You are the captain #9

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

You are the captain of a medical ship that is currently assigned to bring aid and comfort to the Cheorrk, a warp-capable humanoid species who has been in contact with the Federation for the last 36 years. In that time, there have been considerable efforts expended on encouraging them to join the Federation.

The Cheorrk have been engaged in a decade-long conflict with the Ayneyo, something that some in the Federation have been willing to overlook because Cheorrk space is an important corridor which, if opened to Federation ships, will drastically shorten shipping and passenger routes in that sector.

More specifically, the medical aid you are giving is to civilians living near remote Cheorrk bases, as all Cheorrk ships are engaged in the conflict. Your agreement states that you will only help civilians, in order not to provoke the Ayneyo into conflict with the Federation at large.

Your ship receives a distress call as you are heading back to Federation space for regular maintenance and re-stocking supplies, a short trip which is expected to take three days. The call is from a Cheorrk military ship that has taken heavy damage. It is currently drifting in Ayneyo space, after crippling an Ayneyo ship that has lost all hands.

If you aid the Cheorrk military ship, you will be breaking the agreement and effectively declaring war on the Ayneyo, whose ships are regularly patrolling the area. In addition, many Cheorrk civilians who are counting on your ship and crew will have to wait longer for badly needed medical care. What do you do?

 

[at Quark's]

This is a hard one.

I think I would not aid the ship, but if possible relay its position to Cheorrk command, or would that too be seen as taking position against the Ayneyo?

At any rate, I might at least soothe my conscience somewhat with the thought that perhaps I'm giving up on a 100 soldiers, in order to be able to possibly save many more civilians.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I think I would not aid the ship, but if possible relay its position to Cheorrk command, or would that too be seen as taking position against the Ayneyo?

I suppose it depends on how you do it, and whose opinion you ask. A Kirk-like admiral would understand and even suggest a possible tack you could take. A more rigid, by-the-book officer wouldn't stand for it.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

More specifically, the medical aid you are giving is to civilians living near remote Cheorrk bases, as all Cheorrk ships are engaged in the conflict. Your agreement states that you will only help civilians, in order not to provoke the Ayneyo into conflict with the Federation, at large.

That is a ridiculously narrow and ill-defined agreement, as technically it could be argued that it denies the Federation ship authorisation to defend itself (because damaging/destroying/crippling an attacking ship aids the opposing military force).

Your ship receives a distress call as you are heading back to Federation space for regular maintenance and re-stocking supplies, a short trip which is expected to take three days. The call is from a Cheorrk military ship that has taken heavy damage. It is currently drifting in Ayneyo space, after crippling an Ayneyo ship that has lost all hands.

IMO, the only relevant point here is that the crippled ship is in Ayneyo space (which the Federation ship presumably doesn't have permission to go) as if it was in either Cheorrk, Federation or neutral space then it's likely that whatever part of "interstellar law" that parallels Article 98 of UNCLOS ("all ships anywhere at sea are obliged to provide assistance to people in distress") would take precedence.

 

[IMC Headquarters]

• Confirm distress call.
• Confirm identity of personnel aboard Cheorrk. They may be hostiles who have taken over the ship.
• After positive identification of Cheorrk, continue mission of aid and comfort to civilian population.
• Notify the Federation. Is a new shortcut worth engaging war with a species which has been in active conflict with a neighbor for a decade already? Let them run the risk/cost analysis.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

That is a ridiculously narrow and ill-defined agreement, as technically it could be argued that it denies the Federation ship authorisation to defend itself (because damaging/destroying/crippling an attacking ship aids the opposing military force).

I should have been more clear (but then, orders can be nebulous): you can defend yourself if attacked, but you can't start/join a fight you're not already part of.

Confirm identity of personnel aboard Cheorrk. They may be hostiles who have taken over the ship.

Indeed. Are all hands really lost on the Ayneyo ship, or just re-located?

 

[IMC Headquarters]

Never take any situation for granted. Practice discernment. Gather all the facts. Appearances can be deceptive.

For all we know, the ship could be filled with Vidiian honattas.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

I should have been more clear (but then, orders can be nebulous): you can defend yourself if attacked, but you can't start/join a fight you're not already part of.

Well, then its a non-problem on that side of things because the survivors of a crippled ship are just that survivors.

As long as the fight is over by the time you get there, then rescuing military personnel is considerable less "assisting in the fight" than defending yourself if attacked.

There's still the "trespass" issue though, which could still prevent rescue.

 

[Artoo Atari]

I'm commanding a medical ship. May sound harsh but I would continue with the mission as ordered to help the civilians depending on us rather than break the current treaty and violate Ayneyo space on an unauthorized mission that is dubious at best. Relay distress signal to a cruiser or escort to consider investigation and continue on.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

@Artoo Atari so if your ship was not a medical ship, but an all-purpose ship that had a sickbay, you'd do things differently?

 

[Artoo Atari]

@Artoo Atari so if your ship was not a medical ship, but an all-purpose ship that had a sickbay, you'd do things differently?

I don't think so.

If I understand the scenario correctly, I have an obligation to fulfill my mission by aiding the people I've been ordered to help. All that would cost would be avoiding an unknown situation in which there might be others that need assistance.

Again  if I understand the scenario correctly, if I respond to the distress call, then I am disobeying orders, breaking an agreement with a government recognized by the Federation, risking war with another potentially hostile species, and abandoning people I know needs our help to enter an unknown situation where people might need my help.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

It's a tricky tightrope to walk, that's for sure. Captains create the messes and the diplomats have to clean up afterwards.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Law of the Sea applies here. Any ship can/should render aid to another ship in distress. If the other side shows up, you tell them you are neutral, engaged in relief operations, and that you would do the same for one of their ships. Then the ball is in their court, and you may or may not have a fight on your hands.

Even before the other side arrived, however, I would be attempting to tow the stricken ship to its own friendly space, to get everyone out of everyone else's way and prevent an incident. I would also notify starfleet command at the beginning of the operation, so they'd have an idea what happened if my ship 'vanished without a trace.'

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Law of the Sea applies here. Any ship can/should render aid to another ship in distress. If the other side shows up, you tell them you are neutral, engaged in relief operations, and that you would do the same for one of their ships. Then the ball is in their court, and you may or may not have a fight on your hands.

Even before the other side arrived, however, I would be attempting to tow the stricken ship to its own friendly space, to get everyone out of everyone else's way and prevent an incident. I would also notify starfleet command at the beginning of the operation, so they'd have an idea what happened if my ship 'vanished without a trace.'

That was my thinking, the only possible issue is the need to transit into a "forbidden area" in order to do so (I'm not clear on that point IRL), hence my observation that things would be a lot simpler if the ship had been in neutral or friendly space.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Agreements be damned. If I am in a position to offer medical aid, I'm obligated to do so. I would absolutely help the Cheorrk. If the Ayneyo have a problem with that, too ing bad.

Besides, if I understand this situation properly, the Ayneyo wouldn't exactly be in a position to resist the Federation anyway. If I decide to help the Cheorrk, I doubt the Ayneyo would be in a position to fight back - Starfleet could crush them with minimal effort. So the hell with them.

 

[Jedi Marso]

That was my thinking, the only possible issue is the need to transit into a "forbidden area" in order to do so (I'm not clear on that point IRL), hence my observation that things would be a lot simpler if the ship had been in neutral or friendly space.

LT. Saavik made the decision during her Kobayashi Maru test (with only token resistance from Sulu) to enter the Klingon Neutral Zone to aid a ship in distress, so it appears adequate precedent exists. Her scenario presented a graver threat to the Federation at large than this scenario, so I think the vessel in distress aspect trumps the forbidden space aspect. That would be the sort of question to pose to Mr. Data, your walking library-computer/legal advisor.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Besides, if I understand this situation properly, the Ayneyo wouldn't exactly be in a position to resist the Federation anyway.

effectively declaring war on the Ayneyo, whose ships are regularly patrolling the area.

The crippled crewless Ayneyo ship is not the only Ayneyo ship in the area, just the only one you know about at the moment.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm standing by what I said. If I am in a position to provide medical aid to the Cheorrk - whether they be military OR civilian - I am obligated to do so. To hell with any "agreements". The right to receive medical assistance is absolute, and I WILL give it.

And if the Ayneyo have a problem with that? Screw them!

 

[Nyotarules]

Send a shuttle of medical personnel to asist the wounded soldiers and continue on my mission. Why is a whole planet reliant on one Starfleet ship for assistance, is this small population syndrome?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

More specifically, the medical aid you are giving is to civilians living near remote Cheorrk bases, as all Cheorrk ships are engaged in the conflict.

Not the whole planet - colonies and outposts.