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Starfleet has a strict code of conduct, but what happens when its most respected officers decide to break the rules? From Captain Kirk to Seven of Nine, we count down 10 instances where Starfleet personnel crossed the line for what they believed was the greater good. Were they right?
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00:00When one considers the rules that Starfleet officers must follow one can hardly be surprised
00:04that there are dozens of cases of rule breaking in the history books. How many times did Jim
00:09Kirk circumvent the chain of command for the greater good? Or how many times did Tom Paris
00:13shout pepperoni in the face of consequences? We must bear in mind that sometimes rules really
00:19do get in the way for no good reason. Because it was there maybe a good reason to climb a
00:24mountain
00:24but hardly an excuse to avoid a difficult decision. Now of course all we can imagine is
00:28William Shatner talking about why did Captain Kirk decide to climb that mountain? He wanted to make
00:35love to the mountain. Anyway what then counts as crossing the line in Star Trek? Do we the audience
00:42feel the overstep beyond any chance of understanding? Or do these following officers actions leave us
00:48pondering their motives, their methods and their means? Should we forgive them? Do they need
00:54forgiving? Who knows? Let's find out. I'm Sean Farrick for Trek Culture and here are 10 times
01:00Starfleet officers crossed the line. Number 10. Seven of Nine condemns a sentient being to death,
01:08prey. While her career in Starfleet may still have been several years away there was little doubt that
01:14Seven of Nine was an honorary officer on board Voyager. She was assigned duties like any other officer,
01:23and she faced the music like one too. When the ship was boarded by a member of Species 8472 in
01:302374,
01:32Seven found herself face to face with a being who, as part of the retaliatory war against the Borg,
01:38had most likely destroyed thousands of drones. This being was hunted by the Hirogen, a fearsome delta
01:46quadrant species who would later capture the ship for their brutal war games, though it had largely
01:51managed to evade them. Despite some promising attempts at communication by Tuvok, Seven stepped
01:56around the rules and beamed both the creature and the Hirogen hunting it onto one of the latter's ships.
02:02Though she attempted to argue her case, Seven was bluntly reprimanded by Captain Janeway. There was a
02:08time and a place for expressing individuality, but this wasn't it. Seven was left confused, but she
02:15accepted her dressing down by Janeway. It may have dented their relationship, but as we saw, it didn't
02:21destroy it. Number 9. Michael Eddington betrays Starfleet for a greater good for the cause.
02:28Michael Eddington was a Starfleet officer long before he ever switched his allegiances to the Maquis.
02:34He may have put Garrick to shame when it came to spinning a lie, but from his point of view,
02:39he stepped over a line he had no choice in crossing. The treaty between the Federation and the Cardassian
02:45Union left the quadrant with a demilitarized zone. This zone was a hotbed of political tumult,
02:50with several colony worlds finding themselves under new jurisdictions with a swish of a pen. Hindsight may
02:57be a wonderful thing, but there were many in the zone and beyond who knew that the Cardassians were never
03:02going to honour the treaty. Skirmishes and raids, as well as brutal attacks that were just small
03:08enough not to incur Starfleet reprisals became the order of the day. The Maquis were born to combat
03:14the Cardassian threat and to many, including Eddington and others, they were the last best hope for those
03:19colonists' salvation. Many officers, like Chakotay, resigned their commissions to join the Maquis. Eddington
03:26finds himself on this list as, rather than put down the comm badge and leave the service, he used his
03:32Starfleet position to trick his way into possession of industrial replicators, stunning Major Kira and
03:38embarking on a daring campaign of freedom fighting. His intentions may have been pure, though his actions
03:44left little room for sympathy from a captain who felt betrayed more than twice over. Number 8.
03:51Admiral Dougherty condemns the Enterprise E to destruction, Star Trek Insurrection.
03:57Just how far should a person go in their quest for the Fountain of Youth?
04:02Star Trek Insurrection is often unfairly maligned for its pacing and perceived lack of stakes following
04:08Star Trek First Contact, though that does the film a disservice. Admiral Dougherty, played to perfection
04:14by Anthony Zurb, commands the mission to move the Baku from their home in the Briar Patch,
04:19perched upon the lofty ideals of the greater good of Starfleet and the Federation. The radiation from
04:25the planet's rings could end up healing billions of people, surely a price worth paying, even if it
04:31costs a few hundred people their home, one might argue. He does then lose the moral high ground when
04:36he orders Ruwafo to send Sona ships to escort the Enterprise back to Baku, knowing full well that he is
04:43ordering the destruction of the Enterprise, Riker and the crew. Whatever good intentions may have
04:49spurred the mission into motion are lost in the mire of evil sacrifice here. Darity would pay the
04:55ultimate price for his decision, ending a distinguished career in disgrace. In expanded media the novelization
05:02also gives the tragic backstory that he had recently lost his wife. A long, storied career ending in sadness,
05:10tragedy and a lot of stretching. Number 7. Jonathan Archer Steals a Warped Coil Damage
05:19What must one do when it comes to saving not just their crew, but the future of humanity? Is there
05:25any line a captain wouldn't cross? Jonathan Archer was forced to confront this dilemma in 2154 when
05:31stuck sans working warp coil inside the Delphic expanse. Though relations with the Illyrians would
05:38somewhat improve in the century that followed, this first contact was devastating. Despite the
05:43newcomer's offers to help the stricken NX-01, Archer settles on piracy as the only course of action
05:50open to him. He needs their warp coil, despite knowing it will strand them three years from home.
05:56Though a visibly emotional T'Pol argues with Archer, imploring him not to commit this mission,
06:02he overrules her. Enterprise attacks the Illyrian ship, securing their warp coil, resulting in their
06:09being successful in rendezvousing with sympathetic Zindi. While history may consider the decision worth
06:15the risk, Archer himself was forced to continually ask himself if he did the right thing. History has
06:21shown he probably did. We know that relations with the Illyrians improved, we know that, according to
06:27Daniels at least, there was Zindi serving aboard Enterprise J in the 26th century. That does not
06:33however make it any easier for Jonathan Archer in the 22nd century living with not knowing.
06:41Number 6. Tim Waters didn't know when to quit. Valiant. Cadet turned captain Tim Waters may have
06:49seemed like the perfect candidate for command, but his actions aboard the USS Valiant put paid to that.
06:54He rose to the big chair in the heat of battle and, for a time, kept his ship of cadets
06:59safe while
07:00behind enemy lines. His sense of duty was gradually clouded by a rising need for stimulants, a need to
07:06prove himself, and an inability to accept defeat. When seemingly given the opportunity to deal a
07:12devastating blow to the Dominion, he gave an order that should never have materialised.
07:17He orders the USS Valiant, a defiant class vessel of limited size, to attack a Dominion battlecruiser,
07:23a ship described as twice the size of a galaxy class starship, and five times as powerful.
07:28There is a time for seeking glory, or proving oneself, but that wasn't it. Waters not only gets
07:34himself killed, but all but one of his crew as well. Only Chief Petty Officer Collins, along with
07:40Jake Sisko and Nog, escaped the doomed ship. As Nog sadly reflects after being rescued, he may have been a
07:46hero, he may even have been a great man, but in the end, he was a bad captain. For Waters,
07:53and for his
07:53crew, there was no opportunity to learn from this decision. At least, nearly a millennium later,
07:59several of the Valiant's crew's names would adorn a commemorative wall at Starfleet Academy.
08:04Number 5. Joseph Mbenga commits murder behind the wall, under the cloak of war.
08:10One of the biggest questions surrounding Dr. Joseph Mbenga following the climax of Under the
08:15Cloak of War was, did he do it deliberately, or was it an accident? By it we mean the death
08:20of
08:20General, later Ambassador, Dak Ra. While audiences had seen some of the Klingon Federation war in Star
08:27Trek Discovery's first season, this episode delves into the trauma experienced by those surviving
08:33officers and soldiers who saw the worst that the war had to offer. Mbenga and Christine Chappell
08:38had been stationed on Jagal when Ra began his escape. This, before Ra's defection to Starfleet,
08:45still followed a brutal subjugation of the planet's people. Mbenga, while on the planet,
08:50had attempted to capture Ra before he left, earning him the nickname the Butcher of Jagal. Reunited aboard
08:56the Enterprise, Mbenga and Ra came to blows, with Mbenga deliberately landing a killing blow.
09:02This, revealed later in Shuttle to Kenfore, was vengeance, pure and simple. In revealing that
09:08this was, in fact, a deliberate act on Mbenga's part, rather than self-defence, one must accept
09:13that he stepped so far over the line there could be no coming back. Thankfully for him, Pike refused
09:19to file a report, off the books missions are handy like that, which means Mbenga's career might be safe,
09:25even if his conscience carries the burden. Number 4. Miles O'Brien Warns Bilby,
09:31Honour Among Thieves. Honour Among Thieves gave a then rare glance at the Orion Syndicate,
09:37the feared crime empire that dominated the underworld of the Alpha Quadrant. Miles O'Brien,
09:42recruited for his technical skills as much as his ability to blend into a bar, is sent by Starfleet
09:48intelligence, to Farius Prime, tasked with infiltrating the Syndicate. After befriending
09:53a member named Bilby, O'Brien, posing as a man named Connolly, a fine Irish name,
09:58is horrified to learn that the Syndicate is doing business with the Dominion. Bilby is assigned on a
10:04special mission, use Klingon disruptors, repaired by O'Brien, to assassinate the Klingon ambassador
10:09to Farius. This, the Dominion hopes, will look like a political killing, as said ambassador was
10:15strongly against the Klingon Federation Alliance. O'Brien does his duty and passes this information
10:21back to his handler, only to have a change of heart. For Bilby, it's a suicide mission,
10:26though the man doesn't know it. O'Brien, having grown sympathetic to Bilby's position,
10:31warns him. Though it has little impact, the man is dead either way, for the Syndicate will kill him
10:36and his family if he tries to run. Chadwick, O'Brien's handler, is the only reason the non-com
10:42officer is able to return to Deep Space Nine, as he opts not to report his actions to Starfleet,
10:47understanding that emotion took control of the day. O'Brien, lucky in a certain respect,
10:52keeps his position and inherits Bilby's cat, Chester, as well. Number 3. Erika Ortegas
10:58forces a confrontation with the Klingons, shuttle to Ken Forey. Erika Ortegas is one of the great
11:04unknowns from Star Trek Strange New Worlds. Introduced in the pilot, she flies the ship,
11:09don't you know? Other than that, she received little character development until the third season,
11:14when it started to arrive in spades. Her capture and assault by the Gorn clearly left her shaken,
11:20which only added to the trauma she felt after the Klingon War. While she had been cleared for return to
11:25service, questions began to arise about her fitness, particularly after the events of shuttle to
11:30Ken Forey. Ready and raring to save Pygon and Benga as she was, she let her emotions get the better
11:35of
11:36her while the Enterprise was playing hide and seek with a Klingon battlecruiser. Despite the risks,
11:41she edged the speed of the ship up sufficiently so as to be noticed by the Klingons, thus giving her
11:47the
11:47excuse to mount the daring rescue plan she had proposed earlier. A happy ending does not grant one
11:53immunity from repercussions and number one was quick to relieve her of duty. While her actions
11:58resulted in Pygon and Benga's safe return to the ship, they could just have easily have led to an
12:03armed conflict. Good intentions must be handled with care and for Ortegas this was a hard lesson to learn.
12:10Number 2. Tom Paris Does Time 30 Days
12:14When Tom Paris boarded the USS Voyager, he was earning the trust that Captain Janeway placed on him.
12:20It was she who recommended his early release from a Federation detention centre, which in turn led to
12:25his position as helmsman of the ship. By 2375, as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, Paris had more than
12:31secured his position in the crew. He was respected and even though he had a reputation for certain
12:37passionate responses, he was a capable Starfleet officer. The events that followed Voyager's encounter
12:43with the Manaians and their water world put all of that in jeopardy. After discovering that this floating
12:48ocean was losing integrity and that neither Janeway or the Manaian council intended to do anything
12:54about it, Paris decided to act of his own accord. Fueled by righteousness and a childhood love for the
12:59ocean, he and a Manaian named Riga stole the Delta Flyer, intending to use it to force the Manaians
13:05at large to take action. He was stopped in his tracks by a timely torpedo from Tuvok, then demoted and
13:12incarcerated by Janeway. He learned the hard way that an officer cannot simply act of their own accord
13:18when the prime directive is on the line. Number 1. Kirk reveals the Enterprise and then lies about it.
13:25Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Trek was a story about James T Kirk achieving command of the USS Enterprise.
13:31Star Trek Into Darkness is the story of how he earned it. The film opens with the Enterprise submerged
13:37under the ocean on Nibiru, a planet with a pre-warp civilisation facing an extinction level event.
13:43An enormous volcano is set to erupt so Kirk decides to do something about it. Initially the plan looks
13:48solid. Spock will descend into the bowels of the volcano, detonate a cold fusion bomb, render it inert
13:54and they can all nip back to the mess hall in time for supper. Naturally things rarely go smoothly in
13:59the final frontier and several unexpected twists later Kirk orders the Enterprise risen from the depths.
14:05His plan may have been to save Spock but the result is revealing a warp capable ship to a society
14:11that
14:11was thousands of years away from achieving anything of the sort. That alone qualifies Kirk for this list
14:17but it is his decision to lie on the official report to Admiral Pike that solidifies it. In Star Trek
14:24James
14:24T Kirk often had a reputation for a devil-may-care approach to rules and regulations but this was one
14:30of
14:30those times when, the love of Spock aside, Pike was completely justified in dressing down the brash
14:37newly minted captain. And that's everything for our list folks. Thank you very much for watching
14:41along, we hope that you enjoyed it. Can you think of any other examples where officers crossed the
14:45line? Let us know in the comments below. Please make sure you're following us in the various socials,
14:50we are at TrekCulture and I'm at Sean Ferrick, we are also at TrekCultureYT on Instagram. If you would
14:55like any of our merch you can get it by using the link under the description of this video and
14:59please
14:59make sure that you're subscribed to the channel as well, it makes such a difference. Folks live long and
15:04prosper until I see you again. Look after yourselves, look after all of those around you, put peace out
15:09into the world. That is what we need now. Not more fighting and not more arguing, we need peace and
15:15we
15:15need it now. Thank you very much everyone, I will talk to you soon. Cheers!
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