THE ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE

[Editor’s Note: Much of the following information is gleaned or inspired by the reference notes of the game Star Fleet Battles. Readers are encouraged to purchase this game in order to learn more about the Romulans, their government, and their rather unique navy.]

To Rule is Our Right

Romulans are humanoid beings, identical in appearence to the Vulcans. The exact story of Romulan seperation from their Vulcan ancesters is at this time unknown to Federation historians. They are the most aggressive of the known empires. The Romulans seem to honestly believe that they are destined to rule the galaxy and are constantly working toward this end.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Nearly a century ago the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets fought a ptiched war that ended in a bloody stalemate. For decades after that time, however, rivalries among the Romulan great houses prevented their warpdrive technology from keeping up with that of the other known races. While they can defend in depth and use strategic warp engines to redeploy along their borders, they are currently incapable of building ships which may actually enter combat at translight speed. That technological shortcoming changed their status within the Federation from that of a serious threat to that of merely an extremely hostile nuisance.

A Sleeping Menace Grants No Promise of Safety

The addition of tactical warp to their starships greatly increased the threat posed by the Romulans. As the Four Power War began, the Federation threatened intervention if the Klingons did not withdraw. The Klingons responsed by signing the treaty of Smarba with the Romulans in 2259 and selling them large numbers of old tactical-warp capable ships (which also allowed them to complete their own warp research projects.) These were strictly second-rate ships to the Klingons, but represented a great leap forward in technology for the Romulans.

The Klingon goal was to increase pressure on the Federation’s eastern border sufficiently enough that the Federation would have to rethink their plans for intervention. While the Four Powers War did not end as well as the Klingons hoped, the treaty of Smarba did it’s job: The Federation stayed home.

The Eagle Soars High Again

Since the indecisive ending of the Four Powers War, it has been clear to all with eyes to see that another "Great" war was on the way. This idea was not lost upon the Romulans. In 2265 the Romulan Imperial High Command received a report from the Bureau of Starships (Romulan Imperial Navy) that had been three years in the making. This report concluded that a major war could be expected before 2270, and that the Romulans would need a radical (and tremendously expensive) construction program if it was to survive – let alone profit from – such a war.

Thus, as they begin their invasion, the Romulans are very definitely operating on a clock. They had to build an entirely new fleet in only a few years, whereas the Federation and Gorn have been able to simply upgrade existing fleets. Their economy has been stretched and is beginning to crack.

The Romulan entry into the general war is a fascinating area of study. In truth, the exhaustive effort of preparing for the war left them with an economy better suited to sitting it out. However the Klingons were smelling blood after their initial successes in the Federation west, and offered large financial incentives for the Romulans to invade from the east and force a Federation surrender.

The Romulans also had to consider that whichever of these two behemoths emerged victorious would be in a position to determine the shape of the galaxy for the forseeable future. Either power could well decide to invade the Romulan Empire out of either vengeance or security concerns. In the end, the Praetor felt he had no choice but to roll the dice, enter this risky war, and place his Empire in a position that might give it a chance to help dictate post-war settlements.

Can the Romulans strike hard enough to win before their war machine grinds itself down? Now you get to decide!

GOVERNMENT

The Romulan government included the Emperor, the Praetor, the Senate, the Military Command, and the Civil Administration.

The Emperor is a hereditary monarch, although the lines of succession are not always clear. Theoretically a new emperor is selected by themembers of the ruling House, but if they cannot agree (or if another House claims to be the rightful ruling House), the Senate makes the final decision.

The Praetor is a prime minister who is selected by the Senate. The Emperor may indicate his preference in this selection, and depending on the relative political power of the Senate and the Throne, the Emperor may succeed in blocking the election of an enemy or forcing that of a friend. The Praetor may, at any given time, be a bureaucrat who serves as Chief of Staff to an active Emperor or the acutal power. It was Praetor Karzan who led the Romulans into the First Romulan War (with the Federation).

The Senate consits of the ranking member of the various Houses. A "House" is an extended family of Romulan Nobles. Various family members serve in positions within the Military Command and Civil Administrations, and a House will attempt to maneuver its members into positions that enhance the power, prestige, and wealth of that Hous at large. By procedures that seem more Machialvellian than parliamentary, Houses can be divided or merged, new Houses can be declared, and existing Houses cna be declared terminated.

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Last Updated 3/21/2003