Did Starfleet Command Approve This, Kirk?

[Spock's Barber]

“Taste of Armageddon”

I know Kirk was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but :

(1) Informing Eminiar 7 that he was beaming down whether they approved or not.
(2) Telling Spock, “…if we’re forced to kill…”
(3) Destroying Eminiar 7 disintegration chambers.
(4) Kidnapping Anan 7.
(5) Destroying the communication computers and hence fomenting an interplanetary war.

I know it all worked out in the end, but this must have been before The Prime Directive was introduced.

 

[Nerys Myk]

“Taste of Armageddon”

I know Kirk was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but :

(1) Informing Eminiar 7 that he was beaming down whether they approved or not.
(2) Telling Spock, “…if we’re forced to kill…”
(3) Destroying Eminiar 7 disintegration chambers.
(4) Kidnapping Anan 7.
(5) Destroying the communication computers and hence fomenting an interplanetary war.

I know it all worked out in the end, but this must have been before The Prime Directive was introduced.

They fired on the Enterprise. Prime Directive null and void.

 

[blssdwlf]

“Taste of Armageddon”

I know Kirk was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but :

(1) Informing Eminiar 7 that he was beaming down whether they approved or not.
(2) Telling Spock, “…if we’re forced to kill…”
(3) Destroying Eminiar 7 disintegration chambers.
(4) Kidnapping Anan 7.
(5) Destroying the communication computers and hence fomenting an interplanetary war.

I know it all worked out in the end, but this must have been before The Prime Directive was introduced.

Even if there was a Prime Directive active we know that Ambassador Fox effectively overrode it right at the beginning of the episode. I'd argue that everything Kirk does were a result of Fox's direct order and Fox's orders come from his bosses

FOX: Is that supposed to mean something?​

KIRK: Code seven-ten means under no circumstances are we to approach that planet. No circumstances what so ever.​

FOX: You will disregard that signal, Captain. ​

KIRK: Mister Fox, it is their planet.​

FOX: Captain, in the past twenty years, thousands of lives have been lost in this quadrant. Lives that could have been saved if the Federation had a treaty port here. We mean to have that port and I'm here to get it.​

KIRK: By disregarding code seven-ten, you might well involve us in an interplanetary war. ​

FOX: I'm quite prepared to take that risk. ​

KIRK: You are. I'm thinking about this ship, my crew.​

FOX: I have my orders, Captain, and now you have yours. You will proceed on course. Achieve orbit status and just leave the rest to me. You're well aware that my mission gives me the power of command. I now exercise it. You will proceed on course. That's a direct order.​

 

[somebuddyX]

Is it weird that General Order 24 (kill that planet to death) came after General Order 7 (No Go Talos)? That's what 17 general orders in a decade. Did 24 only come in during Season 1 and Kirk wanted to be the first to take it for a spin?

 

[blssdwlf]

Is it weird that General Order 24 (kill that planet to death) came after General Order 7 (No Go Talos)? That's what 17 general orders in a decade. Did 24 only come in during Season 1 and Kirk wanted to be the first to take it for a spin?

Maybe Kirk had General Order 24 created after "Where No Man Has Gone Before"?

KIRK: If you have not received a signal from me within twelve hours, you'll proceed at maximum warp to the nearest Earth base with my recommendation that this entire planet be subjected to a lethal concentration of neutron radiation. No protest on this, Mark. That's an order.​

 

[BK613]

Whatever Prime Directive decision on their status was probably made fifty years earlier when the Valiant made contact. And the episode itself says they had been an interplanetary—but not interstellar—species for over 500 years (Vendikar settled by Eminiar 7 + the length of the war).

 

[UssGlenn]

Is it weird that General Order 24 (kill that planet to death) came after General Order 7 (No Go Talos)? That's what 17 general orders in a decade. Did 24 only come in during Season 1 and Kirk wanted to be the first to take it for a spin?

I think it's likely that General Order 7 has more broad language about forbidden planets in general, it's just that Talos is the only one currently on the list.

Whatever Prime Directive decision on their status was probably made fifty years earlier when the Valiant made contact. And the episode itself says they had been an interplanetary—but not interstellar—species for over 500 years (Vendikar settled by Eminiar 7 + the length of the war).

They are contactable since they know of the existence of other civilizations. The other part of the PD, not interfering with internal affairs, was "damaged" when Fox ignored code 10-7 and completely removed when they fired on the Enterprise. At that point the Federation is part of the war and can do whatever it wants to end it.

 

[cgervasi]

“Taste of Armageddon”

I know Kirk was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but :

(1) Informing Eminiar 7 that he was beaming down whether they approved or not.
(2) Telling Spock, “…if we’re forced to kill…”
(3) Destroying Eminiar 7 disintegration chambers.
(4) Kidnapping Anan 7.
(5) Destroying the communication computers and hence fomenting an interplanetary war.

I know it all worked out in the end, but this must have been before The Prime Directive was introduced.

Going there without permission seemed wrong, but Kirk was following orders under protest.

Everything else that happened, except his threatening to destroy the entire planet, seemed like self-defense.

 

[FredH]

They fired on the Enterprise. Prime Directive null and void.

Since when does that nullify the PD? If the medieval spearchuckers on Castleworld IV kill some of your party, it’s a terrible thing, but how does it suddenly end your orders to not change their social structure?

(Aside from Kirk doing it several times, yes. But we have to contortedly jump through excusatory (?) hoops every time. By the plainly stated directive, yes, He’s Not Supposed To Do That; but it’s the 1960s, so 60s adventure morality mostly overrules that for “us” watching the show. In-universe, it really ought not to.)

 

[FredH]

I think it's likely that General Order 7 has more broad language about forbidden planets in general, it's just that Talos is the only one currently on the list.



They are contactable since they know of the existence of other civilizations. The other part of the PD, not interfering with internal affairs, was "damaged" when Fox ignored code 10-7 and completely removed when they fired on the Enterprise. At that point the Federation is part of the war and can do whatever it wants to end it.

Thing is, contactable (and even warp-capable) doesn’t wipe away the PD, it just modifies it. A century later in TNG, so long as the Federation doesn’t actually enter the Klingon Civil War, the PD is the reason Picard doesn’t try to save Worf when his ship is attacked by an enemy faction.

(Whether any of this actually makes sense is a separate question; maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. But that’s the approach they take.)

 

[Nerys Myk]

Since when does that nullify the PD? If the medieval spearchuckers on Castleworld IV kill some of your party, it’s a terrible thing, but how does it suddenly end your orders to not change their social structure?

(Aside from Kirk doing it several times, yes. But we have to contortedly jump through excusatory (?) hoops every time. By the plainly stated directive, yes, He’s Not Supposed To Do That; but it’s the 1960s, so 60s adventure morality mostly overrules that for “us” watching the show. In-universe, it really ought not to.)

When the script says it does.

 

[FredH]

When the script says it does.

Well, sure. The script doesn’t actually give a flying fig about the Prime Directive as anything but something for the characters to struggle with or overcome; but that’s always been, and it’s a meta issue that exists outside the world of the fiction. Starfleet doesn’t actually decide, scriptwriters do.

 

[Phoenix219]

Maybe Kirk had General Order 24 created after "Where No Man Has Gone Before"?

KIRK: If you have not received a signal from me within twelve hours, you'll proceed at maximum warp to the nearest Earth base with my recommendation that this entire planet be subjected to a lethal concentration of neutron radiation. No protest on this, Mark. That's an order.​

My entire life I just assumed it was another Kirk Bluff and that Scotty knew it. It wasn't until message boards that I realized most fans actually believe they were going to genocide that planet.

 

[blssdwlf]

My entire life I just assumed it was another Kirk Bluff and that Scotty knew it. It wasn't until message boards that I realized most fans actually believe they were going to genocide that planet.

I think General Order 24 was actually going to happen and the real bluff was when Kirk destroyed the computers maintaining the treaty between Eminiar and Vendikar and committed the two planets to firing real weapons at each other. The Eminians were committed to the idea that they were going to die by calculated number anyway so General Order 24 wasn't as significant a threat as a messy war was. YMMV.

 

[Warped9]

Technically when Eminiar captured and killed the Valiant’s crew and destroyed the ship that was an overt hostile act. When they tried to do it again with Kirk’s landing party and the Enterprise they were committing open acts of aggression against Federation citizens and property. It was a very dumb move on Eminiar’s part. Kirk was now justified to protect his crew and his ship.

If the Enterprise had not returned from its mission it’s reasonably sure Starfleet would have smelled something really wrong. The next time they went calling might have been with a squadron rather than just one ship. Note that although it’s not mentioned it’s reasonable to assume the Enterprise messaged Starfleet it was approaching Eminiar on Robert Fox’s orders even after being warned off. So Starfleet would know the Enterprise was entering likely hostile conditions.

In the beginning it’s mentioned numerous ships and lives had been lost in that sector, but it’s not specified whether they were solely Federation and Starfleet ships or others as well although they mightn’t have records of ships from other races lost in that area. But not too far into the episode it becomes fairly clear why all those ships were disappearing—the Eminiar system was a death trap. So while Kirk’s primary goal was to preserve his ship and crew he also managed to solve the issue of ships being lost when approaching that system.

 

[UssGlenn]

Since when does that nullify the PD? If the medieval spearchuckers on Castleworld IV kill some of your party, it’s a terrible thing, but how does it suddenly end your orders to not change their social structure?

Thing is, contactable (and even warp-capable) doesn’t wipe away the PD, it just modifies it.

You answered your own question here. A contactable/contacted planet knows what the Federation is. So they are fully aware of the consequences of their actions. Therefore, firing on a Federation vessel removes the last of the protections of the PD. If you are going to start a war with someone there is no expectation they leave their hands tied.

 

[Spock's Barber]

I wish the aliens would come down to Earth and give us an ultimatum : end the wars or we’ll wipe you humans out.

 

[FredH]

I wish the aliens would come down to Earth and give us an ultimatum : end the wars or we’ll wipe you humans out.

Klaatu and Gort tried way back in the fifties; it didn’t take.

 

[Warped9]

I wish the aliens would come down to Earth and give us an ultimatum : end the wars or we’ll wipe you humans out.

Kirk was perfectly willing to let Eminiar and Vendikar play war in their own way. If they had continued to refuse Kirk, and Fox’s, offers of alliance and treaty and let the Enterprise leave peaceably then Kirk could tell Starfleet, “Well, we tried.”

But the moment they took the landing party hostage and opened fire on the Enterprise they dealt Kirk into the game and all bets were off. And they foolishly expected Kirk and company to play by their rules, which was a huge miscalculation.

Like Kirk said, “We don’t play war on a computer, we make the real thing.”

 

[Spock's Barber]