
Command served as the iron fist in a velvet glove
One of the more interesting — and seldom mentioned — aspects of the Star Trek universe is General Order 24, the code name the Federation has for annihilating all life on a planet. Huh? The Federation as shown in Star Trek is one of peace and harmony, an organization trying to unite the galaxy. Yet in at least two separate episodes of the original series, this order is mentioned — and indeed seems to have been close to being carried out. Yup, in “A Taste of Armageddon,” Kirk and crew encounter a planetary system that has been at war for hundreds of years, yet the violence …