The Romulans - Episode I: The New Republic

[Aerandariel]

The Romulans
EPISODE I - THE NEW REPUBLIC
CHAPTER I

The City of Romulus
Fein 3rd, 1555 CE

As the sun rose over the ancient city of Romulus, a cool breeze settled upon the land. For this was the day that the long-awaited Romulan Republic would be proclaimed to the world.

For Tydarius, a man of forty-six years of age and had only recently overseen the local militia before being tapped to lead the new Republic, it was a test he had every intention of passing. Centuries had passed since the original founding of Romulus, but hardly ever before had the Romulans been widely known to the rest of the world. From behind the shadows, Romulus watched as the great empires of the world rose and fell, as colonies were established and soon became nations of their own, and as conflict spread and affected the entirety of Siora. Though there was temptation of the part of Romulan leaders of the past to enter the global arena, such temptations were never surrendered to, and Romulus remained largely hidden. Despite such a curtain, Romulus maintained trade with a number of nations, including the mighty Severyans to the north and the ancient Angirisians to the south. Tydarius knew that the greatest test facing the Republic now was the repatriation of the hundreds of thousands of Romulans and their descendants scattered across the world. Tydarius knew that the reason so many Romulans left was they felt they had no state, no country to call their own. With the establishment of the Republic, the new Proconsul hoped that the far-flung Romulans would return home and help build a stronger Romulus. Only then could the Republic successfully challenge the aggressive Remans and the shadowy Nerazim.

At about quarter-past nine in the morning a military aide entered the Audience Chamber, which Tydarius had temporarily made his seat of power while the still-in-design Plaza was under construction. Upon seeing the aide, Tydarius walked out of the chamber and made his way to the Senate Hall. There was gathered the elected representatives of the various districts of the city of Romulus, the smaller nearby towns and surrounding countrysides. Outside the Senate Hall was a gathered crowd who awaited what was being referred to as the "Inaugural Address" of the new Republic. Military personnel scrambled outside of the Hall, and a squadron of Warbirds flew overheard. The flag of the new Republic proudly flapped in the wind above the Senate Hall and in various spots across the city. The old Government Triangle was adorned in green and gold, and the sights and sounds of a modernizing city were echoing in the background behind the gathered crowd.

After what felt like an eternity for some in the crowd, bells began ringing out in the Triangle and across the city. Nine o'clock had arrived. A procession of Senators, judges and other government officials began emanating from the Senate Hall. A few moments later, the Proconsul of the Republic emerged to face the crowd. He bowed to the crowd before raising a hand into the air, saluting the crowd with the famed Romulan greeting. Thousands of hands went into the air with the same salute, others began clapping, others cheering. This went on for a few minutes before a man dressed in fancy garb and carrying some large stick, began banging in on the marble steps of the Hall. He yelled out, "Here, here you all noble Romulans! And hear the Proconsul!" He then turned to Tydarius, who acknowledged the man and then turned to face the crowd. He let out a silent sigh, clasped his hands behind his back and began his speech...

"Fellow Romulans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no Romulan deny the perils of our time. While we battled one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater series of events is turning against us, threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished. It is time for us as Romulans and as individuals to set aside our longstanding feuds... and unite. The tides of an new world order are upon us and we must seek refuge upon higher ground lest we be swept away by the flood. The old Romulus is no more. Whatever semblance of unity and protection is a phantom, a memory. With our enemies near us and uncertain nations left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection?

The ever-changing form of the world around us built by our fellow man is self-evident. We have seen our brethren abroad, their homes and communities persecuted and devastated by the calculated blows of reactionary forces. We have seen first-hand our friends and loved ones consumed by nightmarish hatred created and stirred upon by those who seek to do their fellow man harm. Unprecedented and though unimaginable they may be, these ARE the signs of our times. The time has come, my fellow Romulans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength; already many of the wayward factions of our nation have joined us. Out of the many we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating only the seat of power you see before you. And for as long as I am allowed by your voice from this seat, I shall watch over you.

From this day forward, let no Romulan make war on any other Romulan. Let no Romulan agency conspire against this new beginning and let no individual consort with alien powers, and to all the enemies of Romulus, seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through, NO MATTER THE COST."

As soon as the last word left Tydarius's lips, a roar emerged from the crowd. There was no denying it anymore. The Romulan Republic had arrived.

Some hours later, as festivities across the city continued to transpire, Tydarius sat alone back in the Audience Chamber with a glass of wine. Proud of what he saw outside, Tydarius smiled to himself. He was about to build a nation.