| abstract
| - Retribution is set about ten years after the events of Specter, and one year after the destruction of Romulus in a supernova (referenced by the backstory of Star Trek XI). It is implied that "the Shinzon incident" threw their civilization into chaos, but after the loss of their homeworld, suddenly the various warring factions have become united again. The film's A-story centers around a planned invasion by the Romulans of the Federation, prophesied to include such overwhelming numbers that it will surely mean the end of the human race. The impetus for this is the revelation that a Federation starship was allegedly sighted near the Romulan star just before it went nova, prompting accusations that Starfleet was somehow behind the disaster. Proof of this exists in the form of a grainy recording from a surveillance drone, which had captured an image of an indistinct shadow very near the sun, accompanied by energy readings consistent with a Starfleet warp signature. Worst of all, the source of this supposed evidence is allegedly a human, who's now risen to assume command of the Romulan fleet, and whose identity is a complete mystery except for his name: Drakus. The USS F. Scott Fitzgerald--now under the command of Captain Bradley Prentice--is assigned to venture into Romulan space, review the recording, and determine whether it's real or not, as well as to learn the true identity of Drakus. Accompanying them is Admiral Gaius Reyf, serving as subject matter expert on Romulan psychology. The film's B-story centers around the changed nature of the relationship between Prentice and Reyf. Unlike the past, Reyf is suddenly secretive and mysterious, and it's clear from the get-go that he's hiding something major. Prentice asks him several times what's really going on--pointing out that if this were a straightforward fact-finding mission there would be a representative of the diplomatic corps present in Reyf's place--but each time Reyf deflects his questions and insists on maintaining secrecy, first saying those are his orders and later by cautioning Prentice that "certain mysteries are best left unsolved." The C-story focuses on the relationships of the crew, hinting at past romantic involvement between Prentice and his first officer, Kendra Ronston, and depicting the current relationship between Commander Mitchell and Lieutenant Commander Kal. At first, these seemed to serve no larger purpose, until a scene between security chief Lieutenant Hargrove and Commander Mitchell demonstrated how important that connection and presence is in their lives and its role in their determination to save the Federation.
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