Author's note: This is obviously written post-Dominion War and from a Reman perspective. Yes, one might argue that the Remans are not Cardassian space but I am supposing there is a population there due to a reference in ST:Nemesis on Shinzon getting his experience/troops there. I have also incorporated some continuity from the books post Dominion War although the actual details are somewhat elusive since I haven't read them.
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[This letter has translated from the Reman dialect of the Romulan language and been written with Earth idioms to best capture its meaning. ]
Sir -
I understand where you are coming from. The Federation has invaded the Romulan Star Empire. The Federation has fissured the Star Empire in twain. They have corrupted the Star Empire all in the name of the much missed Praetor Shinzon and his misguided actions against Captain Picard, whom I have always heard of but never met.
Oddly enough they are all right here; by here I do infer the ruined state of the Cardassian Union. Yes, I do note that most of the forces in the overthrow were from here and that the late Praetor was a veteran of the late war. Yes, I do note that they are a distrustful lot in our homeland.
Yet, they are the complete opposite for those that have embraced the war as a new starting point. You might think I am insane; after all, there is a reason why they were slave troops. They lost the war so many years ago and we were the Empire until we got involved in the late war.
Somehow they were changed by exposure to the Federation. The leading advocate here goes by the name of General Sulla (although retired) who has embraced the Federation (read: the ancient United States of America although the reason why I am unclear of) as his own culture. He has recognized the faults of the former Praetor and created this state within a state due to the general lack of Cardassians and a unified government within their own space.
There is hope in these hills. You might argue – I have been overtly exposed to the Federation ideals myself. You might argue – I have spent too long in the occupied territories given over by the treacherous Federation in the late war. The only reason that you are talking to me is our own familial ties and the moderate success that our unit has enjoyed while everything of the Star Empire has burned into utter chaos with the Senate gone, the Empire broken, and so on.
There is hope in these hills – hills being a metaphor as the Federation uses. It is simple; the Federation is too invested in our homeland while the opposite is true in the former Union. It is an open sore here; the only thing that is of might by the Federation is the sold-off fleets in their desperate attempt to become “not of war” even though they are the only ones holding power ten years after the war.
I have known General Sulla only for about four years and there is something to his approach. They only speak English. None of them are Romulan; it is only by the tools they use that are of that heritage. The main unification is not of embracing Vulcan but rather of a Federation that has ‘shown up’ their older cousins. If they are the barbarians that the Federation press dictate they are according to the death of Data (whomever that maybe; news is slow here), then why not play their own game? Why not show that they are civilized to the point that such criticism can be used – against- them. Yes, you heard me right – against them.
Such a concept is equal to the creation of the cloaking device before that irritating Captain Kirk stole it.
You might be arguing – look, I have clearly gone native. That is wrong; our unit has not struck an alliance with anyone except the shriveled up version of the Temporary Authority stationed on what used to be Cardassian Prime. We have kept the peace here. We have – ironically – fulfilled the very role that the rebels used in supplying the late Praetor. The only problem is the questionable success of the supplies we have seized and sent to you; of which you know more about that than I.
What I am arguing is the possibility that exists in the wake of the Federation’s pulling out of Cardassia and the filling in of their forces in the Star Empire. It is a frightening possibility of abandoning our beloved home; but really, what is there to claim as ours? In fact, there might be people in our own numbers that argue against such a supposition – such as the humans do in their own senate, arguing that they should pull out everywhere, since the war is done, and exploration is the reason behind Starfleet’s existence.
The Federation is willing to abandon their own territories in the name of peace and exploration. The only place they are willing to hold on to is the Star Empire and … there is nothing there but war. Here – the Cardassians are too weak, too dependent on what remains of Starfleet, and have no centre. General Sulla and his kin do – with no opposition! The Federation has done the dirty work for us in their state sponsored rebellion! Their press has even published the very methods in their own media! Such a thing would result in death in our own homeland.
That is my humble opinion.
If such a thing can be allowed, then perhaps the hope can be capitalized on the wayward sorrows of the Federation.
I await your reply,
M.
Postscript;
Sir, I do infer the "Transitional Authority for the Re-unification of the Star Empire" and the "Transitional Democratic Authority of Cardassia" in the mis-label of "Temporary Authority". Please accept my apologies. The Federation tend to use the same words for their puppet governments so it is hard to keep up with them.
--
[This letter has translated from the Reman dialect of the Romulan language and been written with Earth idioms to best capture its meaning. ]
Sir -
I understand where you are coming from. The Federation has invaded the Romulan Star Empire. The Federation has fissured the Star Empire in twain. They have corrupted the Star Empire all in the name of the much missed Praetor Shinzon and his misguided actions against Captain Picard, whom I have always heard of but never met.
Oddly enough they are all right here; by here I do infer the ruined state of the Cardassian Union. Yes, I do note that most of the forces in the overthrow were from here and that the late Praetor was a veteran of the late war. Yes, I do note that they are a distrustful lot in our homeland.
Yet, they are the complete opposite for those that have embraced the war as a new starting point. You might think I am insane; after all, there is a reason why they were slave troops. They lost the war so many years ago and we were the Empire until we got involved in the late war.
Somehow they were changed by exposure to the Federation. The leading advocate here goes by the name of General Sulla (although retired) who has embraced the Federation (read: the ancient United States of America although the reason why I am unclear of) as his own culture. He has recognized the faults of the former Praetor and created this state within a state due to the general lack of Cardassians and a unified government within their own space.
There is hope in these hills. You might argue – I have been overtly exposed to the Federation ideals myself. You might argue – I have spent too long in the occupied territories given over by the treacherous Federation in the late war. The only reason that you are talking to me is our own familial ties and the moderate success that our unit has enjoyed while everything of the Star Empire has burned into utter chaos with the Senate gone, the Empire broken, and so on.
There is hope in these hills – hills being a metaphor as the Federation uses. It is simple; the Federation is too invested in our homeland while the opposite is true in the former Union. It is an open sore here; the only thing that is of might by the Federation is the sold-off fleets in their desperate attempt to become “not of war” even though they are the only ones holding power ten years after the war.
I have known General Sulla only for about four years and there is something to his approach. They only speak English. None of them are Romulan; it is only by the tools they use that are of that heritage. The main unification is not of embracing Vulcan but rather of a Federation that has ‘shown up’ their older cousins. If they are the barbarians that the Federation press dictate they are according to the death of Data (whomever that maybe; news is slow here), then why not play their own game? Why not show that they are civilized to the point that such criticism can be used – against- them. Yes, you heard me right – against them.
Such a concept is equal to the creation of the cloaking device before that irritating Captain Kirk stole it.
You might be arguing – look, I have clearly gone native. That is wrong; our unit has not struck an alliance with anyone except the shriveled up version of the Temporary Authority stationed on what used to be Cardassian Prime. We have kept the peace here. We have – ironically – fulfilled the very role that the rebels used in supplying the late Praetor. The only problem is the questionable success of the supplies we have seized and sent to you; of which you know more about that than I.
What I am arguing is the possibility that exists in the wake of the Federation’s pulling out of Cardassia and the filling in of their forces in the Star Empire. It is a frightening possibility of abandoning our beloved home; but really, what is there to claim as ours? In fact, there might be people in our own numbers that argue against such a supposition – such as the humans do in their own senate, arguing that they should pull out everywhere, since the war is done, and exploration is the reason behind Starfleet’s existence.
The Federation is willing to abandon their own territories in the name of peace and exploration. The only place they are willing to hold on to is the Star Empire and … there is nothing there but war. Here – the Cardassians are too weak, too dependent on what remains of Starfleet, and have no centre. General Sulla and his kin do – with no opposition! The Federation has done the dirty work for us in their state sponsored rebellion! Their press has even published the very methods in their own media! Such a thing would result in death in our own homeland.
That is my humble opinion.
If such a thing can be allowed, then perhaps the hope can be capitalized on the wayward sorrows of the Federation.
I await your reply,
M.
Postscript;
Sir, I do infer the "Transitional Authority for the Re-unification of the Star Empire" and the "Transitional Democratic Authority of Cardassia" in the mis-label of "Temporary Authority". Please accept my apologies. The Federation tend to use the same words for their puppet governments so it is hard to keep up with them.
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