The basic rule is you are subject to the system of justice of the planet you're visiting. I'd only intervene if the sentence was grossly excessive, like Wesley Crusher in "Justice". My engineer is sentenced to one year, not death, and the engineer was an adult, not a juvenile. (If the confinement were like Roddenberry's fantasy planet on "Justice" in which everyone wears skanty clothing and has sex at the drop of a hat, the engineer might even consider it to be a fantasy year.)
You are the captain...
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Considering this law is so ridiculous, my first instinct is to beam him up and leave. I'd also recommend to Starfleet to NEVER visit that planet for shore leave ever again.
I look at these situations, and I think, "What would Sisko do?"
He'd protect his crew, because he understands that's his first duty. But he'd also try to respect the laws, but would use loopholes to make it work.
So here's my solution...
Have my science officer create a hologram of the engineer and a version of The Doctor's mobile emitter. While in his cell, beam up my engineer and beam down his holographic doppelganger at the same time.
I'm not leaving a member of my crew behind, ESPECIALLY because of some completely absurd law like that.
I look at these situations, and I think, "What would Sisko do?"
He'd protect his crew, because he understands that's his first duty. But he'd also try to respect the laws, but would use loopholes to make it work.
So here's my solution...
Have my science officer create a hologram of the engineer and a version of The Doctor's mobile emitter. While in his cell, beam up my engineer and beam down his holographic doppelganger at the same time.
I'm not leaving a member of my crew behind, ESPECIALLY because of some completely absurd law like that.
And if you are that officer, how would you feel, knowing that your captain abandoned you?
Also I like @Farscape One's idea. I'd beam up my engineer, and at the same time beam down a dead duplicate. Officials will think he died of a heart attack or something. They'll never know the truth. Ignorance is indeed bliss.
And even so, why the hell should I care about what this planet's government thinks of me or what I did? It's not like they're a threat.
It's not like, say, ST VI, where it would indeed have been an act of war for Starfleet to rescue Kirk and McCoy from the Klingons. This, OTOH, would be a simple retrieval by transporter that takes five seconds. Any diplomatic issues that this planet would try to raise, would be insignificant to the Federation. What is this planet gonna do, declare war?
They're probably no more a threat to Starfleet than a gnat vs. a freight locomotive.At least word would get out that Starfleet doesn't abandon its crew. That's much more important than some pissant local government trrying to throw one of my men in prison for trivial offenses.
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I'm not sure if you're serious, but as commanding officer I would not play favorites like that. My officers don't have to be my best buddies to get decent treatment from me.
I would beam the engineer back immediately. For several reasons:
- It's not like the local planetary officials can stop me, amirite? Hell, I'm not even breaking the Prime Directive.
- Who the hell sentences somebody to a year in prison for speaking out of turn? That's obviously an unjust law. Especially since the engineer probably had no idea that such draconian measures existed in the first place.
- As captain, my highest goal is to protect my crew. I wouldn't consider myself obligated to abandon one of my crew to a system of justice that is not only unjust on its face, but one that has no jurisdiction over him in the first place.
Worked for Picard in "Justice", and it'll work here. Easy peasy.
Agreed. And, by getting my engineer back, I AM representing. I'm representing that I will not abandon my crew, and that I'll do whatever it takes to ensure their safety. I'm representing that I will leave no one behind.
I agree with this answer, and a couple other points as well.
1. If this is a non-Federation world, there is really no way to know when another Starfleet vessel will visit. So in effect, there is the very real chance I'd be marooning my crewmember indefinitely.
2. Because there is no regular Starfleet / Federation presence, there is no way to ensure my crewmember is being treated well / humanely while imprisoned. So I would not abandon them to an unknown fate, stranded light years from home, with no contact or succor from their own people.
Lastly, there is the yardstick of what could Captain Kirk do? He sure as hell wouldn't abandon a crewmember to a nebulous fate like this one and just warp off to the next planet. Neither would I.
EDIT: I like this game. Next scenario, please?
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That answer is so morally and ethically wrong on so many levels. Then I noticed the username and decided you are basically Avon, not Orac.
If the Federation believes in the Prime Directive, the way they say they do, then Wesley Crusher should have hung. Of course, a child should have never been sent to the surface, to begin with.
This would have made a decent Trek episode, from the far end. The Enterprise warps in system to recover a starfleet member who has been incarcerated for some time due to breaking a local law. Embittered and filled with rage, the crewmember tries (insert plot shenanigan here) to 'get back' at Starfleet, the organization that marooned him and ruined his life.
Roughly the plot of SNW "Among the Lotus Eaters"
I would perhaps also leave at least one other Starfleet officer - one, if possible, who is either a JAG liaison or somewhat versed in law - behind to act as their advocate and our contact. With said advocate's consent, of course.
We can't all be hero captains. The ones they don't write TV shows about make different choices.
The heroes either have to clean up after others' mistakes or face the consequences of their past actions.
The heroes either have to clean up after others' mistakes or face the consequences of their past actions.
Firstly, love the concept of these polls!
Second, I would beam up my officer. I know this might not go down very well with the locals, but I wouldn't be able to abandon a member of my crew.
Second, I would beam up my officer. I know this might not go down very well with the locals, but I wouldn't be able to abandon a member of my crew.
Let me put it this way - I write fanfic and of course I came up with an own crew, and an own ship. And while Cal - the character - is more of a bumbling fool, in contrast to Clouseau or Captain Norad, who have their delusions of grandeur, Cal knows that he's an idiot and his reaction to something, threatening his crew, is always "Hit me. I am not important, you, the crew, are."Wow, that's dedication to your crew! Thanks for the comment and "follow"
The two crewmen Kirk left behind on Triacus without going back to get them at the end of "AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD" would beg to differ.
That is basically what happened in SNW's "Among the Lotus Eaters". Except in that case, the crewman was thought to have already been dead.
Really? In "Wolf in the Fold" when Scotty was plausibly accused of murder, Kirk didn't just beam him up and warp away. Kirk did everything he could legally do to find evidence that would clear Scotty but he didn't say anything about taking him away and telling Argellian justice to pound sand.
Remember Kirk's speech in "Friday's Child" about "And the highest of all our laws states that your world is yours and will always remain yours. This differs us from the Klingons. Their empire is made up of conquered worlds. They take what they want by arms and force." If the Federation gets a reputation for rescuing Starfleet officers from the consequences of their own actions just because they can, the Federation will have a tough time getting new worlds to join.
The flaw in the poll is it does not allow for a diplomatic solution, nor allows time for the legal process to work out. My answer would actually be to investigate the crime, attempt to offer a legal defense and find a legal way to resolve the situation with minimal offense.
It's the captain's responsibility to know the local laws and see the crew is properly briefed before they visit the planet. The responsibility falls on the engineer's shoulders. He knew the law and knew the risk.
Im not abandoning him. He committed a crime, was tried and convicted, and now is serving the punishment. Meanwhile Starfleet will continue to work on his release.
Um, why would Starfleet intentionally maroon their officer? Starfleet would rearrange schedules to make sure a stsrship visited every few months to check on the engineer's welfare. They would definitely arrange for a ship to be there in a year to pick him up when released. There is also every possibility Starfleet and the Federation would establish a small consulate or diplomatic presence while the engineer was incarcerated.
It's the captain's responsibility to know the local laws and see the crew is properly briefed before they visit the planet. The responsibility falls on the engineer's shoulders. He knew the law and knew the risk.
Im not abandoning him. He committed a crime, was tried and convicted, and now is serving the punishment. Meanwhile Starfleet will continue to work on his release.
Um, why would Starfleet intentionally maroon their officer? Starfleet would rearrange schedules to make sure a stsrship visited every few months to check on the engineer's welfare. They would definitely arrange for a ship to be there in a year to pick him up when released. There is also every possibility Starfleet and the Federation would establish a small consulate or diplomatic presence while the engineer was incarcerated.
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