Agurtha
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Agurtha is one of the more popular outposts along the border of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets. Many of the border outposts along the Neutral Zone are located on desolate Class F and Class K worlds, either on the surface in pressure domes or based on orbital facilities. In addition to being an outpost, Agurtha is also a thriving Romulan colony world, a monument to the ideals of D'era and a symbol to all those who would challenge the destiny of the Romulan people to conquer the stars. Agurtha is located on the far side of the Neutral Zone from the Delta Quadrant, so it did not suffer the fate of several other Romulan border colonies which were attacked and assimilated by the Borg.
Climate
Agurtha has a oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere at slightly lower than Earth-normal pressure. The climate is warm and damp at the equator, temperate toward the poles. Wide seasonal variations in weather. Powerful storms are common near the equator in spring and summer, becoming less frequent toward the polar regions.
Culture
There are no native species on Agurtha, but the Romulan colonists have a strong paramilitary bent. The vast majority of the people on Agurtha serve or are related in some way to the Romulan military presence in the area. There is strong support for the ideals of D'era and the Romulan Star Navy, and strong distrust of the Federation and its citizens. Outsiders are viewed with suspicion and are always reported to the authorities.
Since the outpost is located in the same sector as the Hellaro Corva II research station, the Tal Shiar pay particular attention to the goings-on at Agurthan Outpost and carefully monitor all traffic through the sector. Many Tal Shiar agents have been placed on the planet, and a Tal Shiar liaison is assigned to work with the commander of the outpost. According to the Tal Shiar, these measures are merely "routine," but the commander and his senior officers know there is something going on, although they do not know what. The true purpose of the Hellaro Corva research center is not commonly known, although several people suspect that is what the Tal Shiar are concerned about protecting. Any suspicious individuals (especially non-Romulans) on Agurtha are likely to be taken in and questioned by the Tal Shiar to ensure that they are not Federation spies.
Economy
Agurtha has sufficient resources to make the outpost self-sufficient for all of its regular needs. Specialized military equipment and technology are supplied by the Romulan government.
Places of Interest
Agurthan Outpost is the largest settlement on the planet, a small city of just over a quarter million Romulan citizens. The outpost has a large military base for the Romulan troops on the planet, along with civilian support facilities and quarters for family members and other personnel. The primary duty of monitoring the Neutral one lies with the lunar base (which does not have to contend with atmospheric distortions or other such problems), but the majority of Romulan personnel live on the planet.
The Agurthan Outpost has facilities for the repair and maintenance of Romulan ships and other vessels friendly to the Empire. Romulan patrol vessels regularly pass through the area on routine patrols of the Neutral Zone border, and can be refueled and resupplied at the outpost. Shore leaves for Romulan crews are also common on Agurtha, which offers vast areas of unspoiled territory suitable for camping and hunting, along with the recreational facilities of the outpost itself. The outpost maintains a number of small interceptor craft for the defense of the outpost and the Neutral Zone border against any attack.
Reference(s)
- Estes, James. The Way of D'era: The Romulan Star Empire, Last Unicorn Games, 1999.