"You're absolutely right," he said. "I didn't mean to absolve myself of that responsibility. I feel it keenly. I've killed. I've allowed members of my crew to die. I've regretted every life lost. One is constantly weighing the lives one is responsible for against the threat offered by those who insist on being our enemies. I do have some autonomy from Starfleet in those choices, though I answer to them when all's said and done. That responsibility is mine. But I see a tremendous difference between those decisions made on the fly, to ensure the safety of the greatest number of people, and those made when one has breathing room. In cold blood, I could never sanction murder."
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Date: 2009-11-23 04:41 pm (UTC)"You're absolutely right," he said. "I didn't mean to absolve myself of that responsibility. I feel it keenly. I've killed. I've allowed members of my crew to die. I've regretted every life lost. One is constantly weighing the lives one is responsible for against the threat offered by those who insist on being our enemies. I do have some autonomy from Starfleet in those choices, though I answer to them when all's said and done. That responsibility is mine. But I see a tremendous difference between those decisions made on the fly, to ensure the safety of the greatest number of people, and those made when one has breathing room. In cold blood, I could never sanction murder."