Goss's Golden Disruption — Ferengi Ostentation Upsets the Table
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Riker announces the unexpected arrival of the Ferengi delegation, disrupting the proceedings.
DaiMon Goss and his Ferengi entourage materialize, immediately asserting their presence and demanding chairs.
Goss dismisses formalities and makes a crude, ostentatious bid by spilling gold bars across the table, shocking the delegates.
Picard exits the room, his silent reaction underscoring the Ferengi's disruptive impact on the negotiations.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Professional and dutiful — carrying out orders without commentary, keeping operations smooth.
O'Brien responds to Picard's order over comm and beams the Ferengi into the observation lounge — his off-stage technical action facilitates the Ferengi's entrance and the subsequent disruption.
- • Execute transport orders accurately and promptly
- • Support the captain's directives to maintain order
- • Following command channels preserves ship operations
- • Technical neutrality is essential in diplomatic contexts
Offended and resolute — ready to enforce order and insulted by Goss's attempt to belittle him.
Worf asserts his authority when insulted, declaring himself in charge of security in response to Goss's barb and standing as an imposing presence between provocation and violence.
- • Prevent the Ferengi from escalating into physical disruption
- • Maintain safety for delegates and the Enterprise crew
- • Security must be visibly asserted to deter misconduct
- • Insults to honor require firm response to preserve command credibility
Calm and businesslike — unconcerned with theatricality, focused on the delegation's objectives.
Arridor appears with the Ferengi, follows the group's lead in the room, and is escorted out by Riker; his medical role is not exercised but his presence signals Ferengi seriousness and the mixing of commerce and science.
- • Represent Ferengi technical/medical readiness as part of their negotiating posture
- • Support the DaiMon's tactics to secure advantage
- • Presence of specialists signals capability and seriousness
- • Operational advantage can be achieved through impression as well as resources
Controlled irritation and disappointment; she appears diplomatic outwardly but inwardly insulted by the reduction of her planet's fate to currency.
Bhavani presides from the head of the table, receives the Ferengi intrusion politely, and reacts with dignified displeasure when gold is dumped — maintaining composure while the moral stakes of her people's future are trivialized.
- • Protect the seriousness of Barzan's claim and sovereignty
- • Avoid creating diplomatic ill will that could harm Barzan's interests
- • The wormhole's control is a matter of survival, not barter
- • Respectful, institutional negotiation best serves Barzan's long-term needs
Calmly interested — outwardly unruffled while mentally cataloging reactions and potential leverage points.
Devinoni sits deliberately studying the room, registering Goss's intrusion like a player watching opponents — he does not interrupt but his measured attention suggests calculation and potential exploitation.
- • Assess how Goss's stunt shifts other delegates' loyalties or vulnerabilities
- • Position himself (and Chrysalia) to exploit any ensuing confusion
- • Emotional and theatrical acts reveal hidden priorities
- • Subtle influence works better than overt displays in the long term
Confident, gleefully predatory — enjoying the chaos he creates and the moral discomfort it produces in others.
Goss bursts in boisterously, demands chairs, orchestrates the theatrics by having Kol hand him a sack, then deliberately overturns it to spill gold, announcing he will top any bid and seating himself with a grin.
- • Shift the negotiation toward commercial terms favorable to the Ferengi
- • Intimidate or distract other delegates to gain bargaining advantage
- • Money is the decisive lever in negotiations
- • Showmanship and provocation will unnerve rivals and sway outcomes
Obedient and unflappable — focused on carrying out orders rather than engaging in rhetoric.
Kol acts as a deferential aide: he materializes with Goss, hands over the sack when prompted, and follows Goss's lead without speaking, then is shepherded out by Riker.
- • Support DaiMon Goss's display without drawing attention
- • Ensure the Ferengi delegation's material leverage is presented effectively
- • The DaiMon's will directs the pod's actions
- • Proper execution of orders is the path to profit and favor
Cautiously observant — neutral outwardly, internally weighing implications for Caldonia's position.
Leyor listens quietly at the table, observing the exchange without intervention; his restrained presence registers the shifting dynamics but he offers no immediate response.
- • Gather information about other delegates' priorities
- • Avoid premature commitment until clearer advantage emerges
- • Prudence yields better long-term outcomes than impulsive alignment
- • The actions of more aggressive parties will reveal true intentions
Guarded calm — quietly irritated but keeping public face of negotiation intact to preserve Starfleet's standing.
Mendoza is seated and composed, acknowledging Bhavani's remarks and absorbing the Ferengi intrusion with professional poise, allowing the formal process to proceed despite the distraction.
- • Preserve Starfleet's diplomatic credibility
- • Prevent the Ferengi's actions from derailing formal negotiations
- • Maintaining calm procedure is essential to legitimate bargaining
- • Overreaction to spectacle will harm Starfleet's negotiating position
Restrained professionalism overlaying private exasperation — outwardly calm but internally annoyed and incredulous at the breach of decorum.
As host, Picard tries to assert procedural control: he authorizes the Ferengi beaming, attempts to limit their participation to one representative, and physically exits the room while absorbing the shock of Goss's stunt.
- • Maintain procedural order and fairness in the negotiations
- • Contain the Ferengi disruption without escalating conflict
- • Formal diplomatic process should be respected and protected
- • Allowing unmoderated spectacle will undermine the integrity of the talks
Concerned and professional; he is watchful about security and decorum, ready to enforce boundaries but careful not to inflame the dispute.
Riker announces the Ferengi arrival, escorts Kol and Arridor out after they are beamed, and manages the immediate logistics while exchanging knowing glances with Picard.
- • Keep the meeting focused and secure
- • Limit the Ferengi presence to prevent disruptions
- • Order and chain of command will best defuse provocations
- • The Enterprise must remain an impartial host to preserve legitimacy
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Conference chairs function as contested physical tokens of participation: Goss demands chairs for his consuls, prompting negotiation over seating and representation, revealing the Ferengi attempt to convert quantity of presence into bargaining power.
Goss uses the heavy burlap sack as a theatrical prop: Kol hands it to him and he upends it over the conference table to spill gold bars, turning the sack into a visible bribe and narrative pivot that shifts focus from policy to profit.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Observation Deck serves as the formal diplomatic chamber where Barzan's fate is debated; its large table and windowed salon frame the negotiations, becoming the literal stage for Goss's ostentation that transforms an institutional setting into a marketplace spectacle.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"Excuse me, a delegation of... Ferengi... wishes to be beamed aboard..."
"On behalf of all Ferengi, I protest... why were we not invited to these negotiations..."
"I'll match anyone's best offer... and add the gold on top of it."