Velal tr'Hrienteh

For other uses, see Velal.

Velal i'Ra'tleihfi tr'Hrienteh, also known as simply Velal, was a male Romulan active in the Grand Fleet during the mid-24th century through early 25th century, and was subsequently named Praetor. (DS9: "When It Rains...", "The Dogs of War"; The Path to 2409; Bait and Switch: "Saith Daehpahr hrrafv Llaiirevha")

Biography

In late 2375, Velal was assigned to take part in meetings with the DS9 crew while Senator Kimara t'Cretak was on Romulus. He would later take the role permanently after Cretak was imprisoned for treason by the Continuing Committee. (DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")

After the Second Battle of Chin'toka and Corat Damar's attack on Rondac III, Velal attended a meeting with William Ross, Martok and Benjamin Sisko in which Miles O'Brien discussed the Breen energy dampening weapons. Velal was told his people's ships, as well as Starfleet's, were still vulnerable to the weapons, despite the fact the Klingon Empire's were immune. Velal was also unconvinced that Damar's depleted resistance movement could mount any credible opposition to the Dominion. (DS9: "When It Rains...")

Several weeks later, Velal met with Ross, Martok and Sisko again to discuss the Dominion's retreat from Federation, Klingon and Romulan space into the territory of the Cardassian Union. Due to the possibility of a high loss of lives and ships, Velal advocated an idea for the Allies to contain the Dominion within Cardassian borders. Velal relented when the Ross and Martok agreed to attack, given the alternative of letting the Dominion rebuild their forces. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

During the Federation Alliance invasion of the Cardassia system, Velal's flagship IRW D'ridthau was destroyed. Velal and his surviving crew were rescued by IRW Bloodwing. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind"; Bait and Switch: "Saith Daepahr hrrafv Llaiirevha, Part I")

In the late 2390s, Velal began to oppose the rule of Praetor Taris. In 2398, he was appointed second-in-command of the Romulan navy by General Tebok in a direct snub to Taris, and then succeeded Tebok as supreme commander after his death the next year. In 2401 he contacted Sela about removing Taris from office, but the subsequent vote of no confidence was narrowly defeated in the Senate. In 2403 he and Sela led a coup d'etat that forced Taris to flee Nova Roma; Sela was installed as Praetor and subsequently declared herself Empress of the Romulan Star Empire. (The Path to 2409)

Following Sela's coronation Velal succeeded her as Praetor. After she was kidnapped by the Iconians over Brea III, the Romulan Star Empire fell into civil war for the third time in as many decades. By 2410 Velal managed to marshal a power base and keep control of the Empire's core worlds, and sued for peace with the Romulan Republic for practical reasons. He traveled to Khitomer and negotiated a treaty with Republic officers D'trel and Morgaiah t'Thavrau. When the Tal Shiar attacked the conference, he revealed the fleet he had brought with him and joined in the defense from his flagship IRW Lost Road. (Bait and Switch: Saith Daepahr hrrafv Llaiirevha)

After Sela's capture by the Romulan Republic in the Delta Quadrant and subsequent escape from prison, Velal signed death warrants for the command crews of any Grand Fleet warbirds that defected to Sela and requested to D'trel that the former empress be taken alive. Following her recapture, she was handed over to Velal, who ordered her executed and her name thrice written and thrice burned. (Bait and Switch: "Dynamic Entry")

At the start of the Iconian War, Velal ordered Admiral Satali t'Tyrava to take Lost Road and every available warbird to help defend New Romulus against the invading Heralds, brushing off the objections of the Romulan Senate. (Bait and Switch: Beat the Drums of War)

Later that year, Velal negotiated with Ambassadors Rama Myreen and Dronk regarding the trial of Federation and Ferengi Alliance nationals captured graverobbing in the ruins of Romulus. Afterward he delivered a data solid the robbers had recovered to Morgaiah t'Thavrau. (Bait and Switch: "Heis'he Ri'nanovai")

Alternate timeline

In 2351 Velal held the rank of khre'riov and was assigned to Grand Fleet Headquarters. Upon a report from Telek R'Mor's IRW Talvath that it had been contacted by a cloaked Federation starship (actually USS Voyager communicating via a wormhole from 20 years in the future), Velal dispatched IRW Haakona and IRW Rea's Helm to support R'Mor. (The Mysterious Case of Neelix's Lungs: "Eye of the Needle")

External links

• Velal article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Velal article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• Velal article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.