Quark goes into the weapons business with his cousin, Gaila.
Act One
Lieutenant Commander Dax and Quark are playing Tongo while the latter is checking on his stock quotes. He then realizes he is practically ruined.
Since news of business failures travels fast among Ferengi, Quark's cousin, Gaila, arrives a short time later. He then proposes to Quark to go into business with him as a weapons dealer. Gaila just needs Quark for his people skills and assures Quark that the industry is growing so fast that within a month, all Quark's debts could be paid off, and within a year, he could own his very own moon. Quark morosely says, "what do I have to lose?"
Meanwhile, ChiefO'Brien is having problems with his baby son Kirayoshi. Jake pops by and Miles explains that, while his wife is on Bajor attempting to get a blight under control, his regular babysitter has had an emergency and is unavailable for the time being. As a result, every time he puts Yoshi down, he begins to cry. Jake offers to babysit, and Miles accepts, as he has to start his shift, but as soon as Yoshi is in Jake's arms he begins crying again. Miles takes the baby back and he stops crying as soon as he's in his father's arms. With no other choice, Miles takes Yoshi to work with him.
In the bar Quark is rocking the chairs checking to see if Odo is around. Gaila tells him there is nothing to worry about as Odo just walked by. Gaila then introduces Quark to his partner, Hagath, the principal in their weapons-dealing business. Their new angle, they explain, is to conduct demonstrations inside Quark's holosuites with holographic replicas of the weapons they are peddling - thus avoiding any rules against bringing actual weapons aboard the station. Hagath seems to like Quark, but warns him, "Don't ever cross me." Quark is also troubled to hear Hagath and Gaila reminiscing over one of their past deals, in which they sold weapons to both sides in the same war.
Act Two
Quark soon becomes a wizard salesman in the holosuites, and several deals are closed aboard the station. His debts are being paid with his percentage from Hagath, who takes the liberty of transferring the money directly to his creditors. Quark protests, but Hagath says he doesn't like his partners to be encumbered by debt, which means Quark won't be seeing any actual profits for another few months.
In Quark's, Miles is having his weekly darts game against Julian still carrying Yoshi. Julian urges Miles to put his son down as Miles already has a bad shoulder, but when he does, Yoshi cries again.
While having one of Hagath's female attendants skillfully administer oo-mox, Odo arrives and arrests Quark for dealing weapons on the station. Quark defends himself saying that Odo can't prove a single weapon has been brought on board. Before Odo can go further, CaptainSisko and MajorKira enter and reluctantly tell him that Hagath and his associates have been declared "friends" of the Provisional Government, since Hagath supplied arms to the Bajoran Resistance during the Occupation. Odo is outraged, but Sisko says their hands are tied. Quark begins to gloat, but Sisko furiously tells Quark that the leniency Sisko has shown him in the past is over, and the next chance he gets he will see that Quark gets what's coming to him.
In Hagath's quarters, Hagath and Gaila are reminiscing about selling weapons to the Bajorans. All of Hagath's associates thought he was crazy for selling to the dirt-poor Bajorans, but Hagath predicted that the occupation would end one day, and knows that having a friend in the right place at the right time is sometimes worth more than money. Their conversation is interrupted by one of Hagath's employees, Farrakk, whom Hagath berates for wasting time on Risa while he was supposed to be closing a deal. Hagath fires the man on the spot.
Later, Gaila tells Quark that theRegent of Palamar is coming to the station. A rich man who is very particular about how he is treated. Quark says he can't wait to meet him. Gaila then compliments Quark and confides that he has decided to retire and offers Quark the chance to take his place. Quark states that he likes Hagath and would like a bigger share of the profits; to which Gaila replies "then everyone is happy... except for Farrakk." Apparently after Farrakk left the station, his ship blew up from a warp-core breach. Quark asks if Hagath killed him, and Gaila reminds him that Hagath doesn't like to be crossed.
Act Three
Although his finances are now stable, and he has a free pass from the Bajoran government, Quark is still troubled. His bar no longer has any Federation customers, and all of his friends, including Dax, have turned against him. He attempts to reconcile with her later when he spots her at the Replimat, but she refuses point blank to have anything to do with a weapons dealer. He tries to reason that the weapons he sells are strictly for defense, but Dax asks him that if he's so certain, then why is he begging her for forgiveness.
Later, Captain Sisko enters Ops and sees Kirayoshi sleeping in the engineering pit. O'Brien explains, in a whisper, that as soon as Miles went down there, Yoshi fell asleep in his bassinet and Miles doesn't want to risk waking him. Sisko, also whispering, tells Miles that he can't keep a baby in the pit, and to find another solution. Miles agrees, but asks Sisko if at least they can wait until he wakes up. Sisko reluctantly agrees. By this time, the entire Ops crew (including Dax and Kira) have drifted over to gaze adoringly at the baby's cuteness, and Sisko reminds them all to get back to work.
With Quark's catering services, Hagath hosts a dinner aboard the station for the Regent of Palamar. His former ally, GeneralNassuc has rebelled against him, and the Regent needs an appropriate weapon to "make an example" of her and some of her people. Hagath suggests mutagenic retroviruses, a potent biological weapon. Quark nervously asks what kind of numbers they are looking at, and the Regent estimates that "28 million" sounds right to him.
Act Three
Quark has a nightmare in which he is confronted by the ghosts of his former friends, including children like Jake and Kirayoshi, representing the people who have been killed by the weapons he is selling. As a dead Sisko spins the dabo wheel and tells Quark, "you lose," he wakes up screaming.
Quark wanders the Promenade in a moral quandary. He is frightened when Gaila remarks casually that Hagath wasn't satisifed with firing his slacking employee, he sabotaged his ship and had him killed. Gaila, seeing that Quark is having misgivings, poses a question in stark Ferengi terms: the galaxy is filled with hundreds, even thousands of interplanetary conflicts, so many that if "one of those lights (planets) were to wink out, you really think anyone would notice?" So, would Quark really turn down 10 million bars of latinum, just to turn out one of those insignificant little lights?
But Quark, blaming his remorse on his prolonged contact with humans, has decided there is a line he cannot cross, and starts working in secret to sabotage the deal with the Regent. First, he informs Hagath that their supplier can't fill the Regent's order in time, so he proposes that Hagath invite the Regent back to the station to preview an alternative that would do the job just as well.
Before executing his plan, and after giving an unreceptive Dax his Tongo wheel, he steadies himself in the mirror, reminding himself, "The worst Hagath can do, is kill you. What's one life compared with the lives of twenty-eight million people?"
Act Four
At the same time the Regent arrives, Quark invites General Nassuc to the station to do a deal on the opposite side of the station. Gaila panics when he finds Quark with her, but Quark says that they have the chance to make an obscene profit by dealing to both sides, and all they have to do is make sure she and the Regent never cross paths. Then, he dupes Gaila into conducting General Nassuc into the cargo bay where Hagath and the Regent are waiting. As Quark slips out, both sides begin yelling. Emerging onto the Promenade, Quark casually walks away as Odo and a squad of deputies thunder in the opposite direction towards the cargo bay, hearing reports of phaser fire.
In his quarters, Miles is cradling his son when Worf enters, reminding the Chief he was meant to make modifications to the USS Defiant that day. Miles tells Worf that Captain Sisko gave him a few days off and asks Worf to hold his son while he gets his bottle, warning Worf that Yoshi will begin to cry. However, as he is held by Worf, Yoshi doesn't cry but is placated -- Miles is astounded and places the baby in his bassinet. Miles sits down as Worf voices his regret that he didn't see his own son at that age, and Worf notices the Chief is fast asleep. Worf quickly exits the O'Briens quarters.
In his office, Captain Sisko is giving Quark a severe dressing down for all the trouble he's caused. Quark defends his actions, saying events weren't meant to escalate like they did. Sisko tells Quark that the Regent is dead and Gaila and Hagath have fled the station with a purification squad after them. Quark tells the Captain he can live with the consequences of his actions, and can think of 28 million people who won't shed any tears over the Regent's death. Sisko says he can think of 28 million and one, and Quark knows he is forgiven. However, this doesn't stop him from receiving a bill for damages to the cargo bay, which Quark promises to pay in installments.
Quark and Dax later play a conciliatory game of Tongo, friends once more. She comments on his ability to get out of tight spots, and he asks for the wheel back, which Dax refuses.
Memorable Quotes
"You owe me 15 strips of latinum!"
"Take it...that's all I've got left."
- Jadzia Dax and Quark, during their tongo game
"Would you stop doing that?!"
"Shhhhh...Just being careful. Odo could be anywhere...or anything."
- Gaila and Quark
"You want me to put the baby down? Fine - I'll put the baby down...(Kirayoshi begins bawling loudly)...Happy?"
"That's amazing..."
"No, no... this is amazing...(once in his father's arms the crying stops)...Now if you'll excuse me, it's my turn to throw."
- Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir, during their darts match
"Don't stop until you see smoke."
- Quark receiving oo-mox
"The Bajoran government insists that we not interfere with the 'lawful' transactions of Hagath or his associates...Hagath supplied arms to the Resistance - without him or people like him, we'd all be dead, and the Cardassians would still be in power...(making no attempt to hide her disgust)...We owe him."
- Kira Nerys, stating that Quark must be freed
"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!"
"Something to look forward to."
- Benjamin Sisko and Kira, to Quark before letting him go
"Not every deal is about making money - sometimes, you have to look at the big picture...And, at times, gaining a friend is more important than making profit."
"I admit, it's not the Ferengi way, but...it's good business nonetheless."
- Hagathh and Gaila, telling Quark why they aided the Bajorans
"28 million dead? Can't we just wound some of them?"
"I am here to buy weapons. Are you here to sell them?"
- Quark and the Regent of Palomar
"Look out there. Millions and millions of stars. Millions upon millions of worlds. And right now, half of them are fanatically dedicated to destroying the other half. Now, do you think, if one of those twinkling little lights suddenly went out, anybody would notice? ... Suppose I offered you ten million bars of gold-pressed latinum to help turn out one of those lights. Would you really tell me to keep my money?"
- Gaila
"How much latinum did they pay you, Quark?"
"Enough to buy a new conscience?"
- Dax and Kira, in Quark's dream
"The worst Hagath can do...is kill you - what's one life compared to the lives...of 28 million people?!"
- Quark, to himself in the mirror, realizing what he must do
"What do I have to lose?"
- Quark
"What I'm trying to say is that keeping Kirayoshi in the pit is not an acceptable solution."
- Sisko, to O'Brien
"About my tongo wheel..."
"It's not your tongo wheel. You gave it to me, remember?"
"I know that I 'gave' it to you, but at the time, I..."
"I'm not giving it back - and that's final!"
- Dax and Quark, after Quark's life has returned to normal
During their first pitch session Bradley Thompson and David Weddle were told by Ira Steven Behr that he wanted a story "where Quark runs up against the limits of his greed." This episode was the result. As Hans Beimler explains, "Quark is a Ferengi businessman. That's something he's proud of, that has significance to him. He's not a weasel. "Business as Usual" is a great story because it tells us how far Quark has been pushed, and to what depths he's willing to go, that he would take the role of an arms dealer. And he's never completely comfortable with it. He kids himself for a while. He's in denial, but when they start talking about killing twenty-eight million people, he becomes a man in tremendous turmoil." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) This desire to get under Quark's skin and see the essence of his character echoes the writers' reason for making the fourth season episode "Body Parts".
Bradley Thompson and David Weddle based the outline of this episode on real life events. As Weddle explains, "We'd heard that Russian scientists were pulling plutonium out of warheads and selling it. Knowing that Cardassia was, at this point in the series, falling apart, we wondered what would happen if the planet decided to sell off its weapons." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) This was the second time since the Klingon invasion of Cardassian space that the writers had structured a story with historical parallels; in the episode "By Inferno's Light", Robert Hewitt Wolfe based Dukat's rise to power on Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the Weimar Republic of Germany.
Of Lawrence Tierney's appearance, Ira Steven Behr enthuses "It was one of the highlights of my year to have him on the show.
Alexander Siddig directs Josh Pais on the set of "Business as Usual"
He's one of my icons." Unfortunately, Tierney had suffered a stroke shortly before shooting this episode, and although he could deliver his lines perfectly, he had trouble remembering them. This caused quite a bit of stress for first-time director Alexander Siddig, but in the end, Tierney's performance was one of the highlights of the show. As assistant director Louis Race points out, "He really came to deliver one line: 'I'm here to buy weapons; are you here to sell them?' And he delivered that line like somebody calling to you from the other side of death. It was just chilling. So when the guy had to deliver, he did, and when he did his close-up, nobody stayed in their trailers. They all came over to watch." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
This episode is a favorite of actor Armin Shimerman; "What I like about it is that there's a real, actual problem that Quark has to face, a true dilemma. Having lived with Starfleet for so many years, Quark's begun to acclimatize to their culture, as anyone would who lives in a foreign culture. Because if you live in that culture longer and longer, you begin to take on its characteristics. And certainly, Quark's feelings of remorse and justice and morality are beginning to loom larger and larger in his life." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) This recalls the conversation between Quark and Garak in "The Way of the Warrior", where they talk about how the Federation is like root beer, bubbly and sweet and quite awful, but if you get enough of it, you begin to like it.
When asked if he thinks Quark would have gone ahead with the deal if fewer people were going to die, Bradley Thompson replied "We just found one line of Quark's greed that he wouldn't cross. We haven't found the bottom line yet." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
A line cut from an early draft of the script referenced a Vulcan science vessel named T'Pan, which had requested permission to dock at Deep Space 9, and was granted to put in at Docking Bay Three. It also referenced the USS Wellington, which was also docked at the station refueling.
