What is a Neutral Zone?

[Distorted Humor]

From the episodes we know that

That there is border area that not part of the nutural zone, as the impression is that "The Tin Man" Takes place in the fronteir where the exact location of the two borders is not set.

Probes are allowed in the NZ, as in the episode "The Neutral zone" (IIRC) the Romulan commander uses the excuse of a robotic probe on why there is romulation communications in that area. Perhaps probes are allowed as mutual technical means to make sure parties do not build bases in the NZ.

 

[T'Girl]

... as the impression is that "The Tin Man" Takes place in the fronteir where the exact location of the two borders is not set.

My impression was that the events of Tin Man took place outside of both the Federation and the Empire, in open interstellar space -- unclaimed territory.

This would imply that the RNZ isn't a continuous bubble completely around the Romulans, but rather a buffer/wall in-between the Federation and Romulans. And the Romulans can move and grow in any direct they please, as long as it isn't towards the Federation.

 

[Timo]

Going to see Tin Man isn't "expansion", though. At most, we learn that Romulan ships can slip past the Federation siege, which isn't really a miracle considering that they can cloak and that part of their realm borders on non-Federation turf such as the Klingon Empire.

Seeing how difficult if not impossible it is to prevent Romulans from crossing the RNZ, though, one would think Starfleet would have every incentive to fall hard on any ships found outside the Zone. There isn't likely to be a loophole in the RNZ treaty that would allow ships to exist on the wrong side unless the act of crossing can be verified... At least not after the first few incursions! So conversely, any ship found outside the RNZ is automatically guilty of crossing it, even if said ship currently is found in neutral space. Picard should be compelled to set an example every time he met Romulans outside Romulan space.

Then again, in many of the cases where Picard runs into Romulans outside the Zone, those are committing other offenses already, such as firing at our heroes, so the treaty violation issue need not be separately discussed. And he has received at least two genuine defectors, so shooting everybody at sight is not necessarily a good idea. But episodes like "Timescape" make one wonder... Why didn't Picard arrest the Romulan crew when no excuse for their presence in forbidden space was forthcoming?

Timo Saloniemi