Romulans

   First encountered by Starfleet vessels in a battle that took place almost two centries ago, the Romulans are an aggressive,cunning territorial people who wish only to expand their share of space by whatever means is necessary. That first encounter was ended purely by primitive subspace radio treaty, and it was not until decades later, following another confrontational incident, that the physical nature of the Romulan race was made known to Federation science. Shortly thereafter, it was concluded that the Romulan homeworld circled a star listed in Federation catalogues as Romulus, the larger of the Romulus/Remus stellar pair.

The Romulan Empire has grown though interstellar conquest. Member worlds are ruled with an iron fist, their own government supplanted by newly-installed Romulan ruling parties. While the Romulans are emotional beings, they are strangely devoid of all compassion for those whom they subjugate.

Facial appearance strongly suggested an ancestral link to the Vulcan race, and further historical and genetic research proved that the Vulcans and Romulans had indeed been one people at a point in Vulcan's turbulent past. The Romulan people are descended from a rebel Vulcan colony group which broke away from its homeworld ties before the Vulcan race turned away from violence and warfare towards its present racial philosophy of logic and peace. Current Starfleet intelligence indicates that a growing movement within the Romulan society may be planting the seed that will one day result in a Romulan return to the Vulcan heritage they share.

The Romulan people pride themselves on their intellect, however warlike, and this fact contributed greatly to the dissolution of their alliance with the Klingons, whom they considered too barbaric to be fully trusted. The Romulans are increasingly uncomfortable with the current Federation/Klingon alliance and wish to see it dissolved, fearing the combined military power of both entities. Several attempts have already been made by Romulan military intelligence to undermine the peaceful co-existence of the two superpowers, but all have proven unsuccessful.