general order four star trek

Starfleet General Orders

Written by Chris Gray, modified by Chris St. John

General Order 1 ("Prime Directive")

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel, Federation citizen and/or representative may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship/installation, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

General Order 1A (“Omega Directive”) TOP SECRET — CAPTAIN’S RANK AND ABOVE ONLY

Due to its destructive nature upon subspace and its inherent dangers towards all starfaring civilizations, the omega particle has been determined to be the greatest natural threat to the Federation and the entire galaxy. For that reason, any and all omega particles found to be in existence are to be destroyed at any cost. During the duration of said mission, the Prime Directive is suspended. Notification of the crew of a vessel or installation as to the true nature of this directive is an offense punishable by general court-martial, dishonorable discharge from Starfleet, and a prison term no less than 30 years and no greater than the offender’s natural life.

General Order 2

No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.

General Order 3

The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.

General Order 4

If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent lifeforms, under no circumstance shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said lifeforms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space or answer questions by said lifeforms pertaining to the existence of other species outside said space.

General Order 5

In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary command of Starfleet vessels, installations, and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Starfleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis.

General Order 6

The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry or non-aligned persons demands unconditional priority from Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities. This responsibility extends to current governments at odds, actively or passively, with the Federation.

General Order 7

No Starfleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances, emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes General Order 6. Any transgression of this general order shall be punishable by death.

General Order 8

Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Starfleet vessel/installation shall determine the reason(s) for that craft’s presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has hostile intentions, the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members or other non-aligned persons under current Federation protection. In such cases, the commander may use their discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 9

A commander of a Starfleet vessel or installation, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government. However, said decision may and can be overturned by a superior officer or representative of the Federation government pending a reviewal of circumstances.

General Order 10

If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable evidence that an individual, military or civilian, has violated the Prime Directive, said individual may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.

General Order 11

Starfleet officers with command-level rank or higher are granted full authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries de facto powers of a Federation Special Ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are subject to approval by the Chief of Starfleet Operations, the Secretary of Starfleet, and the Federation Council.

General Order 12

When approaching a vessel with which communication has not been established, all Starfleet vessels are to maintain maximum safety precautions, regardless of the origin of said vessel, be it a foreign power, an hitherto unknown ship, or a Starfleet vessel.

General Order 13

Except when orders state to the contrary or in accordance with General Order 6, Starfleet personnel will respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments within and without the confines of the Federation’s borders, and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.

General Order 14

Starfleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the effective title of governor or higher.

General Order 15

No officer of command or flag rank shall travel into a potentially hazardous area without suitable armed escort.

General Order 16

Starfleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific assistance to members of foreign powers or previously unrecognized sentient species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

General Order 17

The commanding officers of Starfleet vessel and installations are to consider the lives of their crew members and/or civilian population as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the lives of his crew above the fate of his ship.

General Order 18

Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Starfleet personnel may demand a trial conducted by the Federation judiciary or representative Judge Advocate General for that sector. If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in said matter.

General Order 19

Except in times of declared emergency, Starfleet personnel may under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct aggression, whether against Federation members or other non-aligned worlds. This order applies to independent worlds within the Federation as well as to Federation members.

General Order 20

Officers and personnel of Starfleet Command may employ whatever means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient beings held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space. This includes temporary violations of General Order 13, but not of the Prime Directive.

General Order 21

No Starfleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer his services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the Federation Council.

General Order 22

As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred, Starfleet personnel may debate the policies, decisions, and actions of their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Starfleet regulations.

General Order 23

When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Starfleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting or have acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending a full investigation by governmental officials.

General Order 24

If a commanding officer deems that a planet has been culturally contaminated to a point where correction is no longer viable and said culture now poses a direct threat to Starfleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may order the destruction of a planet’s surface to occur within a time limit set upon invocation.

General Order 25

Civilian and military personnelϷhether a citizen of the Federation, a non-aligned world, or a foreign powerϴaken into custody by Starfleet personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent with their rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

General Order 26

No member of a ship’s complement or other ground-based installation can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors. Similarly, no member of a ship’s company or other Starfleet personnel will share in disciplinary measures taken against the Commanding Officer(s) if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations exist. However, failure to attempt to halt the actions of said superiors is a violation of the order and as such is punishable by general court-martial.

General Order 27

No member of Starfleet shall be required by the assignment of standard duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from his family if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship or as a part of an existing Starfleet installation.

General Order 28

No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at least three senior officers present per Starfleet Procedural Order 104, sections B and C.. Whenever possible, such officers shall include the ship’s First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and one junior officer of command station.

General Order 29

The primary responsibility of the commander of any Starfleet vessel or installation is the welfare and safety of his crew, including any civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer’s charge, except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable. This is a concurrent order with General Order 17.

General Order 30

Starfleet Command recognizes the right of each ship commander to interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit, consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect, and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered sentient races. However, said decision may and can be overturned by a superior officer or representative of the Federation government pending a reviewal of circumstances.

General Order 31

The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall henceforth apply to all sentient lifeforms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin.

General Order 32

Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under conditions of extreme emergency as required by General Order 6.

General Order 33

If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a direct threat to the safety of Starfleet personnel, Federation citizens, or those under current Federation protection, they may take any actions necessary to safeguard the lives of those threatened. In such cases, the commander may use their discretion in deciding whether to use force. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 34

All Starfleet personnel and/or Federation civilian contractors shall follow a superior’s order to the best of their ability, unless said orders should conflict with the regulation laid out in these orders. Special dispensations are granted in emergency situations as per specific orders, with the exceptions of General Orders 1, 2, 3, or 7.

General Order 35

Should the entire personnel of a Starfleet vessel or installation become severely incapacitated or deceased due to an environmental or medical contaminant, said vessel is to be destroyed within a 24-hour period from initial discovery of cause to prevent spread of the epidemic agent.

General Order 36

No Federation vessel, whether civilian or Starfleet, is allowed to visit a planet or star system placed under quarantine by Starfleet or the Federation Council unless the visitation falls under the jurisdictional actions accredited by General Orders 1, 5, and 6.

General Order 37

Starfleet personnel shall respect binding contracts, agreements, and bondings made by the Federation government and/or Starfleet itself and shall operate within the boundaries and governances of said treaties, especially in matters dealing with the co-signatories of said treatise.

General Order 38

In the event of the death, absence, or incapacitation of the commanding officer of record, command of a ship or installation falls to the next highest-ranking crewmember, regardless of position in the command structure. When two officers in the line of succession are of comparable rank, command first falls upon the officer with command experience; barring that requirement, command will fall upon the officer with seniority.

General Order 39

An officer or crewmember may be removed from active duty status if they are judged to be incapable of fulfilling their obligations as a member of Starfleet, whether for medical or psychological reasons, by either the Chief Medical Officer or by the two ranking command staff officers.

Starfleet Orders & Directives

General Order 1: The Prime Directive

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

General Order 2

No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.

General Order 3

The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.

General Order 4

If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent life-forms, under no circumstance shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said life-forms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space.

General Order 5

In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary command of Starfleet vessels and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Starfleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis.

General Order 6

The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands unconditional priority from Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities.

General Order 7

No Starfleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances, emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes General Order 6. Any transgression of this general order shall be punishable by death.

General Order 8

Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Starfleet vessel shall determine the reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has hostile intentions, the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members. In such cases, the commander may use his discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 9

No commander of a Starfleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government.

General Order 10

If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.

General Order 11

Starfleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries de facto powers of a Federation Special Ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are subject to approval by the Chief of Starfleet Operations and the Secretary of Starfleet.

General Order 12

Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under conditions of extreme emergency.

General Order 13

Except when orders state to the contrary, Starfleet personnel will respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments, and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.

General Order 14

Starfleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the title of governor or higher.

General Order 15

No officer of flag rank shall travel into a potentially hazardous area without suitable armed escort.

General Order 16

Starfleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

General Order 17

Starfleet vessel captains are to consider the lives of their crew members as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the lives of his crew above the fate of his ship.

General Order 18

"Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Starfleet personnel may demand a trail conducted by the Federation judiciary". If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in said matter.

General Order 19

Except in times of declared emergency, Starfleet personnel may under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct aggression. This order applies to independent worlds within the Federation as well as to Federation members.

General Order 20

Officers and personnel of Starfleet Command may employ whatever means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient beings held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space.

General Order 21

No Starfleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer his services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the Federation Assembly.

General Order 22

As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred, Starfleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Starfleet regulations.

General Order 23

When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Starfleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting or have acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending a full investigation by governmental officials.

General Order 24

If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a threat to Starfleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may take any action deemed necessary (including force) to secure the safety of those threatened.

General Order 25

Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Starfleet personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent with their rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

General Order 26

No member of a ship's complement or other ground-based installation can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors. Similarly, no member of a ship's company or other Starfleet personnel will share in disciplinary measures taken against the commanding officer(s) if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations exist.

General Order 27

No member of Starfleet shall be required by the assignment of standard duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from his family, if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship or as a part of an existing Starfleet installation.

General Order 28

No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at least three senior officers present. Whenever possible, such officers shall include the ship's First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and one junior officer of command station.

General Order 29

The primary responsibility of the commander of any Starfleet vessel or installation is the welfare and safety of his crew, including any civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer's charge, except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable.

General Order 30

Starfleet Command recognizes the right of each ship commander to interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit, consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect, and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered sentient races.

General Order 31

The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall henceforth apply to all sentient lifeforms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin.

General Order 32

Except in the case of an extreme emergency, no Starfleet commander is authorized to order his ship to travel faster than Warp Factor Five without express permission from Starfleet Command.

The Omega Directive

The Omega Directive was created to deal with a threat not only to the Federation, but to the entire Alpha Quadrant; and indeed the whole Galaxy. Starfleet named the hazard the Omega molecule/particle phenomenon. It was first synthesized over 100 years ago (during the mid-22nd century,) by a Starfleet physicist named Ketteract. The molecule created was the most powerful substance known to exist. A single Omega molecule contains the same energy as a warp core. It has been suggested that in theory, a small chain could sustain a civilization. It is not known whether Ketteract was searching for an inexhaustible power source, or a weapon. He created a single molecule particle of Omega, which lasted for only a fraction of a second before it de-stabilized. His work was done on a classified research center in the Lantaru Sector. Ketteract and 126 of the Federation's leading scientists, were lost in the accident. Rescue teams attempting to reach the site, discovered an unexpected secondary effect. There were subspace ruptures extending out several light years. To this day, it is impossible to create a stable warp field in that sector. It can only be traversed under sublight power. This is the danger of the Omega molecule. Omega destroys subspace. A chain reaction could devastate subspace throughout the quadrant. Space-faring civilization would no longer exist, and many lives would be lost in space. When Starfleet learned of this impending danger, it suppressed all knowledge of the Omega phenomenon. Only Starfleet Captains and Federation Flag Officers may view this document.

Directive: Starfleet Captains and Federation Flag Officers must ensure the safety of the quadrant from the Omega threat. To this end, whenever sensors positively determine the presence of Omega in a ship's vicinity it will enter "Omega Mode." Doing so locks all navigation, sensor, tactical and propulsion systems. Only the ship's Captain, or a Federation Flag Officer can release the Omega lockout. Access to sensor data retrieved on the Omega effect is limited to Clearance Level 10. When Omega has been verified, the ship's captain will contact Starfleet Command immediately. No information may be relayed to the ship's crew. All other priorities are rescinded until the threat is neutralized. The prime directive may be compromised during such a mission, if necessary. Blatant abuse of this power will be prosecuted to the fullest extent using all other Starfleet Directives. If violation of the prime directive is even minimally anticipated, it is authorized and advised. If Starfleet Command cannot be contacted for any reason, the primary priority is the destruction of all Omega molecules detected. There will be no computer record of the sensor logs, and Captain's/Captain's Personal Logs must be either encrypted or deleted.

Starfleet General Orders

• 2 General Order 1
• 3 General Order 2
• 4 General Order 3
• 5 General Order 6
• 6 General Order 7
• 7 General Order 12
• 8 General Order 13
• 9 General Order 24
• Often describes general patterns of behavior to be taken and/or avoided in specific scenarios
• If a situation is relevant to a given order, that order will be directly invoked and will provide the specific course of action to be taken following

General Order 1

• "When interacting with the populace of a precontact planet, an officer of Starfleet shall make no identification of self or mission; no attempt at interference with the social development of said planet; no reference to space, to other worlds, or to advanced civilizations..." (TOS Novel: The Captain's Oath )
• Also commonly known as the Prime Directive
• Originates in the general non-interference procedures of the Vulcan Defense Force (ENT)
• Concept of a non-interference directive initially proposed c.2165 by then-Admiral Jonathan Archer following the Ware incident and its disastrous fallout for the Partnership of Civilizations (ENT Novel: Live by the Code )
• Opposing position largely led by then-Admiral Shran , over concerns that such a directive could lead to a general pattern of isolationism and avoidance of responsibility when unintended contact led to negative results, precisely as resulted from the Ware incident (ENT Novel: Patterns of Interference )
• Finally adopted by Starfleet c.2190s (TNG Novel: Double or Nothing ; SCE Short Story: "Aftermath")
• Developed both to prevent influence within an otherwise internal matter within another society best suited to be resolved by that society, and to prevent the destruction of planetbound cultures via interaction with the Federation, well-intentioned or otherwise
• Can be suspended when the safety of a Starfleet vessel is under threat, or when vital to wider Federation interests (TOS Novel: The Captain's Oath )
• By 24th century, interpretation had drifted to a more general view of non-interference of planetbound civilizations by any means, including contact or even rescue from destruction (TNG)

General Order 2

• "No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient member race, for any reason whatsoever." ( Star Trek: Into Darkness prop)

General Order 3

• "The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any or all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member world. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies. " ( Star Trek: Into Darkness prop)

General Order 6

• If all life aboard a Federation starship has perished, the ship will self-destruct within twenty-four hours to protect other ships from potential hazards within. (TAS: "Albatross")
• Apparently rescinded by mid-24th century given "Unnatural Selection"

General Order 7

• Prohibiting contact with Talos IV or its natives under penalty of death (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I")
• Rescinded c.2320 (TOS Novel: Burning Dreams )

General Order 12

• "On the approach of any vessel, when communications have not been established..." ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )
• Describes defensive actions to be taken upon the approach of an uncommunicative starship ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ; VOY Short Story: "Command Code")

General Order 13

• Related to the evacuation of a starship ( Star Trek )

General Order 24

• Describes conditions under which a starship is required to render a world entirely uninhabitable through direct bombardment in cases where no other option is available to end a pressing threat to other civilizations (DIS Novel: Desperate Hours ; TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy", "A Taste of Armageddon"; VAN Novel: Reap the Whirlwind )
• Rescinded by 24th century via the Eminiar Amendment to the Articles of the Federation (TNG Novel: A Time to Kill )

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Starfleet General Orders

• 1 General Order 1
• 2 General Order 4
• 3 General Order 5
• 4 General Order 7
• 5 General Order 12
• 6 General Order 15
• 7 General Order 24
• 8 Notes and References

General Order 1

Also known as the Prime Directive, it prohibits interfering in the development of other civilizations. [1]

Section 1: Starfleet crew will obey the following with any civilization that has not achieved a commensurate level of technological and/or societal development as described in Appendix 1.  a) No identification of self or mission.  b) No interference with the social, cultural, or technological development of said planet.  c) No references to space, other worlds, or advanced civilizations.  d) The exception to this is if said society has already been exposed to the concepts listed herein. However, in that instance, section 2 applies. Section 2: If said species has achieved the commensurate level of technological and/or societal development as described in Appendix 1, or has been exposed to the concepts listed in section1, no Starfleet crew person will engage with said society or species without first gathering extensive information on the specific traditions, laws, and culture of that species civilization. Then Starfleet crew will obey the following:  a) If engaged with diplomatic relations with said culture, will stay within the confines of said culture's restrictions.  b) No interference with the social development of said planet. [2] [3]

General Order 4

In 2269 , Ensign Chekov stated that General Order 4 was the only death penalty still in existence. It is possible that he accidentally conflated it with General Order 7 . [4]

General Order 5

General Order 5 prohibited the killing of native animal species when it was possible to avoid or stun them. [5]

General Order 7

In 2267 , General Order 7 was the only death penalty left on the books in the Federation. Captain Kirk quoted the rule as: "No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV ." [6]

General Order 12

General Order 12 required adequate precautions be taken when approached by a spacecraft with which contact has not been made. [7]

General Order 15

According to Lieutenant Saavik in 2285 , General Order 15 required that "no flag officer shall beam into a hazardous area without armed escort." Admiral Kirk , however, stated that no such regulation existed. [7]

General Order 24

General Order 24 was a command to destroy the surface of a planet. Captain James T. Kirk threatened to invoke General Order 24 on Eminiar VII in 2267 , in an effort to force the planet's leadership to enter into peace talks with the leaders from the neighboring planet Vendikar . [8]

Notes and References

• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "The Return of the Archons." Star Trek , Episode 21 (Production 22). Directed by Joseph Pevney . Story by Gene Roddenberry . Teleplay by Boris Sobelman . Desilu Productions , 9 February 1967 .
• ↑ " First Con-Tact ." Star Trek: Prodigy , Season 1, Episode 7 (Production 107). CBS Entertainment . 12 January 2022 .
• ↑ The text of the first two sections of the Prime Directive displayed in the episode "First Con-Tact" were taken directly from the book Federation: The First 150 Years .
• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer / Story ) and Freiberger, Fred ( Producer ). "Turnabout Intruder." Star Trek , Season 3, Episode 24. Directed by Herb Wallerstein . Teleplay by Arthur Singer . Paramount Pictures Corporation , 3 June 1969.
• ↑ McMahan, Mike et al (Executive Producers). "Second Contact" . Star Trek: Lower Decks , season 1, episode 1 (Production number 01). Directed by Barry J. Kelly . Written by Mike McMahan . Based upon Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry . Created by Mike McMahan . CBS Entertainment . 6 August 2020 .
• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "The Menagerie, Part I." Star Trek , Season 1, Episode 11 (Production 16). Directed by Marc Daniels and Robert Butler . Written by Gene Roddenberry . Desilu Productions , 17 November 1966 .
• ↑ 7.0 7.1 Salin, Robert (Producer). Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Directed by Nicholas Meyer . Story by Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards . Screenplay by Nicholas Meyer (Uncredited). Paramount Pictures . 4 June 1982 .
• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "A Taste of Armageddon." Star Trek , Season 1, Episode 23 (Production 23). Directed by Joseph Pevney . Written by Robert Hamner (Story and Teleplay) and Gene L. Coon (Teleplay). Desilu Productions , 23 February 1967 .
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Starfleet General Orders

There are 32 general orders which are to be followed in all circumstances, by all StarFleet officers. To make browsing the orders easier, and for quick reference, there is an index at the bottom of the page . The index is useful to identify orders containing specific content; e.g. Orders relating to the Prime Directive.

General Orders

General order 1: the prime directive.

As the right of each sentient being to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ships, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

General Order 2

No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.

General Order 3

The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.

General Order 4

If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent lifeforms, under no circumstances shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said lifeforms that worlds other than their own exists outside the confines of their own space.

General Order 5

In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary command of Starfleet vessels and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Starfleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis.

General Order 6

The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands unconditional priority from Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities.

General Order 7

No Starfleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances, emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes General Order 6. Any transgression of this general order shall be punishable by death.

General Order 8

Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Starfleet vessel shall determine the reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has a hostile intention, the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members. In such cases, the commander may use their discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 9

No commander of a Starfleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government.

General Order 10

If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.

General Order 11

Starfleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries de facto powers of a Federation special ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are subject to approval by the Commander in Chief of Starfleet Command and the Secretary of Starfleet.

General Order 12

Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under conditions of extreme emergency.

General Order 13

Except when orders state to the contrary, Starfleet personnel will respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments, and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.

General Order 14

Starfleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the title of governor or higher.

General Order 15

No officer of flag rank may travel into a potentially hazardous area without suitable armed escort.

General Order 16

Starfleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

General Order 17

Starfleet vessel captains are to consider the lives of their crew members as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the lives of their crew above the fate of their ship.

General Order 18

Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Starfleet personnel may demand a trial conducted by the Federation judiciary. If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in said manner.

General Order 19

Except in times of declared emergency, Starfleet personnel may under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct aggression. This order applies to independent worlds within the Federation as well as to Federation members.

General Order 20

Officers and personnel of Starfleet Command may employ whatever means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient beings being held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space.

General Order 21

No Starfleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer their services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the Federation Assembly.

General Order 22

As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred, Starfleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Starfleet regulations.

General Order 23

When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Starfleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting or has acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending a full investigation by government officials.

General Order 24

If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a threat to Starfleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may take any action deemed necessary (including the use of force) to secure the safety of those threatened.

General Order 25

Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Starfleet personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent with rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

Next Generation, General Orders

General order 26.

No member of a ship's complement or other ground-based installation can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors. Similarly, no member of a ship's company or other Starfleet personnel will share in disciplinary measures taken against the commanding officer(s) if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations exist.

General Order 27

No member of Starfleet shall be required by the assignment of standard duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from their family if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship or as a part of an existing Starfleet installation.

General Order 28

No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at least three senior officers present. Whenever possible, such officers shall include the ship's First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and one junior officer of command station.

General Order 29

The primary responsibility of the commander of any Starfleet vessel or installation is the welfare and safety of their crew, including any civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer's charge, except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable.

General Order 30

Starfleet Command recognizes the right of each ship commander to interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit, consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect, and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered sentient races.

General Order 31

The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall henceforth apply to all sentient lifeforms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin.

General Order 32

Except in the case of an extreme emergency, no Starfleet commander is authorized to order their ship to travel faster than Warp Factor Five without express permission from Starfleet Command.

General Order 156: The Omega Directive

The Omega Directive is a top secret, classified directive known to only Starfleet officers of Captain rank and above. Its priority supersedes and overrules all other directives and general orders including the Prime Directive. The instruction is clear, upon detecting even just one Omega particle a federation starship must divert and destroy the omega particles regardless of the cost.

General Order 157: Temporal Prime Directive

The past and the future must be protected and any interference in the flow of time could have disastrous results upon cultures and worlds. Under no circumstance is a Starfleet member or vessel allowed to willingly travel in time. If a vessel or member accidentally or inadvertently travels in time, they are to have no interaction or association with the world or timeline to avoid contamination and alteration. All Starfleet members are not allowed to discuss any time traveling incidents unless previously cleared with Temporal Investigations and Starfleet Intelligence.

Index of General Orders

Prime directive.

1, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, see emergencies

Command Issues

5, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 32

28, see Prime Directive and Command

Contact with Other Species

3, 4, 11, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 31, see emergencies

Contacts with Non-Federation Members

Control of starfleet vessels.

5, see command

Emergencies

5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 32, see Prime

Family Issues

Force, use of.

2, 8, 13, 19, 24, 25

Free Speech

Hostile forces.

8, 15, 19, 24, 25, see Force

Neutral Zone

Political asylum.

see the top of the index

Prisoners of the Federation

Slavery within the federation, sovereignty of planets.

3, 11, 13, 14, 22, 24, 31

Starfleet Crew

17, 26, 27, 29

Use of Force

see under force, hostile forces

Warp 5 Limitations

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Star Trek: Starfleet’s Number One Rule Is Also Its Most Complicated

In Star Trek, there's nothing simple about the Prime Directive.

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If you have ever watched Star Trek , you already know what the Prime Directive is. General Order One. As Kirk describes it in The Original Series episode, “Bread and Circuses,” the order decrees Starfleet crews should make “No identification of self or mission; no interference with the social development of said planet; no references to space, other worlds, or advanced civilizations.”

Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that. According to one episode of Voyager , the Prime Directive contains 47 sub-orders, including more than a few loopholes that have been exploited over the years, but the gist of it is, if a civilization has not yet developed warp travel, Starfleet is to treat their planet like a nature reserve, to be observed but never interfered with.

“I think of the Prime Directive as having two components,” says Robin Wasserman, who has written two episodes of Strange New Worlds . “One is the idea of non-interference with another civilization’s cultural mores (no matter how antithetical they may be to Starfleet values), while the other is the call to preserve a civilization’s ‘normal development’ by protecting them from knowledge (like, say, the knowledge of aliens) or technology that might provoke radical change.”

Bill Wolkoff, the writer of four episodes of Strange New Worlds , echoes this sentiment, calling the “spirit” of General Order One both “beautiful and aspirational.” He says, “The Prime Directive just keeps us focused on exploration. We’re not trying to play gods, we just want to meet the neighbors, share some cool things we know, and ideally learn from them, too. In other words, we’re not trying to make distant planets more like ours, or how we imagine they should be. We’re expanding our minds by discovering the universe as it is.”

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But the Prime Directive is also famous for being the rule that Starfleet captains, Kirk in particular, break most frequently, with gleeful abandon. While the Directive speaks to Starfleet’s noble ideals, in practice there is no denying it has some difficult implications.

“The question of ‘can or should you interfere in the development of other civilizations’ seems like it should have an obvious answer – ‘no,’” says Aaron J. Waltke, writer and co-producer of Prodigy . “But upon a second look, that response is somewhat reductive when you consider the complexities of when and how it’s applied to a spacefaring civilization.”

Waltke points out that the Prime Directive and the way it is applied has plenty of exceptions, varying from captain to captain or even episode to episode.

“Although it’s thorny and uncomfortable, each case needs to be examined on its own merits and flaws with nuances taken into account,” Waltke argues. “ One of the mandates of  Star Trek: Prodigy , in particular, has been to introduce new and young audiences to the core concepts of  Trek , and all the strange, wonderful and sometimes complicated issues surrounding them.”

That being the case, it’s not surprising that the series has already touched upon the Prime Directive, or at least the reason it exists in the first place. The episode “All the World’s a Stage” takes on a vintage TOS concept – an alien society gets “contaminated” by an Earth artifact and reconstructs its entire culture around it. Only in Waltke’s episode, the artifact is the idea of Starfleet itself, with the aliens of the week creating a kind of TOS -era Trek cargo cult.

“In some ways, ‘All the World’s a Stage’ is meant to reflect on the power of sincerity and its unswerving optimism to combat cynicism and self-doubt,” Waltke says. “Dal is quick to dismiss the Enderprizians because he worries their unapologetic embrace of Starfleet is ignoring the realities of their dire situation. In the end, it’s that very dedication to the thriving spirit of ‘Star Flight’ — curiosity, boldness, kindness — that saves Dal and the Prodigy crew. The spirit of the law is far more important than the letter — perhaps like the Prime Directive itself.” 

A Rule That’s Made to Be Broken

But there’s “obeying the spirit of the law” and there is flat-out destroying the evil computer that has enslaved the entire planet, as Kirk has done more than once, or smuggling illicit art supplies to the local kids, as Beckett Mariner does on the regular in Lower Decks .

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“Mariner has a personal code, she believes in the overall value of Starfleet, but she’s more than willing to get thrown in the brig for doing what she believes is right,” says Mike McMahan, Lower Decks ’ showrunner. “The Federation and Starfleet might be the futuristic, ideal systems we think we want – but a system is never going to address the needs of every situation or individual. Blindly following rules has never been an appealing trait – on Lower Decks , we try to honor and celebrate what we love about Starfleet – but since we (the writers and the characters) know it so well, we’re the best at thumbing our noses at it.”

Some argue that it is precisely because the ideals behind the Prime Directive are so important that they have to be put through frequent trials by fire.

“ Anything worthwhile needs to be stress-tested. This is a unifying principle for all members of the Federation. Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, and even those little gold people in fezzes picking at the buffet in ‘Journey to Babel’ all must adhere to it,” Wolkoff explains. “As it affects multiple billions of people, not everyone is going to approach it in the exact same manner. In order for it to endure, we must see what happens in those frequent instances where it is abused, used to shield wrongdoing, or where it simply does not apply in a binary way.”

Wasserman agrees that although the Prime Directive springs from a well-intentioned place, even the best intentions can have unintended consequences

“Which, of course, is presumably why Starfleet wanted a Prime Directive in the first place—because some well-intentioned efforts to ‘help’ or ‘improve’ alien civilizations went catastrophically wrong,” she says. “So they course corrected, and pushed policy to the opposite extreme.”

Wasserman believes that for every ethically thorny, narratively potent encounter that makes up an hour of Trek storytelling there are a hundred others that go pretty much by the book, with the Prime Directive suiting everyone just fine.

“But what do you do when theory collides with practice, when good intentions collide with intolerable consequences, when upholding what’s ‘correct’ means betraying what’s right?” Wasserman asks. “My favorite Prime Directive episodes are those that leave you just as tormented as the characters are about what they’re doing—and what they should have done.”

The Storytelling Directive

As for those other hundreds of encounters?

“On a very simple storytelling level, if the Enterprise arrives on a planet, takes a look round, and the captain says, ‘Oh, they’re not space-faring, better jog on…’ then that makes for a very short episode, doesn’t it?” points out Una McCormack, the author of both Spock and Kathryn Janeway’s autobiographies, as well as numerous other Trek novels.

Whatever the Prime Directive’s virtues and problematic implications in-universe, the fact is it has turned out to be a rich ground for storytelling.

“ The Prime Directive is such an interesting aspect of Star Trek storytelling. I like that Starfleet has rules to protect those that they observe. It feels scientific and ethical, but it’s also fun to see captains constantly break it when their own morals demand it,” McMahan says. “The Prime Directive serves as a great storytelling function for the morality tales that Trek often tells. I love the conversations that come from the Prime Directive in Trek , and that it comes from the post-scarcity aspect of the show which allows this huge fleet to dedicate so many resources to the pursuit of knowledge.”

As clearly defined as the Prime Directive appears to be, Waltke points out that like Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics” there are enough loopholes and grey areas to make for interesting exceptions to the rule.

“ I suspect the reason the Prime Directive has such an enduring legacy in pop culture is because it  isn’t  obvious when and how it should be applied, which leaves room for a lot of rules lawyering and philosophical debate,” Waltke says. “I personally think there are interpretations of the Prime Directive that I find difficult to support as a 21st-century human – for instance, Picard’s willingness to allow an entire planet to die in ‘Homeward’ and ‘Pen Pals,’ or Janeway’s refusal to warn a civilization their actions will destroy themselves in ‘Time and Again’ or ‘Thirty Days.’ However, even the captains in those episodes have arguments with their crew in those episodes about the pros and cons, and sometimes even change their mind.”

“As for the restrictions it imposes, that just allows our characters the opportunity for outside-the-box thinking,” Wolkoff says. “I’ll always love a good Prime Directive story. Because you’ll never know when it’ll force Kirk and Spock to dress as Chicago mobsters and invent fake card games like Fizzbin to get out of a bind.”

But Wolkoff, with Wasserman, also wrote a hard-hitting episode of Strange New Worlds that features no such loopholes or get-out-of-jail-free cards. In “Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach” Pike encounters a seemingly idyllic, technologically advanced, progressive society that depends entirely on a single child being hooked into a machine and tortured to death. It’s a modern-day reworking of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and there is no feel-good heroic ending for the Enterprise crew at the end of it.

“That was a real bind for Pike,” says Wolkoff. “Their way of thinking was abhorrent to him, and many (if not all) of us. But I think it would have been potentially more harmful for him to march in there phasering stuff up like the police of the universe and showing other Federation members that we really are colonizers no matter what we claim.”

Wasserman adds, “What I loved most about this episode was the final confrontation between Pike and Alora, and her effort to draw a moral equivalence between their two societies. Alora wants to believe that the suffering of one child is acceptable if it means alleviating a planet’s worth of pain. And I think she might argue that Starfleet, by following the Prime Directive here, is doing the same.”

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But then, that the Prime Directive can deny you that heroic “overthrow an alien culture and save the day” moment is also part of its strength as a storytelling tool.

“ The Prime Directive is the best kind of narrative tool, less a final answer than a burning question—the kind of question that forces us to interrogate what we believe in, what we care about, what the purpose of exploration and governance and life itself may be,” Wasserman says.

The reason it seems counter-intuitive is that it is a moral guideline that requires our heroes not to act, which goes against our fundamental storytelling instincts. That is even more clear in an interactive environment like a tabletop RPG, but Jim Johnson, who heads up Star Trek Adventures for Modiphius Entertainment, argues that even here, the Prime Directive offers players the opportunity to make a choice.

“Players still have all the agency; the PD provides guidance on what they should or shouldn’t do,” he says. “It’s never as simple as black and white, do this or don’t do this. There’s always nuance. It’s up to the players what they do with the information they’re given.”

The Prime Directive on Earth

But this is not just an argument about in-universe lore or storytelling techniques. Star Trek has never been a show that is just about spaceships and aliens.

“All science fiction tells us more about the time in which it was written than about the future that’s being imagined, and Star Trek is no exception,” McCormack insists. “From the outset, Star Trek is telling us about the USA’s vision of itself in the world. Specifically, in the case of the Prime Directive, 1960s Star Trek is making a clear statement about the misguidedness – the immorality – of American military involvement in Vietnam. It’s also a broader statement against colonialism.”

Even today, the Prime Directive works as a metaphor to examine how we interact with cherished real-world political institutions.

“An institution with a noble charter can sometimes fall short of its founding principles because even good institutions are imperfect and can be perverted to do harm,” Wolkoff says. “Take the Supreme Court. The Constitution has lots of good directives that justices have interpreted in a calculated manner to do bad things. But I would also argue that our constitution does a lot more good on aggregate, and by design gives us tools to keep fighting to restore any rights the court takes away.”

But as Waltke points out, our ethics and values in these situations are far from constant.

“Human civilization is constantly reassessing what is acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to geopolitics, and when to intervene in another country for humanitarian purposes or in war,” Waltke agrees. “We also face similar conundrums around ‘uncontacted’ people who still live in isolation in shrinking rainforests being devastated by climate change and whether it’s our place to introduce them to the outside world.”

Obviously, our own history with “first contacts” ably demonstrates the case for a non-interference directive, as science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky points out, “One feels that if some 15th-19th century political theorist had framed and popularized a doctrine borrowing from the Prime Directive then European contact with other cultures might have been considerably less genocidal.”

The big difference is that in Star Trek these cultures each live on their own world, separated by light years of space, while we share one increasingly interconnected planet.

“We can all agree, I hope, that every society should have cultural autonomy—but how do we navigate that in an increasingly entangled global order?” asks Wasserman. “When is non-interference an obligation—and when, if ever, is it a moral crime?”

Changing Directives

While the Prime Directive is enshrined in the origins of the Federation, attitudes change. McCormack has written for Star Trek characters in all eras, and has seen how the interpretation of General Order One has changed through the generations.

“There’s an undercurrent in the earlier conception of the Prime Directive that civilizations naturally go through stages of development and become increasingly sophisticated [until they’re] ‘mature’ enough to enter the great galactic community,” McCormack says. “This kind of language seems to lessen (it doesn’t go away entirely). There must have been a big change in Federation social theory, I’m glad to say.”

“It’s paternalistic: Who is the Federation to decide when a civilization is and is not ‘ready’ for radical change?” Wasserman agrees. “Who is the Federation to deprive a civilization of the opportunity to make its own choice about how to handle the reality of the universe?”

But sometimes, as Deanna Troi says, a cake is just a cake, and some of what we should take from the Prime Directive is straightforwardly literal.

“I feel that, on the basis that we’re likely to be sending probes to exoplanets within my lifetime, we should probably be trying to work out a genuine space-based code of conduct for how to approach any alien world with anything recognizable as a biosphere on it,” Tchaikovsky points out.

Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

Star Trek is not the only space opera, and certainly not the only science fiction to deal with the ethical briar patch surrounding first contact.

Tchaikovsky’s sci-fi trilogy, Children of Time , Children of Ruin , and Children of Memory charts a course from relatively hard sci-fi where space travel spans evolutionary epochs, to a multispecies faster-than-light interstellar civilization that wrestles with similar dilemmas to the Federation.

“In Children of Time the baseline ethos is something that both the Federation or Banks’ Culture would recognize and approve of, at least a little,” Tchaikovsky says. “That idea of empathy for the other, giving personage and respect to sapient life that’s very different to yourself.”

However in Children of Memory , without their own “Prime Directive,” Tchaikovsky’s space explorers are forced to establish their own morality around these dilemmas from first principles.

“Because the universe they are exploring is far more depauperate than Trek ’s when it comes to life, and sapience in particular, they want to study life as it has developed independent of their coalition. On the other hand, the life they find is having a very tough time of it, practically begging for an advanced civilization to step in and help,” Tchaikovsky says. “But the moment they do that – in any way – they destroy the thing they are trying to observe.”

It was a book that changed Tchaikovsky’s own perspective on the Prime Directive.

“I think it’s a profoundly noble ideal to basically have- ‘we won’t exploit the less powerful,’ and to recognize that even the most peaceable contact will constitute unpalatable interference. Except then I wrote Children of Memory ,” Tchaikovsky says. “Do you have a duty to relieve ‘naturally occurring’ pain and suffering? How does that differentiate you from any cultural imperialist who feels that life would be better if they were more like us? I don’t think there’s an easy answer.”

But as McMahan points out, “The Prime Directive isn’t ‘the only directive.’ Life is rare, we’re all here together and we have to support each other. The Prime Directive’s function is cautionary, so you don’t destroy while trying to preserve. While I don’t love that the Prime Directive demands inaction, it’s based in respect and empathy. A little more of that from everyone would be great.”

Ultimately, the question any Prime Directive story comes down to is “What would you do?” You might expect most people to go full Kirk, knocking over any oppressive planetary regime they encounter. However, in playing and running Star Trek Adventures games, Johnson has seen people are a bit more complicated than that.

“In my decades of Trek roleplaying and gamemastering, I’ve noticed that players will almost always try to adhere to at least the spirit of the Prime Directive,” he says. “Sometimes the best course of action is the least-worst course of action, and sometimes there’s no right answer.”

Chris Farnell

Chris Farnell is a freelance writer and the author of a novel, an anthology, a Doctor Who themed joke book and some supplementary RPG material. He…

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• Legal documents

Starfleet General Orders and Regulations

Starfleet General Orders and Regulations (or Basic Orders ) are a series of guidelines used to instruct members of Starfleet on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that requires consultation for a resolution.

• 1.1 Starfleet Charter Articles
• 1.2 Federation Regulations
• 1.3 Galactic Emergency Procedures
• 1.4.1 Proposed General Orders
• 1.5 Starfleet Directives
• 1.6 Starfleet Orders
• 1.7 Starfleet Regulations
• 1.8 Starfleet Away Team Guidelines
• 1.9 Starfleet Engineering Specifications
• 1.10 Starfleet Security Protocols
• 1.11 Starfleet Medical Protocols
• 1.12 Starfleet/Federation Codes
• 1.13 Federation Code of Conduct
• 1.14.1 Health-Related
• 1.14.2 Miscellaneous
• 2.1 External links

History and specifics [ ]

These guidelines are especially useful in situations where flag officers cannot be consulted to resolve a situation. ( VOY episode : " Equinox ")

Several of the first one hundred-plus Starfleet Orders used by the Federation Starfleet, were in place during the 22nd century , evidently implemented by Earth Starfleet . ( ENT episode : " Hatchery ")

Starfleet Charter Articles [ ]

Federation regulations [ ], galactic emergency procedures [ ], general orders [ ], proposed general orders [ ].

• Following the Borg incursion of 2380 , a new General Order was proposed by Starfleet Command. The proposed order stated that in the event that a Borg incursion into Federation space was detected, Captain Jean-Luc Picard was empowered to take what ever steps he saw as necessary to protect the Federation, and that his actions could not be countermanded nor could he be censured afterward. ( TNG novel : Before Dishonor )

Starfleet Directives [ ]

Starfleet orders [ ], starfleet regulations [ ].

• When the lives of Federation citizens are in danger
• When no other officers of equal or higher rank are present to mitigate this threat.( DSC episode : " Brother ")

Starfleet Away Team Guidelines [ ]

• "Specifically forbid the transport of unknown infectious agents onto a starship without establishing containment and eradication protocols." ( VOY episode : " Macrocosm ")
• Starfleet Regulation #476.9: "All Away Teams must report to the Bridge at least once every 24 hours."( VOY episode : " Once Upon a Time ")

Starfleet Engineering Specifications [ ]

Starfleet security protocols [ ], starfleet medical protocols [ ], starfleet/federation codes [ ], federation code of conduct [ ].

• The Federation Code of Conduct expressly forbids revealing information to forces that are harmful to the Federation . ( TNG novel : The Forgotten War )

Non-specific regulations [ ]

Health-related [ ].

• "All research personnel on alien planets are required to have their health certified by a starship surgeon at one-year intervals." ( TOS episode : " The Man Trap ")
• "The ship's surgeon will require a full examination of any crew member that he has doubts about, including the Captain." ( TOS episode : " Turnabout Intruder ")
• "Nothing shall be beamed aboard until danger of contamination has been eliminated. Beaming down to the surface (of a planet) is permitted, if the Captain decides the mission is vital, and reasonably free of danger". ( TOS movie : Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; VOY episode : " Macrocosm ")
• A captain cannot order a doctor to violate Doctor-Patient Confidentiality, except in situations of ship security. ( VOY episode : " Fury ")
• "All Starfleet personnel must obtain authorization from their CO as well as clearance from their medical officer before initiating an intimate relationship with an alien species." ( VOY episode : " The Disease ")

Miscellaneous [ ]

• "Ground combat personnel are to rotate off the front lines every ninety days." ( DS9 episode : " The Siege of AR-558 ")
• "No killing of intelligent lifeforms." ( TAS episode : " One of Our Planets Is Missing ")
• "Striking a fellow officer is a court-martial offense." ( TOS episode : " This Side of Paradise "; VOY episode : " Parallax "; ENT episode : " Bound ")
• "Encroaching on the territory of an alien species is prohibited." ( VOY episode : " The Swarm ")
• "All ships must drop out of warp at the edge of a system before proceeding on to the inner planets " ( TNG video game : Bridge Commander )
• Biannual maintenance duty : In the 2270s , starships were required to report to a drydock or repair facility every six months for a thorough maintenance procedure. ( TOS comic : " Husian Gambit ")

Appendices [ ]

External links [ ].

• Starfleet General Orders and Regulations article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• An edition of Starfleet General Orders
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 Odyssey class
• 3 Resurgence

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General Order #4 (the only one punishable by death)

• Think "out of the box".
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• 1.1.1 Section 1
• 1.1.2 Section 2
• 1.2 General Order 2
• 1.3 General Order 3
• 1.4 General Order 4
• 1.5 General Order 5
• 1.6 General Order 6
• 1.7 General Order 6 (ALTERNATE)
• 1.8 General Order 7
• 1.9 General Order 8
• 1.10.1 Version A ST Minutiae
• 1.10.2 Version B ASR Manual
• 1.11 General Order 10
• 1.12 General Order 11
• 1.13 General Order 12
• 1.14 General Order 13
• 1.15 General Order 14
• 1.16 General Order 15
• 1.17 General Order 16
• 1.18 General Order 17
• 1.19 General Order 18
• 1.20 General Order 19
• 1.21 General Order 20
• 1.22 General Order 21
• 1.23 General Order 22
• 1.24 General Order 23
• 1.25.1 Section B
• 1.26 General Order 24
• 1.27 General Order 26
• 1.28 General Order 27
• 1.29 General Order 28
• 1.30 General Order 29
• 1.31 General Order 30
• 1.32 General Order 31
• 1.33 General Order 32
• 1.34 General Order 32 (ALTERNATIVE)
• 1.35 General Order 33
• 1.36 General Order 34
• 1.37 General Order 35
• 1.38 General Order 36
• 1.39 General Order 37
• 1.40 General Order 38
• 1.41 General Order 39
• 1.42.1 Section B, Paragraph 1-A
• 1.42.2 Section C
• 2.1 Regulation 13D
• 2.2 Regulation 46A
• 2.3 Regulation 42/15
• 2.4 Regulation 157
• 3.1 Directive 010
• 3.2 Directive 101
• 3.3 Directive 2001
• 3.4 Directive 2005
• 3.5 Engineering Directive
• 3.6 Omega Directive
• 3.7 Tactical Directive 36
• 3.8 Temporal Prime Directive
• 4 Works Cited
• 5 Update History

INTRODUCTION

In order to remain as consistent in possible in implementing the policies of the United Federation of Planets in the field, Star Fleet has established a series of general orders, regulations, directives, and guidelines to govern the behavior of Star Fleet personnel. Violations of these policies are punishable in accordance with the Uniform Code Military of Justice. Cases involving the UCMJ are overseen by the Star Fleet Judge Advocate General Corps. See appendix Q for more information on the JAG Corps.

General orders are the highest level of regulation governing the actions of Star Fleet personnel. Any violation of a general order is automatically investigated by the Judge Advocate General Corps, though not all investigations result in charges. Regulations relate to the specific duties aboard a ship, star base or outpost and are generally enforced by department heads or the commanding officer. Guidelines are, simply, general rules of operations that should be followed under normal circumstances. They are intended to ensure the safety of Star Fleet personnel. Directives are standard operating procedures established by Star Fleet Command.

NOTE: Through various compiled sources used, there are instances of duplicates. In those situations, both orders are presented.

NOTE: Pronouns have been updated to align with the diversity of Star Fleet member worlds and not to relate to a specific Terran gender.

General Order 1

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Star Fleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Star Fleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

Star Fleet crew will obey the following with any civilization that has not achieved a commensurate level of technological and/or societal development as described in Appendix 1. a) No identification of self or mission. b) No interference with the social, cultural, or technological development of said planet. c) No references to space, other worlds, or advanced civilizations. d) The exception to this is if said society has already been exposed to concept, herein. However, in that instance, section 2 applies.

If said species has achieved the commensurate level of technological and/or societal development as described in Appendix 1, or has been exposed to the concepts listed in section 1, no Star Fleet crew person will engage with said society or species without first gathering extensive information on the specific traditions, laws, and culture of that species civilization. Then Star Fleet crew will obey the following: a) If engaged in diplomatic relations with said culture, will stay within the confines of culture's restrictions. b) No interference with the social development of said planet.

General Order 2

No Star Fleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.

General Order 3

The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Star Fleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.

General Order 4

If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent life-forms, under no circumstance shall Star Fleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said life-forms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space.

General Order 5

In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary command of Star Fleet vessels and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Star Fleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis. General Order 5: An order that prohibits Star Fleet officers from, for example, transporting out of a dangerous situation if others would be put at risk by doing so.

General Order 6

The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands unconditional priority from Star Fleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities.

General Order 6 (ALTERNATE)

If all life aboard a Federation starship had perished at the end of twenty-four hours, the ship would self-destruct to protect other beings from the disease on board.

General Order 7

No Star Fleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances, emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes all other General Orders. Any transgression of this general order shall be punishable by death.

General Order 8

Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Star Fleet vessel shall determine the reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has hostile intentions, the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members. In such cases, the commander may use their discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 9

Version a st minutiae.

A commander of a Starfleet vessel or installation, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government. However, said decision may and can be overturned by a superior officer or representative of the Federation government pending a reviewal of circumstances.

Version B ASR Manual

No commander of a Star Fleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government.

General Order 10

If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.

General Order 11

Star Fleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries de facto powers of a Federation Special Ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are subject to approval by the Chief of Star Fleet Operations and the Secretary of Star Fleet.

General Order 12

On the approach of any vessel when communications have not been established, Star Fleet safety-of-personnel requirements indicate that said vessel should be treated as potentially hostile until proven otherwise, and in consequence a standard defensive posture should be adopted.

General Order 13

Except when direct orders state to the contrary, Star Fleet personnel will respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.

General Order 14

Star Fleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the title of governor or higher.

General Order 15

No officer of flag rank shall travel into a potentially hazardous area without a suitable armed escort.

General Order 16

Star Fleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of the Federation or Star Fleet.

General Order 17

Star Fleet vessel and starbase captains are to consider the lives of their crew members as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the lives of their crew above the fate of their ship or base.

General Order 18

Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Star Fleet personnel may demand a trial conducted by the Federation judiciary, foregoing a Courts-Martial. Star Fleet may choose to prosecute or may forego prosecution in favor of a Federation judiciary prosecutor. If the individual is acquitted, Star Fleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in the said matter.

General Order 19

Except in times of declared emergency, Star Fleet personnel may under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct aggression. This order applies to independent worlds within Federation territory as well as to Federation members.

General Order 20

General Order 20- Officers and personnel of Star Fleet Command may employ whatever means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient beings held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space.

General Order 21

No Star Fleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer their services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the Federation Assembly except in cases of an emergency. Starship captains and Star Fleet Flag officers unable to contact the Federation Assembly are considered to be acting representatives of the Federation Assembly however can be called to account for actions taken in this capacity by the Federation judiciary and the Federation Assembly.

General Order 22

As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred, Star Fleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Star Fleet regulations.

General Order 23

When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Star Fleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting or have acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending a full investigation by governmental officials.

General Order 24

If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a threat to Star Fleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may take any action deemed necessary (including force) to secure the safety of those threatened.

An order to destroy all life on an entire planet, moon or other interstellar body.

Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Star Fleet personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent with their rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the security of the Federation or Star Fleet.

General Order 26

No member of a ship's complement, star base or other ground-based installation can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors. Similarly, no member of a ship's company or other Star Fleet personnel will share in disciplinary measures taken against the commanding officer(s) if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations exist.

General Order 27

No member of Star Fleet shall be required by the assignment of standard duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from their family if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship or as a part of an existing Star Fleet installation.

General Order 28

No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at least three senior officers present. Whenever possible, such officers shall include the ship's First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and one junior officer of command station.

General Order 29

The primary responsibility of the commander of any Star Fleet vessel or installation is the welfare and safety of their crew, including any civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer's charge, except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable.

General Order 30

Star Fleet Command recognizes the right of each unit commander to interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit, consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect, and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered sentient races.

General Order 31

The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall henceforth apply to all sentient life-forms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin.

General Order 32

General Order 32 (Rescinded, SD Unknown) - Except in the case of an extreme emergency, no Star Fleet commander is authorized to order their ship to travel faster than Warp Factor Five without express permission from Star Fleet Command.

General Order 32 (ALTERNATIVE)

Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under conditions of extreme emergency as required by General Order 6.

General Order 33

If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a direct threat to the safety of Star Fleet personnel, Federation citizens, or those under current Federation protection, they may take any actions necessary to safeguard the lives of those threatened. In such cases, the commander may use their discretion in deciding whether to use force. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

General Order 34

All Star Fleet personnel and/or Federation civilian contractors shall follow a superior’s order to the best of their ability, unless said orders should conflict with the regulation laid out in these orders. Special dispensations are granted in emergency situations as per specific orders, with the exceptions of General Orders 1, 2, 3, or 7.

General Order 35

Should the entire personnel of a Star Fleet vessel or installation become severely incapacitated or deceased due to an environmental or medical contaminant, said vessel is to be destroyed within a 24-hour period from initial discovery of cause to prevent spread of the epidemic agent.

General Order 36

No Federation vessel, whether civilian or Star Fleet, is allowed to visit a planet or star system placed under quarantine by Star Fleet or the Federation Council unless the visitation falls under the jurisdictional actions accredited by General Orders 1, 5, and 6.

General Order 37

Star Fleet personnel shall respect binding contracts, agreements, and bindings made by the Federation government and/or Star Fleet itself and shall operate within the boundaries and governances of said treaties, especially in matters dealing with the co-signatories of said treatise.

General Order 38

n the event of the death, absence, or incapacitation of the commanding officer of record, command of a ship or installation falls to the next highest-ranking crewmember, regardless of position in the command structure. When two officers in the line of succession are of comparable rank, command first falls upon the officer with command experience; barring that requirement, command will fall upon the officer with seniority.

General Order 39

An officer or crewmember may be removed from active duty status if they are judged to be incapable of fulfilling their obligations as a member of Star Fleet, whether for medical or psychological reasons, by either the Chief Medical Officer or by the two ranking command staff officers.

Star Fleet Order 104

In 2401, General Order 104 was referenced on screen for Anton Chekov's presidential message. (PIC: "The Last Generation")

Section B, Paragraph 1-A

In the absence of a starship's assigned captain, a flag officer had the authority to assume command of the starship should they have deemed it necessary. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine"; VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy")

Should it be proven with admissible evidence that the flag officer who had assumed command was medically or psychologically unfit for command, the starship's ranking officer could relieve them on that basis. However, such an action was required to be supported by an appropriate certification of unfitness by the ship's chief medical officer (requiring the CMO to also produce test results to that effect) or other clear evidence, such as an act of attempted suicide (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine"), or other odd behavior. (ENT: "Hatchery"; ; VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy"; PRO: "Supernova, Part 1")

REGULATIONS

Regulation 13d.

Any civilian or military vessel within Federation space is subject to mandatory health and safety inspections whenever docking at a Federation aligned facility or whenever any officer of command grade on a Federation starship has sufficient cause to suspect hazardous materials or conditions on board said vessel

Regulation 46A

Regulation 46A states that, if transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages should be sent on an open channel.

Regulation 42/15

Regulation 42/15 is an engineering procedure relating to the impulse engines. It is titled "Pressure Variances in the Impulse Reaction Chamber Tank Storage," and was written by Montgomery Scott.

Regulation 157

Regulation 157, Section III, Paragraph 18- which deals with time travel- states that all Star Fleet officers are tot ake all necessary precautions to minimize any participation in historic events. One Away Team guideline forbids the transport of unknown infectious diseases onto a starship without first establishing containment and eradication protocols.

STAR FLEET DIRECTIVES

Directive 010.

Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made.

Directive 101

Directive 101 assures that any individual accused of a crime has the right to remain silent.

Directive 2001

Starship Self Destruct Scenario 1

• All phaser banks overload and explode instantaneously killing the crew.
• Preplaced explosive charges destroy all computer systems and memory
• All onboard emergency batteries overload and explode
• Preplaced explosive charges destroy airlock doors, simultaneously all internal doors lock open, evacuating ship’s air into space
• All Antimatter Containment Bottles are ejected into deep space using built-in thrusters.

Directive 2005

Starship Self Destruct Scenario 2

The Chief Engineer (or authorized senior Engineering Officer) instructs the Main Engineering Computer to remove the safety interlocks on the Antimatter Containment Bottles. Thus, when the computer counts down to zero, the internal force-fields of the Antimatter Containment Bottles will be cancelled out. This will result in an explosion which will negate any object within a 1000 km radius of the ship.

Engineering Directive

Star Fleet's General Engineering Code states that all mission-critical components must have a secondary backup should the primary backup fail.

Omega Directive

Authorizes the use of any and all means to destroy an Omega molecule.

Tactical Directive 36

The Commanding Officer will not engage a hostile force without the protection of a security officer.

Temporal Prime Directive

All Star Fleet and UFP personnel are strictly forbidden from directly interfering with historical events.

Works Cited

Compiled from:

• ASR Manual Chapter 3
• Star Fleet Dynamics: The 23rd Century Officer’s Bible © 2291
• Star Trek Minutiae’s Star Fleet General Orders https://www.st-minutiae.com/articles/treaties/general_orders.html
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer’s Manual © 1988 (All content herein already included in ST Minutiae’s site.)

Update History

SD 350904 - Adapted & created by Michael Dailey SD 351115 - Added Regulation 13D (Captain Zane/USS FEYNMAN SD 24080612)

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Regulations List

General Order One: The Prime Directive In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Explained

If we're going to talk about "Star Trek" and the Prime Directive, we need to talk about rats.

According to an article published by Columbia University, Norway rats were first introduced to the American continent in 1776 when Hessian soldiers — and the rats — arrived on ships to fight the American colonists. Rats, being hearty, quickly spread across the continent, thanks to their ability to reproduce quickly, their large size when compared to native rodentia, and their aggressive behavior. They also eat a lot, consuming two-thirds of their body weight in grain daily. The Norway rat has long been considered a destructive pest, and they still occupy large cities to this very day. 

The Norway rat is hardly the most destructive thing to have spawned from Earth's annals of colonialism, and a brief look over your history textbooks reveals far too many examples of cultures infiltrating — and destroying — others. Every breath we take in the present contains particles of a horror from the distant — and not-so-distant — past. Usurpation, exploitation, and slavery are woven into our every garment. It is a legacy modern humanity must be in a constant state of unpacking. 

When Gene Roddenberry created "Star Trek," he wanted it to take place in a post-colonialist world. In the future, humanity will have access to the greatest technology ever imagined, and will be able to soar from star to star, but they are not there to impose their values on others, and are certainly not there to conquer. There will be no war, interpersonal conflicts will be handled tactfully, and humanity will not interfere with the cultures of others. 

That last bit is well-known throughout "Star Trek" as the Prime Directive, a much lauded and sometime-harangued principle that stands at the very center of the Federation's ethos. It's important enough to be called "The Prime Directive," after all, and it has come into play multiple times throughout "Star Trek" — sometimes under the name General Order One, a name change that is stated explicitly in the first episode of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " — as a constant ethical struggle. 

Non-interference

The Prime Directive was first mentioned in the "Star Trek" episode "The Return of the Archons," which first aired on February 9, 1967. In that episode (written by Gene L. Coon ), the Enterprise is investigating the disappearance of a ship called the U.S.S. Archon that had disappeared a century earlier. In so doing, Kirk (William Shatner) and crew beam down to the planet Beta III and encounter a planet of people dressed in early 20th-century garb, and who all seemed to be placidly hypnotized. When the clock strikes, "Red Hour" begins, and the people go wild, smashing windows, undressing, and rioting. Festival! Festival! The crew eventually finds that the people are under the thrall of an order-seeking computer named Landru that has been brainwashing people for centuries under the auspices of keeping them safe, arranging itself as a benevolent deity. When Kirk meets the computer — it's intelligent, but not emotional — the good captain argues that the computer itself is doing more harm than good, and it destroys itself. 

Ethical quandary: Was Kirk right to end the computer's influence over the Betans? It was the place to which their culture had brought itself, after all. Landru, we learn, was a real person who lived 6,000 years previous, and who had become a Messiah figure after reducing a technologically busy planet to something simpler. Now Landru was an automated Savior machine. 

The people on this planet were being robbed of their free will, but were also, unarguably, peaceful. The Prime Directive would dictate that the people be left alone. Kirk makes a (rather weak) argument that noninterference with a growing culture only applies if the culture is actively growing. The computer had stymied evolution, and Kirk felt justified in destroying it. He certainly felt a righteous need to impose his morals on this planet. As a way to make up for essentially toppling society, he orders a team of Federation educators come in and teach the Betans how to live in a functional society again. 

This was followed up in a hilarious episode of " Star Trek: Lower Decks ."

Bread and circuses

"Bread and Circuses" (written by Coon and Roddenberry , originally aired on March 15, 1968) is as ethically tricky as they come, but also features an instance wherein Kirk obeyed the Prime Directive. In the episode, the Enterprise encounters a planet that is very much like Ancient Rome, but evolved into a 20th-century-Earth-like timeframe. As such, there are still slaves forced into gladiatorial combat, but they are broadcast on modern TV equipment. Eventually Kirk and co. are going to be forced into the arena as slaves. 

The Enterprise has encountered a world whereupon slavery still exists. With the ship's superior technology, Kirk could easily free the slaves, assassinate dictators, and install a democratic government with a team of Federation educators, right? Just like in "The Return of the Archons"? Doesn't this sound preferable to slavery? The issue with interfering in the case of "Bread and Circuses" is that it encourages colonialist thinking. If you feel you're in the right and you have superior technology to the "primitive" species you seek to aid, then congratulations, you are a colonialist. 

"Bread and Circuses" leaves audiences on something of an ambiguous but generally optimistic note. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) points out that the slave uprising they had briefly encountered called themselves The Children of the Sun. Only she had mistranslated the phrase earlier, and finds that the phrase was closer to ... The Son of God. Kirk opines that this planet had a Caesar analogue, but also a Christ analogue. The Enterprise did not end slavery on that planet, but knowing Earth history, one can take comfort in the fact that the Rome planet will continue to evolve. It will have new religions, new philosophies, perhaps Holy Wars, but — in the long run — may find itself eventually entering its own Roddenberrian future. They just need time to work all that s*** out. 

Will people die and suffer? Yes. But the Prime Directive prevents humans from being the saviors. Civilization necessarily evolves at its own pace. 

Who watches the watchers?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? One of the best examples of the Prime Directive at work in " Star Trek: The Next Generation " was in the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?," written by Hans Beimler, which first aired on October 16, 1989. In that episode, a disguised Federation outpost is watching over a primitive species — they are in their agrarian phase — suddenly becomes visible after an accident. One of the locals is injured in the accident and Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) beams him up to the ship in what is a clear violation of the Prime Directive. She justifies it by saying that they were the ones responsible for his injuries. The local (Ray Wise) witnesses everything on board the starship, including the work of Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). Although Dr. Crusher tries to erase his memory, it doesn't take, and Wise ends up spreading a legend among his people of a new god called The Picard. Oops. 

So that civilization is tainted. There's no going back. Picard, however, feels he can stem the damage somewhat by explaining to the locals that he is not a god, but a very mortal traveler. A regular person, just like them. Ray Wise, to prove that Picard is immortal, shoots him with an arrow. When Picard is nearly killed, the Wise character reneges. This primitive civilization now knows about the existence of aliens, but their culture will not be altered by a new belief system, a new religion, or a new worship structure. To most eyes, this was the preferable option.

The communicator

"Star Trek: Enterprise" took place before the inception of General Order One, and the crew of that show's ship had a heck of a time discovering why it might be needed. Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) is told by his Vulcan first officer T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) that Vulcans had a habit of noninterference, and it was they who invented General Order One, not yet adopted by human Starfleet. 

In the episode "The Communicator" (written by André Bormanis, first aired on November 13, 2002), disguised Enterprise crewmembers — partly for study, but partly for fun — beam down to a 21st-century-tech-level planet to look around. Upon returning, they find they left behind a communicator, a technology far beyond what the planet currently possessed. The communicator was discovered by a local who thought Archer and his crew were an enemy faction invading their country. Eventually, after Archer returns to retrieve the communicator, the locals will apprehend him, remove his disguise makeup, and learn that his blood is red. Archer claims he's not an alien, but a genetic experiment conducted by his captor's enemies. Good story, bro. Events snowball to the point when shuttlecraft are flown in to rescue Archer. 

The final scene of the episode is T'Pol grilling Archer over what he did wrong. Archer learns that he escalated a conflict on the planet's surface, and revealed tech they never knew possible. 

Yeah. That's a 10 on the Whoops Scale. "The Communicator" is one of the better instances of why a philosophy of noninterference is required in a universe where multiple civilizations were evolving at different rates. 

Roddenberry wanted that pact to be applied throughout history. At least in fiction, we can have it.

When Is The Next Star Trek Movie Coming Out?

• Star Trek movies are making a comeback, but release dates for upcoming theatrical or streaming releases are still unknown.
• Star Trek: Section 31 is the first Star Trek movie for streaming on Paramount+, starring Michelle Yeoh as antiheroine Emperor Georgiou.
• The next Star Trek movie in theaters will be an Untitled Star Trek Origin movie directed by Toby Haynes, exploring the origin of Starfleet.

Star Trek movies are finally coming back, but there are no release dates yet announced for Star Trek 's upcoming theatrical or streaming releases . Originating on network television with Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek became a successful movie franchise starting with 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture . There have been 13 Star Trek movies in total, and every decade since the 1970s has enjoyed a Star Trek movie release.

However, Star Trek movies stalled following the theatrical release of Star Trek Beyond in 2016. A year later, Star Trek returned to television after a 12-year absence with Star Trek: Discovery , and its success spawned a new golden era of Star Trek TV shows on Paramount+ with 6 existing and upcoming live-action and animated series. Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures' Star Trek movie franchise has been mired in development hell, with several attempts to develop Star Trek 4 with big name directors going nowhere. However, there are new signs of life for Star Trek movies, which will soon arrive in theaters and streaming on Paramount+.

Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

With 13 entries in the Star Trek movie series from 1979-2006, there are a couple of ways to watch the films chronologically.

Star Trek: Section 31 Is The Next Star Trek Movie

Academy award winner michelle yeoh headlines star trek's first streaming movie.

The next Star Trek movie is Star Trek: Section 31 , which is also the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+ . Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Section 31 stars Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her antiheroine, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, from Star Trek: Discovery. Section 31 also stars Sam Richardson, Omari Hardwick, Humberly Gonzalez, James Hiroyuki Liao, Robert Kanzinsky, and Kacey Rohl, who plays the younger version of Rachel Garrett from Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Emperor Georgiou is billed as confronting the past sins and origins of Section 31, and time travel puts her in the "lost era" of Star Trek 's 24th century before Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: Section 31 was originally developed as a Paramount+ series, with Michelle Yeoh's Georgiou written out of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 to topline the new show. However, the COVID-19 pandemic stalled Section 31 moving forward, and Michelle Yeoh winning the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once changed her availability. Still, Yeoh remained dedicated to Star Trek and her commitment allowed Section 31 to move forward as a made-for-streaming movie. Star Trek: Section 31 completed filming in March 2024 in Toronto, and it is waiting for a release date from Paramount+, which could be late in 2024 or in 2025.

Untitled Star Trek Origin Is The Next Star Trek Movie In Theaters

Toby haynes is directing with j.j. abrams producing.

Paramount Pictures officially announced the next Star Trek movie made for theatrical release will be an Untitled Star Trek Origin movie directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Haynes is renowned for directing Star Wars: Andor and he also directed the Star Trek parody episode "USS Callister" for Netflix's Black Mirror . The Untitled Star Trek Origin movie is reportedly set "decades before" the events of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) movie and depict the origin of Starfleet. Although, Star Trek fans are concerned whether Haynes' movie will attempt to reboot the established Star Trek canon.

J.J. Abrams will be a producer of Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin movie, but X-Men producer Simon Kinberg is reportedly in talks to come aboard as the producer who not only oversees Haynes' Star Trek prequel , but the entire Star Trek theatrical movie franchise going forward. Kinberg's proposed role would be similar to how Alex Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout single oversees all Star Trek on Paramount+ streaming TV series and movies. The Untitled Star Trek Origin movie is scheduled to start production in the fall of 2024 for a possible 2025 or 2026 premiere in theaters.

Star Trek 4 Is Still In Development

Expected to be the final chapter of chris pine's uss enterprise crew.

A fourth Star Trek movie produced by J.J. Abrams starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk leading the crew of the USS Enterprise has been in development since 2018, but Star Trek 4 is reportedly still in the works. Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ) was recently brought aboard to develop a new screenplay for Star Trek 4, although there is no further news on the long-delayed film. However, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Sofia Boutella have all publicly stated their desire to return for another Star Trek if the movie actually happens.

It would be a shame if the Starship Enterprise doesn't return to theaters to mark Star Trek 's 60th anniversary in 2024.

Star Trek 4 has had several failed attempts with notable filmmakers attached. Quentin Tarantino wanted to do an R-rated version of Star Trek 4 based on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "A Piece of the Action". S.J. Clarkson's story concept to reunite Chris Pine's Captain Kirk with his late father, Lt. George Kirk played by Chris Hensworth, didn't come to fruition due to creative differences. This was the same reason Matt Shakman gave for leaving Star Trek 4 to direct Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four . It would be a shame if the Starship Enterprise doesn't return to theaters to mark Star Trek 's 60th anniversary in 2024, but Star Trek 4 remains an unfulfilled wish.

Director Olatunde Osunsanmi

Studio(s) CBS

Writers Craig Sweeney

Cast Humberly Gonzlez, Joe Pingue, Sam Richardson, Omari Hardwick, Robert Kazinsky, Michelle Yeoh, Kacey Rohl

Genres Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Screen Rant

Star trek confirms the harsh reality of seven of nine's life after starfleet.

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Star Trek's Original Ban on Female Starship Captains Is Even Weirder Than It Seems

I forgot about captain picard day, but so did star trek, star trek reveals origin of a vital federation first contact device.

• Seven of Nine faces continued bigotry and obstacles in “Lady Luck,” showcasing ongoing struggles post- Voyager return.
• “Lady Luck” highlights Seven’s resilience against discrimination stemming from her previous Borg status.
• Despite serving with distinction, Seven of Nine still confronts anti-Borg sentiments, even in her new role in Starfleet.

Warning: contains spoilers for "Lady Luck," appearing in Star Trek Celebrations: Pride!

Seven of Nine’s return to the Alpha Quadrant was not as hopeful as one would have hoped, as Star Trek has confirmed the harsh reality of her life afterward. When fans were reintroduced to Seven during Star Trek: Picard’s first season, she had adjusted–somewhat, to her new life. Yet, as seen in the story “Lady Luck” in Star Trek Celebrations: Pride , she must still deal with bigots.

“Lady Luck,” appearing in Star Trek Celebrations: Pride , by Vita Ayala and Liana Kangas, follows Seven of Nine and Raffii as they attend Raifi’s Starfleet class reunion. Raffii is the butt of jokes among her classmates, who tease her for being so quiet during her time at Starfleet. Seven is having it even worse, as she must constantly deal, not only with mansplaining, but rampant bigotry.

Several of Raffi’s classmates bring up Seven’s former Borg status, which greatly irritates her.

One Starfleet officer brings up Seven’s failed application to Starfleet Academy, which nearly starts a fight.

Seven of Nine's Character Arc Was One of Star Trek's Most Rewarding

However, her life after returning to the alpha quadrant was anything but good.

Seven of Nine’s journey to rediscover the humanity that was stolen from her as a child was the basis for one of the most compelling character arcs in the Star Trek franchise. Seven was born human, but was captured by the Borg along with her family. After being severed from the Collective, Seven not only has to rediscover what has been lost, but deal with the guilt of her actions as a Borg. Seven served with distinction, but as seen in Star Trek: Picard’s first season, she did not have an easy time upon returning to the Alpha Quadrant.

Seven of Nine attempted to make a life for herself after Voyager , but thanks to her status as a former Borg drone, many doors were shut in her face. She applied to Starfleet Academy, but was rejected. Seven later fell in with the Fenris Rangers, a group of vigilantes patrolling unprotected sectors of space. By the time Picard’s final season rolled around, Seven had joined Starfleet, serving on the USS Titan under Captain Shaw. At first, Shaw was uncertain of Seven, and even dead named her. He eventually came around, but it was a reminder of what Seven deals with.

Starfleet's ban on women starship captains in Kirk's time was odd, and now fans learn it was a very real, but unofficial, thing.

Decades Later, Seven of Nine Must Still Deal With Anti-Borg Sentiments

Seven of nine must work harder to be taken seriously.

Now, “Lady Luck” further reinforces the bigotry that Seven of Nine still deals with, even 20 years after Voyager’s return.

Now, “Lady Luck” further reinforces the bigotry that Seven of Nine still deals with, even 20 years after Voyager’s return. It is totally understandable the apprehension many would feel around her, as the Borg are the most feared race in the Star Trek franchise. The Borg force other races to join them, stripping them of their individuality. Yet Seven has been free of the Borg for decades at this point. Her actions since returning to the Alpha Quadrant point to a legacy of caring and helping people, but she must still deal with bigotry from those around her.

Star Trek Celebrations: Pride is on sale now from IDW Publishing!

Death penalty

The death penalty was the state-sanctioned execution of an individual or party , subsequent to some sort of legal process or custom. Typically – but not necessarily – applied as a punishment for serious crimes such as murder , it could also be the consequence for religious offense, affront to honor , or an act of political expediency. Justification for, and frequency of, the use of the death penalty varied widely throughout known space.

• 1 Pre-Federation
• 2.1.1 Trial by combat
• 2.1.2 Reassociation
• 3.1 Cardassian Union
• 3.2 Klingon Empire
• 3.3 Romulan Star Empire
• 3.4 Q Continuum
• 3.5 Non-aligned worlds
• 4 The mirror universe
• 5.1 Background information
• 5.2 External links

Pre-Federation [ ]

Centuries before 2364 , some of the countries of Earth , believing the death penalty a justifiable deterrent for criminality, practiced this most severe of punishments on those they deemed most threatening to society. Eventually, as criminal behavior was detected in its infancy in individuals and the individuals themselves were treated for their criminal tendencies, the death penalty lost its hold and eventually ceased as a practice. ( ENT : " The Augments "; TNG : " Justice ")

Execution was common practice in ancient times. In Q 's recreation of Sherwood Forest , Maid Marian as portrayed by Vash was to be executed for her refusal to marry Guy of Gisbourne . However, Vash turned the tables by agreeing to marry him, so Jean-Luc Picard in his role as Robin Hood was to be executed instead after he was caught trying to rescue Vash/Marian. Then, when Q / the High Sheriff of Nottingham discovered Vash with a message to Picard's crew, the Merry Men , he declared, " Guards! Take this traitor away. It appears there's going to be a double execution. " ( TNG : " Qpid ")

A Human being burned at the stake could be seen in the resetting timestream . ( ENT : " Storm Front, Part II ")

In the 22nd century , the Vulcans had very few crimes punishable by death. Treason was one such crime. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ")

In 2153 , a group of Triannons seized control of Enterprise NX-01 and their religious leader, Pri'Nam D'Jamat ruled that one of the crew of the ship must die for their transgressions against the Delphic Expanse spheres . Captain Jonathan Archer selected himself and convinced D'Jamat that the transporter was a device that was used to dispose of hazardous materials, but was also sometimes used for humane executions. He was thus able to escape by being transported to another part of the ship. ( ENT : " Chosen Realm ")

The Federation and the death penalty [ ]

Compared to neighboring civilizations, the United Federation of Planets was unusually reluctant to codify or apply the death penalty, preferring incarceration and rehabilitation . ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ", " Whom Gods Destroy ")

Some Federation worlds, per the respect of the UFP to local and independent customs, had laws of their own which put citizens to death. Such was the case on Ardana which, even though a member of the Federation, practiced not only the death penalty but torture as well. ( TOS : " The Cloud Minders ")

In the 23rd century , General Order 7 was issued subsequent to the USS Enterprise 's visit to Talos IV in 2254 . By 2267 , the penalty for Starfleet officers violating General Order 7 was death. However, in the only known instance of the order's violation, Starfleet declined to prosecute the officers involved. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

In 2256 , Admiral Katrina Cornwell told the Klingon L'Rell that the Federation had no death penalty. ( DIS : " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum ") Later that year, upon Voq 's assertion that Michael Burnham should have allowed him to die for attempting to murder her, Saru responded that even with the USS Discovery "stranded in a cruel, anarchic world ", no crime was heinous enough to warrant overriding Federation law. ( DIS : " The Wolf Inside ")

In 2259 of the alternate reality , Admiral Alexander Marcus ordered James T. Kirk to execute the mass murderer John Harrison from orbit . Spock , Leonard McCoy , and Montgomery Scott all found the notion dubious, so Kirk deferred to their judgement and arrested Harrison instead, eventually learning Marcus had ordered the hit to eliminate a conspiracy of which Harrison was the only loose end. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

In 2269 , while inhabiting the body of Captain James T. Kirk , Janice Lester attempted to have Kirk – who was at the time inhabiting her body – executed for mutiny , along with Spock , Dr. Leonard McCoy , and Montgomery Scott . Pavel Chekov protested that Starfleet expressedly prohibited the death penalty except for General Order 4 . Lester's insistence on carrying out the executions turned the remainder of the Enterprise crew against her. She and Captain Kirk returned to their original bodies before Lester could carry out the death sentence. ( TOS : " Turnabout Intruder ")

By the 24th century , the death penalty was non-existent in the Federation . ( TNG : " Justice "; VOY : " Meld ") Nonetheless, during a tense moment, captain Kathryn Janeway claimed her senior staff might be hanged for mutiny . ( VOY : " Night ")

On one occasion in 2372 , USS Voyager 's chief of security Lieutenant Tuvok asked Captain Janeway to consider using the death penalty in the case of crewmember Lon Suder , who had murdered a member of the Voyager crew. Due to Voyager having been nearly seventy years from Federation territory, Tuvok, who was affected by a mind-meld with the violent Suder, saw execution as a possible alternative to keeping Suder confined indefinitely. However Captain Janeway firmly rebuffed this suggestion, and Suder was kept confined to his quarters until his death in 2373 . ( VOY : " Meld ", " Basics, Part II ")

Notable exceptions [ ]

Trial by combat [ ].

Ritualistic murder to satisfy individual or collective honor was one form of death penalty common to several Alpha Quadrant worlds. Vulcan , Qo'noS , and Andoria all had provisions for settling some legal disputes by personal combat to the death. The Vulcan kal-if-fee ; Klingon Mauk-to'Vor , blood oath , Rite of Succession , and Right of Vengeance ; and Andorian ushaan all received legal sanction from their respective societies. Some of these rituals, however tolerated they might have been by planetary governments, were in violation of Starfleet regulations. ( TOS : " Amok Time ") The Klingon rituals, in particular, became troublesome for the Federation because there were some Federation citizens – like Worf , Curzon , Jadzia , and Ezri Dax – who were also members of Klingon houses . The response of superior officers to the engagement in Klingon death-by-combat rituals was inconsistent. Although Picard and Sisko came down hard on Worf for engaging in the Right of Vengeance and the Mauk-to'Vor , respectively, Sisko, in agreement with Ross , later tacitly supported Worf's ritualistic murder of Gowron . ( TNG : " Reunion "; DS9 : " Sons of Mogh ", " Blood Oath ", " Tacking Into the Wind ") However, this apparent change in attitude may have had less to do with Starfleet policy and more to do with stopping Gowron from continuing to sabotage the war effort for petty reasons.

Reassociation [ ]

The Trill punishment for reassociation was an effective death penalty for symbionts . Because the state, in such cases, refused to allow a symbiont found guilty of reassociation to be further joined, the symbiont's life was prematurely terminated. ( DS9 : " Rejoined ")

Other civilizations and the death penalty [ ]

Cardassian union [ ].

The totalitarian Cardassian Union embraced the death penalty as a means to foster popular belief in an efficient and secure government. Show trials where the verdicts were foregone conclusions were broadcast frequently. Starfleet Chief Miles O'Brien narrowly avoided a death sentence on Cardassia in 2370 . ( DS9 : " Tribunal ")

Gul Dukat stated in 2371 that he wished he had Elim Garak executed "years ago" for unspecified actions involving his father . ( DS9 : " Civil Defense ")

Benjamin Sisko forced Dukat to ensure that Thomas Riker was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of being executed. In exchange, Dukat would be given the USS Defiant 's sensor logs and Thomas would be convicted to appease Dukat's political masters. ( DS9 : " Defiant ")

Klingon Empire [ ]

The Klingon Empire 's ancient justice system was suborned by the rising power of the Klingon warrior class in the 22nd century . Death sentences were meted out liberally. However, the sentence was sometimes commuted into an indefinite period of life-threatening servitude. An criminal in the 22nd century was released from death row in order to be a test subject in a Klingon laboratory on Qu'Vat Colony . The criminal Grathon Tolar was on a Klingon death row prior to Benjamin Sisko arranging for Gowron to pardon him so that the criminal could work for Sisko. He indicated that the Klingons liked to taunt such prisoners by telling them daily that they would be executed the next day. Jonathan Archer, James T. Kirk, and Leonard McCoy all had their Klingon death sentences commuted to a "life sentence" of slave labor in the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe . Worf promised J'Dan that the Klingon High Council would put him to a slow death for his role in suspected sabotage of the dilithium chamber hatch of the USS Enterprise -D . ( ENT : " Judgment ", " Affliction "; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; DS9 : " In the Pale Moonlight "; TNG : " The Drumhead ")

Romulan Star Empire [ ]

The Romulan Star Empire showed little evidence of a court system, but the legal authority to warrant and execute death sentences appeared to have been widely distributed. In 2268 , Commander Spock was held for espionage by a Romulan commander , who described his death sentence as "painful and unpleasant", and which would be carried out immediately after the charge was recorded. Spock asked for, and was granted, the Right of Statement before execution, a tradition he used as a filibuster until he could be retrieved. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

In 2349 , a Tasha Yar from an alternate timeline tried to escape from Romulus with her daughter, Sela . She was caught and later executed when Sela cried out upon realizing she was being taken from her father . ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

In 2371 , a Tal Shiar operative destroyed a Flaxian ship in Bajoran space , declaring the incident a perfectly legal execution of an assassin "wanted for crimes against the Romulan Empire." ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ")

Q Continuum [ ]

The Q Continuum had on rare occasions executed Qs for certain crimes. They believed that their society, like any other, must control its disruptive elements, and that an an execution, while undesirable, was on rare occasions necessary and warranted. The decision to proceed was only made after great deliberation by the entire Continuum, to avoid chaos and anarchy. " Collaborating with the enemy " was considered a crime punishable by death. ( VOY : " Death Wish ", " the Q and the Grey ")

Non-aligned worlds [ ]

The Bajoran Provisional Government may have been willing to use the death penalty against Cardassian war criminals. This was certainly part of Aamin Marritza 's thinking when he attempted to impersonate Gul Darhe'el . Odo confirmed that the Bajorans would use the death penalty during a subspace conversation with Gul Dukat. ( DS9 : " Duet ")

The same year, Neela , who planned to assassinate Vedek Bareil Antos , feared that she would be caught and then executed. Vedek Winn Adami , who planned this, tried to calm her down and told her that this should be so if the will of the Prophets . ( DS9 : " In the Hands of the Prophets ")

As of 2267 , the penalty for fraud on Deneb V was death. Guilty parties had the choice of death by electrocution , gas , phaser , or hanging among their options. ( TOS : " I, Mudd ")

The Ferengi Alliance also practiced the death penalty, especially against labor activists. The preferred method of execution was bringing the condemned to the spire of the Tower of Commerce of Ferenginar and pushing them off. These were public executions, and children would bet on where the bodies would land. ( DS9 : " Bar Association ")

On the homeworlds of the Gosis' species and the Skagaran colony planet , hanging was a legal form of punishment. ( ENT : " The Communicator ", " North Star ").

On Argelius II , a law prescribing the ancient penalty for murder, death by slow torture, was not abolished until at least the 2260s , even though the Argelians had been, by that time, a peace-loving culture for two hundred years. In 2267 , chief administrator Hengist contemplated using this punishment on Montgomery Scott should he have been found guilty of a murder that turned out to have actually been committed by an entity known as Redjac . ( TOS : " Wolf in the Fold ")

The planet of Eminiar VII replaced collateral damage of war with the death penalty by asking a computer to calculate what areas of their cities would have been damaged in a battle, had one actually happened. The law of the planet then required citizens to voluntarily submit themselves to a "sanitary" execution. While not a punishment for crime, it was an institutionalized death penalty. ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ")

Similarly– if on a smaller scale – the mediators of Rubicun III enforced the law by randomly selecting a zone to patrol. If a citizen disobeyed the law in that zone, he or she was given an injection of poison . By not knowing in advance the location of a forbidden zone, the citizens of this world were deterred from criminal behavior. ( TNG : " Justice ")

The government of Kaelon II practiced a 1,400-year-old tradition by which all citizens were required to have their lives terminated at the age of 60. ( TNG : " Half a Life ")

In the Gamma Quadrant , the Rakhari practiced capital punishment as of the 2360s , when Croden 's entire family was put to death since he spoke out against the repressive policies of the government . ( DS9 : " Vortex ")

In the Delta Quadrant , anyone discovered deserting from the Talaxian Defense Forces was given the death penalty during the Talaxian-Haakonian War . ( VOY : " Jetrel ")

In Nygean society, the victims of a crime determined the offender's punishment, which could include the death penalty in cases of murder. ( VOY : " Repentance ")

Baneans used to punish murder by lethal injection , but by 2371 a punishment based on the implantation of memory engrams had been developed instead. ( VOY : " Ex Post Facto ")

In the early 24th century , the Enarans utilized public executions to silence dissidents. The execution post would be placed in town centers and violators were tied to the center post. When activated, the post and violator would be bathed in a purple glow. The process took only a few seconds, but caused extreme pain. The device left the corpses with very badly burnt skin. ( VOY : " Remember ")

The mirror universe [ ]

The death penalty was commonplace in both the Terran Empire and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance . Failure to follow the direct orders of Starfleet could result in an immediate execution being ordered by Starfleet Command, to be carried out by the next-in-command. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ") But as in the Klingon Empire of the "normal" universe, the death penalty was often independently initiated by a particular officer, and usually had the effect of advancing one's rank. Unlike the Klingons, however, mirror Starfleet (and, later, Klingon-Cardassian) officers would carry out the murder of superiors or subordinates not out of a genuine desire to protect the crew from inept leadership, ( DS9 : " Soldiers of the Empire ") but merely as the instrument of personal advancement. Justification for such behavior was often couched in language that suggested fealty to the higher cause of "the Empire" or "the Alliance", but most officers who ordered the death of another independent of higher authority were usually committing an act of simple murder. As evidenced by the sudden ascendancy of Empress Hoshi Sato , the right to kill was established by the might to kill, rather than a formal provision of law. ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Away from military politics, Terran and Klingon-Cardassian behavior towards civilians was equally brutal. Executions were commonly meted out as a means of providing incentive to comply. Civilians were killed merely because they had committed the crime of disobedience to the will of the representative of the Terran or Klingon/Cardassian authority, or sometimes for no other reason than the whims of said representative. Indeed, the Intendant Kira Nerys once even suggested random executions as a means of keeping workers motivated. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror "; DS9 : " Crossover ", " Through the Looking Glass ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

At least two Federation members, founding members no less, practiced duels to the death: the Andorians through the Ushaan , and the Vulcans through Kal-if-fee .

During his argument with the M-5 multitronic unit , Captain Kirk said the penalty for murder was death. It is unclear whether Kirk was reflecting his own belief, exploiting the nature of M-5's Human template , or reflecting a truth of the 23rd century that wasn't evident in descriptions given of the 22nd and 24th century Earth. ( TOS : " The Ultimate Computer ")

External links [ ]

• Death penalty at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Capital punishment at Wikipedia
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)