mh'Hnahfvierai Fvillhum s'Ji'ana s'Tal'Diann
(From the Office of Praetor Ji'ana of the Tal'Diann)
One of the saddest duties which befalls a Commanding Officer is contemplating what to say when one of her or his subordinate officers is killed in action. The matter is all the more complicated when the action was a covert operation classified at "Confidential" level or higher. The Commanding Officer may not, however, shirk this duty, any more than the subordinate officer shirked the duty to secure the objectives of the operation which led to death. Such a shirking of responsibility would dishonor the memory of one who gave her or his life for the defense of the people protected by the military branch over which the Commanding Officer has authority. No greater sacrifice can be given in the defense of a people and their liberty than one's very life. Those who lay down their lives for such noble goals deserve better, all the more when they knew that the chance of death was high or even certain. And when the Commanding Officer has to order such a mission, knowing of the high probability or even certainty of the death of even one person sent on the mission, the complexities involved in deciding what to say approach misery. Unfortunately for all concerned, I knew that the chance of death on a recent mission was so probable as to be near certain, and I had no choice but to order the mission. Could I have gone myself, I would have. The reasons for this have been classified "Above Top Secret" by the office of the Proconsul, and with my full agreement, not to protect myself, but because they merit such classification for the security of the Republic.
Telrine i'Mnaeha t'Vrinak was a young Romulan woman who suffered much due to the excesses and corruption of the Tal'Shiar and the Romulan Star Empire. She eventually found her way to the Tal'Diann and her sister and the man she loved and soon after married. Her past, however, haunted her, for she had been implanted with mind control devices by the Tal'Shiar and consequently was made to do many horrible things. I reviewed her record and absolved her of any guilt by Praetorian Edict, but she continued to have difficulty forgiving herself. Nevertheless, Telrine enrolled in the Lasasam s'Tal'Diann and focused her studies in Military Intelligence, determined to make amends for her past. She was given early graduation from the Lasasam s'Tal'Diann (the Academy of the Tal'Diann) when she was but an Eredh'Riov (Cadet Commander), received a commission all the way to the rank of erei'Riov (Subcommander) in the Tal'Diann, was assigned to the arifv Siu'Tlarum (Division of Temporal Intelligence), and was sent into the past on a mission to preserve the timeline. The exact details of her mission are classified "Top Secret," but the fact that Temporal Intelligence is a division of the Military Intelligence Wing of the Tal'Diann is not. She was not sent alone, but she chose to give her life in order to secure the objectives of the mission and to protect the lives of her subordinate officers. In this, she fulfilled the very essence of what it means to be a military officer, for every officer has these two duties in a mission: to secure the objectives of the mission and to protect her or his personnel. The general objectives of the mission involved, among other things, the destruction of two warbirds. One was successfully destroyed with relatively minimal challenge. The other warbird's self-destruct was offline and the team was quickly running out of time. erei'Riov t'Vrinak could have sought for some other means to destroy the warbird. She could have ordered her team to see to it and saved herself. She instead chose expedience to ensure that the objectives were secured, and chose to slip the safeties manually herself, having already set the time shuttle holding her team to return to the present, thus ensuring the protection of her personnel. Her final words were:
Tell them not to mourn me too much. I did what I must for the good of our people. In death's name I salute you. Remember my name in your heart.
Her family has already been informed; their names are withheld to protect their privacy. In recognition of her sacrifice, her loyalty, her devotion to the freedom and liberation of our peoples, Telrine i'Mnaeha t'Vrinak is posthumously promoted to khre'Riov (with full pension, to be paid to her daughter in accord with her final will and testament) by my personal order. She is also posthumously awarded the New Romulan Republic Grey Heart with Green Rreinnte Leaf Cluster, the Republic Star of Lleiset, the Republic Medal of Valor, the New Romulus Defense Star, the Lasasam s'Tal'Diann Distinguished Alumna Crescent, the Tal'Diann Military Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Tal'Diann Military Intelligence Medal of Valor, and the Tal'Diann Temporal Intelligence Medal of Honor with Stars.
All Republic decorations listed were recommended by myself and her immediate superior, the Chief of the Temporal Intelligence Division of the Tal'Diann, and approved by Proconsul D'Tan, the New Romulan Republic Continuing Committee, and the Senate of the New Romulan Republic. The Lasasam s'Tal'Diann decoration was awarded by the Chancellor of the Tal'Diann Academy, Jisit ir'Virinat t'Prell, and the Tal'Diann decorations were awarded by myself, Ji'ana t'Charvon, Praetor and Fleet Admiral of the Tal'Diann and Chief of New Romulan Military Intelligence, and her immediate superior, Jenova t'Charvon, Chief of the Division of Temporal Intelligence of the Military Intelligence Wing of the Tal'Diann.
The gratitude and condolences of the Republic and the Tal'Diann and its Academy go out to her and her Hfihar. My own tears join those of her family. Her name will be inscribed in the Headquarters of the Tal'Diann as an example of the devotion to the Republic and the freedom of its people which we seek to emulate.
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| khre'Riov Telrine i'Mnaeha t'Vrinak, Heroine of the Republic, 2376-2410 |
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| Tal'Diann Military Intelligence Medal of Valor ribbon |
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