The choice between duty or love...

[RaconteurX]

Duty and love may play a big part in my character's future, in the same Enterprise-era campaign as Anderyn. I play Artemis' Chief Engineer, Tavas Sloane, who is a candidate for the recently-vacated post of First Officer. The Earth-Romulan Wars are upon us, if we don't get caught amidst the Vulcan-Andorian conflict again. Enter my character's wife, Mira, one of the Centauran government's top covert intelligence agents and bound to be deep behind enemy lines when all the big sh*t goes down. I trust the plot complications are obvious. It all remains a question of when they arise, as the matter of if has attended to itself. I wrote up an extensive history of the character for our narrator. He'd hate to waste all the time and effort I put into screwing my own character.

[Anderyn]

I know. I keep waiting for our Moderator to really do something nasty with that Devotion 3 I bought, but so far ...
the shoe has not dropped.

(BTW, Mr. Sloane, I need to talk to you about your qualifications for being XO. 'thus sayeth the Captain.)

[RaconteurX]

Originally posted by Anderyn
I keep waiting for our Moderator to really do something nasty with that Devotion 3 I bought...

I figure that Devotion combined with the Fey flaw from LOTR ought to do enough damage, in my case. It may be time I purchased the Courageous edge (Tavas does have an advancement coming), so I can drop serious Courage (up to six per round!) if Tavas gets himself into dire straits.

Mr. Sloane, I need to talk to you about your qualifications for being XO. 'thus sayeth the Captain.

Uh... I have the highest Negotiate (Mediate) total and the broadest array of social skills amongst the entirety of Artemis' command staff... probably? (Tavas has at least one level in every social skill or group.)

Damn hippy...

[Anderyn]

Grin. I can just *see* the groans from our militaristic two if the hippy gets the position.

[Dan Stack]

I know this thread has quieted down, I've been contemplating what I would do in such a situation. As a few others have hinted, there is also the choice between Trek realism and real-world realism.

As others have noted, in the "real world" the only question is how such character would get the boot.

But, the Trek-i-verse has often shown otherwise - Worf has killed a major politician from a friendly government and later on killed his rival. He also abandoned a mission to save his wife.

Admiral Kirk stole a starship and his reward was another starship and a job he liked better than his current one.

As narrator, I would think the Star Trek solution to such issues is to find a way for the character to redeem himself. With perhaps a lesson that duty and love can go together.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Dan Stack

Admiral Kirk stole a starship and his reward was another starship and a job he liked better than his current one.

Ah, yes. But, you do have to look a t what he accomplished with that little adventure;

1) Saved the son of an important Ambassador.
2) Stopped a Klingon incursion into Federation Space.
3) Proved the instability and danger of the Genesis Project.

Besides he was broken in rank, the fact that he prefered to be a Captain out in the 'field' is beside the point.

[selek]

Let me start this response (I had intended to bypass the thread entirely) by saying this: I think that the love between a man and wife is the fundamental glue behind the universe). That having been said, I think the character (not necessarily the player) is an ass.

If I understand correctly, the ship's self-appointed counselor and much of the chain-of-command have tried to no avail to shape this character up. Hmmm. Has the NPC significant other done so?

If the character is so worried about his wife, let her tell him to shape up, or the relationship is over. Have the love-interest threaten to break off the relationship (the man of honor, duty, charisma that she loved has changed, et al). Create an in-game solution requiring the character to act like an officer and a gentleman.

If the player (and hence the character) cannot be convinced otherwise, the only real solution is to REMOVE the problem.

Let the character die in a blaze of glory saving his true love. Perhaps the wife is killed (with an obligatory episode or two bringing the killers to justice ), and as she lays dying makes him promise to live up to his oath as an officer.

I think I'm gona be sick again. Melodrama overdose, happens from time to time.

Also, check out the other thread on charcters going awry- there might be some useful advice in there as well.

Personally, unless both the characters are PCs (and both players are lovestruck), the latter solution might be preferable. Once the character has lost his love (and brought the murderers to justice), he'll lack the fixation (and have to find something else to worry about).

Our characters (pun intended) are created from a sorrows and our hardships as well as our joys. You make a sword my sticking metal into a fire and hammering it. Noone says the sword enjoys it!

Also, as a free-floating bit of concentrated evil, once the character is back on track (whether because he came to his senses or because of the promise made to his beloved late-wife), the misdeeds of his past will continue to haunt him (Infamy edge?) until he has suitably redeemed himself. Just because the obsession has died doesn't mean the consequences go away.

[Polanski]

Just one quick question to follow up ...

When the push comes to punch, or more like when the time comes to judge the actions of the officer what do you think is the extend of powers possesed by the captain (not acting captain) in this manner?

How far can he/she go with this one?
At what stage would the admirality and JAG officers would need to get involved?

Kind Regards
Daniel

[Argyle]

If I had to guess (which I do, since I don't know the answer ) I'd say that the captain has discretion as long as this officer is only a 'diciplinary problem'. JAG wouldn't get involved until they were going to press charges.

[calguard66]

In reality? He gets a court martial.

In Trek? Who knows, maybe he gets promoted... but then, I'm the guy who thinks they should have given Worf a court martial.

Originally posted by Starless

The leaving during a Yellow Alert.. that's hard to get by with. Unless she was in danger, he wouldn't have much of an excuse for that.

[calguard66]

To use the US military as an example... if the "Acting Captain" is not actually the Commanding Officer he would refer the case to the officer in command for disposal, with a recommendation... non-judicial punishment (NJP), or one of 3 levels of court martial.

If the officer in command decides to use NJP, he convienes a Captain's Mast. The accused has the right to call witnesses if they are reasonable availabe and has the right to seek leagal advice from JAG or a private lawyer... though he has no right to legal council during the actual proceedings. He also has the right to introduce evidence of justification or mitigation.

If the officer in command decides on a court martial he will refer the case the first court martial conveining authority in the chain of command... in this case, probably the ship's captain himself. This officer can empannel a summary court, or refer it higher for a special or general court.

It is important to note that in many cases the commander bringing the charges is also the officer empanneling the court and selecting the officer/ officers who will sit on it.

It is also important to note that the conviening authority actually approves and directs that the sentance be executed, not the court itself. The conviening authority can accept the court's recommendation, lessen the punishment or set aside the verdict. They cannot increase the punishment.

Originally posted by Polanski
Just one quick question to follow up ...

When the push comes to punch, or more like when the time comes to judge the actions of the officer what do you think is the extend of powers possesed by the captain (not acting captain) in this manner?

How far can he/she go with this one?
At what stage would the admirality and JAG officers would need to get involved?

Kind Regards
Daniel