Political History of the Imperial Coalition of Romulus

Year 1 of the Conquest Epoch.

Arrival of an alien warship in orbit around Romulus. At this point, the Romulans have just begun dabbling in space travel. The planet is a mosaic of fourteen warring kingdoms. After much effort and unprecedented cooperation, the alien is shot down by phaser defense satellites. The main difficulty lies in the fact that all of the satellites are pointing at the planet itself and it is necessary to turn them around to destroy the invader. The ship crashes onto the surface and is examined thoroughly. It is a baffling piece of machinery, which appears to store energy from outside sources, such as weapons fire, for its own use. The real excitement comes from its propulsion system, however, which seems to function by folding space. Its main fuel element is dilithium, which, while not common, can be found on Romulus.

Year 5.

Establishment of the Federation of Romulan Kingdoms. This is an international organization that allows the kingdoms to pool their resources together to bolster planetary defenses. It is a direct result of fears that the invaders might return with more ships. The initial membership consists of four kingdoms of varying power. Several powerful kingdoms remain conspicuously absent. The Federation is governed by a body of representatives known simply as The Assembly. The members of this group are appointed by local rulers from among their aristocracies to represent their interests in the Federation. Measures passed by this body are not binding, and are difficult to enforce in the face of dissenting kingdoms.

Years 6-15.

Alleged alien sightings have become common. The Federation uses these to great effect. It maintains a strong sense of urgency in all of its negotiations with potential new members. As a result, by Year 15, ten of the fourteen kingdoms have become members.

Year 16.

The last of the fourteen kingdoms joins the Federation. It is now a fully trans-Romulan body. With universal membership, the authority of the Assembly grows. It takes advantage of the development of a kind of herd mentality among the fourteen kings, in which dissenting monarchs are censured by their peers for failure to act in the interests of the common good.

Year 27.

The Federation gains the authority to conscript. It begins to assemble a sizable military force. Its role begins to grow from planetary protector to planetary peacekeeper. On two occasions, the threat of Federation intervention deflates hostilities between rival kingdoms. Many kings begin to worry about the overbearing role it is playing in Romulan politics.

Year 40.

The Federation uses military force to prevent the withdrawal of one of its member kingdoms. Most of the kings approve of this, but the feelings of uneasiness toward the Federation persist.

Year 42.

The Federation declares itself the supreme political authority on Romulus. Local rulers balk. Many threaten to withdraw immediately. Others recall their representatives. The Assembly responds by naming the ruler of a powerful kingdom as its head, thus making him the head of the Federation itself. In their rage, the dissenting local kings establish a rival body known as the Romulan League. The Federation awards its new head the title of Emperor of an Kingdoms, and an emperor elected by the Imperial Assembly and chosen from among the kings. The Emperor s powers are outlined in the Charter of Imperium. Real power, however, rests in the hands of the Imperial Assembly. The Emperor is not a mere figurehead, but his power in relation to the Imperial Assembly is weak.

Year 73.

The Last dissenting kingdom capitulates when it finally becomes apparent that it will receive no help from the other kingdoms. Its king is deposed and replaced. Romulus is now completely unified under the Romulan Empire.

Year 101.

The First ship with warp technology is launched. It is sent to the neighboring Remus star-system.

Year 102.

The Ship from Remus returns in a phenomenally short period, having discovered a planet in the system much like Romulus, but with no intelligent life (well, not really: not enough so to be spared the wrath of a conqueror s genocidal weapons). Excitement bubbles over on Romulus. The Emperor, with the approval of the Imperial Assembly, names two consuls (his "right hand," and his "left hand") to command a force of ships newly outfitted with an enhanced, warp-driven version of an old Romulan favorite: the plasma torpedo. This force will be dispatched to Remus to "lay the groundwork" for Romulan colonization.

Year 110.

Remus pacified. Meanwhile, more ships are dispatched to explore other nearby systems. The office of Praetor is established to govern Remus as colonists begin to move in.

Years 120-167.

Era of Exploration. Many new worlds are discovered.

Year 167.

The Provincial System is adopted, whereby a group of planets forms a province governed under military law by a praetor. Two exceptions: 1) Romulus, which is its own province, is administrated by a praetor, but is governed by the Imperial Civil Code, and 2) the Emperor himself, who is considered to be a pseudo province for purposes of his protection. His retinue, known as the Praetorian Guard, is commanded by a Praetor. Individual planets are governed by a praefect.

Year 172.

Unrest on Remus. The colony has grown considerably and the inhabitants tire of the firm hand of military law.

Year 174.

Unrest on Remus is becoming severe. Early signs of rebellion begin to appear. Emperor Stultinus (referred to caustically as Stultinus the Only), feeling pressure from the Imperial Assembly, reacts swiftly. He dispatches Consul Cruentinus at the head of a Consular Assault Legion to pacify the planet. Cruentinus follows his orders with excessive zeal.

Year 175.

Cruentinus returns to Romulus. The Imperial Assembly puts him on trial for abuse of power. He is a favorite of the Emperor, who is outraged by the Imperial Assembly s action. Rather than let Cruentinus take the fall, he unwisely declares that any such attack on his Consul is an attack upon the Emperor himself and, as such, is defiance of the Imperial prerogative. This broad interpretation of treason alienates him from his supporters. He then threatens to dissolve the Imperial Assembly. The Imperial Assembly responds by threatening to depose him. The weakness of the Emperor s position quickly becomes apparent and he is forced to back down. The Imperial Assembly proceeds to condemn Cruentinus to death, most likely as a demonstration of its supreme strength. The Emperor is bitter and humiliated.

Years 174-177.

Rising anti-imperial faction in the Imperial Assembly. It demands that the Emperor be deposed and the office abolished.

Year 178.

The Emperor, in an effort to win support in the disgruntled provinces, extends the designation of "Kingdom" to all of the provincial planets and gives them corresponding aristocratic representation in the Imperial Assembly. This is obviously an attempt to undercut the strength of the old blue-blood Romulan aristocrats in the Imperial Assembly who have been causing him so much trouble. The outraged Assembly declares the Emperor s decree invalid as the original Charter of Imperium defines the Emperor s power as extending over the fourteen Romulan Kingdoms alone- there is no mention of interplanetary provinces (they, of course did not exist when the Charter was written). The Imperial Assembly then mobilizes both Consular Assault Legions and all of the Praetorian Defense Legions, encroaching upon the Emperor s sphere of authority, in anticipation of the inevitable rioting in the disappointed provinces. The Emperor, furious at the Imperial Assembly s high-handed actions, dismisses his Consuls and Praetors from office, thus effectively disbanding all of the Legions. This undermines the Imperial Assembly s will. The provinces erupt into violence and the government is helpless to suppress it. The Emperor refuses to budge. The Imperial Assembly puts him on trial for treason. He is stunned: "You can t do that; I am the state!" This statement destroys whatever popular support he has remaining, thus clearing the way for his conviction. He is found guilty and deposed. He is then executed in ancient Romulan regicidal fashion: ceremonial precipitation. The Imperial Assembly appoints new consuls and praetors and orders the rebelling provinces to be arbitrarily devastated. Such appalling brutality would have made Cruentinus proud.

Years 179-183.

The Empire remains without an Emperor as the anti-imperial faction in the Imperial Assembly blocks all attempts to elect a new one. A draconian new military law (Lex Flagitiosus) is passed for the provinces.

Year 184.

A rare Regal Convocation is held by the fourteen Romulan Kings in an attempt to end the impasse in the Imperial Assembly. The Imperial Assembly refuses to recognize the Convocation in any capacity other than as an advisory body. This lack of deference to such an esteemed body is an unprecedented insult, (but not entirely unrealistic). The people are outraged and the Imperial Assembly, while not officially changing its stance about the Convocation, is forced to act. A new emperor (Scelestinus) is finally elected. He is a virtual no-name young king from a politically weak kingdom. The Imperial Assembly now has a figurehead with which it can work.

Years 185-200.

Reign of the "Shadow Emperor." Probably the best thing that can be said about the Emperor Scelestinus is that he is occasionally free from scandal. He lives a debauched life away from the capital while the Imperial Assembly rules in his name. This period represents an absolute lowpoint in Imperial prestige. This does not prevent the Imperial Assembly from leveling ridiculous praise upon the Emperor, however. It honors him as the "Divine Emperor," and the "King of Kings." The Imperial Assembly continues to heap folly upon folly in the belief that its position is unassailable. Meanwhile, the Imperial Office continues its slide into the gutter. The patience of the people is exhausted.

Year 198.

Remus, historically a hotbed of dissent, explodes into rebellion after the governing praetor is assassinated by separatists. The Consul Vindictus is given command of a Consular Assault Legion by the Emperor, who acts upon the wishes of the Imperial Assembly. Vindictus crushes the rebellion on Remus in a ruthless, efficient manner. He then proceeds to rebuild the planet, showing unusual magnanimity to the conquered for such a high-ranking Romulan general. He becomes a sort of patron to the defeated people of Remus.

Year 199.

Violence erupts on Romulus. The Empire threatens to fly to pieces at its very hub as Romulan kings, fed up with the turpitude of the Imperial Assembly and its puppet, one-by-one renounce their loyalty to the Emperor. Many opportunistic aristocrats seize upon this precedent and renounce their loyalty to their kings. Political consensus is shattered and real authority in many areas descends down the food chain to the local nobility. The Imperial Assembly urgently recalls Vindictus to Romulus to restore order. He is given the authority to use unprecedented violence "that the body may learn from the mistakes of its heads."

Year 200.

Consul Vindictus returns to Romulus at the head of his Assault Legion. When he arrives, he finds the capital in chaos. There are riots and fighting in the streets against the Emperor and the Imperial Assembly. He is disgusted at what he sees. The situation is no better elsewhere. The planet is gripped with anarchy. Private justice and vigilantes are the rule. Vindictus positions the Legion in orbit over the capital and lands troops to disperse the rebels. He then sends troops to storm the Imperial Assembly Chamber and to arrest the Emperor in his country estate. He declares the Imperial Assembly dissolved and the Emperor deposed and imposes the Lex Flagitiosus over Romulus until further notice. Calm is eventually restored. People remain huddled in their homes, uncertain about the future.

Years 201-203.

Period of military rule. Mass proscriptions follow. Rebels and anarchists are executed in droves. Vindictus sends the majority of the Assembly members to their deaths, reminding them of their declaration about the "body learning from the head s mistakes." He rules with unlimited power while he draws up a new constitution to govern the Empire.

Year 204.

The new constitution is unveiled. It calls for an Emperor and an Imperial Assembly, as before, but their relationship is drastically altered. The Emperor will have unlimited authority (Quod Imperatori Placuit Legis Habet Vigorem: "What pleases the Emperor has the force of law") and the Imperial Assembly will serve as an advisory body. It will be composed of aristocrats from the fourteen Romulan kingdoms. Now, however, the Romulan kings will have the power to recall their aristocrats from office, a concession not granted previously due to the Emperor s need for support against the local kings in the formative years of the Empire. Furthermore, the Regal Convocation will meet no more than once every four years to review the lists of the Imperial Assembly. This means that there is a group in many ways more powerful than the Imperial Assembly that meets less frequently. It is a great buffer between the Assembly and the Emperor. The constitution then calls for the establishment of the Imperial Ministry. This gives the Emperor a bureaucratic capability that allows him to realize fully his new unlimited powers. The head of the Ministry is the Prime Minister, who serves as the Emperor s liaison to the Assembly. The constitution then declares the Civil Code to be re-instituted not only over Romulus, but over all of the provincial planets as well. In an effort to further the solidarity between the provinces and Romulus (without actually giving them representation in the Imperial Assembly), the name "Romulan Empire" is discarded and replaced with "Imperial Coalition of Romulus." It adopts as its seal the acronym IPQR (Imperator Populusque Romulanus: the Emperor and the Romulan People) to emphasize the close tie between the Emperor and the People (as well as the absence of such ties between the Imperial Assembly and the People). The hated Lex Flagitiosus is permanently banned as a means of military law (a symbolic gesture at best). Vindictus then announces his resignation from his extraordinary command and his retirement from public life. The Assembly, whose members he had personally appointed, begs him to reconsider and to accept the Imperial Scepter. He declines. The Assembly asks him again. He hesitatingly accepts (he s not made of stone).

Years 204-215.

Vindictus reigns as Emperor. His reign marks the development of a new kind of Imperial prestige. It is an intensely fascist period, characterized by chauvinistic nationalism and a sacralization of the Imperial Office. Since he is not a king (like all previous emperors), Vindictus develops and emphasizes many new sources of Imperial authority. The fate of the Emperor is closely tied to that of the Empire itself. He is portrayed in a new divine light as well, not only ruling on behalf of the old Romulan gods, but retaining godlike qualities of his own. Official, state-sanctioned cults of the Emperor are created and generously funded. He makes great efforts to surround himself in splendor in an attempt to overawe the People. He does this through the use of stunning visual effects, powerful symbols, well-crafted and choreographed public appearances and rousing ceremonial anthems. His speeches are given by his two Consuls, rather than by himself, with the intended effect of placing him upon a remote, mystical pedestal. The capital is built up with huge public halls. In appearances in these halls, the Emperor sits on a magnificent, elevated throne behind the platform where his Consuls deliver his speeches. A fleet of powerful warships is assigned to the Praetorian Guard, making it more than a match for either of the Consular Assault Legions (not that such a showdown should ever take place). Despite the unprecedented authoritarian nature of the Imperial Coalition, it has a very democratic appearance on the surface. This makes the individual Romulan (and provincial, for that matter) feel like he has a personal stake in the survival of the Coalition. The reign, more than anything, shows that a democratic facade is entirely consistent with a strong, totalitarian regime.

Year 215.

Death of Vindictus. Before he dies, he designates his son Baccrus as his successor. The Assembly obediently complies.

Years 215-240.

Reign of Baccrus. The reign is orderly. Expansion continues. This period represents a Romulan golden age. The Coalition prospers and the provincial planets begin to come into their own. The arts flourish both on Romulus and in the provinces.

Year 240.

Death of Baccrus. His son Johannes succeeds him.

Years 240-252.

Reign of Johannes Maximus. It is during the reign of Johannes that first contact is made with other space-going races. The contact remains peaceful, if uneasy in the beginning. Praetorian Defense Legions are established in each of the provinces (now numbering five), as well as are the Border Guards on the frontiers.

Johannes seeks to consolidate his power by nationalizing all space-going freighters (thus crushing the growing power of the merchant orders and making them entirely dependent upon the Emperor) and reconstituting the Imperial Assembly. The latter move is shrewd and it immediately solves two lingering problems: disillusionment in the provinces, and the resurgent power of the old Romulan aristocracy. Under the new system, the archaic Romulan kingdoms cease to be the basis of representation in the Imperial Assembly. Instead, each planet (including Romulus) is given equal representation. A Regal Convocation, fearing for the role of the old Romulan Kings in the new order, declares the new Assembly invalid. The Convocation is then quietly dissolved by the Emperor, never to meet again. This Imperial coup is all-encompassing and it is bloodless. The new provincial aristocrats zealously support the Emperor and the old Romulan aristocracy fades into the background.

If the reign of Baccrus was a golden age, the reign of Johannes Maximus is a heroic age. The Emperor himself is a skilled general and his two mainstay consuls, Bellicus and Polemicus, represent the epitome of the Romulan military warrior ethos. The fuel that burns the Imperial Coalition s brilliant light is the glory of conquest and expansion. It is in the reign of Johannes that the Imperial Armada is first summoned, by unifying both Consular Assault Legions with the Praetorian Guard under the command of the Emperor himself. During this period, the Ministry of Information is established to glorify Romulan military exploits and to downplay setbacks. The propaganda produced by the Ministry heightens the keen sense among the People that the Romulan race is somehow divine by nature and destined to rule over all other races. Morale is at an all-time high. Warships returning from patrol routinely attract mobs of supporters and well-wishers and when news of a victory reaches the planets, Coalition-wide holidays are proclaimed and Triumphs awarded to the often only marginally deserving victor. The Cult of the Emperor is becoming thoroughly mainstream. This enthusiasm for conquest and glory begins to assume a life of its own and the state, aware of popular impatience and restlessness, is slowly driven to seek-out war with its neighbors in an effort to satisfy the ever-increasing appetite for glory that it has instilled in the People.

Year 242.

First contact with another major galactic power. This new people calls itself the Flatheads. This is a source of confusion for Romulans, who refer to them as the Flatus, which, in the Romulan tongue, means "arrogant ones." Despite the negative images conjured up by the misunderstanding of the Flatheads name, the contact is peaceful. Romulan tribunes display remarkable restraint in refraining from the devastation of some relatively undefended Flathead outposts. Eventually, a border zone is established between the Imperial Coalition and the Flatheads, whose leader, incidentally, is said to be a god.

Year 243.

Romulan warships discover a race of lizardmen living on planets near the Flathead border. They continue on and colonize other planets in the area. Diplomatic contact is eventually established with the lizardmen, whom the Romulans call Lacerti. Despite a natural contempt for the Lacerti, Johannes Maximus establishes a non-aggression pact and draws up a neutral zone. A secret part of this agreement involves a planet swap in which the Imperial Coalition surrenders authority over a remote planet for control of one nearer the border. This is a sinister blotch upon the otherwise illustrious reign of Johannes Maximus. Through this secret deal, he is responsible for the summary extermination of twenty million Romulans. The Ministry of Information makes great efforts to keep knowledge of this swap suppressed. Instead, it claims that the planet was acquired through conquest. A phony war with the Lacerti ensues, which, while covering up the swap, instills further hatred for the Lacerti in the average Romulan.

Year 245.

Contact is established with the Klingon Space Socialist Republic. The Romulans refer to it as the Imperium Pauperum (Empire of the Poor). This name reflects the inability of the Romulan mind to conceive of a political entity in anything but authoritarian terms. After learning of a mutual defense pact between the Flatus and the Lacerti, the Imperial Coalition establishes the same with the Imperium Pauperis.

Year 246.

An Imperial Coalition warship massacres millions of Lacerti on the planet received in the earlier swap as a way of introducing them to their new Romulan masters. After the initial atrocities, no further attempts are made to wipe out the Lacerti. Instead, the warship remains in orbit around the planet, now known as Terra Lacerta, while it awaits the arrival of ground troops for the occupation. The Lacerti are big and strong, if not overly bright by Romulan standards, and they are an excellent source of unskilled labor. Lacerti slaves become a hot, albeit currently scarce, commodity, and the warship sends frequent away teams to the surface to round up slaves. Lacerti breeding farms are established on various planets, most notably the provincial capital Aeneas, by unscrupulous entrepreneurs.

Year 252.

Johannes Maximus, at the height of his prestige, suddenly resigns from his high office and retires from public life. He retreats to a remote temple to live a life of reflection and to write his lengthy memoirs. His son and handpicked successor ascends the imperial throne as Johannes II, later known as "Gloriosus."

Years 252-258.

Reign of Johannes II Gloriosus. Growing up in the authoritarian court of his father, Johannes Gloriosus has developed a strong totalitarian appeal, as well as an intense jealousy of imperial prerogatives. He is suspicious of everyone around him and his emphasis on the Ministry of Information as an imperial wrecking ball of Romulan elites is unprecedented and widely unpopular. He is, however, quite secure in his position, as no one living dares oppose him outright, and those who plot secretly are invariably uncovered and dealt with severely. As his reign progresses and he alienates more and more elites, however, he becomes heavily reliant upon the military as his only source of power.

Year 255.

Consuls Polemicus and Bellicus, who have covered themselves in glory since the reign of Johannes Maximus, but who have also offered a rare voice of criticism against Gloriosus, are summoned to the capitol. Upon arrival, they are immediately imprisoned. This removes any foreseeable challenge to Gloriosus' authority within the military. They are accused of treason and held in prison until such a time as a trial can be held. They are both widely popular, so such a trial would run the risk of becoming an indictment of Gloriosus regime. They languish in prison for months, but no trial date is set. Half a year after his imprisonment, the body of Bellicus is discovered in a remote area; Polemicus is never seen again. Meanwhile, two new consuls, Docilicus and Placatus, are appointed to stoke the imperial ego.

Year 256.

The keel is laid for the dreadnought Vae Victis, the most ambitious warship ever conceived of by Romulan military ingenuity and perhaps the most mighty warship yet built in the galaxy. The cost is astronomical and Gloriosus, fearful of his subjects wrath, destroys the financial records of the project. Even with the furious pace of construction, the ship will take years to complete, but it promises to be an awesome icon of imperial power.

Year 258.

Johannes II Gloriosus is overthrown and assassinated in a bloody coup led by Praetor Perticus, commander of the Praetorian Guard. Perticus consolidates his new position with an iron fist, but soon comes to the realization that such an extreme stance is not necessary. The Imperial Assembly proclaims him Emperor. He condescends to accept this proclamation, although, since the reign of Johannes Maximus, this body has become a virtual anachronism. It has no political authority and little prestige. Real power lies with the military and the growing merchant orders in the provinces.

Years 258-?.

Reign of the "Bourgeois Emperor." Emperor Perticus brings a new vigor to the Imperial Office. He has a political savvy completely absent in his predecessor. He realizes that he cannot rule through the coercive force of the military alone; he must gain consent from the powerful segments of society within the Coalition. With this in mind, he announces plans to deregulate the Imperial Merchant Fleet and privatize it. This gains the everlasting loyalty of large sectors of the merchant orders, but only at the expense of real Imperial power. Merchants begin to occupy many positions within the Imperial Ministry and their influence upon the Emperor grows. This earns the Emperor the disdain of the old aristocracy, but, outside of the social circles of haute couture, it is unnoticeable.

Year 261.

The Flatus launch an unprovoked attack upon the Klingon Space Socialist Republic. The Lacerti contribute with some border raids. The Emperor, realizing that the Imperial Coalition is not yet ready for war, condemns the attack, but does not initiate any hostilities.

Year 262.

Consul Audax slips secretly from Romulus at the head of the First Consular Assault Legion. Realizing that war with the Flatus and Lacerti is inevitable, the Emperor sends him on a daring raid of what is believed to be the Lacerti Homeworld. If the raid is successful, the Lacerti will be crushed before the war even begins. Within six months of the departure of Audax, Consul Fortinus leaves Romulus with the Second Consular Assault Legion. His mission is to stir up trouble on the Lacerti border and thereby draw defenses away from the Lacerti Homeworld.

Year 263.

In anticipation of a hostile response from the Flatus in the wake of a successful Lacerti campaign, Emperor Perticus leads the Praetorian Guard aboard the now-complete Vae Victis to the Flatus border and lays an ambush.

Year 264.

Consul Fortinus arrives at the Lacerti border and devastates an entire world, killing millions of Lacerti. He remains throughout the year, awaiting the arrival of Lacerti warships. The Lacerti threaten to avenge Fortinus atrocities with "overwhelming force." Late in the year, a huge Lacerti warfleet arrives. Rather than retreat, Fortinus engages the massive enemy fleet and forces it to disengage. The results have no strategic implications, but the victory is stunning nonetheless; a small Romulan force had held its ground against a vastly superior Lacerti force. The victory is celebrated with euphoria throughout the Imperial Coalition. One million Lacerti are slaughtered on Terra Lacerta in honor of Fortinus. He is awarded the "Olive Legion," the highest Romulan military honor. A subsequent failure by Consul Audax at the Lacerti Homeworld against little resistance, however, tempers the ecstasy of Fortinus victory. Audax is stripped of his consular office and delivered up to the Lacerti in chains. Emperor Perticus is forced to abandon his ambush on the Flatus border and return to Romulus to quell the widespread disappointment following Audax s failure. Perhaps a weaker regime would have crumbled after such a disaster, but Perticus influence with the powerful merchant orders helps him to restore stability.