Tal'Shiar
| ARMED FORCE | |
|---|---|
| Tal'Shiar | |
 | |
| Allegiance | Romulan Star Empire |
| Service Type | Secret police, intelligence agency |
| Dates active | unknown - Current |
| Headquarters | Hdrael 12 |
| Primary Missions | Foreign and domestic intelligence gathering, covert operations, loyalty enforcement of Romulan civilian population and military |
The Tal'Shiar, or Imperial Security Service, was an elite intelligence agency highly-respected and feared both inside and outside the Romulan Star Empire. Its purpose was to guard the security of the Empire from alien enemies and from traitors within the Romulan population itself. The covert, often invisible presence of the Tal'Shiar kept the general populace in a constant state of paranoia for fear that any signs of dissent or dissatisfaction with the status quo might result in their arrest.
The organization was disbanded in late 2415 after the Fourth Romulan Civil War.
Brief History
Though the Tal'Shiar's exact origins are not recorded, it is known that at some point an Emperor organized a small security unit which he named the Talshaya (the old Vulcan word for a form of execution) and tasked them with intelligence, assassinations, and his own personal security. Maintenance of the squad, or a similarly tasked unit, became common practice in the Imperial House.
In 2293, when the destruction of the moon Praxis caused a sudden political shift and opened the first peace talks between the Klingons and the Federation, Emperor Tiercellus tr`Rllailieu became extremely apprehensive. In the hopes of precipitating a war between the two powers, which would leave the Rihannsu free to defeat them both when their forces where depleted, he ordered that the Talshaya be combined with the most elite members of military intelligence to form a super elite force known simply as "The Black Legion."
The 100 officers of the Legion worked with renegade elements of the Federation and Klingon Empire –- particularly in financing the operation and supplying runners and spotters for operation information and logistics. Ambassador Nanclus (a member of the Talshaya) was part of this conspiracy, as was Federation Admiral Cartwright and Klingon General Cheng. However, Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise. this time aided by the USS Excelsior, foiled their plans. Though the plot had failed, the Senate decided that the Black Legion had been a good idea, and it was increased in size exponentially, becoming a full military branch. The new military branch was dubbed the "Tal'Shiar."
The first task of the new agency’s was to deal with repercussions of the Federation and Klingon talks, the most major of which being the Black Legion operatives who had been stranded in SF and KDF space once the conspiracy fell apart. These operatives became spies at their locations, and the new Agency began its policies of infiltrating other races. After that, the Tal'Shiar grew considerably. With its high level of prestige and greater appeal of power, many citizens were eager to join the ranks of the Tal’Shiar even in the face of its highly selective screening process and training program.
In 2411, after the Exodus from Romulus, the Tal'Shair moved its headquarters to Hdrael 12, orbiting the planet Mendaissa, on the other side of the Empire from the Imperial government on Eilhaunn and began to ignore most of the directives sent it by the government, virtually ruling a portion of the Romulan space as its own. In 2413, they seized the Romulan Neutral Zone, shutting the border in the name of security, cutting off the government from its only current ally, the Federation, and forcing their hand to act. In the ensuing civil war, the Tal'Shiar joined with the terrorist organization Uihvueri and its telepaths in fighting to overthrow the coalition that had been ruling the Empire since the Third Civil War had ended a few years previous.
The war proved a stalemate for two years, with much loss of life, and desperate measures were taken by some members of the Imperial government as well as renegade Star Fleet officers, who arranged for Captain Adaran 225 of the USS Columbia to be arrested and used as a telepathic pawn. Hir mission, of which s/he was unaware and unable to prevent, was to take an appropriated Tal'Shiar scout loaded with ultritium into the Tal'Shiar's headquarters and detonate it. The Columbia's core officers, with help from Star Fleet officers opposed to the plan, stole their ship and went in pursuit. Though they managed to find Adaran and extract hir in time, they were unable to prevent the detonation of the craft. The ensuing loss of life and ships, taking out all of Tal'Shiar High Command and nearly a third of their active starships, mortally crippled the organization and allowed the government to quickly bring the war to a conclusion.
In the aftermath of the war, the Imperial government disbanded the Tal'Shiar completely and transferred many of its former duties into the government run Ministry of Information.
Headquarters
The original Khfi ih'Dhaehhr (Agency Headquarters) of the Tal'Shiar, or at least the official building in which section offices were located, resided on the southern side of the capitol city, Ra'tleihfi on ch'Rihan. The facility stood like many others in the capitol: a simple tiered, brown earth-crete, reinforced and shielded fortress, of which few aliens ever visited, and fewer ever survived.
The interior of the building consisted of colored-coded levels representing a rank-level of access within the agency, with student ranks on the outer most level, and the Riovir nestled at its center.
Each section had its own closed circuit computer core, which accessed outer layers but not inner ones. There were but two access points for each section, and these were always heavily guarded. Furthermore, the floors were made from transporter-deadening materials, are shielded, and covered with beam-in scrambling devices. Only one Federation agent ever reached the inner levels and did so only with the assistance of a Aendeh, under very strange circumstances.
The building itself, contained little actual intelligence, or facilities for research.
In 2411, after the Exodus, the Tal'Shiar took over Hdrael 12, orbiting the planet Mendaissa, using it as a new central base.
Academy
The Tal'Shiar operated its own training facility, the actual location of which is not known to the general public. First year Academy students held the rank of erei'Eredh, had no authority and were not generally allowed outside of the facility. More advanced students were ranked as Eredh while students in their final training were known as Eneredh.
Structural Organization
The Tal'Shiar was headed by a Chairman, who held a seat on the Continuing Committee. Second in command was the Vice Chairman. The Tal'Shiar reported only to the highest levels of the government, though they often undertook missions without the direct knowledge of the Senate, conducting operations with virtual impunity throughout the Empire. Their authority superseded that of most Imperial Fleet commanders, resulting in a mutual distrust and hatred between the two organizations. The Tal'Shiar also maintained its own fleet of ships.
The agency was divided into six sections: the Internal Security Division, the Intelligence Analysis Division, the Mind War Division, the Military Analysis Division, the Special Operations Division and the Research and Development Division.
Ranks
