Regarding General Order Twenty-Four
I admit to being quite surprised. I am, of course, aware of the antipathy felt by some at Starfleet Command for Doctor
Mib Khan; due to his practices of cannibalism, cloning, and non-consensual experimentation upon Starfleet personnel. I am also aware of their desire to maintain possession, control, and scrutiny over both my analog
Evil Storvik and our daughter
T'Sorvik. Still, in her last communication, Admiral Nechayev has either authorized, or ordered, me to implement General Order Twenty-Four against Khanworld due to his/their most recent actions.
General Order Twenty-Four is an order to destroy all life on a specified planet, when the given planet is actively hostile towards the Federation and presents a clear and present danger. To the best of my recollection, it has only been invoked twice (but never executed) over a century ago (by Captain James Tiberius Kirk against Eminiar VII, and Fleet Captain Garth of Izar against Antos IV). It remains on the books, but is little known (it is possible that I am the only one on the
USS Murgatroid who is aware of it, having taken command-level courses at Starfleet Academy; unless mention of it was also included in the diplomacy major studied by Ensign
MacAllister). Normally, any captain who ordered such a measure (even if it were not carried out) would have to justify that order at an inquiry later - unless, as in this case, such an order were already pre-approved (or mandated) from above.
I do not anticipate carrying out this order, nor do I think it is (strictly speaking) necessary - as long as I regain custody of those whom Khan has abducted. Still, to paraphrase the late Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan, "my logic is uncertain where my child is concerned."