Sic Semper Tyrannis

When the Away Mission goes awry on the Oudd homeworld, Captain Breawyn Lem of the Independence is faced between two equally unpalatable choices: to sacrifice her crew to summary justice on the planet, or violating the Prime Directive to save them.

Memorable Quotes

 * "We have been monitoring your civilization, ever since your race broke the warp barrier almost thirty years ago. When a society achieves that level of technological progress, they fulfil one of the criteria for membership in the Federation."
 * "Thirty years!"
 * "But surreptitiously, of course. We try to learn as much as we can, without revealing ourselves. For example, we monitor your broadcast signals, listen to your news, your music, your art and culture, in order to understand you better as a people."
 * "I'd hate to think that we would be judged on the basis of our music and entertainment."


 * - Captain Breawyn Lem and Minister Tabat, "E.B.E."

Background Information

 * In the scene where Captain Lem and Lt Aly Mathias confront Minister Tabat, there are references to The X-Files aplenty - drawing on the show's recurring tropes about aliens having infiltrated society and being involved in conspiracy at the highest levels of government.

External Link

 * "Sic Semper Tyrannis" in print-ready format at the Starship Independence forum