 | THE PRIME DIRECTIVEwith emphasis on [Star Trek: Voyager] |  |
| THE PRIME DIRECTIVEwith emphasis on [Star Trek: Voyager] | |
[VOYAGER] AND THE PRIME DIRECTIVE
This is a general discussion page. All the [Voyager] episodes which have an entry (with discussion) under STORIES INVOLVING THE PRIME DIRECTIVE are listed at, and can be navigated from, the Index for this article or this page.
 Janeway to crew: "We have no idea of the dangers we're going to face, but one thing is clear, both crews are going to have to work together if we're to survive. That's why Commander Chakotay and I have agreed that this should be one crew, a Starfleet crew." [Season 1: #1 and #2 Caretaker] | The survivors of Janeway's Starfleet crew assimilate Chakotay and his Maquis crew, and Janeway's intention of it being a Starfleet crew is announced shipwide in the last scene of [#1 and #2 Caretaker]. By 2371, the Prime Directive as laid down by Starfleet to be followed by its personnel and thus by Captain Janeway and all her crew whether or not (former) Maquis, requires non-interference not just in pre-warp societies but in the natural development of any society. Presumably Janeway's oath is similar to that noted by Kirk as including the solemn promise to lay down her life and the lives of her crew if required to adhere to the Prime Directive. Likewise, presumably the oath sworn by Janeway and her crew, including the Maquis members, is the same as that which Picard mentions in [TNG: Who Watches The Watchers] i.e. all Starfleet personnel swear to uphold the Prime Directive and if necessary at the cost of their life. |
At some point, as with our previous hero Starfleet commanding officers in the preceding series namely Kirk, Picard and Sisko (though part of [DS9] overlapped [Voyager]), Janeway ends up in circumstances where she must decide whether to implement Starfleet General Order no.1 or breach it and in whichever case how far to go. Actually, Janeway should not have to grapple with the Order - it is clear-cut and brooks no debate. But as with the named Starfleet commanding officers (I do not say 'captains' as Sisko starts with the rank of Commander), she knows from her knowledge of Starfleet history and from the ship's records that the Prime Directive is not rigid, at least not in practice. She therefore knows she has leeway to decide on the merits of a case. She also knows that she need not particularly fear Starfleet discipline for infractions, not necessarily because she is in the Delta Quadrant far from Starfleet but because, as she tells Kashyk in [#104 Counterpart], she knows admirals on first-name terms. Her comment to Kashyk (pictured) may have been making light of the situation (he gives a small smile in response), yet the comments may reflect her true assessment namely that (assuming the mitigating circumstances win her case) she has little or nothing to fear. Her assessment is shown to be accurate as in [Star Trek X: Nemesis] which occurs approximately a year after Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant, far from being court-martialled for Prime Directive offences and far from just retaining the same rank, she has been promoted to admiral - not the action Starfleet would presumably take if it viewed her infractions of the Prime Directive with any seriousness.
Admiral Kathryn Janeway, [Star Trek X: Nemesis]
In addition, Janeway and her crew find themselves in a complex situation. Let us examine the new 'framework' they are faced with within which they will need to interpret the Prime Directive. The Voyager crew are in a vast area, the Delta Quadrant, which they do not know anything about except by 'suck it and see' methods and from what knowledge Neelix has. Even Neelix's extensive knowledge is of course limited. They must make star charts as they go, although it is likely that some star charts would be available for barter or some form of purchase, as evident from the map dealer's stall in the Nekrit Supply Depot in [#55 Fair Trade]. When Janeway offers to trade astrometrics charts spanning twelve sectors for an isokinetic cannon, in [#85 Retrospect], Kovin is interested though the bargain ends up not being based around the star charts as Kovin also wants the mapping technology that created them but Janeway says Voyager's Astrometrics sensors are designed specifically for Voyager and of no use to him - their conversation indicates the importance of star charts not just to the Voyager crew. The uncertainty that comes with being in an unexplored region of space is compounded by the fact that the region's inhabitants often prove unfriendly and the place is rife with conflict. Even if Starfleet was somehow able to be in contact with Voyager across such a vast distance, it could offer little help, and none in the form of practical aid such as refuelling or maintenance depots or enhanced weaponry or additional crew. The Voyager crew are truly on their own. Because of these unexpected circumstances, Janeway and her crew sometimes have to confront Prime Directive issues which no one in Starfleet or in Starfleet records had dealt with ever before. In addition, Janeway has no one except ranked subordinates to discuss the issues with, and no one in authority over her to share the burden of responsibility for her decisions.
Janeway listens to Chakotay (outside a turbolift, later in it), then later consults Tuvok (Tuvok's quarters), [Season 2: #30 Alliances]
To deal with the vast new, isolating and difficult circumstances not faced by a Starfleet captain before, Janeway effectively replaces the Prime Directive with her own - get the crew home. Not only does Janeway state this as being an utmost imperative e.g. in [#68 and #69 Scorpion] when about to undergo surgery for severe injuries she grates out the words to Chakotay for emphasis: "Get this crew home." (her saying this is pictured) and her overriding concern is expressed in [#1 and #2 Caretaker] (in the Ready Room with Tuvok present) even before she destroys the Caretaker's Array, by her duplicate self when speaking to her for the last time in [#37 Deadlock], and other instances. Getting the crew home predicates survival, so Janeway's own Prime Directive could be summarised as follows: "Keep as many of the crew alive as possible, and get them home safe and sound." This is almost always tempered, but not overridden, by other Starfleet principles and values such as the exploration of space and helping others. The argument that Janeway implicitly (and whether or not she admits it to herself - we do not know if she is aware of it) rewrites or replaces the Prime Directive with her own definition is supported by the evidence of her actions. For when Janeway is faced with complex decisions, i.e. ones with a multitude of variables and multiple options and many of them upon which the survival of Voyager depends, she is not afraid to implement unorthodox solutions (or courses of actions - they do not always solve the situation), especially as regards the Prime Directive. Sometimes her approach is justified by the result, but at other times she could adhere to the Prime Directive more strictly or fully but is either unable to or chooses not to. Janeway deserves credit for not being afraid to consider or implement unorthodox methods.
It often seems unfair to try and judge Janeway for adherence to the Prime Directive considering the unusual circumstances she and her crew have to face, especially with the benefit of hindsight. Chakotay refers to Starfleet principles, implicitly referring to the Prime Directive, in [#30 Alliances] when he tells her that they need new thinking in the Delta Quadrant, and, after giving the matter careful thought with guidance from Tuvok over a cup of Vulcan spice tea, Janeway does not ignore him either then or throughout Voyager's journey. In the case of [#30 Alliances], she ultimately takes his advice and, against the Prime Directive's non-interference protocol, seeks an alliance with one of the Kazon sects, initially the Kazon-Nistrim but eventually she is deceived by Trabe leader Mabus into forming an alliance with the Trabe. Janeway's reason for approaching the Kazon-Nistrim is that Voyager would not hand over weapons or technology and the aim is not to alter the balance of power in the region or, if it happens, to do so for a short time, for only as long as Voyager is in the region (as Voyager is travelling homeward). Her reason for allying with the Trabe is in order to try and broker a peace between the Trabe and the Kazon. When Mabus' real motive is revealed namely an attempt to assassinate the Kazon First Majes who attend the peace conference, Janeway feels justified in telling her senior officers: "In a part of space where there are few rules, it's more important than ever that we hold fast to our own. In a region where shifting allegiances are commonplace, we have to have something stable to rely on, and we do - the principles and ideals of the Federation. As far as I'm concerned, those are the best allies we could have." She is not afraid, however, to give unorthodox interpretation to those principles and ideals, in the way of (or even in the tradition of) Picard when she realises that the principles are not absolute and can permit intervention on occasion, mainly to preserve her crew as with the Borg alliance in 2373-74 in [#68 and #69 Scorpion].
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| a Trabe ship fires into the conference room but Janeway has managed to warn the Kazon First Majes in time, they take cover and survive; Janeway shouts at Mabus, furious at his betrayal, [Season 2: #30 Alliances] | |
the above screenshots, which include images of an Omega molecule, are from [Season 4: #89 The Omega Directive] | The Omega molecule is considered such a threat to the fabric of space that Starfleet's classified Starfleet General Order, known as the Omega Directive, requires the captain of a starship to notify Starfleet Command immediately upon detection of an Omega molecule, and authorises the use of any and all means necessary to destroy an Omega molecule. (The LCARS computer detects presence of Omega "within 1.2 light-years of this vessel".) The Omega Directive even authorises a starship captain to violate the Prime Directive if necessary to erase knowledge of even the existence of Omega. The nature and destructive power of Omega is given in the episode entry for [#89 The Omega Directive]. Apart from the Omega Directive having priority over the Prime Directive, it can be argued that, devastating as an explosion caused by Omega is, Omega molecules are natural phenomena and should not be interfered with as per the Prime Directive because to destroy Omega molecules might prevent them from destroying property, people or even a civilisation which means that Starfleet would have influenced the natural development of those people. As Starfleet has banned research into Omega then a defence against it will not be devised within the Federation, but might be eventually by a non-Federation civilisation. Starfleet's Omega Directive is a policy of suppression, of research and knowledge as well as the molecule itself, seems unwise and out of keeping with the organisation's normal policy of being open. Arguably, Starfleet should continue to conduct classified research, if only to attempt to devise methods of harnessing the power of Omega for use as fuel and of ascertaining ways to defend against hostiles who might have harnessed the power of Omega as a weapon, in the same way that nuclear research is carried out both in the 21st century. Omega is the 24th century's equivalent of the nuclear fission of Earth's 20th century. There have been disasters associated with nuclear research and nuclear power e.g. at Chernobyl, a city in north central Ukraine and the site of a major disaster at a nuclear power plant on 26th April 1986. The Omega molecule is a naturally-occurring phenomenon. A question which arises is how far does one protect oneself from known dangerous natural occurrences? In this instance, Starfleet decided to take steps to reduce the number of occurrences of the Omega molecule lest one single molecule cause damage to the fabric of space and thus to the larger good namely spacefarers. This is although the likelihood and measure of destruction cannot be known. Not only that, but Starfleet's Omega measures include suppression of knowledge of Omega, and include the fact that the Prime Directive does not apply. Starfleet's caution is understandable but its absoluteness is not justified. To protect a region of space, maybe a number of light-years in extent which is a tiny area compared to the size of the galaxy and an area in which there are no inhabited planets, Starfleet gives its captains carte blanche to, say, influence or even actively interfere in the development of a primitive societies about extra-terrestrials for instance by letting them see advanced or 'magic' technology in action. |
The existence of Omega molecules is first established in Star Trek in [#89 The Omega Directive] and is more extensively discussed under that episode entry. Starfleet's Omega Directive is in direct violation of the Prime Directive. Janeway's action in locating, isolating and destroying Omega when it is encountered in the Delta Quadrant does not involve suspension of the Prime Directive, at least, not directly, but it does involve the removal of Omega from the possession of aliens (whose facilities have been destroyed by it) which, under the Prime Directive, is interference in their society. It could be argued that she is aiding the aliens, with at least the consent of one of them (named Allos in the script but not on screen), and these aliens are at least spacefaring and not from a primitive society thereby lessening the impact of any Prime Directive violation. Part of the following paragraph also appears in Main Discussion regarding the episode entry [#89 The Omega Directive].
If a question that arises from the implementation of the Omega Directive is "how far does one protect oneself from known dangerous natural occurrences?" then just as important is the question "how far does one protect oneself from known dangerous hostile species?".....specifically, Species 8472 or the Borg, both of which have huge capacity to harm humans/the Federation. In several episodes Janeway takes action on her own initiative to strike a blow against the Borg. Operation Fort Knox, in [#109 and #110 Dark Frontier], is undertaken not specifically to attack the Borg but to steal from them a device (a transwarp coil) to enable Voyager to travel more quickly for a time. In [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero], the regressive virus which occurs in certain Borg drones, when those drones appeal to Seven of Nine, give Janeway an excuse to interfere and aid one group of drones against another, instead of pursuing the non-interference directive.
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| rehearsal for Operation Fort Knox, the mission to steal a Borg transwarp coil, [Season 5: #109 and #110 Dark Frontier] | |
From the era of [TNG], Starfleet has viewed the Borg as a threat and thus an enemy. This is due to the Borg's inherent nature, the inherent aspect being illustrated by Chakotay in his parable about the scorpion in [#68 and #69 Scorpion]. It could be argued that the Borg is a civilisation and that Janeway's actions interfere with that civilisation - she does so in [#68 and #69 Scorpion], in [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero] in aiding the minority revolt of the Borg drones of Unimatrix Zero, in launching Operation Fort Knox in [#109 and #110 Dark Frontier] and in advancing on (pictured) and attacking a Borg transwarp hub in [#171 and #172 Endgame]. However, the television viewer has no problem with Starfleet's attitude toward the Borg. The Prime Directive seems automatically and implicitly to mean no interference in any society which is attacking others en masse, regardless of whether that society, like the Borg, has as the core of its existence the (forced) acquisition of knowledge, technology and even the personnel of other societies. In [#142 Muse], Torres tells Kelis that Janeway would make peace with the Borg if she could, but that does not seem borne out by Janeway's subsequent actions in [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero] and [#171 and #172 Endgame]. In the former episode she answers the appeal of a minority of Borg drones who are in rebellion; she would not normally aid a rebellion within a society, as that would be interference, but she is prepared to ignore the non-interference directive as regards [#28 Resistance], even in terms of just trading with the Alsaurians without the consent of the ruling Mokra Order. But when it comes to the Borg, Janeway is actively willing to interfere because, it seems, the Borg society or Collective is viewed as being a civilisation that one cannot come to peaceful terms with and is thus implicitly beyond redemption; her response to the Borg is not wholly Janeway's responsibility, for her approach is obviously coloured by Starfleet's previous encounters with the Borg.
Given this attitude toward the Borg and her overwhelming desire to keep her crew safe and get them home, Janeway did not consider what effects an alliance with the Borg would have on that region of space, indeed on all Borg space if the alliance should prove successful; she says that the heart of Borg space extends for thousands of solar systems. There is no evidence from the episode that she realised there would be consequences for others, nor is there evidence that she even pondered it, though Arturis forces her to realise in [#94 Hope And Fear]. Chakotay, one of the few who knows Janeway well, says, and his words are telling:
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However, Chakotay is right when he tells Janeway: "....your desire to get this crew home is blinding you to other options." She fails to consider that her decision could have serious repercussions. In addition, it does not seem likely that she allowed the senior staff to greatly discuss the merits of her decision, as that part of the staff meeting is not shown in the episode. It is possible that they all agreed, and it is only Chakotay who has reservations which, as per the dialogue above, he puts to Janeway privately. It could be argued that he had a responsibility, under the Prime Directive, to air at least some of his reservations earlier though shorn of his personal comments. But since we do not know what happened earlier in the meeting, that is speculation. Arturis is to some extent correct in [#94 Hope And Fear] when he blames Janeway for the assimilation of his people, not for the actual assimilation as that blame of course falls on the Borg, but on contributing to the continued strength of the Borg. It is possible that without Janeway's alliance with the Borg, the Borg would have been so weakened by Species 8472 that assimilation of Arturis' species could not have occurred - Arturis is certain of this but it is not necessarily so. Janeway's "I could not have known" is true, but she could have had an inkling if she had stopped, in [#68 and #69 Scorpion], to consider. Here, with the benefit of hindsight, Janeway could be accused of too narrow thinking, and could be accused of anthropocentrism, that is, an inclination to evaluate matters exclusively in terms of human values.
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| Arturis airs his grievance, [Season 4: #94 Hope And Fear] | |
At least she spent time in [#30 Alliances] pondering the ramifications of forming an alliance with one of the Kazon sects, as that could well affect the balance of power in the region, and it seems foolish or even reprehensible that she did not do so as regards the Borg; on both occasions she felt the safety of ship and crew to be in real danger i.e. the threat level to her own personnel was about the same. In particular, as shown in [#127 Dragon's Teeth] as regards the Vaadwaur's history and true militarily aggressive nature, there are usually two sides to a story; in [#68 and #69 Scorpion] Janeway does not research Species 8472 enough. But it is hard to see how she could have done more research, and indeed there is a contact of sorts between Species 8472 and Kes which produces Species 8472's fearful pronouncement that "the galaxy must be purged". It is left to Chakotay to discover, realising from circumstances and from a conversation with Seven of Nine, that the Borg started the conflict with Species 8472 and therefore Species 8472 was merely defending itself. It is hard not to conclude that Janeway abandoned the Prime Directive on the grounds that Voyager's safety came first. "The galaxy must be purged" is more understandable once it is realised that Species 8472 fears the inhabitants of non-fluidic space and is fighting the Borg in self-defence, for to Species 8472 the Borg, as this is in the heart of Borg space, would appear to be the major inhabitants of non-fluidic space and might be reasonably assumed to be the major representatives of non-fluidic space. Fortunately Janeway receives the opportunity in [#98 In The Flesh] to make first contact properly with Species 8472, and the representatives of Species 8472 (led by "Boothby") agree to a truce. The Voyager-Borg alliance produced a wholly unexpected consequence too, in the restoration of Seven to humanity and the acquisition of valuable inside information about one of the Federation's deadliest enemies. However, in [#127 Dragon's Teeth], it is seen that Janeway does not learn all that she could do from the experience of [#68 and #69 Scorpion], for she fails to research the Vaadwaur's history, and takes only the word of Gedrin before deciding to ally with the Vaadwaur and wake their last battalion. It is left to Neelix to initiate enquiries. Janeway then finds herself, as in [#68 and #69 Scorpion], already having taken one side and thus obliged to see the alliance through, while in [#127 Dragon's Teeth] it is fortunate for her that Gaul decides to attack Voyager thus severing the alliance and rendering void the obligation on Janeway to fulfil her promise to Gedrin (and through him the Vaadwaur) to help the Vaadwaur rebuild their civilisation. Janeway also violates the Prime Directive in agreeing to assist the Vaadwaur rebuild their civilisation.
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| Gedrin wins over Janeway as a Vaadwaur ally, [Season 6: #127 Dragon's Teeth] | |
It is hard to escape the conclusion that Janeway's often broad-ranging (others might say "novel") interpretations of the Prime Directive are based upon primarily upon the desire to be considerate or humanitarian, a reason which a detractor cannot really deny. For instance, in the Season 6 story [#134 Memorial], Janeway decides to repair the memorial on Tarakis for two reasons: firstly to prevent others suffering a series of fragmented memories and without realising that they are other people's memories; secondly so that those who are remembered by the memorial should continue to be remembered. Her logic for the first is sound, though she could ensure that no one suffers fragmented memories simply by fully deactivating the memorial. Janeway's reason for the second is understandable but possibly questionable, for the civilisation which erected the memorial no longer seems extant or at least nowhere around and there is no direct benefit to anyone living by having the memorial repaired.
 Janeway oversees the repair of the Tarakis memorial |
 the memorial, repaired |
SUMMARY
Janeway and her crew usually do their best to uphold Starfleet's Prime Directive. However, this is a real challenge in the difficult and unforeseen circumstances of being in an unfamiliar and often hostile region of space, cut off from Starfleet Command and unable to consult them. Janeway holds true as best she can to Starfleet ideals, which include space exploration, helping others and making First Contact with hopefully friendly species. But she and the crew frequently have to resort to unorthodox methods of problem-solving. As with other Starship heroes, Janeway tends to put the survival of ship and crew, as well as her own moral standards, above other considerations, and accordingly there is no doubt that she breaches or severely bends the Prime Directive on occasion. But her sincerity and moral integrity remain intact throughout except for a few rare lapses of judgement (e.g. holotechnology to the Hirogen, Ransom of the Equinox, the Vaadwaur), and it is easy for a commentator to be wise after the event. By and large, Janeway rises to the challenges of the Delta Quadrant, and she exhibits the qualities of toughness, resourcefulness, compassion and integrity expected of an exemplary Starfleet commanding officer. These qualities are proved to be the right combination and to be in the correct measure that successfully bring ship and crew home in only seven years, with relatively few crew losses, and the benefit of powerful anti-Borg technology to help protect the Federation against further Borg attack. Along the way, she and the crew gain valuable in-the-field experience, being required as they are to live at the harsher end of Starfleet philosophy more often than their counterparts in the Alpha Quadrant. Their adventures help to hone them into wiser and more experienced people, whilst generally leaving behind in the Delta Quadrant a positive impression of Humanity, Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets.
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