The Romulan Way

For other uses, see The Romulan Way.

The Romulan Way is a 1987 Star Trek: The Original Series movie-era novel by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood (Pocket TOS #35), the second book of the Rihannsu series.

Duane and Morwood wrote the book in sixteen days while on their honeymoon. (Voyages of Imagination, p.69)

Description[]

They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary. They are the Romulans - and for eight years, Federation Agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst.
Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice - between exposure and escape; between maintaining her cover - and saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy.
Here, in a startlingly different adventure, is the truth behind one of the most fascinating alien races ever created in Star Trek:

The Romulans.

Summary[]

The Romulan Way is framed as a "subjective-conceptual history" text by Terise Haleakala-LoBrutto, published in a Federation scientific journal under the title The Romulan Way. It tracks two narratives, one a recounting of Romulan history from the Sundering to the aftermath of the Earth-Romulan War and the creation of the Romulan Star Empire, the other set in the present day and told from the perspectives of LoBrutto and Leonard McCoy. The book alternates chapters between the two stories.

In the present day narrative LoBrutto, a human anthropologist surgically altered to appear Romulan, is undercover on Romulus as Arrhae i-Mnaeha t'Khellian, hru'hfe (household manager) to Romulan nobleman H'daen tr'Khellian. McCoy, taken prisoner in a Romulan raid on a Federation starliner, is brought to the Khellian estate before his trial in the capital city Ra'tleihfi for crimes against the Romulan people. In reality it is a false flag operation by Starfleet Intelligence to check up on LoBrutto, who has not reported in for some time. Due to the dictates of mnhei'sahe McCoy is treated more like an honored guest than a prisoner slated for execution.

Eventually, the Khellian household travels to the capital with McCoy in tow, and McCoy is tried and convicted by the Imperial Senate and sentenced to death. He demands the Right of Statement, a Romulan judicial practice intended to create the appearance of a fair trial by allowing the defendant to speak in their defense. McCoy proceeds to turn it on its head by talking for hours on end about everything from the lack of rigor in Romulan jurisprudence to barbecue sauce recipes. The delaying tactic pays off and allows USS Enterprise crew member Dahai Iohor Naraht, a Horta, time to burrow his way across Romulus from his orbital insertion point and into the Senate Chamber (Naraht survived the insertion unharmed, on account of his physiology). With the diversions in place, the exiled Khre'Riov Ael t'Rllaillieu lands her warbird ChR Bloodwing on Senate's roof to retrieve McCoy and Naraht. McCoy offers to extract LoBrutto under the cover of taking her hostage but she declines, saying that she has grown to love living on Romulus, despite the danger. They stage a dramatic escape for her from McCoy's attempt to take her hostage.

Commander Ael takes the Sword of S'task from its place in the Empty Chair, stating that the Tricameron had ceased to be worthy of it, and she and McCoy beam aboard the Bloodwing and make a fighting retreat from Romulus.

In the aftermath, many are executed in an attempt to cover up the colossal political embarrassment to the Tricameron. LoBrutto's Arrhae t'Khellian cover identity is ennobled: she becomes Arrhae i-Khellian t'llhweiir and a senator in her own right.

Referenced[]

Characters[]

Dhiemn • Dini • Ejiul • Ekkhae • Terise Haleakala-LoBrutto • Hanaj • HHirl • Khoal • Ron Luks • Mike Maliani • Leonard E. McCoy • N'alae • Dahai Iohor Naraht • Nniol • Stephen C. Perry • J. Michael Reaves • Johnny Russell • S'anra • S'harien • Nnerhin tr'Hwersuil s'Khellian • S'task • Sarek • Surak • t'Hrienteh • t'Hwaehrai • Hloal t'Illialhlae • Hvaid t'Khaethaetreh • Arrhe ir-Mnaeha t'Khellian • T'maekh • Jaeih t'Radaik • Vriha t'Rehu • Ael t'Rllaillieu • Eviess t'Tei • Thue • Nveid tr'AAnikh • tr'Aimne • Maiek tr'Annhwi • tr'Hheinia • Giellun tr'Keirianh • Lhaesl tr'Khed • H'daen tr'Khellian • Lhaesl tr'Khev • Aidoann t'Khnialmnae • Llhran tr'Khnialmnae • Vaebn tr'Lhoell
Referenced only: B'tey'nn • G. Brickner • E. Bryant • Charvanek • d'Artagnan • Elements • Elizabeth I • K. Farey • N. Farey • B. Ferguson • D. Friedman • C. Gamble • D. Gamble • God • H'rewiss • Robert A. Heinlein • Hirad • Adolf Hitler • T. Johnson • Jussac • Kh'Avn-Araht • T. King • James T. Kirk • Matilda • B. Meacham • W. Meier • W. Meier • Powers • Raven • Sadek • R. Sepulveda • K. Siegel • s'Khnialmnae • Spock • T'Eleijha • T'Leia • T'Pehr • Ael t'Rllaillieu • T'sahen • T'thusaih • Tafv • Talv'Lin • Lai i-Ramnau tr'Ehhelih • LLunih tr'Raedheol • Jocelyn Treadway

Starships and vehicles[]

Akif-class • flitter • K'hanakh-class • K't'inga-class • Varrhan-series flitter

Vulcan/Romulan starships[]

Blacklight • Bloodwing • Corona • Firestorm • Forge • Gorget • Lance • Lost Road • Memory • Pennon • Rea's Helm • Shield • Starcatcher • Sunheart • T'Hie • Vengeance • Warbird

United Federation of Planets starships[]

USS Balboa • USS Carrizal • USS Enterprise • USS Excalibur • USS Inaieu • Kobayashi Maru • USS Nelson • USS Stone Mountain • USS Valiant • Vega

Romulan Star Empire starships[]

ChR Avenger • ChR Battlequeen • ChR Bloodwing • ChR Javelin • ChR Rea's Helm • ChR Talon

Locations[]

Areinnye • Hell • Iuruth

States and organizations[]

Governments and political[]

Councillory • Grand Council • Inshai Compact • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Nonaligned Planets of Southern Orion Congeries • Romulan Senate • Romulan Star Empire • Ruling Queens of Kh'reitekh • United Federation of Planets • Yhri faction

Social and military[]

Command Conditioning • House Khellian • House Khnialmnae • House Lhoell • House s'Annhwi • Kihai • LLunih • Nn'verian • Orion • pirate • Romulan High Command • Romulan Imperial Intelligence • Romulan Imperial Military • Ship-Clans • Starfleet • Tricameron • United Federation of Planets Starfleet Intelligence Corps. • Vulcan High Council

Companies and institutions[]

Ford Motor Company • Rolls-Royce • Starfleet Academy • Vulcan Academy of Sciences

Other references[]

A/G linear • Ahkh • Alice in Wonderland • Anglish • Art Deco • Bode's Law • Bronze Age • Bussard ramjet • cesium clock • cloaking device • Contribution • cowboy • credit • Deirr modern • deity • DistArbGalCore • Doric order • duotronic • Empty Chair • First Romulan War • GalLat • GalLong • ghost • Hamalket second T'r'lkt era • Heinlein's Law • Hellenic period • Hfehan • Hlai-brained • I.C.X. Medical Journal • Index Xeno Medicalis • intradermal translator • The Journal of the Federation Institute for the Study of Xenosociology • Last Song • Late Great Unpleasantness • lehe'jhme • Levaeri V incident • logic-solid • Lunglock fever • lyre • mindtree • monofilament • Non-Apology • Old High Vulcan • Old West • prime transfer authority • protodeity • psi rating • radio • Right of Statement • Romulan Golden Age • Romulan language • The Romulan Way • ryill •scraping-stone • seheik • silk ribbon • Statement of Intention of Flight • Steheht mode • A Study of Socioeconomic Influences on Vulcan Space Exploration • Sundering • T'sahen's Stricture • Ten Lordships of the Thaha Dynasty • Thrice written and thrice burned • Treaty of Alpha Trianguli • tri-D • Vehe'rr Ihlan • Vulcan Reformation • War Between the States • wiltleaf • Worldfall

Ranks and titles[]

antecenturion • commander • commander general • knight • Ruling Queen of the Two Worlds • senior centurion • subcenturion • subcommander • Ten Lordships of the Andorian Thaha Dynasty

Clothing[]

boot • kilt • singlet • sock

Food and drink[]

alcohol • bean • bologna • bread • egg • flatroot • fondue • gruel • Kentucky bourbon • kheh • lemon • lemonade • meatroll • milk • mint • mint julep • pizza • Romulan ale • Saurian brandy • sushi • Tex-Mex chili • wine

Weapons[]

blaster • dart-spear • disruptor • knife • planetcracker weapon • Sunkiller bomb • sword

Animals[]

camel • cat • crab • guinea pig • hawk • hlai • hlai'hwy • horse • lion • mouse • sehlat • wolf

Substances, minerals and elements[]

Aerosal • aspirin • danegeld • glasteel • ochre • ruby • salt • silk • sugar • teflon • wool

Vulcan dates[]

Ahhahr • Irhheen

Appendices[]

Background[]

Although they are not shown in detail, the spacecraft seen on the original edition cover art are modeled after "Vipers", the fightercraft of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. From the perspective of this story's continuity, it would seem that the ships are Romulan and the scene is a dramatization of the final chase sequence. Later sources such as Shattered Universe and Star Trek Nemesis do indeed show the Romulans and Remans use fightercraft of similar configuration.
Although the Pocket Books chronology places this story in the 2270s decade, following the previous books in the series, those stories make repeated references to uniforms of the TOS style. The text describes uniforms resembling those of the mid-2260s decade, rather than the Star Trek: The Motion Picture-era uniforms that were in place circa 2271. This indicates that Starfleet used uniforms matching this description, of an intermediate style, for a time before changing again to the later maroon uniforms in use by 2278 (as established in TNG episode: "Cause and Effect").
McCoy's full name is given as Leonard Edward McCoy, in contradiction to the recently released The Search for Spock where he identifies as "Leonard H. McCoy".
Federation Standard is called Anglish.
Both Romulus and Remus are mentioned to be quite habitable, omitting the TNG movie: Star Trek: Nemesis description of Remus as a less-than-hospitable location
While there were at least three large seas on Vulcan, those who became Romulan were surprised by the vast oceans on Romulus and Remus.
According to the Romulans, Starfleet began the Earth-Romulan War when the USS Carrizal scanned Romulus.
According to Starfleet, the Earth-Romulan War began three years later when the USS Balboa was destroyed.
The conflicting depictions include a version of the Earth-Romulan War that lasted twenty-five years.
Prior to the Reformation, Vulcans worshiped over 600 gods, demigods, animaes, geniuses, demons, angels, golems, powers, principalities, forces, noeses, and hypersomatic beings.
Chapter Four states that the Rihannsu ships of the Sundering used artificial gravity, with Chapter Twelve specifying that they spun for gravity.
At the beginning of Chapter Fourteen McCoy "wiped his hands briskly on his pants legs", even though his hands were bound by a ribbon containing a monofilament that would cut his hands off if any pressure was applied (Chapter Thirteen).
In Chapter Fourteen Ael refers to the Senate Chamber as "this old place that S'task built", but according to Chapter Eight the chambers were demolished and rebuilt by Vriha t'Rehu, the Ruling Queen. According to Chapter One of TOS - Rihannsu novel: Swordhunt, the building "[incorporated] what remained of the older structure on the same site".
The Romulan Way's version of the Earth-Romulan War was largely contradicted by later canon established by Star Trek: Enterprise and the subsequent Romulan War novel series. In this book's version of events the Federation discovered the Romulans as a non-warp-capable people. Due to the disastrous historical contact with the Duthulhiv pirates which led to the Sundering, the Romulans assumed the worst of the Federation and built a sublight space navy that swarmed and captured the next Federation exploration vessel to approach Romulus. From this they reverse-engineered weapons and deflector shield technology, as well as warp drive. In ENT the Romulans were already a spacefaring people with an interstellar state at the time of first contact, and the Federation did not yet exist.
The Romulan Way and its sequels were also contradicted on the nature of the Remans and Romulus' sister planet Remus by Star Trek Nemesis. In this series they are a different ethnicity of Romulans, and Remus is a agrarian planet whose inhabitants face racial discrimination from the natives of Romulus. In canon the Remans are a different Vulcanoid species living on the tidally locked wasteland of a world. To rationalize the disparity, it could be assumed that while Remans are sequestered on the planet's permanent dark side, there was also a population of Romulans that farmed the more inhabitable segments, and perhaps that the permanent darkness and rigors of mining could have led to a genetic drift that could possibly have spawned the Remans.

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous story: Dreams of the Raven	TOS numbered novels	Next story: How Much for Just the Planet? Worlds Apart
Previous story: Strangers from the Sky	TOS novels	Next story: How Much for Just the Planet? Worlds Apart
Previous story: My Enemy, My Ally	Rihannsu novels	Next story: Swordhunt
Previous story: My Enemy, My Ally Rihannsu	Stories by: Diane Duane	Next story: Spock's World
Previous story: First Star Trek novel	Stories by: Peter Morwood	Next story: Rules of Engagement
chronological order
Previous adventure: The Covenant of the Crown	Pocket Books Timeline	Next adventure: Swordhunt Rihannsu
Previous adventure: Silent Cries	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: Swordhunt Rihannsu
Previous adventure: Timetrap	Continuing voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)	Next adventure: Swordhunt Rihannsu
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2276. The Pocket Books Timeline and Memory Beta Chronology place events from this story in 6 other timeframe(s):
Previous adventure: The Devil's Heart Chapter 13	249 AD Chapter 2	Next adventure: Exodus Chapters 2, 4, 6 , 7 , 9 - 10, 12 - 13, 15 - 16 & 18 Vulcan's Soul
Previous adventure: Exodus Chapter 19 Vulcan's Soul	285 AD Chapter 4	Next adventure: The Lost Years Prologue
Previous adventure: Exodus Chapter 21, 23 & 25 Vulcan's Soul	300 AD Chapter 6	Next adventure: Exiles Memory Vulcan's Soul
Previous Pocket adventure: Exodus Chapter 2 Vulcan's Soul Previous MB adventure: Sundering Star Trek: Explorer	750 AD Chapter 8	Next adventure: Kahless Even Chapters
Previous Pocket adventure: Kahless Even Chapters Previous MB adventure: Four Thousand Throats... Pages 16 - 21 Alien Spotlight	846 AD Chapter 10	Next Pocket adventure: The Long Night Prologue Next MB adventure: The Simulation Star Trek: Explorer
Previous adventure: Horizon	2153 Chapter 12	Next adventure: The Breach

Translations[]

1992: German : Die Romulaner, translated by Andreas Brandhorst. (Heyne)

External link[]

The Romulan Way article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.