Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Nog
5. From The Start
Nog was written into the earliest drafts of Emissary, though as the rewriting process began, his part was expanded. This was thanks to Michael Piller, who saw Nog as an opportunity to lock Quark into remaining on the station.
Nog is first seen stealing supplies on behalf of his uncle before being swiftly arrested by Odo. This leads to the confrontation in the security office, wherein Sisko bribes Quark to remain in exchange for Nog's freedom.
As all of this was added in rewrites, Nog's arrest paved the road for his time on the station, which in turn led to his entrance to Starfleet Academy. He also serves as one of the earliest examples of Deep Space Nine's writers understanding the value of supporting characters. Had there been a simpler way to keep Quark in place, the audience may never have seen the young Ferengi don that Starfleet uniform.