THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

STORIES INVOLVING THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

[DS9: Season 1: Captive Pursuit]

SUMMARY: Two senior Starfleet officers, O'Brien and Sisko, violate the Prime Directive in order to aid a Gamma Quadrant sentient being who is the prey in a ritual hunt.

in 2369, a starship comes through the wormhole approaching Deep Space 9, and it is not one of the logged transports which originated in the Alpha Quadrant but the first visitor from the Gamma Quadrant. The vessel is damaged, and the inhabitant, who refers to himself only as Tosk, appears nervous and anxious to be on his way but is reluctantly persuaded by the station's chief of operations Miles O'Brien to let his craft be towed in with a tractor beam. Commander Sisko foregoes usual first contact procedures and suggests that O'Brien greet the visitor at the airlock and, if possible, find out what he is so nervous about. Despite O'Brien's friendly overtures, Tosk is wary but allows O'Brien to initiate engine repairs and hesitantly accepts the station's hospitality including temporary quarters. O'Brien ascertains that Tosk requires only a few hours' sleep, little by way of nutrition, but is unable to learn whether Tosk is the being's name or that of his species.

Tosk's spacecraft comes through the wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant, and docks at Deep Space 9. O'Brien meets Tosk on board the spacecraft, and escorts him to guest quarters. Tosk uses the station's computer to locate the armoury.

He reports to Sisko and Odo, head of security, that Tosk seems to be on the run or hiding something, and accordingly Sisko orders Odo to keep an eye on Tosk. While O'Brien is reporting to Sisko, meanwhile Tosk is accessing the station's computer and ascertaining the location of the armoury.

Odo discovers Tosk tampering with a security grid in a remote corridor and confines him in a holding cell. Confronted by Sisko and O'Brien, Tosk refuses to explain. Odo wonders if Tosk is wanted by authorities for crimes. Tosk is ordered confined for now, the reasoning being that eventually someone will come looking for him.

Tosk tampers with a security grid. Odo apprehends Tosk. Tosk, in a holding cell, refuses to explain.

Shortly afterwards, the "someone" arrives, in the form of another starship through the wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant and which deactivates the station's shields. Three aliens transport from the ship onto the Promenade, fend off the station's security measures and the lead hunter manages to make his way into the detention area.

The wormhole opens. Hunters seeking Tosk transport onto the Promenade and there is an exchange of weapons fire. The lead hunter blows up the door to the detention area where Tosk is being held.

The lead hunter locates Tosk and informs him how disappointed he is to find Tosk a helpless prisoner, especially after the hunt began so well. The hunter sternly informs Tosk that he will be subjected to the prescribed shameful punishment of being taken back alive and put on display for public ridicule. Sisko, Odo and O'Brien arrive in time to hear all this and Sisko barely contains his moral indignation with the newcomer for hunting a sentient being. Sisko and the lead hunter discuss the matter in the privacy of the former's office, where the hunter explains that Tosk's people have been bred solely for the purpose of the hunt. The hunt is Tosk's only reason for existence and they take pride in making it as entertaining as possible. Sisko is disgusted by the concept but realises that the Prime Directive does not allow him to interfere. Accordingly Sisko informs O'Brien, who is as appalled as him. Kira suggests that Tosk should ask for asylum. But when O'Brien hurries to the holding cell to suggest this, Tosk declares that he is unable to do so as he would incur shame if he tried to shelter with the Federation, though he realises the hunters' punishment will shame him anyway.

The lead hunter faces Tosk, who hangs his head in shame. Sisko challenges the hunter when he learns that Tosk is prey. After talking with the lead hunter privately Sisko announces that he cannot help Tosk due to the Prime Directive. Kira suggests that Tosk ask for asylum. Tosk refuses to ask for asylum.

With the prospect of Tosk being removed by the alien hunters without interference, a conversation O'Brien has with Quark in Quark's Bar makes him realise that he can change the rules. He pretends he has Sisko's orders to escort the hunter and his prisoner off the station. He has rigged a security check-point, which momentarily stuns the hunter, and O'Brien punches him to make sure. This gives Tosk the opportunity of a head start when the hunters resume the hunt.

O'Brien realises, during a conversation with Quark, that he should change the rules in order to help Tosk. O'Brien pretends he has been ordered to escort the hunter and his prisoner off the station. A rigged security check-point rigged by O'Brien stuns the hunter. O'Brien punches the hunter. As the hunter lies momentarily stunned, O'Brien leads Tosk quickly away.

In Ops, the escape is registered and Kira reports that O'Brien let Tosk loose. Sisko is unable to contact O'Brien who has deliberately removed his combadge. Sisko tells Odo to take his time in implementing his security measures. Odo understands Sisko's intent and makes a slow unhurried departure from Ops. Tosk fells another hunter and takes his firearm. Tosk and O'Brien are confronted by three heavily-armed hunters and the lead hunter (stunned earlier) opens fire intent on killing Tosk but the pair duck and avoid being hit. Tosk then opens with his stolen weapon, killing the hunters. O'Brien helps Tosk reach his repaired ship, where the pair say farewell. Tosk leaves - the hunt will continue but for now he is alive. They exchange Tosk's ritual words of respect: "Die with honour."

Tosk attacks a hunter. Sisko, Kira and Odo in Ops as Tosk's escape and O'Brien's complicity are registered. O'Brien uses a phaser to break the lock on Tosk's chain. Tosk downs another hunter then takes his gun. The lead hunter fires aiming to kill Tosk. Tosk fires back and hits the three hunters. Tosk and O'Brien escape to Tosk's ship.

After Tosk's departure, in the commander's office, Sisko reprimands O'Brien for his actions. O'Brien accepts the dressing down but as he leaves he expresses curiosity that he had expected station's security measures to trap himself and Tosk before they could reach Tosk's ship. "I guess that one got by us," Sisko replies with a straight face but after O'Brien leaves he gives a small knowing smile.

Sisko censures O'Brien. Sisko gives a small smile after O'Brien leaves after O'Brien shows he knows Sisko not only approved of his helping Tosk but actually aided him.

DISCUSSION: The violation of the Prime Directive is clear-cut, and both O'Brien and Sisko contribute, as does Odo together with the complicity of all the Bajoran militia and Starfleet personnel of Deep Space 9. I believe it is not just the hunting of Tosk which offends Starfleet morality but also the fact that the hunters outgun and outnumber Tosk. Likewise in [Voyager], it is possibly the fact that the Hirogen hunt their prey with the odds in the Hirogen's favour which contributes to television audience sympathy for the prey, and also, in both this story and in the Hirogen stories, it is common for one to feel most sympathy for the underdog (for Britons like me, sympathising with the underdog is said to be a national trait which is why, for instance, British Olympic sportsman Eddie 'the Eagle', who always tried so hard but came last, is remembered and he became quite a celebrity but no one seems to remember the names of the event's medal-winners). Anyway, we want Tosk to escape and applaud O'Brien's actions, and we enjoy and are amused by Sisko's and O'Brien's exchange in the end scene when Sisko reprimands him and O'Brien observes that he had expected the station's security measures to prevent Tosk's escape. "I guess that one got by us," Sisko replies with a straight face but after O'Brien leaves he gives a small knowing smile. Granting asylum overrides the Prime Directive, though, from Star Trek in general, certain rules apply and apparently at the ultimate discretion of the officer in command, here Sisko, on USS Voyager Janeway ref. [#34 Death Wish]. Maybe the inhabitants of Earth in the 21st century should broadcast into space a continuing appeal for help or asylum in case there is extraterrestrial life and life that adheres to a Prime Directive - they might render aid in the event of global catastrophe due to natural causes or hostile enemy action. For without such an appeal, the Prime Directive is deemed to apply; see also discussion for the episode [TNG: Pen Pals]. Corey Allen, a director who worked on both [TNG] and [DS9]: "In general, the [DS9] shows are not as squeaky clean as the [TNG] scripts were. The characters are allowed to be more flawed and that allows for more latitude in interpretation. In [TNG], it always seemed to me that the people were wonderfully and heroically bent on the 'unbent' - they were straight arrows. But in [Captive Pursuit], there's this wonderful moment of realisation - almost without words - when O'Brien is sitting at the bar with Quark, and he discovers the possibility that it's conceivable to break the rules of the Federation, which hitherto had been inconceivable to him. And suddenly he says, 'Of course - change the rules.'" O'Brien makes the decision after Tosk refuses to ask for asylum.

NOTES: O'Brien was first seen as the battle bridge conn officer in the series premiere [TNG: Encounter at Farpoint], a role he reprises in the series finale [TNG: All Good Things...]. He did not get a first and middle name, Miles Edward, until [TNG: Family]. This story was originally titled [A Matter Of Breeding]. Sisko breaches normal protocol or etiquette also by the fact that rather than implement the usual requisite first contact procedures, he is sensitive enough to suggest that O'Brien, by himself, meet the first visitor from the Gamma Quadrant. The hunters and the notion of a ritual hunt of sentient prey is carried into [Voyager] in which the male adults of the Hirogen species, with a few exceptions such as the medic in [#86 and #87 The Killing Game] and engineer Donik in [#155 and #156 Flesh And Blood], spend all their time devoted to hunting sentient prey and taking relics such as body organs as hunt trophies. The Hirogen hunting way of life is first seen in [#83 Hunters], though a Hirogen is first seen in [#82 Message In A Bottle].

 

 

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