Rihannsu

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Rihannsu, "the Declared", is the name that Romulans of Star Trek use for themselves in Diane Duane's series of books about them. The singular form is Rihanha. Like "Romulan", it comes from the name of their planet, "ch'Ríhan" ("of the Declared"). Ch'Havran ("of the Travelers") is ch'Ríhan's sister planet, known to the Federation as Remus.

The series consists of five books:

• My Enemy, My Ally (1984) (ISBN 0-7434-0369-X)
• The Romulan Way (1987) (ISBN 0-7434-0370-3)
• Swordhunt (2000) (ISBN 0-671-04209-2)
• Honor Blade (2000) (ISBN 0-671-04210-6)
• The Empty Chair (2006) (ISBN 978-1-1465-891-5)

Another book, Spock's World (ISBN 0-671-66773-4), makes reference to some of the events in The Romulan Way from the Vulcan side of things.

These books, as with most of the other Trek novels, are not considered canon. However, the depiction and interpretation of Romulan culture and history found in the Rihannsu book series is frequently preferred over that found in the Star Trek movies and series by those who have read them.

"Rihannsu" is also the name for the Romulan language invented by Duane.

The main Rihannsu character in the above series is Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu. Her sense of honor and duty leads her, paradoxically, to violate her oaths to her government and crew, first helping Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise to destroy a secret research facility, and then stealing the most precious artifact of her people, the Sword from the Empty Chair, using it as a symbol to lead a rebellion against the government, which she comes to feel has betrayed the ideals of the Empire.