Ishka Ishka , daughter of Adred ( nicknamed Moogie ) was the mother of Quark and Rom , and was romantically involved with Grand Nagus Zek . She played a crucial role in initiating reform s which took place in Ferengi society in 2375 . Life . Ishka was married to Keldar , a good man who didn ' t have the mind for business that was needed in Ferengi society . Ishka attempted to help her husband in financial matters , but he refused to listen to her because she was a female . When Quark and Rom were children , Ishka taught them to memorize their first copies of the Rules of Acquisition . Following Keldar ' s death , Ishka began conducting secret business transactions in violation of Ferengi law , since as a female , she was forbidden to acquire profit in Ferengi society . Amassing a large fortune , Ishka was eventually discovered by the Ferengi Commerce Authority . Her son Quark was forced to travel to Ferenginar to handle the matter . Quark discovered that Ishka had earned far more profit than he expected , and that it would be impossible for him to make restitutions for her . After much strife between mother and son , Quark finally convinced his Moogie to make a full confession so that she could avoid being sold into indentured servitude and his business would be saved . Ishka returned the money she made to the FCA , though only she and her other son Rom knew that she had only given one - third of the profits back . ( ) When Kira Nerys and Odo saw Quark with a holo - imager in 2371 , he claimed it was to record an image of the Promenade that he was to send to Ishka . ( ) Later that year , Nog visited Ishka . ( ) Quark visited Ishka while on Ferenginar , negotiating a vole belly deal , in late 2372 . ( ) Ishka competed in the Global Tongo Championship , female division , in 2373 . She began passing tips to Grand Nagus Zek during his games , helping him win the competition . The two began corresponding afterwards , with Ishka at first concealing her identity as a female . When she eventually revealed herself to Zek , he was furious until he realized that they were in love . Later , as Zek ' s mind began to fail , Ishka realized that his deterioration would cause the deterioration of the Ferengi economy . She began discreetly giving him assistance in financial matters , keeping the Ferengi business world going from behind the scenes . Eventually , FCA Liquidator Brunt discovered their relationship and plotted for Quark to break them up , in exchange for restoring his Ferengi business license . Brunt hoped that , without Ishka , Zek would be deposed as Nagus , and then he could take Zek ' s place . After Quark discovered the state of Zek ' s mind , he reunited the two lovers . ( ) During the Dominion War , Ishka traveled to to get her ears raised . During the trip , her transport was captured by the Dominion . Grand Nagus Zek commanded Quark to rescue her . Quark arranged a prisoner exchange on station Empok Nor , trading the Vorta Keevan for Ishka . ( ) Under Ishka ' s influence , Zek began reforming Ferengi society in 2374 . After an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities caused Zek to be deposed , Ishka attempted to arrange his comeback . She set up a meeting with an important FCA commissioner on Deep Space 9 . During a fight with Quark , she had a heart attack and was unable to attend the meeting . Quark posed as Zek ' s " other female financial adviser " and convinced commissioner Nilva to vote for Zek ' s reinstatement . Ishka recovered after receiving a new heart . ( ) After influencing Zek to pass even more extreme reforms on Ferenginar , Ishka and the Nagus retired to Risa in 2375 . They stopped at Deep Space 9 to instate Rom as the new Grand Nagus . ( ) Philosophy . Ishka was never a typical Ferengi female . She defied almost every tenet of Ferengi philosophy and law regarding women ; she wore clothes , spoke to strangers , and refused to chew her children ' s food ( Although she sometimes offered to " pre - chew " Quark ' s food , as a gesture of compassion . ) ( ) Later in life , she made profit , left the Ferengi homeworld , and helped bring about the reformation of Ferengi society . Ultimately , she influenced Zek to choose her son Rom as his successor , ensuring that her reforms would live on in the future . ( ) It was Ishka ' s hope that one day a Ferengi female would take her " rightful place " as Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance . ( ) Personal relationships . When it came to interacting with other people , Ishka was quite amicable and offered sound financial advice . Even while she was held prisoner by the Dominion , she had friendly conversations with the Vorta Yelgrun , informing him about such things as the importance of a diversified portfolio . However , she was also willing to stand up for herself and wasn ' t willing to put up with nonsense . ( ) Ishka loved her husband , who she felt was a good man , but he was unsuccessful in his commercial ventures , and while Rom inherited Keldar ' s heart , Quark inherited Ishka ' s lobes . Rom and Ishka were very close when he was a child , and they remained close when Rom moved away from Ferenginar ; however , Ishka and Quark quarreled constantly . He did not approve of her lifestyle and resented her for earning more profit than him . Additionally , Quark believed that the reason his father , Keldar , had been such a failure was because of Ishka ' s unorthodox ways , oblivious to her true financial genius . Nonetheless , Ishka always loved Quark , and she was still his " Moogie . " ( ) The romance between Ishka and Zek blossomed because she was willing to open his eyes to life beyond profit . When Zek was deposed temporarily , Quark became furious with Ishka , as he believed that she had been using Zek to advance her feminist agenda all along . She had been instrumental in the emancipation of females , but she maintained that Zek had made the decisions . Regardless of Ishka ' s motives , Quark accused her of being the worst thing that ever happened to the Ferengi Alliance . As Ishka pointed out , Zek was lonely and miserable prior to becoming involved with her . In addition to enlightening Zek ' s mind , Ishka was responsible for helping the Nagus ' failing memory run the Alliance until their retirement to Risa together . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Origins . The creation of the Ishka character represented another step in the process of developing the Ferengi on . " " I [ . . . ] thought it would be fun to see a Ferengi woman who did not fit the supposed stereotype , " " reflected Ira Steven Behr , who co - wrote Ishka ' s first appearance in with Robert Hewitt Wolfe . Ishka was nevertheless envisioned as fitting the mold of " a true Ferengi . " For instance , though she was conceived as a women ' s liberation advocate , she was intended to be one whose actions went beyond those of a stereotypical activist . If she had been merely " screaming to end profit " , Wolfe commented , she would not have been true to how the species had been established . ( " " , p . 240 ) Finding a suitable performer to appear as Ishka in " Family Business " was extremely challenging . One option was for the character to be played by Wallace Shawn , the same actor who portrayed Grand Nagus Zek . " " I suggested Wallace Shawn in drag , which didn ' t go over real big , " " remembered David Livingston . ( " Captains ' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages " , p . 97 ) Rene Auberjonois , who directed the episode , explained , " " It needed to be a comic performance , but by a really good actor . We had a lot of trouble finding the right balance in the people we saw . " " ( " " , pp . 240 - 241 ) Eventually , Rene Auberjonois himself suggested casting comedienne Andrea Martin to play Ishka . " " I [ . . . ] thought she would have the right take on it , " " Auberjonois subsequently related . At the time , he mentioned Martin ' s name to the DS9 producers and " Ira just went for it , " he later recalled . ( " " , pp . 240 & 241 ) Martin was indeed soon cast for the role . " " In fact , she didn ' t even read for the part , " " continued David Livingston . " " We just offered it to her , and she delivered it . " " ( " Captains ' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages " , p . 97 ) Martin did , however , receive an immediate cautioning from Auberjonois about the extremities of makeup she would have to endure as Ishka . He later recalled , " " I said to her , ' You ' ve got to know that up front , so if you feel that you ' re not going to be able to handle it , then don ' t do this part , because it ' s going to be harder than anything you ' ve ever done if you haven ' t worn prosthetics . ' She decided to go ahead with it , I think really based on the fact that I was so candid with her . " " ( " " , issue # 222 , pp . 29 & 31 ) Because Andrea Martin is only about three years older than Quark actor Armin Shimerman , she was heavily made - up to appear as an older woman . Martin ' s old - age makeup required extra care . ( " " , p . 241 ) She wore a head - piece which was based on that worn by Wallace Shawn as Zek , and was designed to look almost caricature - like , with drooping lobe s and large jowls . ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season Three " , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features ) " " To make her head a little more wrinkly , " " recollected Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore , " " we made a thin skin that went over one of our stock Ferengi heads . Then we made a new face for her , wrinkled , and did the backs of her hands . " " ( " " , p . 241 ) Since Ishka was planned to be portrayed as naked in several scenes of " Family Business " , multiple parts of her body were crafted . ( " " , p . 241 ) For a scene in which her knees are shown on - screen , Michael Westmore even designed drooping kneecaps . ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season Three " , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features ) A camera take looking over one of her bare shoulders had to be reshot , due to the producers feeling that Andrea Martin ' s supple skin looked too different from the rest of Ishka ' s appearance . ( " " , p . 241 ) Westmore didn ' t have time to create a proper foam - latex appliance for the scene , in which Ishka ' s shoulders and the top of her chest are exposed . The pressing time factor meant he resorted to a simpler method . ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season Three " , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features ) " " We literally took Kleenex , wrapped it up and rubberized it , and covered her back and shoulders , " " he reflected . ( " " , p . 241 ) Westmore also laid the rubberized , wrinkled Kleenex on the upper portion of Martin ' s chest . ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season Three " , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features ) According to Westmore , Martin wasn ' t amused or thrilled by the makeup . ( " Michael Westmore ' s Aliens : Season Three " , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features ; " " , p . 241 ) Rene Auberjonois reflected , " " [ The rubber on Martin ' s shoulders ] was " not " something she was prepared for . She was balking at it , and it was miserable and painful and uncomfortable , and she looked at me and said , ' Boy , if you hadn ' t warned me about this , I would be out the door . " " ( " " , issue # 222 , p . 31 ) The nakedness of Ishka in parts of " Family Business " called for those shots to be well thought out and created some technical problems for Rene Auberjonois . " " It was very limiting , having to hide her behind things , " " he expressed . As an example , Auberjonois blocked portions of Ishka ' s body with a bowl of Ferengi fruit , in a scene wherein she finally imprints her confession . ( " " , p . 241 ) Andrea Martin ' s portrayal of Ishka in " Family Business " was well received by the DS9 production staff . " " I thought Andrea Martin was very good , " " remarked Ira Behr . Robert Wolfe agreed , " " She was great . " " David Livingston enthused , " " Andrea Martin [ . . . ] gave a fabulous performance . " " ( " Captains ' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages " , p . 97 ) Shortly after the start of DS9 Season 4 , Rene Auberjonois concurred , " " Despite her discomfort , I thought she was wonderful in the role . The crew would have done anything for her . " " ( " " , issue # 222 , p . 31 ) Reprising the role . With the introduction of Ishka having been a success , steps to bring her back were put in place . Rene Auberjonois alluded to this possibility during the interview he gave at the beginning of the fourth season , admitting , " " I ' m very hopeful that the character will return . " " ( " " , issue # 222 , p . 31 ) Indeed , straight after the making of " Family Business " , the DS9 writing staff decided to bring Ishka back , with a story in which she was involved with Grand Nagus Zek , an idea that eventually led to the writing of DS9 Season 5 ' s . ( " " , p . 445 ) Regarding the reappearance of Ishka in " Ferengi Love Songs " , Rene Auberjonois noted , " " Andrea Martin at the last minute couldn ' t do it because of some other business . " " ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 29 , Nos . 6 / 7 , p . 34 ) Ira Behr agreed , " " Andrea Martin was going to reprise the role , but had to drop out at the last minute . " " Owing to the unavailability of Andrea Martin , the role of Ishka had to be recast . " " We started looking for another Moogie , " " recalled Rene Auberjonois , " " and it was tough , because wonderful actors would come in and do brilliant takes on it but they would be so different from Andrea Martin . We and Rick Berman wanted it to be in the same texture and color . " " ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 29 , Nos . 6 / 7 , p . 34 ) One actress who tried out for the part of Ishka was Cecily Adams . She initially wasn ' t familiar with the role , never having played an alien before and not knowing much about " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " . Conversely , Adams was aware Quark ' s mother had been established in an earlier installment . " " Moogie was an amazing departure for me [ . . . ] I called Armin [ Shimerman ] to tell him I was up for the role and he was kind enough to lend me a tape of the show that Andrea Martin had done , " " Adams reflected . " " I watched it and got an idea of the tone , the comedy , and the relationships . " " Adams , a natural mimic , was highly prepared to perform as Ishka when the actress arrived at the studio for her audition . " " She came in , " " remembered Ira Behr , " " and said , ' Do you want to hear this the way Andrea Martin would do it ? ' And then she just " did " Moogie . " " ( " " , p . 445 ) Rene Auberjonois noted , " " [ Adams ] had watched Andrea Martin and she did her own version [ of Ishka ] . " " ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 29 , Nos . 6 / 7 , p . 34 ) Although she was able to easily enunciate Ishka ' s vocal inflections , Adams encountered more difficulty , during the audition , with the character ' s vocabulary . " " It was like reading in another language , " " she admitted . " " During the audition , I didn ' t know what the character was talking about ! [ . . . ] I felt like I was literally walking into another universe . " " Words which Adams struggled with , while auditioning for the part , included the names " Maihar ' du " and " Tongo Festival " . Nonetheless , her audience at the audition was so impressed by her take on the Ferengi mother that they decided to offer Adams the role . Concluded Behr , " " We all looked at each other and said , ' Why the hell not ! " " ( " " , p . 445 ) Like Andrea Martin in the Ishka role before her , Adams was artificially made to look older than she actually was , as she was in fact over nine years younger than Armin Shimerman . " " I ' m younger than both Armin and Max [ Grodénchik ] , " " she said , " " so it ' s fun to play their mother . " " On the other hand , the makeup requirements for portraying Ishka shocked Adams . " " I was excited when I came in that first day , " " she related , " " but then they put the headpiece on and glued it to my eyelids , and in that first moment I knew I was in for it . " " Following three hours in the makeup chair , Adams was dressed in Ishka ' s clothing by DS9 ' s wardrobe department , then was taken to the set , where she had a single rehearsal before the cameras rolled . " " It was sink or swim , and I had no idea how to move my face with all that makeup on , " " she conceded . ( " " , p . 445 ) Fortunately for Cecily Adams , both her co - star Armin Shimerman and her director Rene Auberjonois helped her with the prosthetics needed to complete Ishka ' s look . " " Armin said , ' Cecily , it ' s all in the eyes . If you ' re doing your work on the inside , it will show on the outside , " " Adams relayed . " " And Rene encouraged me to go a lot farther with the character and trust that it wouldn ' t look like overacting . I said to him at one point , ' I ' m just afraid that I ' m gonna look like a cartoon character , ' and he said , ' Cecily , have you looked in a mirror ? You " are " a cartoon character ! ' I was like , ' Oh . Yeah . Okay . " " In retrospect , Adams found the situation funny . ( " " , p . 445 ) Cecily Adams reintroduced the role of Ishka in " Ferengi Love Songs " . Rene Auberjonois commented , " " By the end of the shoot she had made the character totally hers , which was great . " " ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 29 , Nos . 6 / 7 , p . 34 ) Adams also reprised the part in all subsequent appearances of the character . Although the original version of DS9 Season 6 outing featured Grand Nagus Zek being kidnapped by the Dominion , Ishka ultimately replaced Zek in the script , after the writing staff learned Wallace Shawn was unavailable . Cecily Adams consequently made her second appearance as Ishka , a role she loved and was extremely proud of . " " I feel very fortunate to play her , " " Adams stated . " " She ' s made me grow as an actor " and " as a person . " " In the case of " The Magnificent Ferengi " , Adams felt she had to deliver a performance that was as good as every other actor in the episode and was impressed by Ishka ' s indomitable spirit , even giving financial advice to her captor , Yelgrun . ( " " , pp . 518 & 517 ) From the moment the sixth season episode was conceived , Ishka was imagined as part of it . Cecily Adams approved of a scene , once it was reshot , in which Ishka collapses . " " I laugh my head off every time I watch Moogie fall over , " " she remarked . ( " " , pp . 573 & 574 ) While Cecily Adams was in a crowd on the set for Vic ' s lounge during the last day of production on " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " ( filming series finalé ) , David Weddle didn ' t recognize her as having played Ishka , as the actress wasn ' t wearing her Ferengi makeup . Adams replied , " " I ' m Moogie . " " Both she and Weddle thought the situation was extremely funny . ( " " , p . 715 ) In a retrospective interview , Ira Behr spoke with pride about Cecily Adams and her part in DS9 , as Ishka . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 32 , Nos . 4 / 5 , p . 67 ) Trivia . Ishka ' s age was never revealed , but in " The Magnificent Ferengi " , she said her lobes hadn ' t been " this firm in over a century . " Academics Robert H . Chaires and Bradley Chilton commented , " " Of the female characters who are semi - regulars of " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " , Quark ' s mother , Ishka , is one of the most interesting . " " ( " Star Trek Visions of Law and Justice " ) Apocrypha . Ishka appears in the novels " Doors Into Chaos " , " Ferenginar : Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed " in " " , and in the " " novel " Dawn of the Eagles " .