| |
SUMMARY: On discovering a wormhole leading home, the Voyager crew are determined to take with them two Ferengi who are exploiting a native population.
Voyager's sensors detect in a nearby solar system evidence of an erratic wormhole leading to the Alpha Quadrant and devise a means to attract its Delta Quadrant end, with a view to Voyager using the route to reach home. Voyager's sensors also detect evidence that a replicator from the Alpha Quadrant is in use on Takar, one of the nearby planets, which has a pre-warp society. Disguised so as to blend in with the natives, Paris and Chakotay go to investigate. They are accosted by two Takarians trying to make money from them, including a Bard who recites part of the Song of the Sages, and a Merchant who sells them ear-shaped talismans which are obligatory wear for entering the Temple precinct.
the Bard tries to charge Chakotay and Paris 3 frangs for his recitation |
the Merchant, wearing ear-shaped talismans |
the Ferengi's replicator in the midst of materialising a copy of the Rules of Acquisition |
Hearing the summoning gong, and suitably garbed with the talismans, Paris and Chakotay join the crowd of Takarians who gather at the foot of the steps to the Temple. Two luxuriously dressed Ferengi emerge, masquerading as the Takarians' Holy Sages. Using Alpha Quadrant technology such as a replicator to awe the Takarians, the two Ferengi, named Kol and Arridor, have shaped the primitive society along the lines of a Ferengi economy and, in their authoritative roles as "gods", are exploiting it to enrich themselves at the expense of the Takarians who live in poverty. |
 |
 |
| Arridor and Kol awe the people |
Paris and Chakotay return to Voyager. In a staff meeting, it is surmised that Kol and Arridor accidentally arrived in the Delta Quadrant seven years earlier, victims of their attempt to lay claim to the Barzan Wormhole during Federation-hosted negotiations between parties interested in purchasing rights to the wormhole. Janeway, unhappy at the Ferengi exploitation of a native population, argues that the Prime Directive does not apply because the Federation hosted the negotiations which ultimately landed the Ferengi in the Delta Quadrant, and therefore they have a duty to interfere and rectify the situation.
Accordingly, Janeway beams up Arridor and Kol to Voyager, where they explain that, being unable to return home, they settled on the primitive planet and took advantage of the local myth predicting the arrival of the Holy Sages. Janeway informs them that she will shortly be taking the two Ferengi back to the Alpha Quadrant through the Barzan Wormhole. Kol and Arridor do not wish to go - they have never had things so good - and Arridor argues that if they are simply removed it would damage the Takarians' religious beliefs and cause turmoil. Janeway reluctantly orders the Ferengi returned to their Temple on Takar.
in Voyager's transporter room, Arridor argues his case to Janeway |
a triumphant Kol (left) and Arridor (right) are transported back to Takar |
Realising that the way to deal with Ferengi is to "out-Ferengi" them and make it either more profitable for them to leave or less profitable to stay, another away team travels to Takar by shuttlecraft. Neelix, disguised as a Ferengi, pretends to Arridor and Kol that he is the Grand Proxy, sent by the Grand Nagus to appropriate their profits and recall them to Ferenginar. He instructs them to compose a speech to explain to the Takarians that they are leaving. Neelix leaves them alone to compose their speech while he distributes largesse to the population.
 |
 |
| Arridor and Kol are shocked to receive a visit from the Grand Proxy (Neelix in disguise) |
The plan backfires, however, as Kol and Arridor decide to kill the Grand Proxy rather than give up their profits. To save himself, Neelix confesses his true identity and is sent ignominiously from the Temple. Arridor establishes a security field around the Temple to prevent anyone from beaming them out again. Once again, it appears the Ferengi have triumphed.
 |
 |
| at swordpoint, Neelix confesses his disguise to Arridor and Kol |
As Neelix reports his failure to Paris and Chakotay, the Bard accosts them and tries to obtain money from them in return for a recitation from the Song of the Sages. However, Chakotay takes the trouble to listen to the Bard's words and devises a new plan. Drawing from the mythic prophecies that the Holy Sages will depart on "wings of fire" following the arrival of the Holy Pilgrim, Neelix proclaims himself to be the Holy Pilgrim. The populace gathers. When Kol and Arridor counters Neelix's claim, Voyager fires three photon bursts into the atmosphere to fulfill a line in the prophecy that says the gods will depart when three new stars appear in the sky. This convinces the populace.
 |
 |
| the Holy Pilgrim (Neelix) directs everyone to look up at the sky, and Voyager fires three photon torpedo to signify three new stars |
However, the Takarians, who have no love for their exploitive Sages, interpret the Song of the Sages literally, and bind the two Holy Sages and the Holy Pilgrim and prepare to burn them alive.
 |
 |
| the Takarians prepare to burn the Holy Pilgrim and the Holy Sages |
In the nick of time, Paris and Chakotay disable Arridor's security field enabling the Voyager crew to transport aboard the prisoners, also beaming aboard the Ferengi's shuttlepod which contains 24th century technology that cannot be left on the pre-warp Takar. The mysterious disappearance of the Holy ones could be said to enhance, rather than damage, the Takarians' religious beliefs.
 |
 |
| the away team and the two Ferengi are beamed aboard Voyager, and the Ferengi protest at their abduction as they are led away to detention |
|
At the same time, the crew's efforts to "attract" the wandering Barzan Wormhole succeed and Voyager prepares to enter it. But before Voyager can do so, Arridor and Kol escape detention and steal their shuttlecraft, aiming to beam up their stolen possessions from Takar. |
But the Ferengi's attempt to thwart recapture by Voyager leads to the Ferengi shuttlepod being pulled into the wormhole, destabilising it before Voyager can follow. The wormhole, instead of having a static end in the Alpha Quadrant and one that can be attracted in the Delta Quadrant, now has two ends that jump around erratically. This means that Janeway and her crew rescue the Takarians from the Ferengi, but lose another chance to return home. Janeway has no option but to give the order to resume course for the Alpha Quadrant.
 |
 |
| Kol and Arridor are drawn into the Barzan Wormhole |
 |
 |
| the Barzan Wormhole's end closes and moves before Voyager can enter it |
As Voyager leaves, its bright lights convince the Takarians that the prophecy is fulfilled and the Holy ones are departing, leaving the Takarians' religious beliefs intact.
the Holy Sages' profits are distributed amongst the Takarians by their former servant |
the Takarians see Voyager depart and interpret it as the departure of the Holy ones |
This episode follows on from events in [TNG: The Price] in which the Federation-hosted negotiations took place aboard USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.
 | | RECITED EXCERPTS FROM 'THE SONG OF THE SAGES':Oh those many years ago
The people's hearts were sad and low.
Then the Sages to the city came.
They came upon a burning flame
Just as the Seers said they would.
They lifted Takar's blinding hood-
......
The Sages in the sky did dwell
Upon white clouds that held them well,
Until the sentry rang the bell
The Holy Sages never fell.
And there amid the eastern lights
Three new stars appeared that night.
......
And with the ringing of the bell
The Sages knew where they must dwell.
The Holy Pilgrim led them back
High into the sky of black.
And riding on the wings of fire
The holy men rose higher and higher.
|
| | JANEWAY: We have to out-Ferengi the Ferengi. |
| | ARRIDOR: What a Ferengi always does in a situation this grave.
KOL: Panic?
ARRIDOR: No, you idiot! He goes to the Rules of Acquisition.
KOL: Ah.
ARRIDOR: Unabridged and fully annotated, with all 47 commentaries, all 900 major and minor judgements, all 10,000 considered opinions. There's a Rule for every conceivable situation. |
| | BARD, AFTER RECITING PART OF 'THE SONG OF THE SAGES', TO AWAY TEAM: That'll be three frangs, please.
PARIS: But we didn't ask you to recite it.
BARD: Well, you heard it, didn't you? |
|
