The Romulan Imperial Fleets

Organisation

Ranks of the Galae and their Starfleet Equivalent

The Command Fleets

The Command Fleets fall under the direct control of the High Command and of the Continuing Committee. The majority of vessels in the Empire are part of the Command Fleets and so ships encountered by non-Rihannsu are most likely to form part of the Command Fleets.

A Command Fleet is composed of divisions known as Command Wings, each headed by a wing-ship.

The Senatorial Fleets

The Senatorial Fleets fall under the command of prominent families or individual Senate seats; these fleets transfer from one generation of the Great Houses to another and though senatorial fleets are not usually large, rarely consisting of more than one wing, they have come to represent the wealth and prestige of the House.

A Senator who has risen to power through military service may also retain control of their former fleet making it by default a senatorial fleet

The Praetorian Fleet

Under the direct control of the Praetor the Praetorian Fleet form the naval arm of the Praetorian Guard. It is formed of three wings and appointments are made based on loyalty and merit. However, given the ever changing loyalties close to the Praetor turnover is high in this fleet though there is no shortage of candidates willing to show their loyalty and take appointment in what is arguably the most prestigious fleet of the Galae.

The duties and responsibilities of the Praetorian Fleet include escort duties for visiting dignitaries, Senators and other persons of high rank.

The Tal Diann

The Tal Diann is the Galae’s internal affairs division, and as such, fills a multi-function role in the Romulan Star Navy. Many years ago, when the Tal'Shiar began to assume a role of major importance in Romulan society and politics, the Romulan navy realized that trusting to the intelligence service’s good graces might prove unwise. Since the Tal Shiar seemed intent on subjecting the military to the same stringent scrutiny as the rest of the populace and began exercising its sweeping powers of conscription more and more frequently, the military created its own intelligence service, not to gather information on the Empire’s enemies, but to keep tabs on the Tal'Shiar. The Tal Diann polices its own, and operates counter- intelligence operations against the Tal Shiar.

In Romulan society, individual Senators can amass a great deal of power. Many rise through the military ranks, and command fleets of their own, which presents certain logistical problems. Aristocratic families placed their sons and daughters in the military, giving them de facto control of certain fleets, which eventually became hereditary prerogatives. Praetors could not necessarily count on the loyalty of these Senatorial Fleets, who sometimes paid more homage to their individual Senator, rather than the Empire as a whole. In an effort to ensure the Empire’s control, the Praetor conferred more political duties upon the Tal Diann, as a fail-safe to the Tal'Shiar. Today, the Tal Diann maintains and monitors relations between the Star Command and the various fleets, as well as between fleets themselves.

In addition to policing the military, the Tal Diann operates as the military intelligence branch of the Romulan military. Because of the secretive and conspiratorial nature of the Tal'Shiar, it might choose to distribute (or not distribute) information to the navy based on what was best for the Tal Shiar, not what was best for the navy. To ensure it receives all the intelligence it needs to do its job properly and keep its ships and crews safe, the Tal Diann executes espionage activities against the Empire’s enemies.