Home for the Holidays

written by Doctor Franklin Robin Steele IV

On board space station Deep Space Nine, Rom was busily "cleaning" his quarters. The reason was simple: his son was coming home for the holidays from Starfleet Academy.

As Rom pushed a rather large pile of dirty clothes under his bed, his door chimed. Being rather busy, he just shouted "Come in!" while shoving the pile further under the bed, out of sight.

"So that's where you're hiding!", bellowed Quark as he entered the bedroom. "Why aren't you at the bar waiting on my customers?"

Rom continued his cleaning, ignoring his brother's tantrum. "Because, Brother, my son is coming home from Starfleet Academy today." Rom then went off on a tangent, further irritating his older brother. "My son, the future Starfleet officer..."

"Ferengi do not belong in Starfleet!"

"Why not?", Rom demanded. "My son has the right to choose a career anywhere, doing anything he wants to do!" Rom pressed what little advantage he had against his older brother. "Anyway, he's my son!"

"If he wanted a posting on a starship, I could have bought him an apprenticeship on a good Ferengi trader ship, a ship where he could make a substantial profit!"

Rom stopped his cleaning and squared off in front of his older brother. "If my son wants to be a Starfleet officer, then he will be a Starfleet officer. It was his decision to make, not ours. I think that we really should respect his wishes."

Quark was very angry. "This isn't over yet, Rom." As he left, he yelled back, "I have a business to run. I'm docking the time you're taking to clean your quarters from your share of the profits."

As the door closed behind Quark, Rom muttered to no one in particular as he resumed his cleaning, "To hell with making profit!"

* * * * *

Later that day, the Federation transport U.S.S. Jean Mehta arrived at the station. At the airlock entrance on the Docking Ring, Rom was anxiously awaiting his son's arrival. Standing next to him, with a scowl on his face, was his brother Quark. Several minutes after the transport docked, the airlock opened and a very excited Cadet First Class Nog was trying to push past a Human couple to meet his father and uncle on his first leave away from Starfleet Academy.

"Father! Uncle!" he cried.

Quark saw his nephew coming through the crowd that was attempting to get to the turbolifts and onto the station proper. As Nog approached, Quark muttered despairingly to his brother Rom, "Just like a Hew-mon."

"I heard that, Uncle." and "Shut up Quark." came from both Nog and Rom at the same time.

Quark chose to ignore his brother and concentrate the barbs to his nephew. "Is that what they teach you at that Academy you attend? You're even starting to sound like one of those Hew-mons."

"Please get off my case, Uncle Quark. Starfleet isn't all Humans. There are other species as well."

Rom elbowed his brother and finally got a word in edgewise with his son. "It's good to see you, Nog. I'm really proud of you."

Nog hugged his father and was about to speak when his communicator chimed. "Sisko to Cadet Nog."

Nog tapped his communicator. "Nog here."

"As soon as you've settled in and after your dinner with your father, please report to my office."

"Understood, Captain. I'll be there. Nog out."

"Just like a Hew-mon," replied Quark, emphasizing the negativity in the statement.

The trio exited the airlock entrance and walked down the Docking Ring corridor to the crossover bridge, heading to Rom's quarters in the Habitat Ring and a nice family dinner. As they passed Odo, the constable did a double-take upon seeing a Ferengi in a Starfleet uniform.

* * * * *

Half an hour later, Quark and Nog were seated at the table debating Starfleet policy when Rom brought out the evening meal. Quark looked up as Rom set the tray in the center of the table.

"What kind of food is that?", exclaimed Quark as Rom started dishing out servings for everyone.

"It's something Chief O'Brien programmed into the replicators recently," Rom replied.

"It's called beef stew, Uncle. It is an Earth delicacy from Mister O'Brien's homeland, a place called Ireland."

"Hew-mon food! I am not eating 'hew-mon' food!" He rose to leave, but Rom put his foot down in regards to the dinner he prepared.

"You will sit down, Brother, and eat it." Quark snorted in disgust, but Rom ignored this and continued. "Before you ask why, Nog requested Earth food for his first meal home. He wanted to show us one of the different ways meals are prepared at the Academy."

"Yes, Uncle," replied Nog as Quark resumed his seat. "Beef stew is made of a meat and vegetables in a savory broth. The dark blobs are replicated beef, from an Earth animal called a cow. The big white chunks are cut up potatoes, a tuberous root that grows in the soil. The long orange slivers are other tuberous roots called carrots. Mixed into the broth are diced onions and tomatoes."

More tuberous roots?" Quark asked, having grown curious.

"The onions are. The tomatoes are from a variety of plants called the nightshade. They are usually poisonous."

"Poison!?"

"Nightshade are, but tomatoes aren't, Uncle. They are fine." He smiled and Quark relaxed. Nog added, "I asked Father to include one other ingredient- Leenku roots from Ferenginar."

This surprised Quark. "Leenku roots? They're my favorite! Well, Rom, what are you waiting for? Start dishing it out!"

As the three Ferengi men sat down to eat their stew, the conversation started pleasantly enough. The three talked about their mother, Nog's grandmother, as well as catching Nog up on all the usual station gossip.

"You know, just last week, we had one of the last Federation Dreadnought class ships pass through here, the U.S.S. Sussex," Quark relayed to the others between mouthfuls. "Her Commanding Officer, one Commodore Thackery Q Fellowes, and his crew almost cost me all my profits for the last year."

"What did they do, Uncle?"

"Remember when Chief O'Brien put that infernal dart board in my bar?"

"Yes," replied Nog.

"Well, a number of the officers began fighting when two players tied. I don't know what they teach those Starfleet officers at that Academy. They act like a bunch of baboons!"

Nog rose from his chair and angrily addressed his uncle. "Now listen Uncle Quark, you don't know anything! The Sussex is a warship! There is no room for recreation facilities on board their ship. When these ships come to a port, any port, crewmen aboard this type of ship tend to get a bit rowdy."

Quark was equally animate about his position. "It doesn't matter, all Starfleet officers are the same!"

"With all due respect, Father," Nog said to his father as he pushed in his chair, "I don't need to sit here and have Starfleet and its officers insulted like that. I must see Captain Sisko anyway." This said, Nog stormed out of Rom's quarters.

With his son's hasty departure, Rom continued where Nog left off. "Now look what you've done!"

"What I've done! What did I do?"

"What you did, Brother, was to insult my son!"

"I most certainly did not! I was talking about Starfleet and its officers. Nog wasn't even mentioned by name!"

"Like it or not, dear Brother," concluded Rom, "my son, your nephew, will one day be one of those Starfleet officers you despise so much. How much worse will you treat him then?"

Rom then stormed off to his bedroom, leaving an irate Quark still seated at the table.

* * * * *

Several moments later, Cadet Nog entered Ops. As he stepped off the turbolift, Lieutenant Commander Dax approached from her science station.

"Can I help you, Cadet?", she asked.

Nog responded as a proper Starfleet cadet would. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander. I am here to report to Captain Sisko. He wants to see me."

"One moment, Cadet. I'll let him know you're here," she said, turning to the stairs leading to the station commander's office. After a few minutes inside Sisko's office, Dax came back out again. "Captain Sisko will see you now."

Nog's feet remained planted to the deck. He wouldn't, or rather couldn't, move. Dax noticed this lack of movement in Cadet Nog and promptly reminded him of his reason for being in Ops, albeit with an almost motherly tone. "Go on in, Nog. He won't bite."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander!" Nog said smartly, then slowly ascended the stairs and entered the office.

As the office doors closed quietly behind him, Captain Sisko rose to greet the young cadet he had not seen for several months.

"Cadet Nog, reporting as ordered." Nog stood at perfect attention in front of Sisko. The captain avoided showing his amusement; he was aware how important being in Starfleet was to Nog.

"At ease, Cadet. Please, sit down."

Nog sat in the chair in front of Sisko's desk as Sisko sat in the chair behind it. "Thank you, Captain," he said nervously.

"Relax, Nog. This is informal. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you, sir."

Sisko seated himself more comfortably behind his desk. "How's it going at the Academy? I take it you've decided not to join Alpha Squad?"

He was referring to the elite group of cadets the young Ferengi wanted to join when he had visited Earth last and spoken to Nog. Unfortunately, it had turned out they were allied to a radical internal organization in Starfleet. Sisko had been concerned that Nog might continue trying to join them.

"No, sir. I realized their goals weren't exactly the right goals."

Sisko smiled. "Good. I was hoping you would see that on your own. You've really changed, Nog. I'm glad to see that."

"Yes, sir, thank you."

"So tell me, how is everything else going? Is Boothby still harassing cadets for trampling the Academy's foliage?"

"Yes, he is," stated Nog, answering the second question first. "Even I've been the recipient of his wrath. As for how's it going, well, it's been pretty hard."

"How so, Nog?" He well knew the boy used to have trouble with his studies.

"Everyone treats me so differently. Sometimes I feel as if they think I have a disease or something."

"Of course other cadets treat you differently. You are the first Ferengi to be admitted to Starfleet Academy." Sisko rose from his chair and continued. "They treat you differently because they fear you. The other cadets, after being told repeatedly about typical Ferengi and their somewhat questionable business practices, are wondering where the profit is in letting a Ferengi join the Academy."

Nog stood up rather abruptly. "I have no profit motives for joining the Academy, Captain!"

"Relax, Nog," stated Sisko as Nog resumed his seat. "You don't have to prove it to me."

"Thank you, sir. I know that. It's just that..."

Sisko sat on the top of the desk. "It's just that everyone assumes the worst of Ferengi."

"Yes, sir."

"And, since you are the first Ferengi in the Academy, you will have to show your fellow cadets that Ferengi have morals and are not as unscrupulous as they have been led to believe."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Nog remained seated, staring at his shoes.

"Is there anything else, Cadet?" Sisko asked as he resumed his own seat.

"Yes, sir. It's about my Uncle Quark, sir." Nog rose again from his seat. "He's so...prejudiced against the Federation and Starfleet. I just don't understand."

Sisko leaned forward and continued. "Remember when you met Captain Picard?"

"Yes, sir. He was a guest at the Academy."

"Well, from what I heard, his family didn't want him to join the Academy either." Sisko picked up the baseball oh his desk and leaned back in his chair before continuing. "Captain Picard's father and older brother were tradionalists. They wanted young Jean-Luc to stay and help run the vineyard on Earth."

"But he went to the Academy," interrupted Nog. "He didn't follow in his family's traditions." He paused a moment, realizing the moral of Sisko's story. "Just like me!"

"Yes, Nog. Just like you. The captain did not speak to his father or brother for a number of years because of it."

Nog saw an opportunity, and seized it, Ferengi-style. "Can you talk to Uncle Quark for me, please? You can explain this a lot better than I could. Please, sir?"

I'll see what I can do, Nog."

"Thank you, Captain!"

"You're welcome, Nog."

* * * * *

The following day, Nog was in his quarters reading his assignments on his PADD when the door chimed.

"Come in."

Quark stood in the doorway. "Your father wants to know if you are coming to dinner."

"Are you going to be there?" Nog continued reading his PADD and did not look back up.

"Yes, I am." Quark took a couple of steps into the room, allowing the doors to close.

"I don't think so then," Nog replied quickly.

"But we're family!"

Nog finally looked up from the PADD. "Family members do not insult other family members, Uncle!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Uncle. Like it or not," replied Nog as he rose from his seat, "I am a Starfleet cadet now. One day, I will be an engineer on a starship."

"But on a Federation starship, Nog! Why not a Ferengi vessel?"

"This is what I want! Can't you understand?"

"No, I cannot understand. You work with the Hew-mons but not with other Ferengi."

"It is my choice. Anyway, I feel there is more profit in learning with the Hew-mons than with other Ferengi."

Quark did not say another word and stormed out of Nog's quarters, leaving Nog to his PADD.

* * * * *

The following morning, Quark and Rom were busy opening up the bar for the day. Since it is only the two Ferengi, their conversation was one of a family nature, not business.

"I still disapprove of you're son's choice," started Quark.

"It is his choice, Brother."

"But he made the wrong one! He is siding with the Hew-mons!"

Rom squared off against his older brother one more time. "As I said before, Quark, it is his decision to make. Why must you be so obstinate!"

"Because he is going against our traditions, Rom!"

"Forget tradition, Quark! My son sees an opportunity for himself. I am willing to let him go for that opportunity and I will back him on this!" Just then there was a rap on the doors.

"We're closed!", yelled Quark to the intruder without taking his gaze off his brother.

"Quark, open up!" The intruder was Constable Odo.

Quark turned his back on his brother and opened the door a crack. "What do you want?"

"I have a message for you from Captain Sisko."

"What is it?" demanded the Ferengi.

"Captain Sisko would like to see you and Rom in his office at exactly thirteen hundred hours today."

"Is that all?"

"Yes," the station's Constable nodded. To his surprise, Quark closed the doors in Odo's face.

* * * * *

Later the same day, Nog was continuing his studies in his quarters. Working hard on his assignments for Introduction to Warp Mechanics, he didn't here the door chime. The door chimed again. . .and again. Nog finally noticed it.

"Come in," he barked, expecting to see his father. The person who entered his quarters was the last person he would have expected to see: Jake Sisko.

"Hello, Nog. How's it going?"

"Fine," Nog growled to his best friend.

Jake read his friend's body language as he entered the quarters. He knew Nog was lying. "Yeah, right." Jake sat in a chair on the opposite end of the room.

"What do you want?", Nog asked as he looked up from his PADD. "I have my homework to do."

"I just came to see how my best friend was doing, being an Academy cadet and all."

"Lousy, that's how," began Nog as he dropped his PADD down on the desk. "I feel like an outsider at the Academy. I have only one friend there because everyone thinks that I have an ulterior motive for being a cadet. My uncle says I'm no Ferengi. He constantly insults me and is always putting down Starfleet and the Academy. I'm at my wit's end with the whole situation. I am seriously thinking of dropping out of the Academy."

He was referring to their last conversation on the subject; when Jake had visited Earth and spoken to him last, Nog had been suffering unfair persecution. It botherered him to see his friend still under such stress. Jake rose from his chair and began pacing as he spoke.

"You can't drop out! It can't be that bad! You said you made one friend at the Academy, right?" Nog nodded and Jake continued. "That's half the battle. As long as you continue to socialize with the other cadets, you'll make more friends. And the ones that think you have an ulterior motive will find out you're on the level and will eventually become your biggest supporters."

Nog rose and faced his friend. "You're kidding, right?"

Jake held his ground. "No, I'm not."

"Why would someone abruptly change like that?"

"It shows that they can change their opinions about people. They grow by experience in dealing with you in particular and Ferengi in general."

Yeah, right. thought Nog. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Remember when people around here said that Humans and Ferengi were so different that a friendship between you and me wouldn't last? Well, we sure proved everyone wrong."

"And what about my family? Uncle Quark still isn't thrilled that I joined Starfleet."

"Be patient with him. My dad's still not too happy that I've decided to become a writer instead of joining Starfleet. But he realized that becoming a writer was the choice I wanted. Like it or not, he accepted and supported my decision."

"But what about Uncle Quark?"

"He'll eventually come around, just like your academy classmates. It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will happen. Why not ask my dad to talk to him?"

Nog's mood lightened and he started to laugh. "I already did!"

At this, Jake joined in the laughing.

* * * * *

That evening, Nog decided to join his father and uncle for dinner. The tone was more subdued, as was the meal: typical Ferengi fare. There was a forced silence between Quark and Nog, as if a wall was built between them. Rom decided to try and break the ice.

"I see that the officers from the Sussex finally paid for the damage they caused," Rom stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, they did," Quark replied drily. "With interest."

"See, Uncle, Starfleet officers aren't all that bad!" Nog said between bites.

Quark looked at his nephew. "And you still want to be one of these officers?"

Nog stopped eating. "Yes, Uncle Quark, I do. Now more than ever. We Ferengi have a lot to learn from Humans, just as we have a lot to offer to them. I think all sides will profit from the exchange in the long run."

"We can learn from them?" Quark was very disbelieving.

"Yes, we can," replied Nog as he rose from his seat and headed towards the food replicator. "Computer, three mugs of Earth drink number fifty-six."

As Nog returned to the table, he place one mug in front of his uncle, the second in front of his father, and the third at his place. As he resumed his seat, he said, "Try it."

"What is it?" asked Quark.

"Just try it, Uncle. Please."

Both Quark and Rom took sips from their mugs.

"This is good, son."

"Yeah, this stuff's great, Nephew. I might be able to sell it in the bar. What's it called?"

"It's a Human drink. Some of my fellow cadets said they named it after me. They call it 'egg nog'."

Both Quark and Rom took another, larger sip. Nog finished his mugful in three swallows.

"I, that is to say we, had a talk with Captain Sisko earlier today." Quark said after finishing his egg nog. "We talked about the benefits and advantages of having a Ferengi in Starfleet Academy."

Rom was very pleased with himself. "Yeah, son, it seems I was right all along!"

Quark rose from his seat. "It seems I owe you an apology, Nog. We Ferengi do have a lot to offer 'Hew-mons', as well as the Vulcans and Betazoids and everyone else in the Federation. I guess I somehow forgot that I proved that fact to the entire Klingon Empire!"

"I accept your apology, Uncle."

"Be the best damn engineer you can be. Even if it's for Starfleet! Who knows, maybe you'll invent something that will make you rich" Quark shook his nephew's hand.

"Yeah, son," Rom echoed, shaking Nog's other hand. "You can do it. Maybe one day you can have your own ship! My son, the captain of the Federation flagship..." Quark's eyes rolled as the three Ferengi finished their dinner, a pleasant demeanor replacing the hostilities of the previous few days.

* * * * *

Four days before he was to report back to the Academy, Nog was walking through the Docking Ring with Captain Sisko. Their destination was the airlock where the U.S.S. Jean Mehta was docked.

"Thank you for talking to my uncle, sir," Nog said as they approached the airlock.

"It was my pleasure." Sisko clapped Nog on the shoulder.

"Hey, wait for me!" The yell came from Jake Sisko.

"What are you doing here?" Nog asked as Jake skidded to a halt next his father.

"Dad's booked transport for me back to Earth on the Jean Mehta," said Jake between breaths. "Her captain was a friend of Mom's."

The three continued their walking to the airlock. The two friends continued talking about everything friends talk about. A few minutes later, they met up with Quark and Rom, both dressed in their finest suits.

"Ah, there he is! My son, the Starfleet officer!" Rom was beaming with pride for his son.

"Future Starfleet officer, Father," Nog corrected.

"Be careful, Nephew," warned Quark.

"I will, Uncle."

Nog hugged his uncle and father, and together with Jake Sisko, boarded the transport ship bound for Earth.

* * * * *

"I'll never understand children," Quark said to no one in particular as he, Rom and Sisko watched the U.S.S. Jean Mehta depart the station for Earth.

"Neither will I," said Sisko and Rom in unison.

the end

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