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- For the primary universe counterpart, see Ferengi.
In the mirror universe, the Ferengi were a space faring humanoid species native to the planet Ferenginar in the Alpha Quadrant.
History[]
Early history[]
The Ferengi had always combined the science of war with the art of finance. As their first Rule of Acquisition stated, "Money is the only thing worth killing for." Small, swampy, and humid, Ferenginar was a dreary environment that boasted few large animals and little arable land. For this reason, trade and trade wars dominated the history of the Ferengi people. The dozens of trade wars that raged across the mushy soil of Ferenginar before its discovery of space flight hardened them into a tough people who'd sooner suffer enormous pain than back down from a property dispute. Short and weak compared to most humanoids, they had found that deceit and guile made better tools for them than skill at arms. In fact, according to their own historical texts, they first obtained warp capability not by inventing it, but by tricking some nameless alien explorer into selling it to them for a handful of semi-precious gemstones.
When they saw the limitless opportunities for profit in space, they stopped fighting one another and got to work as merchants, spies, assassins, smugglers, arms dealers and other practitioners of legitimate commerce. Coining a new law of acquisition, "Middlemen outlive kings", their then-Grand Nagus Olrak marketed a series of business tomes teaching Ferengi how to survive in a hostile universe. They would avoid direct conquest, instead putting themselves at the service of whichever power happened to currently hold sway in any given sector. Olrak taught that kings always needed cash to supply their armies and buy the fealty of supporters. So long as the Ferengi could convincingly promise any leader that they'd get more money over the long term by peacefully cooperating with them, they'd forever occupy a fun and lucrative market niche. (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)
Vassal of the Terran Empire[]
In 2250, a Ferengi vessel "salvaging" communications equipment from an unmanned Imperial starbase made first contact with Starfleet. Mustering his entire supply of that famous Ferengi charm and suavity, the captain of the vessel, a man named Azark, convinced his intercepting Starfleet counterpart to stand down. Azark promised to not only pay reparations and punitive damages for his inadvertent property crime, but to lead the captain and his favorite officers to the biggest finder's fee the galaxy had ever known. By the time the "captive" had been borne to Imperial headquarters, he'd won the life savings of the senior staff three times over, each time returning his winnings to them as a gesture of interspecies goodwill. Before the Emperor, he unveiled a scheme to take Ferenginar for the Empire without its having to fire a shot. Naturally, for his role in planning and executing the coup, he expected a few small favors in return. He would become the new Grand Nagus, and they'd designate Ferenginar a vassal planet, not a subject. The Emperor readily agreed.
The coup, run by Azark and assisted by Starfleet Intelligence, went off without a hitch. Excited both by the ease of the operation and the generous secret commissions Azark doled out to them, Imperial officers failed to note that the current Nagus escaped execution and was nowhere to be seen. Nor did they spot the rapidly-removed portraits of the old Nagus, which depicted a man bearing at least a strong family resemblance to Azark, if not Azark himself. This suggested that Azark had arranged to replace himself as Nagus. Although the Ferengi claimed otherwise, mounting evidence indicated otherwise. Azark quickly neutralized any inclination the Emperor might have had to further investigate the matter by funneling much-needed ludugial gold both into the Imperial coffers and into the Emperor's own accounts.
- According to the RPG "Through a Glass, Darkly", the reigning Emperor during first contact with the Ferengi in 2250 was Stephane Louvin. Additionally, when Garth of Izar took over, Azark's representatives rushed to the scene to make a similar deal. Garth's Senatorial assassins similarly had Azark on board before Garth's body was even cold.
The Ferengi maintained their unique degree of autonomy because it was their business sense, not the inherent resources of their world, which enriched their Imperial patrons. Only Ferengi free to exercise their judgment could generate the kind of revenues Emperors depended on for ongoing economic stability. While many Security officials remained suspicious of them, Emperors loved Ferengi. Career-minded secret police knew better than to target the Emperor's favorites.
Since their vassalage, Ferengi entrepreneurs had successfully taken over some of the galaxy's largest slave-trading, gambling, and munitions concerns. Azark denounced criminal activity of any sort, but clearly accepted donations from crooks. Although Ferengi often clashed with the Orion Syndicate, they were muscling in on territory, not stamping out crime.
Imperial Intelligence operations involving the Ferengi Alliance were minimal, focused primarily on monitoring the loyalty of the Ferengi and keeping an eye on their black market operations which could adversely affect the Empire. Imperial Security had arranged several lucrative deals with the Ferengi in the past to ensure their business continued uninterrupted, with a healthy payment to the Empire for their trouble. (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)
They had also made first contact with the Klingons prior to 2282. (TOS - Mirror Universe novel: The Sorrows of Empire)
Conquest by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance[]
Following the fall of the Terran Empire at the hands of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, the Ferengi were among the many races conquered by the Alliance. Although they were among the "disfavored" races in the Alliance, the Ferengi managed to weather their conquest largely unchanged, and composed the third major species within easy warp travel of Bajor.
Galactic opinion regarding the Ferengi ran the gamut from mild dislike to utter loathing. To most species, including the Klingons (who often killed them on sight), the Ferengi were untrustworthy little weasels with whom one should have as few dealings as possible. Others, such as the Cardassians and Bajorans, disdained the Ferengi, but recognized that they held some measure of value as snoops, fences, and black marketeers.
Because of the general Klingon reaction to their presence, Ferengi often tried to avoid the core worlds of the Alliance. They preferred to remain on the fringes of Alliance space, where they could work their schemes and gouge their customers in relative safety. But a profitable enough venture could tempt a Ferengi to overcome his native cowardice and go just about anywhere. (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)
The Terran Rebellion had also taken note of the fact that in some places, Ferengi had helped to smuggle escaped slaves out of Alliance space. One such case was at Terok Nor, where the Ferengi bartender Quark bravely helped Terran slaves escape from the custody of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance by smuggling them onto departing ships. In 2370, he was exposed by a captured Terran slave and was swiftly executed on the orders of Intendant Kira Nerys after being tortured by her first officer Gul Elim Garak. (DS9 episode: "Crossover")
Rebellion leaders wondered if they could make widespread use of the Ferengi for such purposes; an "underground railroad" operation of this sort would help strengthen their young organization. Assuming the Rebellion could afford Ferengi services, such initiatives could help increase their ranks significantly. (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)
Due to their oppression by the Alliance, many Ferengi also joined the Terran Rebellion. Among them was Quark's younger brother Rom. (DS9 episode: "Through the Looking Glass")
The mercenary Brunt's sympathies lay with the Rebellion but he and his partner Ezri Tigan frequently worked for the Alliance. (DS9 episode: "The Emperor's New Cloak")
First Splinter timeline[]
In 2378, the Ferengi recognised the new Terran state which was declared after the Memory Omega fleet, under the command of the Xenexian renegade M'k'n'zy of Calhoun, liberated Earth from the Alliance. In retaliation, Klag, the Regent of the Klingon Empire, abrogated the Raknal Accords and used a trilithium explosive to destroy Ferenginar's sun, leading to the almost complete extermination of the Ferengi people. This dishonourable act led to the Memory Omega agent General Duras challenging Klag to a duel. Duras succeeded in killing him and took his place as Regent and soon maneuvered the Klingons into accepting a peace treaty with the Terran Rebellion. (ST - Mirror Universe novel: Rise Like Lions)
Dark Mirror continuity[]
In a permutation of the mirror universe in which the Terran Empire survived well into the 24th century, a Ferengi vessel was destroyed by the ISS Stargazer, which was under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, at the Battle of Maxia in 2355. (TNG novel: Dark Mirror)
Culture[]
Beliefs[]
The Ferengi worshiped a divine being known as the Blessed Exchequer. (DS9 - Mirror Universe novel: Saturn's Children)
Society[]
The Ferengi had the same drive for profit and lobes for business as their greedy counterparts in the primary universe. Due to originating on a rain-soaked, resource-poor world, trade and trade wars dominated their history, which hardened them into a tough people who'd sooner suffer enormous pain than back down from a property dispute. When a Ferengi wanted something, he'd find a way to trade for it; if he couldn't trade for it, he'd try to steal it; if he couldn't steal it, he'd sneak up behind the owner, knife him in the back, and take it.
Throughout the galaxy, people feared the mercenary acumen of the sharp-toothed and rapacious Ferengi people. Lowlier schemers feared the Ferengi almost as much as the Vulcans, as they were nearly as sneaky as the pointy-eared logicians and infinitely more charismatic.
The Ferengi were best known as merchants, traders, gamblers, and thieves, but also operated as spies, assassins, smugglers, arms dealers and other practitioners of legitimate commerce. Due to the teachings of a series of business tomes marketed by Grand Nagus Olrak, the Ferengi avoided direct conquest, instead putting themselves at the service of whichever power happened to currently hold sway in any given sector. By convincingly promising any leader that they'd get more money over the long term by peacefully cooperating with them, the Ferengi intended to forever occupy a fun and lucrative market niche.
Because Ferengi loyalties shifted whichever way the winds of commerce blew, they were carefully watched by the Terran Empire's Imperial Intelligence, albeit minimally.
A mysterious cadre of Ferengi assassins had a reputation for being terrifying killers, which was rivaled by the Orion Cabal's Assassins of Q. Legend portrayed them as being so skilled at infiltration, camouflage, and silent assassination as to be virtually invisible. They supposedly used secret technologies to evade electronic surveillance. These so-called zakrim numbered among the foremost practitioners of the Ferengi martial art of pek. Pek relied on the Ferengis' remarkable auditory and mathematical capabilities. Fighters predicted their opponent's moves by listening to the air they displaced, and triangulating accordingly. (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)
Although the Ferengi society of the mirror universe was likewise built on the principle of free enterprise, many Ferengi were far more compassionate and less greedy than their primary universe counterparts and often paid for their compassion with their lives. (DS9 episode: "Crossover")