Best of Star Trek: DS9---The Magnificent Ferengi

This was both funny and adventurous. It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Biemeir.

Quark learns his mother has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner by the Dominion. He attempts to get a group of soldiers together made up of Ferengi including Rom and Nog. When simulation battle scenarios show them to be incapable of defeating the Jem'Hadar, Rom suggests that why don't they do what Ferengi do best---negotiate.

With Captain Sisko's help, they use the creepy Volta Keevan to take for trade. Keevan is not to crazy about being part of this deal, as it is customary for Volta to commit suicide when capture, something he failed to do. When they arrive at Empok Nor where the trade is to be held, they are surrounded by dozens of Jem'Hadar soldiers. Quark tells the negotiator Yelgrun that they'll complete the transaction when they send the Jem'Hadar away with the exception of two as Yelgrun's body guards. He agrees.

In the meantime, Quark's cowardly cousin Gaila is freaking out and upset when Rom slips that the Grand Nagus offered 50 bars of latinum as a reward, not the 20 Quark told them. He tries to shoot Quark and instead ends up killing Keevan.

 Fortunately, Nog learned something about neural stimulators and fakes Keevan being dead in order for the trade to proceed without getting everyone else killed. The sociopathic eliminator Leck kills one of the Jem'Hadar as the rest of the band, including "Mookie," head for their ship parked right outside the dock.

This was a fun episode with action and adventure and a welcome reprieve from the heavy drama that began the season with a series of continuing storylines involving the takeover of the space station by Gul Dukat and the Dominion. This episode too involves the Dominion but when you have a story that features the Ferengi, you know it will feature strategy of how to get out alive with your latinum intact.