Romulan Mischief

[Roundabout]

I really wish the Romulans got more focus. It's a shame they never kept Sub-Commander T'Rul around as a recurring character so that we could start to get some insight onto their culture, it may also have tempered all the Klingon episodes we got--plus who wouldn't want to see T'Rul and Worf go toe-to-toe?

Or seeing T'Rul having to put up with Quark's shtick while having a drink at Quark's bar. I wonder if Bashir would have hit on her.

I feel that the Federation is similar in many ways to other nations that have been through 'cold wars' throughout history. Because of the nearly universal mutually assured destruction that is possible during these cold wars, various aggressive and/or possible sabotaging events go unpunished. It is no different with the Federation (if not allied) and the Romulan Star Empire. They would likely have ended up in a stalemate with much death on both sides. So, they likely felt it was best to avoid war over 'relatively minor' infractions. Obviously, not canonical, but my two cents.

From the Romulan perspective, I suppose they would have had their own gripes about Federation "mischief". I don't know if the Romulans ultimately (off screen) took any retaliatory action against the Federation for its violation of the treaty of Algeron regarding the Pegasus phase cloak incident, even though the violation would appear to be a significant matter regardless of the excuse Picard gave.

There was also the operation where Troi involuntarily impersonated a Tal Shiar to help smuggle out a bunch of high ranking Romulan defectors.

The Romulans might also have viewed the death of one of their officers while in Federation custody as Federation aggression (when Worf refused to give a transfusion).

None of these incidents led to all out war. I guess some "minor" transgressions by the other side had to be written off because they were probably not worth going to war over.

 

[DarKush]

^
Good point. I mean there was also Spock going to Romulus (even if that was a trap) and being involved in the reunification movement. Also Data and Picard going to Romulus.

 

[johnnybear]

Spock played into Senator Pardek's hands which is what the Romulan senate wanted all along!
JB

 

[Grendelsbayne]

I also wonder why Starfleet just didn't get a cloaking device from the Klingons in the first place?

That would be a treaty violation. Starfleet promised the Romulans it wouldn't use cloaks. Any exception can only be made with Romulan approval, which means Romulan oversight since they can't trust that the Klingons won't just give them all the cloaks and info they want. Nothing ever explained why the Romulans backed downon supervision, though.

 

[DarKush]

That would be a treaty violation. Starfleet promised the Romulans it wouldn't use cloaks. Any exception can only be made with Romulan approval, which means Romulan oversight since they can't trust that the Klingons won't just give them all the cloaks and info they want. Nothing ever explained why the Romulans backed downon supervision, though.

Good point. I hadn't thought about that.

 

[Farscape One]

I always thought the Treaty of Algeron prevented Starfleet from developing cloaks. And besides, the Klingons and the Federation were also at a cold war situation when that treaty was signed.

I guess not being allowed to use Klingon cloaks could retroactively be used as an argument, sort of an addendum or clause written after the Federation became allies with the Klingons.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

The treaty only makes sense if it applies to using cloaks as well as developing them. Otherwise, the Federation can just buy the technology from some third party instantly after signing the treaty and the entire clause is proven worthless.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Romulans might also have viewed the death of one of their officers while in Federation custody as Federation aggression (when Worf refused to give a transfusion).

Then again, they could have just let it go, because that Romulan was clearly willing to die rather than allow the transfusion, and the Federation accepted his wish to die as per his culture.

And of course there was the other Romulan in that episode, whose life was saved and he was returned to his ship. So the honor in saving his life would outweigh the death of the other one (who, it should be noted, was only dying in the first place because of a ship crash that the Federation didn't even cause).

 

[johnnybear]

The Treaty of Algeron must have come into effect after Kirk and Spock stole the cloaking device from the Romulan commander way back in The Enterprise Incident! Or at least while relations were beginning to thaw a little...
JB