10 Best Ever Romulan Stories In Star Trek
2. ENT, Babel One/United/The Aenar
Going back in time to the 22nd century, the Romulans proved that they were just as adept at their political scheming from a distance as well as up close. On Romulus, Admiral Valdore commands the pilot of a Romulan Drone Ship, equipped with holographic emitters to make it look like anything they want it to.
It is the time of a historic meeting between the old enemies the Andorians and the Tellarites, whose union the Romulan Empire is firmly against. They use their drone ship to attack vessels on both sides, posing as the other. Starfleet is pulled into the fighting as the drone ship imitates Enterprise as well. However, they are discovered and the drone ship is destoyed, ironically leading to a greater unity between the Andorian and Tellarite people, along with a respect for humankind.
This plot backfired for the Romulans but it also showed their skills at interfering with the running of other governments. The episode is notable as the first chronological appearance of Romulus, rendered with a CGI representation of the matte painting from The Next Generation. The episode also ties into Star Trek Nemesis, in that the Admiral in command is clearly the Admiral for which the new type of Warbird was named almost two hundred years later and two Reman soldiers appear as bodyguards, something that is unique to both these episodes and the tenth Star Trek film.
Star Trek Enterprise suffered in that it took its time to find its feet and was then cancelled before it could really hit its stride, but this fourth season entry was a clever set up to use the Romulans and keep their existence canon, while exploring their earlier plans for the Alpha Quadrant. For at least two centuries it seems they have been working toward their own ends, something that remains apparent in Star Trek Picard