"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." - Albert Einstein The Federation and the Romulan Star Empire. Eternal cold warriors. Neither the Dominion War nor the incident with Praetor Shinzon proved to be enough of a catalyst to break down a rift reinforced by centuries of wounded pride. The Neutral Zone acted as a buffer, keeping two of the galaxy's most powerful organizations separate, but the aftermath of the Hobus Supernova has weakened that barrier. Romulus, the Romulan homeworld, is destroyed. The Star Empire is a shadow of its former self. Despite its determination to stand on its own, greedy eyes and longstanding enmities have left them in an untenable position.