Rough Beasts of Empire

Publisher's description

 * From the back cover
 * ''Still on Romulus in pursuit of his goal of reunifying the Vulcans and Romulans, Spock finds himself in the middle of a massive power struggle. In the wake of the assassination of the Praetor and the Senate, the Romulans have cleaved in two. While Empress Donatra has led her nascent Imperial Romulan State to establish relations with the Federation, Praetor Tal’aura has guided the original Romulan Star Empire toward joining the newly formed Typhon Pact. But numerous factions within the two Romulan nations vie for power and undivided leadership, and Machiavellian plots unfold as forces within and without the empires conduct high-stakes political maneuvers.


 * ''Meanwhile, four years after Benjamin Sisko returned from the Celestial Temple, circumstances have changed, his hopes for a peaceful life on Bajor with his wife and daughter beginning to slip away. After temporarily rejoining Starfleet for an all-hands-on-deck battle against the Borg, he must consider an offer to have him return for a longer stint. Beset by troubling events, he seeks spiritual guidance, facing demons new and old, including difficult memories from his time in the last Federation-Tzenkethi war.

Summary
Sisko has rejoined Starfleet for the battle with the Borg but the serious injuries suffered by Elias Vaughn during the battle, coupled with the death of his father, convinces him that the Prophets' prediction that marrying Kassidy would bring him only sorrow is coming true. To this end, he abandons his family and isolates himself as the commander of the USS Robinson (Galaxy class).

On Romulus, Spock is attacked and nearly killed by a Reman and, when he turns the man over to the Romulan authorities, the assassin is poisoned by a Romulan security guard. Spock uses the opportunity to gain an audience with Tal'Aura and convinces her to decriminalise the reunification movement, on the grounds it will help promote Romulan unity.

Spock's group uncover evidence that Donatra was behind the assassination attempt and Sisko is sent to meet with her but is convinced of her innocence. In fact, Tal'Aura arranged everything in order to frame Donatra and orchestrates a series of rallies against the Imperial Romulan State. Donatra agrees to travel to Romulus for a summit but, on arrival, is arrested for her supposed complicity in the assassination attempt. Tal'Aura brings the Imperial Romulan State back into the Star Empire without opposition and Donatra is found dead in her cell, apparently having committed suicide. Tel'Aura is then also found dead from a rare virus.

Sisko makes moves to dissolve his marriage but also attempts to build a bond with his new crew, while the Romulans name the moderate Gell Kamemor as their new praetor. Unknown to anyone, however, the Tzenkethi arranged the supposedly natural death of both Tel'Aura and Kamenor's predecessor as senator, in order to gain a strong Romulan Empire that will not attempt to dominate the Typhon Pact.

Characters

 * Jas Abrik • Leonard James Akaar • Alizome • Angarraken • Azeni Korena • Nanietta Bacco • Bezorj • Cavanagh • Corthin • Corskene • D'Tan • Donatra • Xarian Dor • Dorlok • Dunlap • Durjik • Ertoz • Glev • Jaix • J'Velk • Gell Kamemor • Kira Nerys • J'Velk • Korzenten • Lafleur • James Leyton • Magrone • Ni-Jalikreii • Esperanza Piñiero • Plante • R'Jul • Radrigi • Raiq • Reel • Rehaek • Relkdahz • Rintel • Rogeiro • Rokas • Scalin Resk • Sela • Shalvan • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Rebecca Jae Sisko • Skorn • Slask • Snowden • Sorent • Sorretta • Spock • T'Coll • T'Larik • T'Lavent • T'Solon • Tal'Aura • Thiemann • Tomalak • Uteln • Vart • Elias Vaughn • Velenez • Venaster • Ventrice • George Walter • Wilkes • Kasidy Yates • Zelent

Alžbeta • Bareil Antos • Julian Bashir • Braeg • Butterfield • Eivos Calan • Eivos Audj • Garune • Iliana Ghemor • Hiren • James T. Kirk • Lintosian • Neral • Nog • Ohalu • Opaka Sulan • Oram Yentin • Pardek • Pralon • Sonek Pran • Roby • Aaron Sisko • Jennifer Sisko • Joseph Sisko • Samuel Sisko • Sivadeki • Prynn Tenmei • Ruriko Tenmei • Quark • Shinzon • Stannis • Winn Adami • Worf

Locations

 * Ab-Tzenketh • Achernar Prime • Adarak • • Ashalla • Audubon Park • Bajor • Beaux Arts mansion • Earth • Entelior • Entelior IV • French Quarter • Golden Gate Bridge • Kendra Province • Kevratas • Ki Baratan • Lem-Tzenketh • Lingasha • Mississippi River • New Orleans • Orventis Arena • Presidio • Rateg • Romulan Senate chamber • Romulus • St. Charles Avenue • San Francisco • Shikina Monastery • Sierra • Sisko's Creole Kitchen • Sisko's house • Soniat Street • Starbase 39-Sierra • Starbase 197 • Starfleet Headquarters • Terix II • Typhon I • Tzenketh • Verinex Sea • Vetruvis • Via Chula • Via Colius •  • Vot-Tzenketh

Abraxas • Artaleirh • Azure Nebula • • Bajoran wormhole • B'hala • Calavet • Celestial Temple •  • Cort • Deep Space 9 • Devoras • Endalla • Flames •  • Gamma Quadrant • Katrina Memorial Cemetery • Klorgat IV • M'kemas • M'kemas III • Mutara Nebula • New Berlin • New York •  • Orleans Parish Hospital • Pacifica • Rakantha Province • Rodon • Sidau • Starbase 137 • Taurus II •  • Vela'Setora • Vanadwan Monastery • Xanitla

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Altair (prototype) • USS Assurance • Chatan (Federation shuttlecraft) • USS Cutlass (24th century) • USS James T. Kirk (Akira class)  • Khenn Ornahj • Nago (Federation shuttlecraft) • Naha (Federation shuttlecraft) • USS New York (Nebula class)  • USS Okinawa (NCC-13958)  • Ragul'tora • USS Robinson (Galaxy class)

USS Aventine • USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I) (I) • USS Defiant (NX-74205) (II) (II) • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) • USS Fortitude • USS Lewis and Clark • USS Livingston (NCC-34099) • USS Mjolnir • USS Saratoga (NCC-31911) • USS T'Plana-Hath • USS Titan (NCC-80102) •  •  • USS Vel'Sor

Races and cultures

 * Ascendant • Bajoran • Borg • Breen • Caitian • Cardassian • Catullan • Deltan • Efrosian • Ferengi • Gorn • Human • Innix • Kinshaya • Otevrel • Reman • Romulan • Saurian • Son'a • Tellarite • Teluvian • Tholian • Trill • Tzenkethi • Vulcan

Alonis • Ivvitrian • Prophets • Tyrellian • Watraii

States and Organizations

 * Borg Collective • Continuing Committee • Imperial Romulan State • Reunification Movement • Romulan Star Empire • Romulan Security • Romulan Senate • Starfleet • Tal Shiar • The Hundred • Typhon Pact • Tzelnira • Tzenkethi Coalition • United Federation of Planets

Other

 * Autarch of the Tzenkethi Coalition • Avatar of Peace • Barajian fleece • batos • Battle of Wolf 359 • bilitrium • carallun • City of B'hala • cloaking device • Creole • Dominion War • Emissary of the Prophets • gumbo • icon painting • inertial damper • jambalaya • kai • katra • kellorica • kreyla • moba • monofilament • nerak • Orb of Prophecy and Change • pagh • photon torpedo • plomeek soup • Post-Atomic Horror • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • pylchyk • remoulade • Ribbon for Meritorious Service • Rihannsu • shield nutation • Starfleet Medal of Honor • talshaya • transphasic torpedo • transphasic shield • Tuvan Syndrome • Tzenkethi War • vedek • Vulcan brandy • warp signature

Appendices

 * Rough Beasts of Empire takes place before Zero Sum Game and Seize the Fire. It spans several months of 2381 (beginning around the same time as the destruction of the Borg in Lost Souls) and ends in early 2382.
 * This storyline sees the end of the Imperial Romulan State (Articles of the Federation) as it is reabsorbed into the Romulan Star Empire.
 * Tzenketh is given as the location of a Pocket Books office.

Timeline

 * 2362: The Okinawa and the Assurance encounter Tzenkethi warships.
 * 2375: The Prophets warn Sisko he will face "great sorrow" if he marries Kasidy Yates.
 * 2378: Kira Nerys leaves Starfleet and becomes a member of the Bajoran clergy.
 * 2379: Elias Vaughn assumes command on the USS James T. Kirk.
 * 2380: An incident occurs on Penraddo. Rebecca Sisko is kidnapped.