If you’re on a starship, you leave the planet where the adventure is happening every week, and therefore…there isn’t a narrative pull towards revisiting those stories or it’s rarer. On our show, we never left, and the people we were dealing with didn’t either a lot of the time, so very quickly…we built towards more serialized storytelling. I think it’s something that was just a natural outgrowth of the premise.”

Some story elements had a longer lead time, and began their build up early in the series. According to Wolfe, these included the Bajoran religion and politics and the Dominion, which was set up beginning in the second season.

Other story elements developed as a result of the actors themselves, including the Odo-Kira romance. Odo’s scenes were played with “this admiration and longing for her that we picked up on very quickly,” said Wolfe, “and [we] thought, ‘Well, OK, that’s a great relationship too…we’ll run with that.’”

More can be heard on the podcast, located here, including Wolfe’s thoughts on working with Michael Piller and Ira Steven Behr, for which characters the writers most enjoyed writing, how Nog went from Ferengi son to Federation cadet and Wolfe’s most recent work, Alphas.

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – Ferengi

Ferengi Logo

The Ferengi are a technologically sophisticated humanoid race that was long a complete mystery to the United Federation of Planets prior to first contact at the planet Delphi Ardu in 2364. They are extremely sexist, and do not allow their females the honor of clothing – although Ferengi males, often find human females very attractive.

Ships

The Ferengi Business Alliance is ruled by the Grand Nagus, whom is renowned to be the best merchant in the Quadrant. They possess a strict code of honor, called the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, which is basically ruthless principles of capitalism to the extreme. These rules, of which there are currently 285, are learned by heart by every Ferengi at a young age.

Because of the unusual four-lobed design of Ferengi brains, not entirely dissimilar to the Dopterians, even Betazoids are unable to read their minds.

Ferengi Language

Ferengi Officer

Ferengi Civilian

Shortly after first contact with the Federation, Ferengi entrepreneurs saw new opportunities and quickly assimilated themselves into Federation commerce, as did Quark, a Ferengi whom established a bar at the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. Also, relations between the Ferengi and the other nearby powers, have always been strictly businesslike, since the Ferengi are interested in wealth only, and not territory. Therefore they seldom get themselves involved in long wars, since wars are always costly, but if there is profit in winning a war, and they have a chance of winning, they will gladly go ahead.

DS9 Stories/News: Legends of the Ferengi Review

Legends of the Ferengi

Rating: Series: Deep Space 9
Author: Quark, as told to Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Published: August, 1997
Review by: CL6 Kali D’or

Found this one in a used book store and couldn’t help myself. The premise of the book is that Quark tells stories based on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. It is done totally tongue-in-cheek and is a great laugh of a book. I have yet to read the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition which Quark wrote some time ago, but it has to be as good as this one.

…

..

All 285 Rules are not included, the book would be too long and cumbersome, but Quark has taken some of his favorites and explained the who and how and why they came into being through tale tales, old stories, family fables, lies and other devious means to get his/their point across.

Some examples:

Rule #31: “Never insult a Ferengi’s mother….insult something he cares about instead.” A good insult is a thing of beauty, a work of art that endures long after it’s crafting. Not bad, and the attached list of the 10 Most Famous Insults in Ferengi history are a hoot.

Rule #104: “Faith moves mountains…of inventory.” This has a clever little folk tale attached, about one of the really old guys, Grand Nagus Gint, who died of a tooth sharpening accident. But a clever Ferengi, Yost, came up with a plan to liven up the mourning citizenry with figurines of the Nagus and marketing was born.

Rule #177: “Know your enemies….but do business with them always.” Another short little ditty about the Tholians, silk, bog moss and how things really work. According to Quark.

Rule #94: “Females and finances don’t mix.” Funny picture, reputed to be an old cave drawing, showing a female Ferengi with bags of “profit” while all around her, the men are dead. This stuff is just too funny.

This is not a big book – just a small paperbound one, only 157 pages long. It’s the kind of book you might keep in the bathroom, for a quick page or two every day? Or next to your computer – read a rule while something downloads. It’s up to you. I found the writing to be very clever, totally in keeping with the character. There are pictures of all our favorite Ferengi cast members, and their “victims” to entertain as well. And references into the history and culture of the Ferengi that we didn’t know before, and may well not really have wanted to find out. Thank you for sharing, Quark!

 

DS9 Stories/News: The Federation Leaders In the Dominion War (3)

Cont.

Site: http://dominion.tvheaven.com/fedpers.html

Captain Sisko’s adolescent son nurtures journalistic pretensions which have on occasion been used against the Dominion. A junior member of the Federation news service, Jake was the only Federation journalist to report on the Dominion occupation of DS9/Terok Nor from behind Dominion lines. Jake’s close relationship with his father and lack of moral fiber are believed to make him a prime candidate for subversion by the Dominion. Jake currently resides on DS9.

Chancellor Gowron

Former Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, Gowron managed to win the highly contended title of worst Federation Alliance strategist during his brief time at the helm of the Klingon’s forces. Gowron ascended to the Chancellorship when he was determined to be the lesser of two evils in contest against the late Council Member Durass’s illegitimate, Romulan conspirator, teenage son. Gowron met his ignoble end in single combat with the redoubtable Worf and was succeeded by Martok.

Chancellor Martok

Current Chancellor of the Klingon Empire and one of its less humiliating strategists. Martok’s long experience as a military commander has granted him some small measure of intelligence and he is considered one of the Federation Alliance’s most dangerous leaders. Martok succeeded Gowron as Chancellor when this honor was thrust upon him by the shirking Worf. Martok’s plebian heritage leads many in the Dominion to hope that the Klingon Empire will falter under his guidance. Latest reports place Martok on Quo’nos hunting targ.

Grand Nagus Rom

Criminal mastermind and underworld ring leader aboard DS9, Rom posed for years as the bumbling brother of a small time hustler while maintaining an unassuming post in the Bajoran Militia as a technician (second class). Rom’s true capabilities were revealed during the Dominion occupation of Terok Nor/DS9 when his sabotage of first the station’s graviton emitter and later the entire weapons array allowed the Federation to retake the station. With his true capabilities thus revealed, Rom cast off his cover and rose through the ranks of the Ferengi to be named Grand Nagus. His notoriously pro-Federation sympathies could mean an end to Ferengi neutrality in the Alpha Quadrant War.

Lieutenant Nog

Starfleet officer and son of the criminal mastermind, Grand Nagus Rom, this young officer has shot through the ranks of Starfleet in only a handful of years, no doubt due to the extensive connections held by his father. Nog currently serves aboard DS9 and the USS Defiant under Captain Sisko. Nog is unfailingly loyal to Sisko due to Sisko’s part in facilitating Nog’s appointment to Starfleet academy and his long standing friendship with Sisko’s son, Jake. His relationships with both Rom and Sisko indicate that Nog may one day grow to be a formidable adversary for the Dominion.

Quark

The small time hustler brother of Grand Nagus Rom, Quark, though possessing the typical Ferengi drive for profit, has been tamed by extensive contact with Federation personnel. His involvement with Major Kira’s terrorist cell during the Dominion occupation of DS9/Terok Nor indicates his lack of love for the Dominion, though his limited talents make him of little threat. Quark is considered most significant only in the extent to which he can be used to reach his brother.

Colonel Kira Nerys

Second in command of DS9 and believed to be a key agitator in inciting the Cardassian riots against the Dominion on Cardassia Prime, Kira has a long history in participating in terrorist actions, beginning with her part in the Bajoran Resistance which rid Bajor of the Cardassians during the Cardassian occupation of that world. Kira is considered dangerous and unpredictable, entirely lacking in moral fiber, and may be the real force behind the occasionally clever tactics employed by the crew of DS9. Unconfirmed reports place Kira near the Great Link following the Dominion’s strategic withdrawal from Cardassia Prime.

Kai Winn

Spiritual leader of the Bajoran people, Kai Winn ascended to this position following the loss of the beloved Kai Opaka in the Gamma Quadrant. Throughout her tenure as kai, Winn maintained a cordial relationship with the Dominion, the warmth of which was tempered only by her unfailing desire to protect her homeland. During the twilight of her reign as kai, Winn fell in with the unscrupulous Legate Dukat who led her to embrace the pah wraiths in an attempt to facilitate the restoration of Bajor. This unfortunate move resulted in Kai Winn’s death at the hands of Dukat in Bajor’s notorious fire caves.

DS9 Stories/News: The Federation Leaders In the Dominion War (1)

Site: http://dominion.tvheaven.com/fedpers.html

Capt. Benjamin Sisko

The plucky if somewhat unstable commander of Deep Space 9 and the USS Defiant, and emissary of the Bajoran prophets, Sisko is considered the Federation’s key military commander in the Alpha Quadrant War. Because of the strategic importance of Sisko’s command, he has played a pivotal role in many of the Dominion’s skirmishes with the Federation Alliance. Despite Sisko’s dogged tendency to survive his encounters with the Dominion’s usually invincible Jem’hadar soldiers, these successes are attributable mainly to luck, and it is his connection with the worm hole aliens known to the Bajorans as “the prophets” which is considered most significant. Sisko’s rapport with these guardians of our only gateway to the Alpha Quadrant led to the destruction of hundreds of Dominion ships during our first offensive against the Federation Alliance. Sisko was last reported seen in the Bajoran fire caves and is reported by some (mostly unreliable) sources to have “ascended” to the “temple of the prophets.”

Admiral Ross

Fleet commander for the Federation forces arrayed against the Dominion, Ross usually has a terrific view of Starfleet vessels being disemboweled by the Dominion from his comfy office, well behind the lines. Though the nominal commander of the Federation forces, Ross acts, in truth, as little more than a mouthpiece for Sisko’s ideas.

Commander Worf

Sisko’s slow-witted right hand man, Worf is the Federation’s token Klingon officer, easy to anger or confuse. This thundering lummox previously served as chief of security aboard the USS Enterprise before transferring to DS9 during the brief Federation-Klingon war in order to sell out his people. Captured by the Breen, briefly held by the Dominion at our installation on Cardassia Prime, and ultimately freed by the traitorous Legate Damar, Worf is at large in the Alpha Quadrant but considered to be of little threat.

Dax

Joined Trill, once science officer and current counselor on DS9, former mate to Worf, and long time friend and mentor to Sisko, the Dax symbiont has been hosted by both Ezri and Jadzia Dax during the course of the Alpha Quadrant War. Despite its extreme longevity, Dax seems to have learned little during its long life. Jadzia was slain by former Dominion ally Legate Dukat during one of several ill-fated associations with the Bajoran pah-wraith, Costa Mogen. Ezri received the Dax symbiont following this incident during an emergency transplant and has proven emotionally unstable and generally unfit as a host. She is currently stationed aboard DS9.