IRW Rei'Karanha

> *"Misdirection is the key to survival, never attack what your enemy defends, never behave as your enemy expects, and never reveal your true strength. If knowledge is power, then to be unknown is to be unconquerable."* -Romulan saying
>
>

## IRW Rei'Karanha

### Crew:

1356 officers and crew; 480 ground troops

## Specifications

### Armaments:

Romulan Type C-13 Cloaking Device (various tweaks by ship’s engineer; being analyzed by Republic command for distribution to the fleet.)Heavy Disruptor Cannon x 1 ( Equivalent to Starfleet Type 3 Phaser Lance, or S-10 Planetary Defense Disruptor Cannon)

Type S-36 Disruptor Array x 12

Type S-41 forward-facing Fire-Linked Dual Heavy Disruptor Cannons x4

Torpedo Launcher x 2 fore and aft capable of firing Plasma, Hyper-Plasma and Photon Torpedoes

Enhanced Tractor Beam emitters

### Shields:

Romulan issue high capacity covariant shield array rated at 3,789,000 Terajoules

### Armor:

Tritanium/Duranium poly-alloy hull; 25cm high density armor plating; Additional armor plating added to sensitive sections and around warp nacelles; enhanced structural integrity field generators

**Nicknames**: *“The Old Guard,”* “*Praetor*”

**Role**: Battleship

**Operator:** Romulan Imperial Fleet (Formerly); Romulan Republic Star Navy (2419-2420)

**Origin**: Romulan Star Empire; Praetor Karzan Fleet
Yards in orbit over Romulus

**Construction history**:  Construction started 2368; launched 2370

## **Refit History:**

2371: Dominion War service refit

2384: Long term mission refit

2384 - 2419: Additional improvised upgrades and acquired alien technology installed during long term mission;

2419: Retrofit to modern standards; D’Khellra-Class equivalency, any unique systems and improvements kept if deemed superior.

**Status**: Decommissioned, 2420

## **Basic Specifications**:

**Crew**: 1,356 Officers and crew; 1,500 max complement, 5000 person evacuation limit

* 1 Romulan Infantry Cohort of 480 troops; Maximum troop-carrying Capacity of 1 Legion of 4000 troops

**Length**: 1,353 meters

**Wingspan**: 940 meters

**Beam**: 376 meters

**Propulsion systems:**  Type S-X78 Singularity Reactor powering; Romulan class S21 Warp Drive; 4 secondary  fusion Reactors powering 4 impulse units

* **Standard Cruising Speed:** Warp: 7
	+ Warp 6 while cloaked to keep stealth
* **Maximum Cruise:** Warp 9
* **Maximum Rated:** Warp 9.6 for 36 hours before irreparable damage to warp coils)
	+ Upgraded by crew to 9.7 for 36 hours
		- Warp Coils upgraded by RRF to extend to 52 hours up time

## **Service History: 2370-2419**

Launched in 2370, under the command of Commander Serok Thaelus, the '*Karanha* is one of the last of the Original D'Deridex-Class Warbirds to be built by the Romulan Star Empire. Named for the ancient protectors and personal strike force of the Romulan Emperor (later the Praetor), she lives up to her illustrious namesake; as a fearsome protector of the Romulan state, able to strike fear in all but the most stalwart of opponents. Designed to be a main line battle cruiser of the Imperial Star Navy, as well as serving the role of a multi-purpose cruiser for the Empire, she has had a long and illustrious history of service. Undergoing a laundry list of refits and enhancements over her long history, she has now been added to the Romulan Republic Navy's roster of active Warbirds, able to stand on par with even the most modern of her contemporaries.

Her first assignments were primarily as a patrol vessel and power projection platform along the Romulan-Klingon border. She engaged in multiple low-level skirmishes with her Klingon counterparts easily vanquishing the smaller and more outdated Klingon cruisers which made up the bulk of the Klingon Navy at the time. In 2371, after stringing together an impressive number of victories over the Klingons, she was re-assigned to the Federation Neutral Zone during the time of heightened tensions with the Dominion. In 2371, she was recalled to Romulus for the first of her many refits and enhancements after the disastrous Tal Shiar defeat at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula. Adding an additional two Disruptor banks over her original six, and improving her targeting systems and shield array, in order to better defend against the smaller more nimble attack ships of the Jem'Hadar. An additional set of general improvements to her warp drive and power systems were applied, as well as improvements to her cloaking device provided by the Tal Shiar. Extra protection to her Warp nacelles, which proved to be a primary weak point during the failed Tal Shiar attack, were applied based on data brought back by the U.S.S. Defiant's scans of the battle.

### Dominion War

After the assassination of Senator Vreenak during a diplomatic mission to the Dominion, the Romulan Empire declared war on the Dominion and entered the war on the side of the Federation-Klingon Alliance. Serving with distinction during the war, the '*Karanha* acted as a mainline battle cruiser for several Romulan and joint Alliance fleets. Befitting her role, she provided heavy support fire and engaged the larger Dominion and Cardassian ships, while her more nimble allies engaged the smaller Dominion escorts. However, during these engagements her age began to show, and additional improvements to her engines, deflector fields and hull armor were added. Further improvements to her targeting systems were also implemented to better defend against Breen and Jem'Hadar escort vessels. Several of these improvements pulled from the newer early production model Mogai-class warbirds now entering service.

In the aftermath of the Dominion War, with access to captured Dominion technology and Tal Shiar acquired scans of her allies technology, the D'Deridex-class received a general post-war refit and upgrade cycle to keep the class in service. Her disruptors were replaced with the newer type S-21 Arrays, over the previous S-36 Banks, bringing her primary armament more in line with Starfleet's Type XII phasers. The improved power efficiency of these new weapons allowed for an additional set of arrays to be added, bringing the total to ten. An additional Torpedo tube was added on her Aft. General improvements to sensors, transporter systems, power grids, and her computer core were also applied to better return her to a peacetime role of confrontation and power projection.

### Post War Political intrigues

In 2376 Commander Thaelus is offered a role in Donatra and Suran's conspiracy against the government, he offers her his support, however, his current assignment on the border prevents any direct involvement. In 2379, in the aftermath of the coup, the '*Karanha* joins Donatra's side in breaking away from Tal'Aura's regime, and participates in the creation of the Imperial Romulan State as a supporter of Donatra's military regime. She takes part in several confrontations with Reman and Star Empire forces.

In 2383, the Imperial State begins plans to send out a lone warbird to scout out new territories and secure new resources for the State to add to their ongoing conflict with the Star Empire. In the aftermath of its key role in a major victory over the Star Empire's forces led by Tomalak, the '*Karanha* is recalled for experimental refit to the new Archnear fleet yard and is selected for this mission. Her singularity Core is overhauled and the containment harness replaced for better long term efficiency. A set of Industrial replicators are installed in her Cargo Bay to better manufacture space parts and receives an overhaul to better adapt to independent long term operations.

### The Outback "Campaigns"

In 2385 the ship encounters what is later known to be the Caspian Wormhole and is transported to the small pocket galaxy later known as "The Outback." Attempts to use the wormhole to return are deemed unwise; the ships new Singularity core having had a detrimental effect on the wormhole's integrity. The Romulan crew deciding that until a way can be devised to use the wormhole to return, or another avenue back is discovered, they are to carry on their initial mission of exploration and conquest on behalf of the Empire/Imperial State and carry on. Over the course of the next 35 years, the Romulan ship continues their mission, acquiring new technologies, resources, making improvised improvements on their systems. Raw materials mined from asteroids or taking them by force from less developed species.

In 2399 they encounter the Samnenti Imperium, an aggressive and technologically sophisticated race that proved to be a stubborn and lethal opponent for the Romulan ship. Substantive improvements to their ship's armor and tactical systems are implemented to better counter their technological advantage. An additional Disruptor array is installed on the ships interior space to act as a defensive measure against fighter attack. Additional heavy armor is added around the warp nacelles and critical areas. As well the main deflector is modified to hide a heavy disruptor cannon in the prow of the ship, on par with that of a lance weapon or planetary defense disruptor cannon. The weapon has a slow rate of fire, limited arc, and a heavy power cost. However, the firepower was enough that with two or three direct hits could outright destroy an enemy Battlecruiser. This improvised weapon was used to great aplomb as an effective trap against the Samnenti, and later on as an effective ambush weapon and battering ram against heavily shielded or armored targets.

While technologically superior, the Samnenti proved to be less tactically sophisticated than the more cunning Romulan crew. After disabling one of their ships, the Romulans managed to learn a great deal of their technology and adapted several unique technologies to better improve power efficiency, particularly for their weapons and increased the range of their transporters and sensors. Most importantly this new technology allowed new improvements on their cloaking device, reducing the extensive power drain allowing more of their systems to be usable. While their weapons and shields are still unable to be used, the effective stealth capability was improved as well as improved use of sensors and additional power-intensive systems. The time needed to cycle their cloak was reduced, reducing their window of vulnerability while cloaking and decloaking. With these enhancements and the intelligence coup provided by their computers, the '*Karanha* was better able to ward off Samnenti aggression and survive their trek through their space. Eventually, manipulations of certain Samnenti ship commanders led them to conduct a coup against their government leading to an all-out civil war that led to the total collapse of the Samnenti state as individual ships and colonies acted on their own. This eliminated the Imperium as a threat and allowed the Romulans to continue with their mission and leave the Samnenti ripe for a hypothetical future conquest.

(additional Outback data forthcoming)

### Return to Romulan Space/Joining the Romulan Republic

In 2419, while investigating a supposedly deserted world for archaeological research, the '*Karanha* encounters the Federation Starship Axalon. In the process of this interaction, they discover the revelations surrounding the dissolution of the Romulan Empire, and the new Federation and Romulan presence in the Outback, and the realization that the Wormhole has finally been stabilized sufficiently for them to return to Romulan space. They are offered a place in the Republic Star Navy, and in recognition of their illustrious record (and for the benefit of crew morale) are allowed to maintain their Imperial uniform code and I.R.W. designation as part of the Republic Navy. This particular caveat was allowed after a successful motion made by an Imperial traditionalist bloc in the Republic Senate was carried in return for the new technologies brought back by the '*Karanha* for study as well as decades of new exploratory data.

As part of her duties to the Romulan Republic, the Rei'Karanha has been assigned to Alliance Joint Task Force Bellerophon at the urging of Admiral Khylar Vex. She would spend some time acclimating to the current time as a defensive and rapid response vessel for Task Wing Charlie and participating in several engagements against pirates and other nuisances in the JTFB's operational theater. After an in-depth investigation of True Way activity of the Maelstrom region, the Rei'Karanha was named command ship for JTFB's Task Wing Alpha.

The I.R.W. Rei'Karanha, after a long and illustrious history of service in multiple wars, exoduses, and service to three Romulan states, has been officially decommissioned. Her next mission, to benefit the Romulan people by providing her vast exploratory data, and having her various enhancements and collections of alien technology analyzed and reverse engineered for use by the Romulan military and civilian sectors.