The Starfleet Coup? Public?

[PhoenixIreland]

A comment in Valliant about what should have happened to Shepard made me wonder,

Was it revealed on screen (or even in novels) if the general population knew of the coup attempt?
Or did they just toss Leyton in prison and cover up red squads involvement?

If Shepard was still in Red Squad after commiting treason we can only assume they didn't know.
or did he get away with the Nuermbourg defence "I was only following orders"?


btw there seemed to be a contradiction in Roddenberrys thinking on this topic, I heard the writers in commentary say they pitched this idea earlier (a coup) and he dismissed it because it just would not happen on Earth...but sure wasn't he around during TNG and the Drumhead episode when Picard said "she or someone like her will always be with us, vigilance is the price we must eternally pay"

 

[Sci]

The recent eBook Enterprises of Great Pitch and Moment by Keith RA DeCandido establishes that the coup attempt -- known as the Leyton Affair -- became general knowledge, and that a special commission was established to investigate the issue and make recommendations to avoid such things in the future.

That the whole thing was public knowledge is also confirmed in the novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace, also by DeCandido, wherein we are informed that 2372 was an election year and that Jaresh-Inyo lost to Federation Councillor Min Zife of Bolarus in part because he let Starfleet trick him into declaring martial law and put Leyton into a position where he almost overthrew the government. The DS9 novel Hollow Men by Una McCormack establishes that Leyton was sentenced to a term at the Federation penal colony in New Zealand and can receive visitors.

 

[Timo]

In the world of Trek novels, a similar coup was attempted by Vice Admiral Rittenhouse in the Diane Carey novel Dreadnought!, and became a public disgrace mentioned in several other novels by other authors. It probably was something of an inspiration for Grand Admiral Cartwright in his ST6:TUC attempt, and even spawned a third attempt in a row in the Reeves-Stevens Ashes of Eden until the power-mad admirals could finally be drummed out of the service.

The general public might be quite used to these semi-regular Starfleet coups, then, not getting overtly alarmed or anything.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Dancing Doctor]

What was interesting to me was how very few people really raised any eyebrows over the declaration of martial law. Apart from Joseph Sisko, there wasn't any real complaint, at least on-screen.

 

[Anwar]

They were plenty frightened that an enemy was able to take out the entire planetary power grid. Plus they'd been through it all before (they mentioned that they declared a state of emergency during the Borg Attack in "Best of Both Worlds") so maybe it isn't so bad the second time around.

 

[Cyke101]

They were plenty frightened that an enemy was able to take out the entire planetary power grid. Plus they'd been through it all before (they mentioned that they declared a state of emergency during the Borg Attack in "Best of Both Worlds") so maybe it isn't so bad the second time around.

I think Vixen's point is that the story said they were frightened, but didn't show they were frightened, or at least defiant like Joseph was. That's a pretty sizeable difference there that would add a ton more to the current discussion.

Also, with the Borg Attack, there's a difference between "state of emergency" and "martial law." State of emergencies, at least to my understanding, still have civilians in overall control with the military providing support. As opposed to martial law, with the military running everything in a police state.

 

[Sci]

What was interesting to me was how very few people really raised any eyebrows over the declaration of martial law. Apart from Joseph Sisko, there wasn't any real complaint, at least on-screen.

Well, Joseph probably represented a very large percentage of the population. But, yeah, that was the point of the two-parter -- that it is very easy to become so afraid that we willingly relinquish our own liberty in the name of safety, but that doing so will in the end either give us neither or will so thoroughly violate our natural rights that the cost outweighs the benefit.

They were plenty frightened that an enemy was able to take out the entire planetary power grid. Plus they'd been through it all before (they mentioned that they declared a state of emergency during the Borg Attack in "Best of Both Worlds") so maybe it isn't so bad the second time around.

I think Vixen's point is that the story said they were frightened, but didn't show they were frightened, or at least defiant like Joseph was. That's a pretty sizeable difference there that would add a ton more to the current discussion.

Also, with the Borg Attack, there's a difference between "state of emergency" and "martial law." State of emergencies, at least to my understanding, still have civilians in overall control with the military providing support. As opposed to martial law, with the military running everything in a police state.

Yeah. Martial law means just that -- martial law, the rules of the military, replace those of the civilian government, and the military's system of behavior regulation is applied to everyone, not just members of the armed forces.

 

[Cyke101]

the military's system of behavior regulation is applied to everyone, not just members of the armed forces.

Yeah, that's the important distinction that I was forgetting. We saw the curfews and the troops on the street when Leyton was in command, that much was obvious.

But with the Borg attack of 2367 (and I suppose V'Ger's approach), I'd like to think that there were people doing un-militaristic things, like running around in the streets screaming in sheer panic, or making out with long-time crushes

 

[PhoenixIreland]

I wonder if Red Squads involvement was made public? Can you imagine say key Army Rangers in the USA helping shut down the power grid, blaming it on terrorists and helping other units launch a coup? would they not be disbanded? or discharged? or thrown in prison for treason? court martialled?

Starfleet instead gives them an advanced warship to play with?????

Come on!

 

[Gojirob]

The explanation I came up with was that young people like to talk. Thrown out or in prison, Red Squad would be talking quite a bit. Sent away on a loooong field trip, they would be out of sight and out of mind til the Leyton coup left the public and press's immediate memory.

That's just my two cents.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

And to be fair, Red Squad was a bunch of kids. Starfleet probably figured they had been misled by Leyton and placed a note in their file...although, apart from Ben and Leyton, how many others knew of Red Squad's involvement?

 

[Sci]

Keep in mind that it's entirely possible that none of the people in Red Squad seen in "Valiant" were part of Red Squad in "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost." Every individual member of Red Squad who participated in Leyton's mission might have been imprisoned or discharged or otherwise removed, but that doesn't mean that the organization itself would be disbanded. Especially if Starfleet Academy habitually organizes its cadets into various "Squads," as suggested by Red Squad's appearance in "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" and "Valiant," and by Nova Squad's appearance in "The First Duty," and by other squads, such as Omega Squad, appearing in such tie-in works as the Marvel comic Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

 

[Gojirob]

It might still be an idea for Starfleet to discontinue the formal raising up of elite squads. Ones will always emerge, as it should be. But to continually massage the egos of already whipped-up young people can have real problems. I do think at least a few of Red Squad involved in the power grid incident made it onto Valiant. That was a mistake. A tainted squad, however it came by this taint, should likely be disbanded. Even a noted kiddie show I won't name here for joke avoidance saw that. Watters was flying on more than one kind of stimulant, and most of them did not come in a hypo.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Shepard was the only one on the Valliant who we know participated.

Maybe they didn't know it was part of a coup, maybe they were told it was a public emergency drill or something and only found out after.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

10 INT. SISKO'S TEMPORARY OFFICE - DAY

Sisko is seated at his desk as the door opens and in
walks a confident, nineteen- to twenty-year-old
Starfleet cadet, RILEY SHEPARD. Shepard comes to
attention.

SHEPARD
Cadet Shepard reporting as
ordered, Captain.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 10A.

10 CONTINUED:

Sisko gets right down to business. He's very official,
putting on his best senior officer face.


DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 10A.

10 CONTINUED: (2)

SISKO
(looking down at a PADD)
Shepard, Riley Aldrin, Starfleet
Service number c-nine-five-three-
oh-four-six-nine-nine-four-two-
seven, a third year student at
Starfleet Academy with a specialty
in tactical operations.

SHEPARD
Yes, sir.

Shepard looks pretty proud of himself. He's glad to
have come to Sisko's attention.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 12.

10 CONTINUED: (3)

SISKO
Cadet, I've been reviewing a
record of Red Squad's activities
on the night of the twenty-third.
The night of the power outage.

This catches Shepard off guard.

SHEPARD
Record, sir? We were told that
there wasn't going to be any
written record...

SISKO
Are you contradicting me, cadet?

Shepard is confused. He's one of the brightest kids in
his class and he's not used to getting called onto the
carpet.

SHEPARD
No, sir.

SISKO
Good. Now, who told you there
wasn't going to be a written
record?

SHEPARD
The briefing officer, sir.

SISKO
I want that officer's name.

SHEPARD
She didn't give her name, sir.
But she told us that there would
be no record of our actions. That
our role would have to go
unrecognized, at least for now.

Sisko goes on the attack again.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 13.

10 CONTINUED: (4)

SISKO
Maybe if you'd done your job
better, it would have.
(getting in Shepard's face)
But you fouled it up, didn't you?
You cadets did some sloppy work...
some damn sloppy work.

SHEPARD
With all due respect, sir...
that's not true, sir. The mission
went perfectly. If anything, it
was easier than the simulations.

SISKO
Son, if you think you can protect
your hide by lying to me, you'd
better forget it. Mistakes were
made, and I will find out who's
responsible.

SHEPARD
I'm not lying to you, sir. I was
there. I was at Planetary
Operations the whole time. If
anything had gone wrong, I
would've known about it.

Sisko looks skeptical.

SISKO
Is that so?

Sisko looks like he's considering Shepard's point of
view. Finally, he softens slightly, as if trying to
keep an open mind.

SISKO
All right, cadet. Let's go over
this step-by-step from the time of
your mission deployment until your
return to base...
(checking the PADD)
... at nineteen forty-seven hours
PST on the twenty-third.

SHEPARD
Yes, sir. We assembled on the
Eastern Quad at seventeen hundred
hours on the evening of the twenty-
third.

This is what Sisko wanted. He encourages the cadet to
continue.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 14.

10 CONTINUED: (5)

SISKO
By "we" I assume you mean Red
Squad.

SHEPARD
(eager to please)
Yes, sir. After assembly we were
beamed aboard the Lakota. Once
aboard we received our equipment
and the necessary codes, and were
transported directly to the
Division of Planetary Operations
in Lisbon.

SISKO
At what time?

SHEPARD
It was oh-four hundred hours
exactly. Local time of course.

SISKO
Go on, cadet.

SHEPARD
Our contact inside the DPO gave us
access to their computer control
network. From there we used the
access codes we were given,
bypassed the security lockouts,
and downloaded the disordering
protocols into the network.

SISKO
(putting it together)
And from there the protocols
spread to every power relay on the
planet.

SHEPARD
It was a pretty, impressive sight,
sir. Watching those relays wink
out one after another.

SISKO
Sorry I missed it.

Shepard now thinks everything is okay. Whatever Sisko
thought went wrong, Shepard has proved it wasn't his
fault.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 15.

10 CONTINUED: (6)

SHEPARD
After that all we had to do was
sabotage the restart sequencers
and get out. Like I said, sir...It was all by the numbers.

Based on this scene from Paradise Lost, Red Squad all *knew* what they were doing.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

10 INT. SISKO'S TEMPORARY OFFICE - DAY

Sisko is seated at his desk as the door opens and in
walks a confident, nineteen- to twenty-year-old
Starfleet cadet, RILEY SHEPARD. Shepard comes to
attention.

SHEPARD
Cadet Shepard reporting as
ordered, Captain.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 10A.

10 CONTINUED:

Sisko gets right down to business. He's very official,
putting on his best senior officer face.


DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 10A.

10 CONTINUED: (2)

SISKO
(looking down at a PADD)
Shepard, Riley Aldrin, Starfleet
Service number c-nine-five-three-
oh-four-six-nine-nine-four-two-
seven, a third year student at
Starfleet Academy with a specialty
in tactical operations.

SHEPARD
Yes, sir.

Shepard looks pretty proud of himself. He's glad to
have come to Sisko's attention.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 12.

10 CONTINUED: (3)

SISKO
Cadet, I've been reviewing a
record of Red Squad's activities
on the night of the twenty-third.
The night of the power outage.

This catches Shepard off guard.

SHEPARD
Record, sir? We were told that
there wasn't going to be any
written record...

SISKO
Are you contradicting me, cadet?

Shepard is confused. He's one of the brightest kids in
his class and he's not used to getting called onto the
carpet.

SHEPARD
No, sir.

SISKO
Good. Now, who told you there
wasn't going to be a written
record?

SHEPARD
The briefing officer, sir.

SISKO
I want that officer's name.

SHEPARD
She didn't give her name, sir.
But she told us that there would
be no record of our actions. That
our role would have to go
unrecognized, at least for now.

Sisko goes on the attack again.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 13.

10 CONTINUED: (4)

SISKO
Maybe if you'd done your job
better, it would have.
(getting in Shepard's face)
But you fouled it up, didn't you?
You cadets did some sloppy work...
some damn sloppy work.

SHEPARD
With all due respect, sir...
that's not true, sir. The mission
went perfectly. If anything, it
was easier than the simulations.

SISKO
Son, if you think you can protect
your hide by lying to me, you'd
better forget it. Mistakes were
made, and I will find out who's
responsible.

SHEPARD
I'm not lying to you, sir. I was
there. I was at Planetary
Operations the whole time. If
anything had gone wrong, I
would've known about it.

Sisko looks skeptical.

SISKO
Is that so?

Sisko looks like he's considering Shepard's point of
view. Finally, he softens slightly, as if trying to
keep an open mind.

SISKO
All right, cadet. Let's go over
this step-by-step from the time of
your mission deployment until your
return to base...
(checking the PADD)
... at nineteen forty-seven hours
PST on the twenty-third.

SHEPARD
Yes, sir. We assembled on the
Eastern Quad at seventeen hundred
hours on the evening of the twenty-
third.

This is what Sisko wanted. He encourages the cadet to
continue.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 14.

10 CONTINUED: (5)

SISKO
By "we" I assume you mean Red
Squad.

SHEPARD
(eager to please)
Yes, sir. After assembly we were
beamed aboard the Lakota. Once
aboard we received our equipment
and the necessary codes, and were
transported directly to the
Division of Planetary Operations
in Lisbon.

SISKO
At what time?

SHEPARD
It was oh-four hundred hours
exactly. Local time of course.

SISKO
Go on, cadet.

SHEPARD
Our contact inside the DPO gave us
access to their computer control
network. From there we used the
access codes we were given,
bypassed the security lockouts,
and downloaded the disordering
protocols into the network.

SISKO
(putting it together)
And from there the protocols
spread to every power relay on the
planet.

SHEPARD
It was a pretty, impressive sight,
sir. Watching those relays wink
out one after another.

SISKO
Sorry I missed it.

Shepard now thinks everything is okay. Whatever Sisko
thought went wrong, Shepard has proved it wasn't his
fault.

DEEP SPACE NINE: "Paradise Lost" - REV. 11/14/95 - ACT ONE 15.

10 CONTINUED: (6)

SHEPARD
After that all we had to do was
sabotage the restart sequencers
and get out. Like I said, sir...It was all by the numbers.

Based on this scene from Paradise Lost, Red Squad all *knew* what they were doing.

If it was the writers intention to show that Red Squad knew they were participating in a coup, therefore committing treason, it seems odd that a figure who proudly participated in that coup, would be given a job on an advanced warship and pamperd with special training.

At the very least a dishounerable dismissal was called for, at the most court martial and imprisonment.

Unless the nurembourg defence works in the 24th century "I was only following orders"

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Considering the fact that Shepard was a cadet, the Nuremberg defense probably *is* in effect somewhat.

And although Red Squad *was* on a Defiant-class starship, they were also supposed to be under the watch of actual Starfleet officers.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Theres no order you can be given to commit treason, and any cadet without the balls to refuse such an order does not belong in the service.

 

[Sci]

The question remains as to whether or not Red Squad knew that they were participating in a plot to commit a coup d'etat against the Federation government. Certainly they knew they were engaging in an act of sabotage on Earth's power system; the question is, did they know to what end their orders had been given? What if they believed that those orders came from President Jaresh-Inyo himself and that it was part of an operation to somehow expose the Changelings on Earth, for instance?

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Red Squad-and pretty much everyone involved in the coup-thought they were doing it for the right reasons. And President Jaresh-Inyo, based on what is seen in the episode, is not exactly the type of person to react aggressively to what he's heard, and is remarkably passive. It would be easy to believe that he would have told Admiral Leyton to "prepare Earth for Changeling infiltration" or some such order, but not specify and leave the details to Starfleet.

ETA: Look at the Lakota/Defiant fight. Leyton ordered Benteen to intercept and attack the Defiant because Changelings had commandeered it and took over. Who's to say that the same sort of order wasn't given to Red Squad, with the same misinformation.