The Romulan Neutral Zone on the floor of the Romulan Senate
The Romulan Neutral zone was an area of neutral space between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire. The Neutral Zone was established after the end of the Earth-Romulan War in 2160. Entry by either side into the Zone constituted an act of war. The Romulans incorporated a map of the Neutral Zone into the Romulan Senate chamber's floor. (TOS: "Balance of Terror"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, production art; Star Trek Nemesis)
Location
During the Neutral Zone Incursion of 2266, the location of the Romulan Neutral Zone was labeled on a map of Sector Z-6 that was displayed on the bridge viewscreen of the USS Enterprise during the Neutral Zone Incursion. (TOS: "Balance of Terror", display graphic)
In 2293, the location of the Romulan Neutral Zone in the Milky Way Galaxy was labeled in a star chart that was in Captain James T. Kirk's quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-A. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, production art)
In 2366, the location of the Romulan Neutral Zone was labeled on a tactical intelligence analysis that was displayed on one of the viewscreens of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG: "The Defector", display graphic)
In 2369, the location of the Romulan Neutral Zone was depicted by a thin line on a Deep Space 9 traffic control database map that was displayed on one of the viewscreens of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG: "Birthright, Part II", display graphic)
History
After the Earth-Romulan War, at least eight Earth Outpost Stations were built on asteroids along the Zone. In 2266, four of these outposts were destroyed by a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. Commander Hansen was in command of Earth Outpost 4 until its destruction. (TOS: "Balance of Terror") By the terms of the treaty, the Romulans had a legal right to seize and impound any Federation starship that entered the zone. (TAS: "The Survivor")
In 2311 the Neutral Zone was reinforced and redefined in the Treaty of Algeron. Deanna Troi recalled this fact when she discussed the Pegasus Incident with Commander Riker. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages..."; TNG: "The Pegasus")
In 2364, the USS Enterprise-D was ordered to investigate the Neutral Zone to solve a mystery concerning the disappearance of a string of Federation outposts. It was later established that the outposts were decimated by the Borg due to a signature obliterative technique unique to their technology. A crew member aboard the ship, Worf, describes it: "The outpost was just not destroyed, it's as though some great force just scooped it off the face of the planet." Later that year, the Enterprise-D encountered a Borg cube that had obliterated several other populations in uncharted space in the same fashion. (TNG: "The Neutral Zone", "Q Who")
In 2366, after receiving intel from a Romulan defector about a possible Romulan base at Nelvana III, outposts along the zone received warnings from Starfleet Command. Several independent vessels in nearby sectors received the same warning. (TNG: "The Defector")
In 2367, according to a starship mission status chart seen on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D, the USS Berlin and USS Monitor were assigned to patrol this zone. (TNG: "Brothers", display graphic)
In 2373, the USS Enterprise-E was ordered to patrol the Neutral Zone during the second Borg assault on Earth, as Starfleet Command felt that Jean-Luc Picard's experience with the Borg would make him a risk during the battle to defend Earth. (Star Trek: First Contact)
Before the Romulans joined the Dominion War in late 2374, the bulk of their fleet was deployed along the Neutral Zone. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight") The USS Cairo disappeared and was presumed destroyed by the Dominion near the Neutral Zone. It was believed that the Dominion ships had crossed from the Romulan side of the Zone to attack the Cairo, something they were allowed to do as per their nonaggression pact with the Romulans. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")
In 2379, Praetor Shinzon attempted to fool Picard into believing he wanted the Neutral Zone to be abolished. (Star Trek Nemesis)
Sectors
- Sector 004/11 - 010/35
- Sector 009
- Sector 023
- Sector 030
- Sector 031
- Sector 045/34 - 052/32
- Sector 1045
- Sector 2158 ("Kaleb Sector")
- Sector Z-6
- Gamma Hydra Sector
See also
- Systems in the Romulan Neutral Zone
- Federation-Klingon border
- Demilitarized Zone between the Cardassian Union and the Federation
External link
- Template:NCwiki