Romulan Star Empire

The Romulan Star Empire, also known in some Romulan languages as the Rihannsu Imperium, was the primary Romulan state until the formation of the Romulan Republic in 2409. Located in the Beta Quadrant, the Romulan Star Empire was founded through the unification and conquest of the planet Romulus and of dozens of star systems over many sectors of space. The Romulan Star Empire is known to have existed as long ago as 2152, when it made first contact with United Earth, and is infamous for its ethnocentric, xenophobic, and expansionist foreign policy.
== History and specifcs ==
Within known space, the Romulan Star Empire was the fifth largest interstellar entity. The larger entities were the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Tholian Assembly, and the Breen Confederacy. The two largest interstellar powers of known space, the United Federation of Planets and the Klingons were its neighbors. The Romulan Star Empire controlled more territory than the Cardassian Union.
=== History ===
The Romulans originated from dissident Vulcans who rejected Surak's philosophy of peace, during the Time of Awakening and emigrated from their homeworld around the 4th century. They settled on the planets Romulus and Remus, subjugating the native Remans in the process.[1] The development of warp drive enabled the Romulans to expand their state into a Star Empire.[2]
In 2152, the Romulans came into contact with the Human starship Enterprise.[3] Relations between the Empire and United Earth deteriorated as the Enterprise crew thwarted a Romulan plot to subvert the Vulcan High Command.[4] Recognizing the growing threat posed by Earth, the Romulans attempted to incite war in the region by attacking civilian shipping using disguised drones. The effort, however, backfired, as their involvement was exposed by Enterprise and spurred the formation of an alliance between the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites, the nucleus of what would become the United Federation of Planets.[5]
Open war erupted between Earth and the Romulans in 2156, ending four years later with a humiliating Romulan defeat at the Battle of Cheron. An ensuing peace treaty established the Romulan Neutral Zone, after which the Romulans had no substantial contact with Humans for a century. In 2266, the Romulans tested Federation resolve by sending a Bird-of-Prey to attack Federation outposts along the Neutral Zone. The defeat of the Bird-of-Prey by the USS Enterprise averted war.[6] During this period, the Romulans experienced a short-lived break in their enmity with the Klingons, resulting in a technological exchange between the two.[7]
The Romulans viewed the 2293 Khitomer Accords between the Federation and the Klingon Empire unfavorably, as it shifted the balance of power against them.[8] Escalating hostilities between the Star Empire and the Federation culminated in the Tomed Incident of 2311 and the Treaty of Algeron. The Romulans again ceased meaningful contact with the Federation, though they continued to war intermittently with the Klingons. In 2364, the Empire began to engage once more with the Federation, following a series of mysterious attacks on their Neutral Zone outposts.[9] The Star Empire also launched at least one attempt to infiltrate the Federation, creating a clone of Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the who came to be known as Shinzon. This plot was abandoned after a shift in power in the government, leading Shinzon to be condemned to the dillithium mines of Remus.[10]
For the latter part of the 2360s, the Romulan Star Empire was locked in a cold war with the Federation, launching repeated probes of Federation space and subversive actions. Most significantly, they attempted to break the Federation-Klingon alliance, resulting in the Klingon Civil War, and to exploit the Vulcan reunification movement to invade Vulcan. Both plans were unsuccessful.[11] At some point after resuming contact with the Federation and learning of the existence of Soong-type androids such as Data and Lore, a Romulan Zhat Vash agent began infiltrating Starfleet under the alias Oh.[12]
The Star Empire's position shifted when violent contact with the Dominion in 2370 presented a common threat to all Alpha Quadrant powers. The Romulans collaborated with Starfleet in a limited fashion to counter the Dominion threat by allowing the installation of a cloaking device aboard the USS Defiant.[13] By late 2373, however, they opted to sign a nonaggression pact with the Dominion.[14]
In mid-2374, the Romulan Star Empire was brought into the Dominion War on the Allied side through an act of subterfuge by Starfleet Captain Benjamin Sisko and former Obsidian Order agent Elim Garak, in which the Romulans believed that Senator Vreenak was assassinated by the Dominion.[15] Romulan participation marked a turning point in the war and was critical to the defeat of the Dominion the following year.[16] 
During the war, Shinzon was among those conscripted from the mines of Remus to serve as shocktroops. He distinguished himself in battle, and became a respected leader among the Remans; he and his followers began amassing greater power within the Empire. In 2379, Shinzon seized control of the government, assassinating the Senate and declaring himself Praetor. He subsequently attempted to launch a genocidal attack on Earth, only to be stopped by the USS Enterprise-E, the Romulan warbird ';'Valdore, and one other Valdore-type warbird. It was hoped, by members of both sides, that a lasting peace between the Romulans and the Federation would follow.[17]
In 2387, the Star Empire suffered a terrible blow when the supernova of the Romulan sun destroyed Romulus.[18]
The Empire was devastated for many years; however, by 2408, the Romulans had established a new homeworld on Rator III and had restored their monarchy with Sela as the new Empress.[19] 
A short while later, after a series of conflicts between the Reman Resistance and the Tal Shiar, a group of Romulans and Remans led by D'Tan and Obisek settled on the planet they named Mol'Rihan, or New Romulus. Both the Federation and the Klingon Empire lent their assistance to the colonization process in the interests of fostering peace in the region.[20]
The empire, on the other hand, fell into disaster as the Empire had fallen into disarray when Sela was kidnapped by Iconians. By 2410, the Romulan Star Empire lost nearly all political clout as more and more of its people began defecting towards the Romulan Republic.
=== Government ===
The head of state of the Romulan Star Empire was said to be the Emperor who was aided by a special Legate but in reality the power rested with the head of government who was the Praetor who presided over the Imperial Romulan Senate. The Senate served as the legislature of the Romulan empire where numerous Senators represented their respective territories. Senators ascended into power through either inherited station, riches or elevation by the Senate itself. Romulan aristocracy held a great deal of sway over the Senate, and many of the nobility's richest and most powerful noblemen are members of the government. Beneath the position of Praetor was the Proconsul, Vice-Proconsul and the First Consul. Numerous coalitions dominated the Senate with Consul's serving as leaders of their respective factions whilst the Proconsul managed the Senate.
Though the Senate was an important chamber within the Romulan Star Empire, another powerful body was that of the Continuing Committee who regulated elevation to the various levels of governments. It was the members of the Committee who were responsible for confirming the ascent of an individual to the post of Praetor and had the authority to expel senators. The Committee was typically presided over by the praetor and composed of senators as well as high ranking Romulan officials which at times included the Chairman of the Tal Shiar.
== References ==
 	
[1] 	TNG epsiode: "Gambit, Part I"; Star Trek: Nemisis
[2] 	Star Trek: Insurrection
[3] 	ENT episode: "Minefield"
[4] 	ENT episode: "Kir'Shara"
[5] 	ENT episodes: "Babel One", "United", "The Aenar"
[6] 	TOS episode: "Balance of Terror"; TNG episode: "The Defector"
[7] 	TOS episode: "The Enterprise Incident"
[8] 	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
[9] 	TNG episodes: "The Neutral Zone", "The Defector", "Yesterday's Enterprise", "The Pegasus"
[10]	Star Trek Nemesis
[11]	TNG epsiodes: "The Enemy", "Redemption", "Redemption II", "Unification I", "Unification II"
[12]	PIC episode: "Broken Pieces"
[13]	DS9 episode: "The Search, Part I"
[14]	DS9 epsiode: "Call to Arms"
[15]	DS9 episode: "In the Pale Moonlight"
[16]	DS9 episodes: "Tears of the Prophets", "What You Leave Behind"
[17]	Star Trek: Nemisis
[18]	Star Trek (2009)
[19]	STO Website: The Path to 2409
[20]	STO mission: "New Romulus Aid"
[21]	DS9 episode: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"