General Orders
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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 of Justice. Cases involving the UCJ 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 ship 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 fleet command. NOTE: Through various compiled sources used, there are instances of duplicates. In those situations, both orders are presented. General Order 1- 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. 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 concept, 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 section 1, 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 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 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 5: An order that prohibits Starfleet 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 Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities. General Order 6: 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 Starfleet 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 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 - On the approach of any vessel when communications have not been established, Starfleet 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, 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 a 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 trial conducted by the Federation judiciary, foregoing a Courts-Martial. Starfleet may choose to prosecute or may forego prosecution in favor of a Federation judiciary prosecutor. If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in the 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 Federation territory 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 except in cases of an emergency. Starship captains and Starfleet 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, 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. Section B - An order to destroy all life on an entire planet. 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 life-forms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin. General Order 32 (Rescinded, SD Unknown) - 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 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 bindings 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 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 Starfleet, whether for medical or psychological reasons, by either the Chief Medical Officer or by the two ranking command staff officers. Starfleet 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") Section C – 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")
Regulation 46A states that, if transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages should be sent on an open channel.
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, Section III, Paragraph 18- which deals with time travel- states that all Starfleet 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.
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 assures that any individual accused of a crime has the right to remain silent.
Directive 2001 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 – Self Destruct Scenario 2
The Chief Engineer 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.
Omega Directive: Authorizes the use of any and all means to destroy an Omega molecule.
Temporal Prime Directive: Personnel are strictly forbidden from directly interfering with historical events.
Starfleet's General Engineering Code states that all mission-critical components must have a secondary backup should the primary backup fail. Tactical Directive 36: "The captain will not engage a hostile force without the protection of a security officer.
Compiled from: ASR Manual Chapter 3 https://boi.alt-starfleet-rpg.com/ASR_Manual_Chapter_3:_Star_Fleet 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.)
