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Next Season: Civil War!
brian334
Member Posts: 2,214 Arc User
With the most powerful leaders of the Great Houses and the Romulan Star Empire wiped out in the Iconian storyline, we're left with power vacuums all over the Beta Quadrant. One thing both cultures have in common is their attachment to strong leaders, and in the absence of such leadership, both devolve into infighting and fratricide until clear victors emerge to assume the leadership roles. Therefore it is a logical development that both erupt in interfactional conflict.
With the RSE a fractured fragment of its former glory, there will be those who want to make one final attempt to sieze control of the remnants of the Empire with the goal of reconquering the Republic rebels
With at least six heads of great houses assassinated, it is certain that second sons and cousins will think themselves more suited to lead than the obvious heirs, and plan accordingly, while other great houses whose goals were restricted by the might of the council may see opportunities to attain power in the council or feel free to ignore the Council.
With destabilization everywhere, the Federation will see opportunities to pick off minor race worlds or border worlds which have suffered neglect by their faction. Federation aid and protection would allow them greater autonomy internally than either empire allowed, and offer external security neither can provide, which will result in very angry empires.
Meanwhile, if the Alliance is to be preserved, the spread of the conflict will have to be arrested.
So, the stage is set for the development team to work on updating the existing assets rather than creating wholly new enemies and vessels. With the expansion focused on the efforts of The Alliance to minimize the damage, there would not need to be three storylines, but work on factional ship upgrades and Alpha/Beta Quadrant bugs and issues could be a major selling point.
This is my outline, but understandably yours will be different:
BLOG: The factional leaders of The Alliance hold a subspace teleconference discussing the problems and they agree to maintain the Alliance, set the ground rules for Alliance actions in their various territories, and appoint a three member Joint Alliance Command Staff to both advise the as yet unappointed leader of the stabilizing force and to keep the leadership of their factions informed.
Episode 1: The Spark
Succession issues among several Great Houses erupt into violence as supporters of one candidate or another attempt to improve their position by eliminating the competition. While such disruptions are not uncommon, having so many simultaneously severely interferes with internal commerce, which causes local shortages of various goods, leading to the spread of violence. Your task is to escort relief convoys through war zones to worlds hard hit by the conflicts.
The first world is happy to see you and the forces blockading it flee after token engagement.
The second world is under the control of rebels and not only puts up a fight in space, but uses planetary defenses to prevent your success.
The third is world under heavy assault, and your fleet must not only break through the attacking fleet, but the defending fleet as well. Thereafter orbital and ground forces must be neutralized and diplomatic contact with the legal government of the world established.
BLOG: Captain Shon, a hero of the relief convoy efforts, is appointed to command the Joint Alliance Guard Force, and word arrives that the remnants of the RSE has occupied several unaffiliated Romulan worlds, with the ultimate aim of forceful reunification of the Republic under their command.
Episode 2: War By Other Means
Player captains must visit unaligned Romulan worlds, (such as Hfihar,) to offer Alliance protection if they join the Alliance.
On the first world a Tal Shiar assassin attempts to kill the Captain. Diplomacy may fail, but it must seem to the player that its success is his actual goal.
On the second world an attempt to blockade your arrival is made, followed by an attempt to disrupt negotiations by setting off a bomb or three. Disarming the bombs must appear to be the goal, and Tal Shiar and Hirogen shock troops do their best to prevent it. The real goal of the assassins is to force the planet's leadership into a 'safe' bunker where a fifth bomb is hidden, and in this they succeed. With no government, the Alliance assumes the responsibility of protecting the world and promoting its peaceful transfer of power.
On the third world the RSE has imposed its leadership by publicly executing everyone in its Romulan Republic government. Expecting counterattack, the RSE fortifies both ground and space defenses and invites Hirogens to hunt non-RSE ships and personnel in the system.
Selecting Hard mode on this world means a fight in space followed by a fight on the ground to eliminate all enemy forces.
Selecting Medium mode allows a feint at attacking the space defenses, but allows beaming down once in range of the planet to infiltrate the RSE command center.
Selecting Easy mode allows a massive Alliance fleet to enter the system with the player, and provides shock troops which can be called in, (similar to the orbital bombardment in Cutting The Cord)
On the fourth world, an unallied world which is a hub of smuggling activity, the player must convince at least three of the five Cantons to lend aid and support to the Alliance. Failure of any individual attempt may or may not result in having to fight your way out. At the end the three smuggler princes agree to use their communications networks to spread the word that Alliance protection can be had for no more cost than renouncing RSE and Tal Shiar control.
Episode 3: The Fire
Rebel Klingon houses and RSE fleets begin outright conquest of Federation, Republic, and Empire worlds, and you are tasked to scout and protect if possible a world which may be on the list. Your first task is to find any rebel spies and expose them. Your second task is to keep the spy alive so your Intelligence Officer can interrogate him. Your third task is to oppose an incoming Rebel fleet long enough for Alliance help to arrive.
BLOG: The only hope the Alliance has to preserve the failing Empire and Republic is to accept the loss of border worlds while focusing on protecting key worlds.
Episode 4: War By Any Means
A relief mission gone wrong leaves the player captain stranded behind enemy lines.
The player captain must discuss the situation with the local government and advise them on how to best preserve their people against the threat of RSE reconquest.
Choice 1) Accept them with open arms. This choice means their contact with the player puts them in jeopardy, but the player can choose to have the locals chase him out of town as the RSE fleet arrives, thus proving they were always loyal.
Choice 2) Evacuate anyone the RSE will want to kill. This choice means the locals will feel abandoned and attack the player in an attempt to either get evacuated themselves or to have a prize to show their new masters when they arrive.
Choice 3) Geurilla War. This choice means that the player must remain on site long enough to show the locals how to resist occupation.
Any choice means the player captain will have to fight his way past the RSE fleet to get out.
Episode 5: Ashes
First, a major RSE naval depot must be captured to slow RSE expansion and prevent their replacement of lost ships. Bring a friend!
Second, a fleet containing the bulk of a Rebel House's ground troops must be prevented from destroying a loyalist garisson world.
Third, Rebel forces must be forced off of a Republic colony world and out of its solar system. (Optional, find and eliminate the hidden spy base.)
Fourth, RSE raiders attacking civilian shipping and farm worlds must be stopped, but also show how desperate the RSE is.
Fifth, protect Federation diplomats as they set up and conduct peace negotiations between the belligerents.
BLOG: The Joint Alliance Guard Force is disbanded as enemy ships and soldiers abandon the fight. Although some remain dedicated to their cause, their power is broken. The Alliance stands ready to help anyworld in need, regardless of affiliation as various disputed worlds either opt for independence or seek to enter into one of the factions.
***
Ship Upgrades for Rom and Klink factions would be supported by such an expansion, as well as the creation of new Alliance vessels designed jointly by all three powers. Some existing ships can be T6U RSE versions of the lower tier vessels, and some can be T6U versions of Rebel House vessels which are Klingon designs. The focus here should be on hulls never upgraded past T5.
Map bugs of many kinds can be addressed as this season focuses mainly on the Beta Quadrant and, aside from specific maps generated for a particular fight, new maps won't be needed.
Clothing bugs and options can be addressed as there will be no need to create new races.
Romulan Republic Ally Races can be introduced as playable characters and/or BOffs.
Finally, Hirogen Hunters, smugglers and pirates, and broken faction raiders, (remnants of the RSE and Rebel Houses,) can be used to create Individual Red Alerts which affect only one player but offer the option to drop out of warp for an encounter, (rewarded by marks from the appropriate faction,) or to continue on with more important matters.
With the RSE a fractured fragment of its former glory, there will be those who want to make one final attempt to sieze control of the remnants of the Empire with the goal of reconquering the Republic rebels
With at least six heads of great houses assassinated, it is certain that second sons and cousins will think themselves more suited to lead than the obvious heirs, and plan accordingly, while other great houses whose goals were restricted by the might of the council may see opportunities to attain power in the council or feel free to ignore the Council.
With destabilization everywhere, the Federation will see opportunities to pick off minor race worlds or border worlds which have suffered neglect by their faction. Federation aid and protection would allow them greater autonomy internally than either empire allowed, and offer external security neither can provide, which will result in very angry empires.
Meanwhile, if the Alliance is to be preserved, the spread of the conflict will have to be arrested.
So, the stage is set for the development team to work on updating the existing assets rather than creating wholly new enemies and vessels. With the expansion focused on the efforts of The Alliance to minimize the damage, there would not need to be three storylines, but work on factional ship upgrades and Alpha/Beta Quadrant bugs and issues could be a major selling point.
This is my outline, but understandably yours will be different:
BLOG: The factional leaders of The Alliance hold a subspace teleconference discussing the problems and they agree to maintain the Alliance, set the ground rules for Alliance actions in their various territories, and appoint a three member Joint Alliance Command Staff to both advise the as yet unappointed leader of the stabilizing force and to keep the leadership of their factions informed.
Episode 1: The Spark
Succession issues among several Great Houses erupt into violence as supporters of one candidate or another attempt to improve their position by eliminating the competition. While such disruptions are not uncommon, having so many simultaneously severely interferes with internal commerce, which causes local shortages of various goods, leading to the spread of violence. Your task is to escort relief convoys through war zones to worlds hard hit by the conflicts.
The first world is happy to see you and the forces blockading it flee after token engagement.
The second world is under the control of rebels and not only puts up a fight in space, but uses planetary defenses to prevent your success.
The third is world under heavy assault, and your fleet must not only break through the attacking fleet, but the defending fleet as well. Thereafter orbital and ground forces must be neutralized and diplomatic contact with the legal government of the world established.
BLOG: Captain Shon, a hero of the relief convoy efforts, is appointed to command the Joint Alliance Guard Force, and word arrives that the remnants of the RSE has occupied several unaffiliated Romulan worlds, with the ultimate aim of forceful reunification of the Republic under their command.
Episode 2: War By Other Means
Player captains must visit unaligned Romulan worlds, (such as Hfihar,) to offer Alliance protection if they join the Alliance.
On the first world a Tal Shiar assassin attempts to kill the Captain. Diplomacy may fail, but it must seem to the player that its success is his actual goal.
On the second world an attempt to blockade your arrival is made, followed by an attempt to disrupt negotiations by setting off a bomb or three. Disarming the bombs must appear to be the goal, and Tal Shiar and Hirogen shock troops do their best to prevent it. The real goal of the assassins is to force the planet's leadership into a 'safe' bunker where a fifth bomb is hidden, and in this they succeed. With no government, the Alliance assumes the responsibility of protecting the world and promoting its peaceful transfer of power.
On the third world the RSE has imposed its leadership by publicly executing everyone in its Romulan Republic government. Expecting counterattack, the RSE fortifies both ground and space defenses and invites Hirogens to hunt non-RSE ships and personnel in the system.
Selecting Hard mode on this world means a fight in space followed by a fight on the ground to eliminate all enemy forces.
Selecting Medium mode allows a feint at attacking the space defenses, but allows beaming down once in range of the planet to infiltrate the RSE command center.
Selecting Easy mode allows a massive Alliance fleet to enter the system with the player, and provides shock troops which can be called in, (similar to the orbital bombardment in Cutting The Cord)
On the fourth world, an unallied world which is a hub of smuggling activity, the player must convince at least three of the five Cantons to lend aid and support to the Alliance. Failure of any individual attempt may or may not result in having to fight your way out. At the end the three smuggler princes agree to use their communications networks to spread the word that Alliance protection can be had for no more cost than renouncing RSE and Tal Shiar control.
Episode 3: The Fire
Rebel Klingon houses and RSE fleets begin outright conquest of Federation, Republic, and Empire worlds, and you are tasked to scout and protect if possible a world which may be on the list. Your first task is to find any rebel spies and expose them. Your second task is to keep the spy alive so your Intelligence Officer can interrogate him. Your third task is to oppose an incoming Rebel fleet long enough for Alliance help to arrive.
BLOG: The only hope the Alliance has to preserve the failing Empire and Republic is to accept the loss of border worlds while focusing on protecting key worlds.
Episode 4: War By Any Means
A relief mission gone wrong leaves the player captain stranded behind enemy lines.
The player captain must discuss the situation with the local government and advise them on how to best preserve their people against the threat of RSE reconquest.
Choice 1) Accept them with open arms. This choice means their contact with the player puts them in jeopardy, but the player can choose to have the locals chase him out of town as the RSE fleet arrives, thus proving they were always loyal.
Choice 2) Evacuate anyone the RSE will want to kill. This choice means the locals will feel abandoned and attack the player in an attempt to either get evacuated themselves or to have a prize to show their new masters when they arrive.
Choice 3) Geurilla War. This choice means that the player must remain on site long enough to show the locals how to resist occupation.
Any choice means the player captain will have to fight his way past the RSE fleet to get out.
Episode 5: Ashes
First, a major RSE naval depot must be captured to slow RSE expansion and prevent their replacement of lost ships. Bring a friend!
Second, a fleet containing the bulk of a Rebel House's ground troops must be prevented from destroying a loyalist garisson world.
Third, Rebel forces must be forced off of a Republic colony world and out of its solar system. (Optional, find and eliminate the hidden spy base.)
Fourth, RSE raiders attacking civilian shipping and farm worlds must be stopped, but also show how desperate the RSE is.
Fifth, protect Federation diplomats as they set up and conduct peace negotiations between the belligerents.
BLOG: The Joint Alliance Guard Force is disbanded as enemy ships and soldiers abandon the fight. Although some remain dedicated to their cause, their power is broken. The Alliance stands ready to help anyworld in need, regardless of affiliation as various disputed worlds either opt for independence or seek to enter into one of the factions.
***
Ship Upgrades for Rom and Klink factions would be supported by such an expansion, as well as the creation of new Alliance vessels designed jointly by all three powers. Some existing ships can be T6U RSE versions of the lower tier vessels, and some can be T6U versions of Rebel House vessels which are Klingon designs. The focus here should be on hulls never upgraded past T5.
Map bugs of many kinds can be addressed as this season focuses mainly on the Beta Quadrant and, aside from specific maps generated for a particular fight, new maps won't be needed.
Clothing bugs and options can be addressed as there will be no need to create new races.
Romulan Republic Ally Races can be introduced as playable characters and/or BOffs.
Finally, Hirogen Hunters, smugglers and pirates, and broken faction raiders, (remnants of the RSE and Rebel Houses,) can be used to create Individual Red Alerts which affect only one player but offer the option to drop out of warp for an encounter, (rewarded by marks from the appropriate faction,) or to continue on with more important matters.
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Comments
I doubt that they will be a major player. The most recent blog alludes to them, but casts them as an intermediary between Torg's forces and a "former enemy of the Empire," which is probably the Tzenkethi. We might not even see the Son'a at this time.
Hast thou not felt ashamed of thy words and deeds
Hast thou not lacked vigor
Hast thou exerted all possible efforts
Hast thou not become slothful
The Tal Shiar shouldn't be in much better shape, either.
Desperate people don't calculate the odds, they fight. Who is in a more desperate position than the remnants of the RSE and the Tal Shiar?
As for the RSE and Tal Shiar... *chuckles* All the RSE could spare for their Empress' protection was 3 warbirds that got easily disabled or destroyed by an Alliance ship that may be their number one target following what its crew did to their remnants during the last couple of years. I'm not even convinced they even have enough fully-functional ships to be a threat to anything other than an unarmed civilian transport anymore.
I call dibs on ending the bloodline that'll lead to Kal Dano, the time travelling idiot.
Now, if something happened to J'm'pok - different story. But normal Klingon process would require him to be weakened first.
PLUS - The Empire is used to civil war; it's a normal event (as demonstrated by the careful rules seen in the one which followed K'mpec's death.
Please don't project the Federation's inability to handle violent transfers of power onto the Klingon Empire. They've been doing that sort of thing for centuries.
Agreed. My point is not that J'm'pok's power is less, but that succession rivaries within so many great houses simultaneously creates a power vacuum many rush to fill, creating more chaos than if they had happened one after another, and that those who always opposed him would use the chaos for their own benefit.
> tyler002 wrote: »
>
> Can the RSE even fight a civil war anymore? Or any kind of war, for that matter, considering it was practically non-existent before the Iconian war even started.
>
> The Tal Shiar shouldn't be in much better shape, either.
>
>
>
>
> Desperate people don't calculate the odds, they fight. Who is in a more desperate position than the remnants of the RSE and the Tal Shiar?
The RSE is a failure, and the Tal Shiar is loathed by all for thief rank Treason and collaboration with the Elachi. Exposing and crushing them makes the Republic the only credible faction in Romulan space.
The RSE once controlled vast resources and, while they are depleted, they are certainly not spent. Popularity was never a requirement to hold power in the RSE, so the fact that a particular faction is despised is no bar to their ability to assume power.
The remnants of the Empire have two choices: quietly fade away, which some will certainly do, or make one last grab for power, which others would do. Our real world history is filled with such instances, and very few empires fell as quietly as the Soviet Union.
I'm sure if I began listing examples of factions who were losing or had lost power and what they did about it a flame war would erupt, but a simple Google search should prove educational. I'd begin with the simple question, "What happens when empires fall?"
In my example outline above the ability of any of the factions to sustain a fight against the Alliance is clearly limited. But the purpose of the Civil War concept is to return focus on the core races for a season, giving Cryptic the opportunity to work on the core maps, costumes, ships, and bugs in all areas. Having a remnant RSE faction gives Cryptic an excuse to create T6U versions of Romulan ships without detracting from their regular ship sales because it would only require assets which are already required for a new season no matter where it's set.
"I was here before you, I will be here after you are gone. I am here, regardless of your acknowledgement or acceptance..." - The Truth
The Star Empire is deader than dead and there is no indication whatsoever that the Republic will see in-fighting soon.
Besides that, let's focus on building something for a change, rather than destroying (ourselves) in a (civil) war. I don't like the idea of the Alliance or any powers therein tearing themselves apart, nor deal unnecessary damage to what has been a very, very succesful cooperation for all parties involved.
That the council is intact irrelevant for this plan. As I said, succession among Klingons is not a matter of voting for new guys. An heir must prove his worth. What I suggest is akin to dominoes falling as one disturbance ignites the next and presumptive heirs fight to maintain their positions of influence. Opportunist factions would take advantage of such a situation: houses on the outs with Jimmy, houses which suffered humiliation at the hands of other great houses, and even remote heirs who feel the death of their new lord would benefit their own claims to power.
What data do you have that indicates the RSE is dead? One leader committed suicide by assimilation, one was murdered while in police custody, and one was arrested but apparently released. Aside from a handfull of destroyed ships there is nothing of which I am aware which indicates any great loss of power by the remaining loyalist faction, and as of SPOILER ALERT! the end of the Romulan Rep gated storyline, it appears that the new leadership of the Tal Shiar is in place and active.
I'm all for building and exploring but, absent a Dungeonmaster, I don't see how such things can be implemented. I'd like to see an outline which shows how it could be done. (In a new thread so we don't end up talking past one another.) And the idea I've presented is not just for the storyline; it is a means to an end. It is a story-based concept which allows developers to revisit the core races for upgrades which set the stage for future expansion while using existing assets and development cycles to do so.
So, story-wise, it is a logical development because a minor disruption can easily spread to become a disaster, and a test of the Alliance early in its development could solidify its power for generations to come, in much the same way as the U.S. participation in the War Of 1812 solidified the shaky foundation of the Federal Government in the U.S.
Stupid? Really?
And yes, this is exactly about coming together. If you note, in my outline the Alliance comes out stronger than ever, having proved it can become more than a desperation move by three civilizations on the verge of destruction. Will the Alliance survive in the absence of an overwhelming enemy bent on the destruction of the various factions within it? Will it emerge as a force of stability, and a foundation upon which mutual growth of all can be built? Those questions are answered in my outline.
1) The current storyline suggests that all is not well in the Empire.
2) Loyalty to Sela? Or loyal to the former Empire? The Romulan Reputation vigniettes show that the Tal Shiar is still active under new leadership, and where are the hundreds of ships which were once part of the RSE? Did they all defect to the Republic? You presume Donatra and Sela were the RSE. They were factions within the Empire, and their factions are broken, but they were far from the only Romulans in positions of power who might think this is the last chance to restore Romulan hegemony in the Beta Quadrant.
3) Those ideas have merit, and could (should) be explored. However, which of them offers a chance to revisit the existing materials for fixes and upgrades which players and developers alike have wanted for a long time now?
The idea as proposed would not turn any existing character into a bad guy, nor would it upset the current alliance. The three factions would work together for Beta Quadrant security against the RSE and Rebel Houses, and come out on the other side as stronger allies and friends.
It's not that I don't like your idea, I just can't see it happening from a storyline standpoint, at least the part concerning the RSE. The Klingon rebels seem a bit more plausible, and I could see Gorn rebels trying to sever the ties with the Klingons. But the RSE? No chance, this one's played out.
Personally, I like @somtaawkhar 's ideas, as they would expand the game world even more (and I would love to see the Sheliak, who are one of the few canon factions the game hasn't covered yet).
Who's the prettiest of them all?
What I suggested is destabilization, not conquest. Capturing a world or two to increase one's power base may be insignificant in the face of Alliance power, but a power-hungry authoritarian might think he can snatch a few plums while the Klingons distract their foes, and after the fact hold those conquests knowing the Alliance won't risk millions of civilian deaths to retake the worlds.
In any case, the idea was only an excuse to allow the developers to focus on the original material which needs updating, upgrading, or bug-fixing. How the story works out isn't as important as that it works out.
Because The Avengers civil war is coming is set to come out in less than a year and people talk of civil war in the US because of Trump "shrugs"
I'm strange, I know, but I'm not really a fan of the comic book movies. I've seen a few on TV, but was never interested enough to go to see one in the theater. I was blissfully unaware that The Avengers were mad at one another.
> The RSE once controlled vast resources and, while they are depleted, they are certainly not spent. Popularity was never a requirement to hold power in the RSE, so the fact that a particular faction is despised is no bar to their ability to assume power.
Sela blew the RSE's wad attempting (unsuccessfully) to sterilize first Vulcan (and it didn't help the RSE when it turned out the Tal Shiar had blown up Romulus) then New Romulus, she also collaborated with the Tal Shiar, allowing them to kidnap her own people to hand over to the Elachi to turn them into abominations. She also turned out to be to blame for the entire Iconian War in the first place by provoking a Vendetta with the Iconians. After her short and disastrous Reign, the RSE would be pretty much permanently tarred as Traitors and Quislings nearly as bad as the Tal Shiar, who by the way wiped out the majority of their own species in the hopes they would be allowed to rule over the remainder.....vainly, as Iconian records indicate quite clearly....as a Quisling Regime for the Iconians. The Tal Shiar isn't merely unpopular...they are incontrovertibly the vilest Traitors in all Romulan history, the populace as a whole would be baying for their blood once the truth came out, and the Republic was eager to let the whole Alpha and Beta Quadrant know for just that reason.
Meanwhile, the Republic was successfully fighting off multiple threats to the very existence of the Romulan species, obliging the Feds and Klingons to respect it's sovereignty and status as a major power through adept diplomacy,...and even getting the Remans to throw in their lot with the Republic in spite of everything the Romulans had done to them. Oh, and making the Tal Shiar pay in blood for their Treason.
> The remnants of the Empire have two choices: quietly fade away, which some will certainly do, or make one last grab for power, which others would do. Our real world history is filled with such instances, and very few empires fell as quietly as the Soviet Union.
Oh, some of them might well try to grab the Crown....but they'd fail. They already lose ships and even worlds with every diplomatic and military success notched up by the Republic. By the end of the Iconian War the Republic's momentum would be irresistable....RSE Officers and planetary governors not implicated in the Tal Shiar's crimes would be crossing over in droves rather than die for a failed State, and D'Tan would welcome them with open arms. And the Republic's power would grow with each one.
>
> I'm sure if I began listing examples of factions who were losing or had lost power and what they did about it a flame war would erupt, but a simple Google search should prove educational. I'd begin with the simple question, "What happens when empires fall?"
>
Look up the fall of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent rise of Kemal Ataturk and the Turkish Republic from it's ashes....that is probably the closest example in Earth history of what D'Tan has accomplished with the Republic. By the end of the Iconian War his place in history...and grip on power...is secure, I doubt many Romulans that had a choice in the matter would even want to stand against him. What few RSE leaders were left when D'Tan closed the window for getting on the bandwagon and moved against the remains of the RSE would end up in jail or dead...and as for the remnants of the Tal Shiar, they'd be hunted down like dogs no matter where they fled, by the Republic and every bounty hunter in all three Quadrants.
>
> In my example outline above the ability of any of the factions to sustain a fight against the Alliance is clearly limited. But the purpose of the Civil War concept is to return focus on the core races for a season, giving Cryptic the opportunity to work on the core maps, costumes, ships, and bugs in all areas. Having a remnant RSE faction gives Cryptic an excuse to create T6U versions of Romulan ships without detracting from their regular ship sales because it would only require assets which are already required for a new season no matter where it's set.
I could see a Klingon Civil War....the path they are on to membership in the Federation then the Galactic Union would be a bitter pill to swallow for many of them, more so than for the Republic...but I don't see a Inter-Romulan conflict lasting very long at all, because by the end of the Iconian War the Republic has far more credibility as the defender and voice of the Romulan people than the remnants of the RSE do, and the Tal Shiar is universally hated, and worse for them, no longer really feared. Once their dealings with the Elachi came out, the Remans wouldn't have been the only ones willing to Theralon Bomb themselves rather than surrender to the Tal Shiar.