Starfleet General Orders and Regulations
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"In a part of space where there are few rules, it's more important than ever that we hold fast to our own. In a region where shifting allegiances are commonplace we have to have something stable to rely on. And we do. The principles and ideals of the Federation. As far as I'm concerned, those are the best allies we could have."
- - Captain Kathryn Janeway
Starfleet General Orders and Regulations were a series of guidelines used to instruct members of Starfleet on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that required consultation for a resolution. These protocols were the foundation of Starfleet and the responsibility of its officers to uphold and protect, ranging from all manners of duty, such as interstellar diplomacy and law to punctuation of reports. Violations of protocol could have led to being placed on report, a court martial, demotion of rank, or other reprimands.
These guidelines are especially useful in situations where flag officers cannot be consulted to resolve a situation.
Starfleet Charter Articles
- Article 14, Section 31: The exact language has never been cited, but certain lines in this section permit the use of "extraordinary measures" in times of dire emergency.
Federation Regulations
- Book 19, Section 433, Paragraph 12: Regulation concerning the ability of ranking Federation officials to give direct orders to Starfleet officers.
Galactic Emergency Procedures
- Title 15 of these procedures allows ranking Federation officials to assume direct command of Starfleet vessels under certain conditions.
General Orders
- General Order 1: "No starship may interfere with the normal development of any alien life or society."
- General Order 1 is also better known as the Prime Directive. It supersedes all other laws and directives, with the exception of the Omega Directive.
- General Order 4: Said to be the only death penalty left on the books.
- This contradicts General Order 7 below, which is also said to be the only death penalty left. If relations with the Talosians have not changed, it could be this new General Order might have been made to include other planets that might be a threat to the Federation like Talos IV.
- 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.
- General Order 7: No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV.
- This is also said to be the only death penalty left in the United Federation of Planets.
- General Order 12: On the approach of any vessel, when communications have not been established, the ship is supposed to take a defensive posture.
- General Order 15: No flag officer shall beam into a hazardous area without armed escort.
- Note that Kirk states that 'there's no such regulation', and Saavik's response of understated amusement suggests either that her description of this general order is not accurate and intended only to help persuade Kirk to allow her on the landing party, or that the regulation exists and Kirk was knowingly trying to circumvent it.
- General Order 24: An order to destroy all life on an entire planet. This order has been given by Captain Garth and Captain Kirk. On neither occasion was the order actually fulfilled.
Starfleet 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: Any individual accused of murder does not have to answer any questions.
- Tactical Directive 36: "The captain will not engage a hostile force without the protection of a security officer."
- Prime Directive
- Omega Directive
- Temporal Prime Directive
Starfleet Orders
- Starfleet Order 2: Starfleet regulation against the taking of intelligent life.
- Starfleet Order 104: Section B, Paragraph 1-A - In the absence of a starship's assigned captain, a flag officer has the authority to assume command of the starship should they deem it necessary.
- Starfleet Order 104: Section C - Should it be proven with admissible evidence that the flag officer who has assumed command is medically or psychologically unfit for command, the starship's ranking officer may relieve them on that basis. However, such an action must be supported by an appropriate certification of unfittness 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.
- Starfleet Order 2005: Orders the destruction of a starship by allowing matter and antimatter to mix in an uncontrolled manner. This is a last resort for a captain that allows him/her to prevent their ship or crew from falling into enemy hands.
- Starfleet Order 28455: In the alternate reality, Admiral Richard Barnett told Captain James T. Kirk by this order he had to report to Admiral Christopher Pike that he was his relief.
- Special Order 66715: Federation order that states: "[Starfleet has] the authority to neutralize security threats to Deep Space 9 by any means necessary".
Starfleet Regulations
- Regulation 3 (Paragraph 12): In the event of imminent destruction, a Starfleet Captain is authorized to preserve the lives of his crew by any justifiable means.
- Captain Ransom attempted to use this regulation to convince Captain Janeway that the actions he took against the nucleogenic lifeforms were justified, but Captain Janeway doubted that the regulation covered mass murder.
- Regulation 6.57: At least two staff officers to be present during any treaty or contract negotiations.
- Jean-Luc Picard quoted this regulation to Radue of the Aldeans who had kidnapped a group of specially gifted children from the Enterprise in 2364; Radue offered scientific knowledge as compensation. Moments later, when Data admitted not to be familiar with the regulation, Picard revealed that it was in fact non-existent. It was merely something he made up on the spot in order to deceive the Aldeans to allow him to bring Beverly Crusher with him to their planet's surface.
- Regulation 7 (Paragraph 4): An officer must consider himself under arrest, unless in the presence of the most senior fellow officers presently available, the officers must give satisfactory answer to those charges...
- Regulation 12 (Chapter 4): Relates to the Captain undertaking command of an away mission.
- Regulation 42/15: "Pressure Variances in IRC Tank Storage" Part of the basic operational specifications for impulse engines, written by Montgomery Scott. The tanks could actually handle more pressure than the regulations allowed - in 2369, Geordi La Forge cited it as part of the impulse specifications while he and Scott worked to make the USS Jenolan operational, at which point Scotty, realizing that he was thinking of this regulation, assured him that, as its author, he knew the tanks could be more efficient, but that La Forge should "Forget it. I wrote it."...."A good engineer is always a wee bit conservative... at least on paper."
- Regulation 46A: If transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages on an open channel.
- Regulation 157, Section 3 (Paragraph 18): Starfleet officers shall take all necessary precautions to minimize any participation in historical events.
- Regulation 191 (Article 14): In a combat situation involving more than one ship, command falls to the vessel with tactical superiority, should there not be a higher ranking officer present.
- Regulation 476.9: All away teams must report to the bridge at least once every 24 hours.
- Regulation 619: That a commanding officer must relieve himself of command if the mission at hand leaves them emotionally compromised.
- In 2258 of Nero's alternate reality, when, after the destruction of Vulcan, Spock meets a young James T. Kirk, marooned by Spock (alternate reality), before returning him to the USS|Enterprise, he tells Kirk to use this in order to take command of the ship, knowing that the conservative course his younger self would take would doom Earth to the same fate as Vulcan, while the unorthodox strategy Kirk would follow just might save it.
- Regulation 2884.3: Substances unstable in an oxygen atmosphere must be handled with care.
- Regulation 3287.0: Due to its high volatile nature, antimatter must be stored in magnetic confinement pods.
- Procedure Q: If a state of deep hostility exists, a landing party is to beam down fully armed and ready for any kind of trouble.
- Reserve activation clause: A "little known" and "seldom used" clause in Starfleet regulations which allows for the recall of a retired or discharged officer in the event of an emergency.
- Starfleet Rules of Conduct had some power to influence the operation of civilian establishments on Starfleet-administered installations, such as Quark's bar on DS9.
- The Starfleet uniform code governed the proper wearing of the uniform by Starfleet officers.
Starfleet Away Team Guidelines
- Medical Emergency on Alien Terrain: "It is recommended to keep an open com-channel at all times."
- "Specifically forbid the transport of unknown infectious agents onto a starship without establishing containment and eradication protocols."
- Unnumbered Protocol: Away teams must be composed of more than one crewmember. Both Kathryn Janeway and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok cite this protocol to Seven of Nine when conducting an away mission.
Starfleet Intelligence Procedures
- Luther Sloan, posing as Deputy Director of Starfleet Intelligence's Department of Internal Affairs, cited standard containment procedures to isolate the senior staff, which included being relieved of duty and confined to quarters.
Starfleet Medical Protocols
- Regulation 121 (Section A): The Chief Medical Officer has the power to relieve an officer or crewman of his or her duties (including one of superior rank) if, in the CMO's professional judgment, the individual is medically unfit, compromised by an alien intelligence, or otherwise exhibits behavior that indicates seriously impaired judgment. A Starfleet officer can face court martial for failing to submit to such a relief.
Starfleet Privacy Protocols
- Ensign Harry Kim referred to privacy protocols being violated by Lieutenant Tuvok while the latter was investigating into an attack on Ensign Tabor and read a letter that Harry's cousin, Dennis Kim, sent from Earth. Tuvok stated that as Chief of Security, he had authority to suspend the protocols under special circumstances.
Starfleet Safety Protocols
- Un-numbered protocol. Tuvok once claimed that use of the transporters while at warp was a direct violation of Starfleet safety protocols. He did not cite the protocol by number.
Starfleet Security Protocols
- Protocol 28 (Subsection D): "In the event of hostile alien takeover the EMH is to deactivate and wait for rescue."
- Protocol 49.09 (Regarding the treatment of prisoners on-board a starship) In an alternate reality, Spock marooned James T. Kirk on Delta Vega (Vulcan system). Kirk believed this act to be a violation of this protocol.
- Luther Sloan, posing as Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Affairs, mentioned there is security protocol that prevents others to talk to prisoners under his authority without his clearance.
Starfleet/Federation Codes
- Code 1: signals either a total or imminent disaster, a possible invasion, or indicates that the Federation is either currently or about to be engaged in open warfare with a hostile power. The code requires all Starfleet personnel within the affected area to immediately assume a 'war' footing or posture. It is also colloquially known as "Defense Alert", or a "Priority One Alert".
- Code 1-Alpha-Zero: Indicates a starship in distress.
- Code 7-10: a "quarantine code". No Starfleet or Federation-registered starship is to approach a system or vessel which is broadcasting Code 7-10.
- Code 47: an ultra-secure communications protocol, for Captain's eyes only. So secure that all traces of a Code 47 transmission or communication are automatically wiped from all computer records.
Regulations not specified by name or number
- "All research personnel on alien planets are required to have their health certified by a starship surgeon at one-year intervals."
- "The ship's surgeon will require a full examination of any crew member that he has doubts about, including the Captain."
- "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".
- "The Chief Medical Officer outranks the captain in health matters."
- A captain cannot order a doctor to violate doctor-patient confidentiality, except in situations of ship security.
- "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."
Miscellaneous
- "Striking a fellow officer is a court-martial offense."
- 23rd century Starfleet captains had a high degree of authority onboard the ship they were assigned to command. In extremes, a captain could invoke their "personal authority as captain" to order their subordinates to override the orders of a senior officer, even if the captain was not actually onboard ship at the time. Such an order would almost certainly result in at least an Board of inquiry after the crisis had passed. Captain Kirk used his "personal authority" to overrule the orders of Commodore Matthew Decker and to have Spock resume command of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) during the battle with the planet killer.
- "No killing of intelligent lifeforms."
- Starfleet regulations call for declaring yellow alert when a starship is targeted by laser weapons. According to Jean-Luc Picard, such regulations were "very old".
- Starfleet rules forbade dealing with outlaws and getting involved in the politics of other cultures.
- Starfleet protocols included guidelines on proper punctuation of reports, such as conn reports.
- "Encroaching on the territory of an alien species is prohibited."
- "Ground combat personnel are to rotate off the front lines every ninety days."
- "Interference in alien conflicts is strictly prohibited."
- Individuals seeking asylum will be granted a hearing.
- Accidents aboard Starfleet vessels were to be followed by an investigation into the cause of the accident.
