Terran Senator

The Terran Senator, Senator, or simply TS, is a unique role aboard the TGLV Intrepid, as a member of one of the many Factions of the Terran Senate, the Senator has been assigned to the TGLV Intrepid to advise it's Commanding Officer and to further the goals of whichever political faction they belong to as well those of the Terran Government itself.

The Role
The primary responsibility of the Terran Senator is to advise the Commanding Officer on subjects regarding the interests of the Terran Government. In the event of contact with a foreign power or race, they are able to act as a limited diplomat on behalf of the Terran Government if required by the Commanding Officer.

The Senator is also tasked with keeping an eye on the Command, Security and Marine employees and is responsible for ensuring that they are working in TerraGov's best interests.

The TS answers directly to the Terran Government and not to any authority aboard, although they are required to follow regulations as they pertain to the crew, Standard Procedure, and the law. A smart Senator will pay attention to reasonable instructions from the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer in the interests of maintaining the mutual respect and trust upon which any influence they may exert relies.

Finally, the Terran Senator has the responsibility of reporting on the Intrepid's progress, and other events of interest while aboard.

Tips on Playing
The role of Terran Senator is largely defined by the player and allows for a more player-driven set of goals for the ship and crew. With no mechanical requirements, the role mainly consists of coming up with whatever government directives, within reason, the player thinks would be interesting to role-play, and bringing these to the attention of Exploration and Command. They have their own office on the first deck, at the tip of the West Wing, containing their equipment such as their stamp and a fax machine for their personal use.

The Terran Senator has no official authority on board the TGLV Intrepid unless granted it in orders from TerraGov via fax or command update. They have access to the bridge and most department front doors, and they may give advice and suggestions to the Commanding Officer. They may not issue any orders or force any personnel to obey them and they cannot be given orders by anyone - but ignoring the instructions of the Commanding Officer is unwise, and they are subject to emergency orders by the crew on alerts, just like any other civilian.

In the event of serious violations of regulation or civil law, the Terran Senator can contact the Terran Government (in reality, any active administrators) via fax machine with a report containing all relevant information and documentation, including recorded and signed statements and photographs. The TS is responsible for remaining unbiased in the course of making these reports - a corrupt Senator has many opportunities to alter accounts to their own ends. Responses may not be immediate and if a report is incomplete, unclear, or attempts to ask for specific information about the validity of documents or claims made by a person, its response is unlikely to provide clear instructions on how to proceed or any of the requested information.

The Terran Senator is responsible for providing legal counsel to detained persons on matters of Civil Law, should they request it - that is, explaining to someone why they have been detained and what recourse they have. They are not a public defender or lawyer of any kind, however, and have no right to directly release a detainee. If the SCGR believes that someone has been incarcerated improperly, they must bring up the situation with the Commanding Officer, or with the Terran Government directly if the Commanding Officer is unsympathetic.

A Senator may only be legally removed or appointed to their position by the Terran Government via fax or command update, as they are a civil official and not a uniformed role - However they may be held and handled like any other member of the civilian crew for crimes that they commit under Civil Law.