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For the primary universe counterpart, see Romulan Star Empire.
For the Romulan state of the same name in Star Trek Online, see Romulan Republic.

In the mirror universe, the Romulan Republic (sometimes known as the Romulan Empire) was an interstellar state government composed of member planets, colonies, and other outposts. The Romulan Republic was quite similar to the counterpart universe's Romulan Star Empire, in that it consisted mostly of Romulan citizens; with similar Romulan starships as the Romulan Star Navy; in about the same area of space within the galaxy's Alpha and Beta Quadrants. (TOS video game: Shattered Universe)

Histories[]

References from numerous sources establish that the various depictions of the mirror universe may not take place in concurrent timelines, meaning there could be a number of divergent alternate reality versions of this topic that do not share the same continuity. The references below this note are separated into subsections to minimize confusion regarding the divergences.

The Romulan Star Empire made first contact with the Terran Empire at some point after the year 2155. (ENT - Mirror Universe novella: Age of the Empress)

Through a Glass, Darkly[]

In another permutation of the mirror universe, Romulans are ethnocentric, and obsessed with hygiene against alien contamination, to a far greater degree than they are in the prime universe; as a result, they have devoted much time and effort to exterminating conquered races and cultures within their borders. The Cl'cli'cl, a race of insectoid humanoids, are one alien race the mirror Romulans were determined to wipe-out. In fact, any time when the Romulans experienced social unrest or defeat at the hands of their enemies, they have herded entire conquered races to camps for what is called "sanitary neutralization". Over the course of three centuries, the Romulans, through their sanitary neutralization, have exterminated seven species and including the Zontak, the Rurun, the Skwahali, and the El-Aurians.

In the year 2265, aboard the Terran Empire starship ISS Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk launched a devastating attack against the mirror Romulan Star Empire which destroyed much of its industrial base. The Romulans and their homeworld would have been occupied by the Terran Empire had not the rise of Klingon-Cardassian Alliance diverted the Empire's attention.

Enemies of the empire are given derogatory names. For example, Terrans are called raalar, a name given to a loud ape that dwells in the swamps of Romulus. Klingons are wuspsak ("worm-eaters"), Cardassians are sapha-phaa ("conjoiners with the dead"), and the Vulcans are d'kavla-ot-shik ("disreputable ones who must be eradicated").

Romulan arrogance and disdain towards other species has affected the empire's technological development. Romulan ships in the mirror universe do not rely much on cloaking device technology, as military high commanders did not believe their vessels should hide from "alien trash." (Decipher RPG module: Through a Glass, Darkly)

While the Decipher RPG discounted the Romulan use of cloaks, Romulans in other late 23rd century sources (such as TOS comic: "The Mirror Universe Saga" and TOS video game: Shattered Universe) did show Romulans in possession of such technology. The RPG source is one of the few that refer to the mirror Romulan state as an "empire".

Masquerade[]

In a version of alternate universe history where Admiral James T. Kirk took the USS Excelsior to the mirror universe and pretended to be his counterpart, members of his crew contacted the mirror Romulan government in 2285 in order to enlist their help in fighting back the Terran Empire, which was preparing for an invasion of the counterpart universe.

The Romulans' conflict with the Terrans was long-standing, as the mirror Romulans had also engaged in a 22nd century Earth-Romulan War against Earth, in which the Romulans had briefly established a beachhead on Earth and enslaved Terrans. The Terrans were able to overthrow the Romulan rule and fight them out of their space, establishing the strong interstellar Terran Empire seen in the 23rd century. (TOS - The Mirror Universe Saga comics: "Masquerade!", "The Beginning of the End...")

While depicted, the government was not named in The Mirror Universe Saga. The source material from this comic story arc does not contradict canon, but contradicts numerous other licensed sources, since it shows the deaths of Kirk and his entire senior staff, excepting Spock.

Shattered universe[]

The Romulan Republic was attacked by the space amoeba entity and threatened to overrun the galaxy by reproducing. It was only the timely assistance of the ISS Excelsior in 2293 which managed to destroy the creature by detonating an antimatter warhead at its cell nucleus. In gratitude, the Republic helped escort Captain Hikaru Sulu to the border of Tholian space in order to reach the Janus Vortex so he could reverse the incident that resulted in him and his crew exchanging places with his mirror counterpart's place aboard that vessel. (TOS video game: Shattered Universe)

The source material from this game does not contradict canon, but the appearance of mirror Sulu and mirror Chekov contradicts other licensed sources where most of Kirk's senior staff had been put to death by this point, such as the DC Comics mirror story arc.

Later history[]

At the Khitomer Conference in 2293, the Romulans, through their emissary Senator Pardek, offered to forge an alliance with the Terran Empire against the Klingons. However, Emperor Spock refused. (TOS - Mirror Universe novel: The Sorrows of Empire)

When the Benjamin Sisko of the prime universe impersonated his counterpart in 2371, he stated he was leaving to seek the Romulans' aid to cover his return to his own reality. (DS9 episode: "Through the Looking Glass")

By the late 24th century, the Romulans were aided in restoring their empire by the Terran Rebellion, as the Rebellion transitioned into the nascent Galactic Commonwealth. The re-established Romulan state was an ally of the Terrans. (ST - Mirror Universe novel: Rise Like Lions)

Dark mirror[]

In one permutation of the mirror universe, the Romulans had been cleansed from their homeworlds by the 24th century. The Earth-Romulan War did not end with just the Romulans' humiliating defeat at the Battle of Cheron, but rather Imperial vessels fought all the way to Romulus and, after destroying Remus, offered the Romulans opportunity to become a subject race of the Terran Empire. On the eve of the deadline for the Romulans' reply, the entire population of the planet committed mass suicide. The Terrans gained numerous technological advancements from the sacking of Romulus, including the molecular disassociator. (TNG novel: Dark Mirror)

The date of the Romulan defeat is not noted, but is implied to be at the end of the 22nd century conflict with Earth. The implication of their defeat obviously contradicts every source thereafter where the Romulans are shown alive, unless the government somehow continued and regained strength following the loss of the homeworlds. The source material in Dark Mirror contradicts the canon version of the mirror universe in many other ways, however.
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Romulan starships[]

See Romulan starships (mirror).

Appendices[]

Connections[]

States in the mirror universe
treaty of alliance and mutual defense Galactic CommonwealthRomulan Star Empire
Taurus Pact Breen ConfederacyGorn HegemonyTholian AssemblyTzenkethi Coalition
non-aligned states Borg KingdomCardassian UnionDominionFerengi AllianceGrigariKazon-OglaKinshayaKlingon EmpireTalarian RepublicThallonian Empire
defunct states Klingon-Cardassian AllianceTerran EmpireTerran RepublicTerran RebellionTerran Protectorate
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