Romulan Empire

Future Romulan related timeline for the MMO Star Trek Online (release Spring 2010)

(non-romulan related information removed)

Path to 2409:2401

The Commander of the Romulan Second Fleet meets with the exiled former Praetor, Sela, and makes an alliance. Together the two intend to unseat Praetor Taris from power. Natima Lang becomes Castellan of Cardassia.  Sela meets with Velal in the Zeta Volantis system.  Velal gathers a trusted group of commanders and informs them that for the good of the Empire, Taris must be removed from power.  He has allied with Sela, and her ships and weapons will give them an edge over ships loyal to the praetor.

Path to 2409: 2400

The Romulan Empire continues to fragment into different political factions as the Senate decides to limit Praetor Taris’ powers even further.  Sela’s spies in Roma Nova alert her to irregularities in the account of the Alth’Indor’s destruction, and she orders her agents to investigate.  Taris clashes with the Romulan Senate over its plans further restrict the power of the Praetor.  She argues that in the absence of a monarch, the Praetor needs expanded powers in order to maintain stability.  She is overruled and the Senate proceeds with its plan.

Path to 2409: 2399

The Romulan Empire once again descends into political instability as a high ranking military official known to oppose Praetor Taris, and his ship, are destroyed in an antimatter blast. The Senate moves to limit Taris’ power, while several military commanders declare their independence.  Tebok’s ship, the IRW Alth’Indor, notifies Romulus that it is experiencing unexplained malfunctions in the multiple subsystems, but that they should not impede her progress.  Engineers suspect the problems are being caused by a computer virus.  Two hours later the ship drops out of warp and transmits a final distress signal.  The IRW Kaidor races to the Alth’Indor’s location. The Kaidor reports detecting an antimatter containment failure, but before her crew can act the Alth’Indor explodes.  All hands are declared lost.

Path to 2409: 2398

Tebok promotes Velal, who has been openly critical of the praetor, to commander of the 2^nd Fleet.

Path to 2409: 2397

Yet more planets secede from the Romulan Empire, leaving Praetor Taris in a precarious position.

The Path to 2409: 2395

After accidental destruction of the U.S.S. Kelso, Starfleet admits to renewed experiments with cloaking technology.  The Romulans and Klingons strenuously object, and the admission leads to strained relations between the three factions.

Path to 2409: 2394

The RCOC completes its work.  In a narrow vote, it rejects the idea of a monarch in favor of reestablishing the Romulan Senate in Roma Nova.  It offers Taris the position of praetor, but consolidates the majority of the power in the hands of the senators.

Path to 2409: 2393

Taris and Tebok argue about the diversion of ships to protect what Tebok considers unimportant regions of the Empire.  Tebok sways a portion of the RCOC with the argument that far-flung sections of the Empire can and should be sacrificed in the short term to strengthen the position of what are now the Empire's core worlds.

Path to 2409: 2392

Construction of  a new Romulan Capital, Roma Nova, begins on Rator III.  The first building constructed is used to house meetings of the Romulan Colonial Organizational Committee.  Formation of a  new government is beset by infighting and factionalization.  A group of moderates suggests that the Romulan people need someone to focus their energies, and suggests the revival of the monarchy.  Taris indicates that she supports the monarchy, but that it must be the people's decision.

Path to 2409: 2391

Sela lands on Makar, an M class planet in the Beta Quadrant with abundant supplies of dilithium and decalithium.  Taris confronts a Klingon Fleet at Zeta Pictoris and forces it to retreat.  Colony worlds, lead by Rator III and Achernar Prime, recognize Taris as leader of the Romulan Empire.  She orders leaders of each world to meet on Rator III to organize a government.

Path to 2409: 2390

While the campaigns against the Romulans and the Gorn are both extremely popular on Qo'noS, projections by the Klingon Defense Force show that the Empire's resources are being stretched thin by a two-front war. The KDF recommends a rapid increase in ship production, eliminating some of the blocks to non-commissioned soldiers rising to the rank of officer and possibly scaling back the Romulan war in the short term, because the disorganized, displaced Romulans are not an immediate threat. Ultimately, the Klingons decide to slow their advance into Romulan space, but they continue to garrison and defend the territory gained in the 2389 campaign.

The Romulan colony worlds are starting to develop a loose network of alliances and rivalries, but none of the potential Romulan leaders has been able to unify the worlds under one banner. Left to their own devices, some of the worlds are looking to find allies outside the Romulan Star Empire. On Stardate 67620.54, the Romulan colony of Talvath formally requests Federation protection and offers to open talks that could lead to Talvath applying for Federation membership. Some see this as the first step to the dissolution of the Romulan Star Empire.

A bright spot for the Romulans has been Admiral Taris, who has been organizing the remaining ships into a new fleet. In areas with holes in the chains of command, Taris has been approaching each ship captain personally, and outside observers expect her to have the Romulan military fully operational within seven months.

Path to 2409: 2389

Infighting continues among the leaders of the Romulan colony worlds. While basic needs are being met and Starfleet is delivering supplies and replicators to every world that will accept their help, the Romulans lack a stable government and the chain of command of the military is chaotic.

Throughout the course of 2389, five Romulans try to seize the emperor's throne, more than two dozen people declare themselves praetor, and at least a dozen more claim the role of supreme commander of the Romulan fleet. Most of these erstwhile leaders fall prey to quick assassinations. A fortunate few are simply ignored.

Federation analysts agree that the Romulan empire will remain in turmoil until there is a leader who is able to command the allegiance of the majority of the colony worlds. Federation diplomatic teams attempt to organize a conference where representatives from each of the colony worlds can take the first steps to establishing a new government and choosing leaders, but the Romulans cannot even agree on where the meeting should be held and the plan collapses.

The Klingon Empire takes advantage of the confusion with lightning strikes into Romulan space. The empire takes control of the Tranome Sar and Nequencia systems in a matter of days, and is poised to strike deeper into Romulan territory. The Klingons temporarily halt their advance when Starfleet sends a fleet to protect the Romulan/Klingon border, but tensions remain high and there are reports of minor skirmishes between Federation and Klingon starships.

On Stardate 66839.72, the Federation Council announces the results into an investigation of the Hobus supernova and the Vulcan Science Academy's research into red matter manipulation. The council decides that the Vulcans may not have realized the full extent of the threat of the Hobus supernova, as the scope of the explosion was greater and more violent than any supernova previously recorded. In addition, the chain reaction of the detonation could not have been predicted, and the council recommends that the matter be subjected to further scientific study.

However, the council criticizes the Vulcan Science Academy for creating red matter without consulting or informing Federation authorities. In a speech before the Federation Council, Councilor T'Los of Vulcan expresses regret if any of the actions or inactions of her people have caused harm to the Federation. She announces that all of the academy's red matter was on board the Jellyfish when it disappeared, and that the Vulcan Science Academy has pledged to do no further red matter manipulation research without the full knowledge and cooperation of the Federation Science Council. To the Romulans, she directs a single statement: "We grieve with thee."

At the end of her address, T'Los says that is only logical to change who speaks for Vulcan, as the past year has made it clear that she has been inadequate to the task. She resigns from the Federation Council and returns home.

Path to 2409: 2388

Fallout from the destruction of the Romulan system dominates interstellar events in 2388.

The Romulan colony worlds reel from the loss of their homeworld and a vacuum in leadership. With the death of Praetor Chulan and the disappearance of Donatra, there is no one who has the authority to call the worlds to order or organize a new government. The leadership council of Rator III declares itself to be the new Romulan Senate and Rator III as the new capital of the Romulan Star Empire, but it is quickly challenged by the leaders of Achenar Prime and Abraxas V, who make similar claims.

One person many look toward to pull the Romulan people back together is Admiral Taris. She concentrates on evaluating what military forces remain, and issues a call for all remaining ships, even deep exploration vessels, to return to Romulan space.

Internal squabbling and politics hinder the Federation's relief efforts in Romulan space.

The Federation Council dispatches a fleet of ships to provide food and aid to refugees and to help the displaced survivors of the disaster find new homes, but Starfleet finds it must negotiate with each of the colony worlds. What one world welcomes, another sees as false friendship, or even an act of war. The fight between the three "capital" worlds further complicates issues, because any assistance given to one of them must be granted to all to avoid accusations of favoring one faction or attempting to interfere with the Romulans' internal affairs.

Most of the Federation's allies agree to send ships and supplies to supplement the Romulan relief effort. Even the Cardassians, who are still struggling to rebuild their homeworld, agree to a token contribution. But the Federation's appeal to the Klingon Empire to join the relief convoys is harshly rejected.

"The Klingons will offer no treaty, no aid, and no hand that is not holding a blade," Chancellor Martok responds.

Hardliners on the Klingon High Council, led by Councilor J'mpok, demand that both the Romulans and the Federation be made to pay for the destruction of the fleet led into Romulan space by Worf. Some argue that because Martok handed command of the fleet to his friend Worf, a Federation ambassador, rather than a general of the Klingon Defense Force, that the entire affair may have been a trick to weaken the empire. And that even if it was not a plot, the fact remains that hundreds of warriors died under the command of a Federation official. In some Klingon minds, that makes the Federation responsible for their deaths.

On Stardate 65776.64, the Federation News Network breaks a story that reports that the Vulcan Science Academy knew of the threat to Romulus but refused to take action to assist the Romulans before the destruction of their homeworld.

The outcry is immediate. The Vulcans decision is condemned by dozens of politicians and analysts. Seventeen independent planets recall the ambassadors to Vulcan in protest, as do Federation members Pacifica and Zaran II. Two days later, the Federation Council votes to open an investigation into the Vulcans refusal to help the Romulans, as well as the implications of the academy's work in red matter manipulation.

The Federation president makes a public appeal in an address to the Federation Council for the member worlds to remain calm and not ostracize Vulcan or anyone involved. "In this time of strife we need to remain united," President Nanietta Bacco says. "Assigning blame does not heal the injured, soothe the stricken or comfort the grieving."