Rewriting the Rules chapter 6
Title: Rewriting the Rules
Chapter: 6 / 12
Rating: T
Length: 2,000 words; now at 11,520 words overall
Characters: Pel, Nilva, Quark, Nog
Spoilers: Through DS9 6x23.
Notes: AU fix fic for 6x23 "Profit and Lace". Standard disclaimer, that episode is TERRIBLE - read this or this if you haven't seen it and want to know what happens. 2x07 "Rules of Acquisition" is worth watching, though.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to
touchdownpossum for beta-ing! <3
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7
"What you're doing, whatever the reasons - it's not right. You're a female. You shouldn't be earning profit. It's against the Rules, and it's against the law."
This is what she was afraid of. It's too late to do anything now, though. If he wants to turn her in, then that's what will happen, and she can't run to the Gamma Quadrant this time. Chances are it will be the end of her.
"I could turn you in," Nilva says. "I probably should, to protect my company. I might get away with just a fine if I tell the Nagus about you right away."
Pel closes her eyes. "If that's what you want," she says in a whisper, almost choking on the words.
"It really isn't," he mutters. "Look... Why don't you just quit? Just get out of business and find a man to watch out for you, and live a normal life? You make good money working for me. I'm sure you have enough latinum saved up to get you by for a while."
It's kind of Nilva to offer her a way out. She could always move in with her brother Faron, and she's also pretty sure that Quark would take her in if she asked.
She could quit. But she won't. If there's one thing that these last few days have clarified for her, it's that freedom is not something that she can afford to give up. Doing business is what she lives for. She's a Ferengi, and she can't quit that.
She looks Nilva in the eye and says, "No. You'd have to kill me to get me to stop making profit."
He just watches her for a few seconds. And then sighs, and says, "I believe you. That's... an admirable sentiment." He looks away. "At least for a male, it would be."
She waits, and says nothing, and hears her own heartbeat hammering wildly in her ears.
Nilva looks up, examining her. "Does anyone else know about you?"
"Just a few people. No one who'll tell." She doesn't dare to hope, not yet.
He huffs. "Well then. I suppose, if no one's going to find out about it... Your talents do come in handy."
She sags with relief. He's not going to turn her in - he's chosen profit over his moral convictions. She'd prefer that he change his convictions, but this is the best she could reasonably have hoped for. She puts her wrists together and bows her head, too choked up to say thank you.
"So I'm curious," Nilva says. "Are there any other females working for me?"
Pel smiles and wipes her eyes. "A few. I am your hiring manager, after all." She's not about to name names, but some of Nilva's best employees are women in disguise. It's not easy finding smart, loyal Ferengi men who'll work for half what they're worth to the company, but there are plenty of women in desperate situations who fit that profile. Whenever Pel finds one who can pass for male well enough, she makes the hire.
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me who they are."
"No, I'm not getting anyone else in trouble."
He smiles, but with very little mirth. "*I'M* going to be the one in trouble, if the FCA ever finds out that I'm employing females. My being a commissioner makes it that much worse."
Which brings them to the other subject she needs to talk to him about. "That sounds like a very good reason to support Zek," she says. "If he's retained as Nagus, he'll eventually make it legal to hire females, and even if you were caught before then I'm sure he'd go easy on you."
Nilva's smile fades. "Well, I don't know about that," he says. "I have to think about what's best for the Alliance. Zek has really shaken things up... Chaos is not good for business."
"Oh, it'll settle down. Practically every other sentient race treats their females as equals, and they're doing just fine. The Humans, the Vulcans -"
"Those people don't even use currency!" He looks scandalized.
"Not for most things," Pel explains, "but they do trade a high volume of goods and services. By that standard, they're very successful - more successful than we are, actually. And there are a few examples, like the Bolians, who have gender equality and are still very good with latinum."
"But we're better than they are. We're the number one profit-making association of planets in this quadrant! Maybe in the entire galaxy." He's wrong, the Ferengi aren't the best in the galaxy - Pel has seen the Karemma's GDI figures and per capita wealth estimates. Her people have some catching up to do.
"How long do you think we'll stay on top of the Alpha Quadrant?" she asks. "The Alliance's share of interstellar trade has been getting smaller and smaller for decades. The Federation is taking over the entire market! We're never going to make headway against them if we keep fighting with one hand tied behind our backs. We need females as consumers and as laborers, and we need their brainpower. Otherwise we'll fall behind. It's inevitable."
"In the long run... you might be right," Nilva concedes. "But what about the immediate future? Right now I still have a business to run, and I have to keep it out of bankruptcy. You know how bad this financial meltdown has been for Slug-O. You've seen the sales figures, and the hit our stock took on the Exchange."
"EVERYONE had their sales drop and their stock take a hit, because everyone panicked like a bunch of lobeless morons." That came out a little angry, but she is angry. Females can't be free because it disrupts commerce, it's their fault the markets have gone all to destitution - she's heard that argument a thousand times by now, and she's sick of it. "Don't try to blame it on women wearing clothes. It was you corporate leaders who treated Zek's amendment like a crisis instead of an opportunity."
Nilva snorts and says, "Lobeless moron, am I?"
She winces. "Sorry. I didn't mean you specifically..."
"Well, you can be blunt sometimes, but at least you give your honest opinion," he says. "If this were one of our boardroom arguments, now is when I would tell you to stop throwing around insults and just explain to your poor, witless colleagues what we're missing. What opportunity do you see that I don't?"
She had thought this part through even before the call from Nog, and it's an easy case to make. "If females can wear clothes, then they'll go outside on their own. We've already seen that starting to happen. And if they go out, they'll be exposed to advertisements."
"Ads for Slug-O-Cola, for example."
"That's right, and we'll be the first company to tailor ads to their demographic. I'm no expert in that field, but Quark tells me that his mother has some interesting ideas about marketing strategies geared toward women."
"Hmm. Treat them like an untapped market..."
"An emerging market," she says. "They won't have much latinum to start with, but with time, and if Zek makes a few more legal changes, they'll become a financial force to be reckoned with."
Nilva considers that for a moment. "So by getting Zek reinstated I'd be helping to create a new pool of customers, and then I'd just... swoop in and capture that market as soon as it's formed." He looks at Pel, and slowly breaks into a grin. "I like it."
"So you'll do it? You'll vote for Zek?" This could be it, the victory she's been hoping for -
He nods. "And I'll see what I can do about the rest of the Board of Liquidators."
"Oh, Nilva!" She beams at him and, after a second's consideration, embraces him and gives hm a kiss on the cheek.
"Ahh, please, Nim!" He steps back and holds her at arms' length. "I'm really not comfortable being kissed by someone who looks so much like a man."
She blushes. "Sorry, it's just..." His help means a lot to her, and she does want him to know that. "You're a good man, Nilva. I'm glad I work for you."
"Well. You're not a bad man yourself," he says, looking a little embarrassed. "Now just to be clear, I can't make any guarantees about the other commissioners. They may be hard to sway."
"Oh, I'm sure Zek will understand that. You can tell him yourself, actually. We're meeting with him right after this."
The thought of the upcoming meeting reminds Pel that she's not exactly presentable right now. "I'd better fix this," she says, plucking at her shirt, and turns her back to Nilva. The band goes first - she slips it around herself, under the shirt, and fastens it over her chest.
"Do me a favor," Nilva says. "Don't tell Zek that I've made a firm decision. Let's just say that I'm... open to the possibility of voting for him. For a price." She can hear slyness in his voice, and a hint of humor.
Still buttoning up her shirt, she grins and says, "Yes, sir! Wish I could have gotten some latinum out of him, but he had a backup plan that didn't involve me."
"Oh?"
"Trust me, you don't want to know." She tucks her shirt in, straightens the cuffs. "I got a few bars from Quark, at least, so that's something."
She fastens her jacket and tugs it down, then turns around and adjusts her posture, slumping forward just a bit. "Now," she says in her male voice, much to Nilva's amusement. "In case Brunt's listening when we leave here, we spent the last half hour getting the best oo-mox of our lives from, what was it" - she digs the isolinear rod out of her pocket - "the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx, from Betazed."
"I can't believe that act fooled me for so long," Nilva says, smiling and shaking his head. "Right, the Pleasure Goddess. She had such soft hands."
"And she was beautiful too! Long dark hair..."
"Delicate little lobes..."
"And breasts the size of Andorian ice melons!" Pel gestures for effect, and Nilva laughs out loud.
She unlocks the holosuite door, and they walk out into the dim light and clamor of the bar.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Pel sees Nog sitting at the bar, snacking on fried tube grubs. Quark isn't with him - she looks around and spots him in the corner by the storeroom door, having what appears to be an intense conversation with a dabo girl. A tall, curly-haired, busty, absolutely gorgeous dabo girl. She doesn't have long to feel jealous, though, because a second later Quark notices her and Nilva and immediately shoos the girl away. He walks over to greet them.
"I hope you gentlemen had a, ah, pleasant experience?"
"Very enjoyable," Nilva says, smiling and stroking one of his lobes. "Those Betazoid females have talented hands!"
Pel smiles too and winks at Quark, letting him know that things went well.
"Oh, that's good," Quark says. "That's very good..." He grins back at them, rubbing his hands together. "I'm sure the female is ready to see you by now. Nog! Quit loafing around and get over here!"
Nog appears beside her, all straight-backed and formal in his Starfleet uniform - she still can't quite wrap her head around the idea of a Ferengi joining that organization. "Yes, Uncle?"
"Take our guests to the Nagus's quarters. It's time they met his advisor."
Nog seems to pick up on Quark's good mood, and his face lights up. "Of course! Right this way," he says, and leads them out of the bar.
Brunt is still lying in wait, and the second they step outside the bar he approaches them. As he's opening his mouth to speak, Nilva says, "Not right now, Brunt, I'm in the middle of something." Brunt is left standing there with his mouth hanging open as the three of them walk by.
Pel says loudly for Brunt's benefit, "Young man, do you know where I can get a copy of that Rixx program? She was fantastic."
Nog shoots her a grin over his shoulder. "There are five programs in that series, each in a different luxurious setting. I could get you all five for, say, three bars of latinum..."
They keep up the chatter as they head into the corridors.
Chapter: 6 / 12
Rating: T
Length: 2,000 words; now at 11,520 words overall
Characters: Pel, Nilva, Quark, Nog
Spoilers: Through DS9 6x23.
Notes: AU fix fic for 6x23 "Profit and Lace". Standard disclaimer, that episode is TERRIBLE - read this or this if you haven't seen it and want to know what happens. 2x07 "Rules of Acquisition" is worth watching, though.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to
touchdownpossum for beta-ing! <3"What you're doing, whatever the reasons - it's not right. You're a female. You shouldn't be earning profit. It's against the Rules, and it's against the law."
This is what she was afraid of. It's too late to do anything now, though. If he wants to turn her in, then that's what will happen, and she can't run to the Gamma Quadrant this time. Chances are it will be the end of her.
"I could turn you in," Nilva says. "I probably should, to protect my company. I might get away with just a fine if I tell the Nagus about you right away."
Pel closes her eyes. "If that's what you want," she says in a whisper, almost choking on the words.
"It really isn't," he mutters. "Look... Why don't you just quit? Just get out of business and find a man to watch out for you, and live a normal life? You make good money working for me. I'm sure you have enough latinum saved up to get you by for a while."
It's kind of Nilva to offer her a way out. She could always move in with her brother Faron, and she's also pretty sure that Quark would take her in if she asked.
She could quit. But she won't. If there's one thing that these last few days have clarified for her, it's that freedom is not something that she can afford to give up. Doing business is what she lives for. She's a Ferengi, and she can't quit that.
She looks Nilva in the eye and says, "No. You'd have to kill me to get me to stop making profit."
He just watches her for a few seconds. And then sighs, and says, "I believe you. That's... an admirable sentiment." He looks away. "At least for a male, it would be."
She waits, and says nothing, and hears her own heartbeat hammering wildly in her ears.
Nilva looks up, examining her. "Does anyone else know about you?"
"Just a few people. No one who'll tell." She doesn't dare to hope, not yet.
He huffs. "Well then. I suppose, if no one's going to find out about it... Your talents do come in handy."
She sags with relief. He's not going to turn her in - he's chosen profit over his moral convictions. She'd prefer that he change his convictions, but this is the best she could reasonably have hoped for. She puts her wrists together and bows her head, too choked up to say thank you.
"So I'm curious," Nilva says. "Are there any other females working for me?"
Pel smiles and wipes her eyes. "A few. I am your hiring manager, after all." She's not about to name names, but some of Nilva's best employees are women in disguise. It's not easy finding smart, loyal Ferengi men who'll work for half what they're worth to the company, but there are plenty of women in desperate situations who fit that profile. Whenever Pel finds one who can pass for male well enough, she makes the hire.
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me who they are."
"No, I'm not getting anyone else in trouble."
He smiles, but with very little mirth. "*I'M* going to be the one in trouble, if the FCA ever finds out that I'm employing females. My being a commissioner makes it that much worse."
Which brings them to the other subject she needs to talk to him about. "That sounds like a very good reason to support Zek," she says. "If he's retained as Nagus, he'll eventually make it legal to hire females, and even if you were caught before then I'm sure he'd go easy on you."
Nilva's smile fades. "Well, I don't know about that," he says. "I have to think about what's best for the Alliance. Zek has really shaken things up... Chaos is not good for business."
"Oh, it'll settle down. Practically every other sentient race treats their females as equals, and they're doing just fine. The Humans, the Vulcans -"
"Those people don't even use currency!" He looks scandalized.
"Not for most things," Pel explains, "but they do trade a high volume of goods and services. By that standard, they're very successful - more successful than we are, actually. And there are a few examples, like the Bolians, who have gender equality and are still very good with latinum."
"But we're better than they are. We're the number one profit-making association of planets in this quadrant! Maybe in the entire galaxy." He's wrong, the Ferengi aren't the best in the galaxy - Pel has seen the Karemma's GDI figures and per capita wealth estimates. Her people have some catching up to do.
"How long do you think we'll stay on top of the Alpha Quadrant?" she asks. "The Alliance's share of interstellar trade has been getting smaller and smaller for decades. The Federation is taking over the entire market! We're never going to make headway against them if we keep fighting with one hand tied behind our backs. We need females as consumers and as laborers, and we need their brainpower. Otherwise we'll fall behind. It's inevitable."
"In the long run... you might be right," Nilva concedes. "But what about the immediate future? Right now I still have a business to run, and I have to keep it out of bankruptcy. You know how bad this financial meltdown has been for Slug-O. You've seen the sales figures, and the hit our stock took on the Exchange."
"EVERYONE had their sales drop and their stock take a hit, because everyone panicked like a bunch of lobeless morons." That came out a little angry, but she is angry. Females can't be free because it disrupts commerce, it's their fault the markets have gone all to destitution - she's heard that argument a thousand times by now, and she's sick of it. "Don't try to blame it on women wearing clothes. It was you corporate leaders who treated Zek's amendment like a crisis instead of an opportunity."
Nilva snorts and says, "Lobeless moron, am I?"
She winces. "Sorry. I didn't mean you specifically..."
"Well, you can be blunt sometimes, but at least you give your honest opinion," he says. "If this were one of our boardroom arguments, now is when I would tell you to stop throwing around insults and just explain to your poor, witless colleagues what we're missing. What opportunity do you see that I don't?"
She had thought this part through even before the call from Nog, and it's an easy case to make. "If females can wear clothes, then they'll go outside on their own. We've already seen that starting to happen. And if they go out, they'll be exposed to advertisements."
"Ads for Slug-O-Cola, for example."
"That's right, and we'll be the first company to tailor ads to their demographic. I'm no expert in that field, but Quark tells me that his mother has some interesting ideas about marketing strategies geared toward women."
"Hmm. Treat them like an untapped market..."
"An emerging market," she says. "They won't have much latinum to start with, but with time, and if Zek makes a few more legal changes, they'll become a financial force to be reckoned with."
Nilva considers that for a moment. "So by getting Zek reinstated I'd be helping to create a new pool of customers, and then I'd just... swoop in and capture that market as soon as it's formed." He looks at Pel, and slowly breaks into a grin. "I like it."
"So you'll do it? You'll vote for Zek?" This could be it, the victory she's been hoping for -
He nods. "And I'll see what I can do about the rest of the Board of Liquidators."
"Oh, Nilva!" She beams at him and, after a second's consideration, embraces him and gives hm a kiss on the cheek.
"Ahh, please, Nim!" He steps back and holds her at arms' length. "I'm really not comfortable being kissed by someone who looks so much like a man."
She blushes. "Sorry, it's just..." His help means a lot to her, and she does want him to know that. "You're a good man, Nilva. I'm glad I work for you."
"Well. You're not a bad man yourself," he says, looking a little embarrassed. "Now just to be clear, I can't make any guarantees about the other commissioners. They may be hard to sway."
"Oh, I'm sure Zek will understand that. You can tell him yourself, actually. We're meeting with him right after this."
The thought of the upcoming meeting reminds Pel that she's not exactly presentable right now. "I'd better fix this," she says, plucking at her shirt, and turns her back to Nilva. The band goes first - she slips it around herself, under the shirt, and fastens it over her chest.
"Do me a favor," Nilva says. "Don't tell Zek that I've made a firm decision. Let's just say that I'm... open to the possibility of voting for him. For a price." She can hear slyness in his voice, and a hint of humor.
Still buttoning up her shirt, she grins and says, "Yes, sir! Wish I could have gotten some latinum out of him, but he had a backup plan that didn't involve me."
"Oh?"
"Trust me, you don't want to know." She tucks her shirt in, straightens the cuffs. "I got a few bars from Quark, at least, so that's something."
She fastens her jacket and tugs it down, then turns around and adjusts her posture, slumping forward just a bit. "Now," she says in her male voice, much to Nilva's amusement. "In case Brunt's listening when we leave here, we spent the last half hour getting the best oo-mox of our lives from, what was it" - she digs the isolinear rod out of her pocket - "the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx, from Betazed."
"I can't believe that act fooled me for so long," Nilva says, smiling and shaking his head. "Right, the Pleasure Goddess. She had such soft hands."
"And she was beautiful too! Long dark hair..."
"Delicate little lobes..."
"And breasts the size of Andorian ice melons!" Pel gestures for effect, and Nilva laughs out loud.
She unlocks the holosuite door, and they walk out into the dim light and clamor of the bar.
As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Pel sees Nog sitting at the bar, snacking on fried tube grubs. Quark isn't with him - she looks around and spots him in the corner by the storeroom door, having what appears to be an intense conversation with a dabo girl. A tall, curly-haired, busty, absolutely gorgeous dabo girl. She doesn't have long to feel jealous, though, because a second later Quark notices her and Nilva and immediately shoos the girl away. He walks over to greet them.
"I hope you gentlemen had a, ah, pleasant experience?"
"Very enjoyable," Nilva says, smiling and stroking one of his lobes. "Those Betazoid females have talented hands!"
Pel smiles too and winks at Quark, letting him know that things went well.
"Oh, that's good," Quark says. "That's very good..." He grins back at them, rubbing his hands together. "I'm sure the female is ready to see you by now. Nog! Quit loafing around and get over here!"
Nog appears beside her, all straight-backed and formal in his Starfleet uniform - she still can't quite wrap her head around the idea of a Ferengi joining that organization. "Yes, Uncle?"
"Take our guests to the Nagus's quarters. It's time they met his advisor."
Nog seems to pick up on Quark's good mood, and his face lights up. "Of course! Right this way," he says, and leads them out of the bar.
Brunt is still lying in wait, and the second they step outside the bar he approaches them. As he's opening his mouth to speak, Nilva says, "Not right now, Brunt, I'm in the middle of something." Brunt is left standing there with his mouth hanging open as the three of them walk by.
Pel says loudly for Brunt's benefit, "Young man, do you know where I can get a copy of that Rixx program? She was fantastic."
Nog shoots her a grin over his shoulder. "There are five programs in that series, each in a different luxurious setting. I could get you all five for, say, three bars of latinum..."
They keep up the chatter as they head into the corridors.