By doing what he believes is morally right and his duty, the commander is trying to save lives on the oil rig. There are many repercussions to taking this action, including endangering the crew and ship and starting an international incident with China. The Chinese may view this as an aggressive action and request air support or declare an act of war against the United States. The commander did not obtain authorization to conduct the rescue from his command. The ship could be damaged, the crew killed, and the master could be relieved of duty and court-martialed. This choice of action has very serious negative repercussions; from the loss of the ship, the death of the sailors, and an international incident that could have a negative impact on relations between the United States and