Ahrir'fvahir mnean? (ilhael 5)
(What are we? (book 5)
~ Na Tal'Diann Mol'Rihan ~
(The New Romulan Tal'Diann)
The Tal'Diann was part of the initial formation of what was then known simply as the "Romulan Republic" (before the rediscovery of ch'Mol'Rihan), and the woman known by the nahi "Jessatra t'Prell" ("G'essatra t'Prell" in the dialectical orthography of Virinat) had been the head of that branch of the Romulan Military before the Republic was formed. As to her true identity, by 2410, many clues were available to the observant, but a certain conclusion could not be derived from those clues without violating the rules of inference. However, when the Federation declared Spahkh (Spock) dead after over two decades of his being missing following the events of the Hobus supernova, "t'Prell" decided that her true identity should no longer be concealed, in part to honor his memory, and issued a proclamation concerning Spahkh and her true identity.
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| Ji'ana t'Charvon ("Jessatra ir'Virinat t'Prell"), Fvillhu u'galae'Enriov s'Tal'Diann, tharon hrrau rii faeruwavha hrrau koihaesevha s'Tal'Diann hrrau ch'Mol'Rihan. |
The Tal'Diann is best known to outsiders as Romulan Military Intelligence, and best known to Romulans as the Internal Affairs Department of the Romulan Republic Forces (and is thus in charge of the Judge Advocate General Corps, Romulan Military Police, and Romulan Military Criminal Investigative Services). The Tal'Diann also has a Sciences Wing organized into two main divisions: Research and Development (with a Medical Research subdivision), and Temporal Sciences. Information Technology (including Computer Science) also falls under the domain of the Engineering and Operations Department of the Tal'Diann, which works closely with the Research and Development Division of the Sciences Department on a number of projects. The Tactical Department of the Tal'Diann includes various types of Covert Operations. The Security Department of the Tal'Diann (considered separate from the Tactical Department, but whose personnel are largely recruited from within the Tactical Department) is made up of the Romulan Military Police and the office of Romulan Military Criminal Investigative Services.
Under the Republic, t'Charvon ("t'Prell") reorganized the Tal'Diann into four wings: Military Intelligence, Military Internal Affairs, Special Operations (consisting of Special Forces, Covert Operations, and Counterintelligence), and Research & Development.
The hru Phi'Tlarum Mol'Rihanai ("Chief of New Romulan Military Intelligence," one of the titles of the galae'Enriov s'Tal'Diann) has a seat on the Raenasa ih'Saeihr s'Kreh'dhhokh Mol'Rihanai (Star Command of the New Romulan Republic, usually called simply Raenasa ch'Mol'Rihan, which is literally "Command-Center of New Romulans," but more often prosaically translated as "New Romulus Command [Center]"), and is equal in this position with all other members of the Raenasa. In addition, she holds a seat on the Ekhiel Hwyej'enh (Continuing Committee). Finally, she answers only to the Ehkifv Temjahaere (Proconsul). As a bit of additional information about her, although not inherent in her position as galae'Enriov s'Tal'Diann and hru Phi'Tlarum, G'essatra t'Prell has also (more recently, following a campaign she ordered for the Tal'Diann to seek out and eradicate cells of the Tal'Shiar and her experiences in helping to discover the Solanae Dyson Sphere) been made one of the Fvillhur s'Kreh'dhhokh Mol'Rihanai (Praetors of the New Romulan Republic). As Fvillhu, she initially answered to D'Tan and the Deihuit (although the exact relationship between the Ekhiel Hwyej'enh and the Deihuit is somewhat vague, and the decisions of the Deihuit can occasionally be overturned by the Ekhiel Hwyej'enh, so perhaps the assumption that she answers only to D'Tan even in this capacity is not entirely unwarranted). By 2410, however, her Praetorian office had been redefined to refer specifically to her leadership of the Tal'Diann, thus restoring the traditional status of the head of the Tal'Diann as answering only to the head of the government of (New) Romulus (D'Tan), and her full title as head of the Tal'Diann had become "Fvillhu u'galae'Enriov s'Tal'Diann u'hru'Phi'Tlarum Mol'Rihanai" (Praetor and Fleet Admiral of the Tal'Diann and Chief of New Romulan Military Intelligence).
Taking her cue from what she had been taught by the Lore Keepers and Tradition Bearers of her people, what she had experienced herself, and statements (verbal and otherwise, such as Temer's willing sacrifice) of authority figures in the Kreh'dhhokh Mol'Rihan, Fvillhu Ji'ana ("Jessatra") has dedicated na Tal'Diann Mol'Rihan to eternal vigilance against (and eternal opposition to) tyranny and eternal support of freedom. She has made plain that Rihannsu, Havrannsu, and other citizens of the Kreh'dhhokh can depend on her, and on the Tal'Diann Mol'Rihan, to protect and promote liberty within the territories of the new regime.
Although t'Charvon (t'Prell) had allied the Tal'Diann with the Klingon Empire, by 2410, she had established another branch of the organization, which she called "Tal-Diann," and this branch she allied with the United Federation of Planets. She runs both branches of the organization, and her daughter Karataia t'Charvon (Kara) is Second in Command of the Klingon-allied branch and Third in Command of the Federation-allied branch. Apart from these two, the personnel of the two branches are distinct, except that both are governed by the same Wing Chiefs, Division Chiefs, and Department/Corps Chiefs. Among these chiefs are a few members of Hfihar s'Charvon, including Ji'ana's adopted daughter Ophillia t'Prell.
Also by 2410, the Lasasam s'Tal'Diann (Academy of the Tal'Diann) was established in order to prepare those going into the Klingon-allied Tal'Diann for the unique challenges they would face. Plans to establish a second set of programs for the Lasasam aimed at the Federation-allied Tal-Diann were also on the table. The Chancellor of the Lasasam is Jisit ir'Virinat t'Prell (one of Gessatra's cousins). Jisit had been part of the Tal'Diann before she became Chancellor of the Academy, and now works with the Tal-Diann on occasion, studying their unique situation in preparation for the establishment of academic programs for that branch of the organization.
(( In real-world terms, the Tal'Diann/Tal-Diann is somewhat like all of these branches of the US Department of Defense rolled into one (note that the CGI is currently not under the direction of the Department of Defense, but was in the past):
- Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
- National Security Agency (NSA) -- but without the internal spying on citizens which has been a stain on the reputation of the NSA in the recent real-world past, and which is more consistent with the activities of the Tal'Shiar than anything the Tal'Diann would be interested in doing
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
- National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
- Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)
- Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)
- Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
- Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
- Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI)
To simplify this, one might say that the Tal'Diann is somewhat like the Pentagon.
By contrast, the Tal'Shiar is somewhat like the Gestapo, the Stasi, the NKVD, or the "Red" Chinese "Ministry of Public Security" or "Ministry of State Security." ))
The Tal'Diann has been opposed to the Tal'Shiar for a very long time, almost from the formation of the Tal'Shiar.
As might be expected, the Tal'Diann has not always lived up to our high ideals. Times in the past when the government of the Shiar ih'Saeihr Rihan was more or less tyrannical have had their influence on the Tal'Diann; at times, our forebears engaged in activities which we do not condone. Among such activities was the stationing of a Tal'Diann "Legate" on every vessel of the Star Navy in order to enforce obedience; a worthy soldier understands the value of intestinal fortitude, which means, among other things, that unjust and foolhardy orders must be disobeyed. General Tebok understood this (and he was not the only Romulan officer who had this understanding, as a simple perusal of the annals of the Imperial Star Navy will reveal), although he was not without other shortcomings, and by his time, such virtues had become rare among those who were allowed to rise to such high rank. Obviously, the Tal'Diann Mol'Rihan does not station officers on the vessels of the Star Navy of the Republic in order to compile dossiers for purposes of blackmail and intimidation, nor in order to promote unthinking obedience; we, unlike the Tal'Shiar and the later leaders of the Star Empire, hold the capacity for independent thought in high regard. Lack of such capacity does not make good officers, or good soldiers; it produces incompetent sycophants. The Tal Diann prefers more useful qualities among our personnel.
.
Arhir'fvahir mnean?
(What are we?)
~ Khaudir ~
(Sources)
(What are we?)
~ Khaudir ~
(Sources)
Memory Alpha
Memory Beta
Path to 2409
The Rihannsu saga, by Diane Duane
The Star Trek Online Wiki
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