Rule 75: Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum.

Nausicaan Raider Maoth'ai, Khagan's quarters

Ariev, Maahir and Ravennah had to do some catching up. They were sitting in a mish mash of chairs, cushions and cargo boxes; between them on the floor lay several open bottles. „Clearly our lucky day!" Ariev said, reaching for a bulbous bottle of Saurian Brandy. „Agreed", Maahir nodded. „Two birds with one stone, piss off the Syndicate and pick up a Ferengi; couldn't have gone any better." He looked over at Ravennah, who was leaning against a cargo box, holding several bottles in her arms. „Throw me that Bajoran Spring Wine." Her eyes scanned the collection she was holding. She found the right bottle and handed it to her pilot. „We're on the right track", she said, less enthusiastic than her crewmates. „But it's not as easy as I thought." „Oh come on." Ariev shook his head. „You always knew how to handle Ferengi. You're just a bit rusty. It will come back to you as we go." He opened the brandy bottle, tried a sip, shuddered, closed the bottle and threw it onto a pile of pillows behind him. „Exactly", Maahir nodded. „An old flame never dies. Give it some time and it will all be like it used to be." He opened his bottle and drank from the wine. „Not bad!" he grinned. „Not strong either, but quite tasty." Ariev reached for the bottle to confirm this statement; he took a sip and finally raised his ridges approvingly. „You're right, not bad. And a pretty intense aroma." He passed the bottle to Ravennah. „You can mix a lot of interesting ingredients into it and no-one would suspect a thing!" Maahir added. „The old flame thing is exactly my problem", Ravennah said, watching the bottle thoughtfully. „Brunt isn't Rook. I don't think he deals with our lifestyle quite like Rook did. After all, he's an FCA liquidator, not an arms dealer."

Ariev searched through a box with bottles and finally decided to try a dark green one, made of dull glass, with a bright yellow label. „Maybe it will take a bit for him to get used to our rules, but they aren't that different from the Rules of Acquisition", he said while fighting a small battle against the bottle top. „But hey, he would have given you the latinum. Not even Rook would have done that so soon." Now Ravennah grinned. „Right. But Rook was the only one to ever give me his latinum", she corrected. „Then take it as a good sign", Maahir said and took the stubborn bottle off Ariev to try his luck. „FCA liquidators and arms dealers still have a major thing in common. They don't have many friends, but a lot of enemies - and latinum." Finally, the bottle gave up its resistance and Maahir sniffed the content curiously. A moment later, his antennae curled downwards and he gave the bottle back to Ariev without trying the drink. Ravennah still stared down at the Spring Wine, looking frustrated. „I never said it's impossible to make this work. But it's not going to be as easy as it was with Rook." She emptied the bottle and added: „It's simply not going to be like it used to be."

Next door, Khan's quarters

After a long and intense scan of the room, Brunt's eyes had finally found something to focus on without being confronted with slow, painful ways to die. Khan Maahir Sha'in, so the full name and rank of the room's owner, seemed to be a big fan of barbaric torture disguised as art. None of the paintings was of notable value and the statues wouldn't have gotten more than a bid or two at an auction, but visually the garbage made quite an impression. Therefore, Brunt stared at a pile of books, unable to decipher the titles. He was relatively certain that these were the collected documentations of absurd torture methods of the quadrant, but he didn't ask and just tried to think it were only cookbooks or something equally harmless.

„The replicator mostly works", Dh'amon explained. He leaned against a wall by the window, watching the space outside. „Just don't order anything Orion." Brunt swallowed and against his feeling of foreboding, he asked. „Why? What happens if..." „The replicator will add a randomly selected neurotoxin", Dh'amon replied casually. „Maahir has no love for the Syndicate." He sighed. „Yeah, I know, understandable after what happened with his so-called father. I'm sure he told you. He tells everyone... It's a bit annoying, especially if you have to come up with excuses every single time an Orion business partner doesn't come back to Orion..." „You... do business... with the Syndicate?" Brunt gasped. „I thought you worked for the Breen!" „Loyalty can be bought - and sold", Dh'amon quoted the 227th Rule of Acquisition. „We do business with the Orions, yes. They always pay on time and they handle things with the necessary discretion." He slowly walked over to the table in the corner, still looking into space. „It doesn't make us friends though. For them, we are business partners. We can do the difficult jobs. But after the business is done, we are just outcasts who don't belong here again." Brunt regarded him for a moment. „But why would it matter where you 'belong' if you get the jobs done? Who really cares?" „The Orions do", Dh'amon replied. „And it matters to the Breen, too." Now he turned around to face Brunt. „Yet that is still what makes the big difference. The Breen appreciate what the Orions despise. And that always makes them the highest bidder whenever our loyalty is for sale. No-one can outbid the Breen." Brunt shook his head. „I bet the Grand Nagus could. He can outbid everyone." As much as he valued the Breen as business partners of Ferenginar, it was a bit too much praise to not scratch at his pride.

Dh'amon quietly laughed, but it didn't sound like he was laughing about Brunt. „You have no idea how many insane dictators claimed they could outbid the Breen in the past." He watched a box at his feet, reached into it and found a dusty wine bottle. He blew off the dust, and then opened it with his teeth. „The Grand Nagus is no 'insane dictator", Brunt protested. „That is true", Dh'amon nodded. He put the bottle on the table and began to search for glasses. When he had found two in the box, he waved Brunt over and began to pour them drinks.

The Ferengi got up from the surprisingly clean bed that stood out like the last bastion of order in the middle of the room's chaos, and joined Dh'amon at the table. „In a year or so, Breen will open the borders officially for the unwanted sons and daughters of the quadrant", the pirate continued. He handed Brunt a glass of wine. „And that's the little detail giving the Confederacy the advantage. Breen does welcome the daughters. Ferenginar can't keep up with only welcoming the sons." „Hm", Brunt replied thoughtfully and tried the wine. It tasted better than he had expected. „Yeah", Dh'amon seemed to read his undecided thoughts. „Just look at yourself. Ravennah has shown her profitable intentions, yet you still bring up the 149th Rule." He seemed surprised by the quality of the wine himself, as he reached for the bottle to study the label. „I didn't make the rules", Brunt defended his position. „Grand Nagus Gint made them, and I'm sure he had his good reasons." „And I am sure he didn't consider all of the consequences." Dh'amon put the bottle aside and reached for his glass instead. „Take the 263rd Rule, for example." „Never let a clothed female cloud your sense for profit", Brunt quoted. The pirate nodded, as if Brunt had finally realized his mistake. „And what made you hesitate when Ravennah offered you to work with us?" he asked, more rhetorically. „That she's a 'clothed female', right?" he answered his own question. „You know there's a lot of profit to be made. An opportunity you almost missed."

Brunt's brain frantically tried to find an excuse to counter this reverse logic, but remained unsuccessful. There was only Rule 268, sub item d - in doubt, shoot them, take their money and blame someone else. To shoot Dh'amon and take his money was not a realistic option to solve the situation, but blaming someone else certainly was. „Gint probably was never in a situation like this. So he had no reason to make a rule for it." Dh'amon raised an eyebrow. „But you are not Gint. And you are in this situation. Yet you still defend a rule that is very obviously useless." He grinned. „I admit, some of your rules are really useful, but others are simply nonsense." „Oh?" Brunt's eyes narrowed. „And which would be simply nonsense?"

„How cute", Brunt heard Ravennah's voice from the door. Dh'amon was still grinning when the Ferengi turned around. Ravennah leaned in the open door, looking amused. „I hope you won't be too disappointed, but he actually knows all 285 Rules", she continued. „Everyone on this vessel does; information is valuable around here. And therefore, it is time we introduce our set of rules to you."