Star Trek Online/Codex/The Path to 2409/2382

The unstable situation of the Romulans continues to be a source of concern for the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

The loss of agricultural planets now claimed by the Imperial Romulan State threatens Romulus with severe food shortages. Romulus' power plants and factories cannot increase output without the heavy metals and dilithium that once flowed from Remus.

To avert the looming civil crisis, Praetor Tal'aura reluctantly accepts food shipments from the Federation. But she refuses the Federation's offer to facilitate negotiations between her and Empress Donatra, saying that it is an internal Romulan matter.

Tal'aura charges her proconsul, Fleet Commander Tomalak, with retaking the planets held by Donatra. Tomalak appoints Admiral Taris as his second in command and orders her to re-organize and mobilize Romulus' remaining military forces.

Seeking to stabilize the homeworld, Tal'aura agrees to reform the Romulan Senate. A reorganization commission selected by Tal’aura votes to allow her to appoint senators directly rather than holding elections, and she packs the Senate with her supporters. Leaders of the Romulan-Vulcan Unification movement petition Tal'aura for representation in the Senate for themselves and the Remans, but Tal'aura declines to respond to their request.

The makeup of the Romulan Senate angers Romulan nobles, who dominated the Senate prior to Shinzon's takeover but now hold only a handful of seats. Representatives of several of the noble lines argue that for centuries the Romulan Senate has been a partner with the praetor in governing the empire, something that a weakened body beholden to Tal'aura cannot be. The Line of Tellus goes so far as to denounce Tal'aura publicly and withdraw its members from government service.

The Klingon Empire takes advantage of the weak position of the Romulans to stage lightning strikes into Romulan space, retaking Khitomer and the sector surrounding it. The Federation Council criticizes the move, but Ambassador K'mtok responds that the empire is simply reclaiming territory that belonged to the Klingons by right.

Thwarted in their attempts to find a role in the Romulan government, the Unification movement, represented by Ambassador Spock, presses its case with the Federation Council. The Council takes up the matter of formally supporting the Unificationists, but is heavily influenced by Councilor T'Los of Vulcan, who states that the result of the unification of the two races cannot be predetermined, while the probable course of the Romulans and Vulcans remaining separate can be reasonably predicted. Therefore, her only logical choice is to protect the Vulcan way of life by opposing unification.

The council does not reach a decision on whether or not to support the Unificationists, and votes to table the matter.

A legal issue of interest to analysts in the Federation is rights for artificial life forms. On Stardate 60334.46, Admiral Owen Paris of Starfleet Research and Development orders that the mobile emitter brought back from the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager be taken to Starfleet's facility on Galor IV for study.

The Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) known as The Doctor files a lawsuit to block the transfer of the mobile emitter, arguing that he is a sentient being who acted as a member of Starfleet during Voyager's time in the Delta Quadrant and that the mobile emitter is necessary to his quality of life and performance of his duties. The office of the Judge Advocate General issues an injunction against the transfer of the mobile emitter until it can study the case and issue a ruling. The Bajorans and their allies continue to press for the Cardassians to surrender members of its government and military to stand trial for war crimes. But over the course of four months, 472 Cardassians wanted by the Bajorans disappear from Cardassia Prime.

The Cardassian government reports it is attempting to determine the whereabouts of its citizens. The Bajorans respond by accusing the Cardassian government of willingly assisting fugitives.

Ro Laren completes her time in Federation custody and returns to Bajor. She accepts a commission in the Bajoran militia and is appointed head of security for Deep Space Nine.