Introduction

Traditionally the house has specialized in the arts of warfare, particularly those aspects of warfare that deal with ones feet firmly planted on the ground. For many years After Travel, during myriad skirmishes and wars s'Khnialmnae became very well-known for it's skilled and intelligent warriors.  

A Rise to Power

In order to preserve its power and mnhe'sahe, s'Khnialmnae swore a blood-oath to keep and defend the fledgling government. This bold move, showing such faith in the new leaders, successfully prevented s'Khnialmnae from reciding into the shadows. However, it still lacked a direction - a motivation - to keep moving forward.  

Using it's prestige as one of the primere combatants in the arts of land warfare, s'Khnialmnae began building alliances with the other, greater houses. It did so by allowing all those worthy to train with its clansmen. Not only were the arts of war taught, there was also a rigorous religious and fine arts regimen. The Knights of Khnialmnae were widely regarded as the best educated and refined members of Rihannsu society.  

For three centuries s'Khnialmnae enjoyed a golden age.  

Fall From Grace

Time passed, and some began to look towards space travel again. House Khnialmnae eloquently persuaded the senate to not trouble themselves with this terrible scourge again. To the house, space travel was useless beyond the transport of goods from one of the double planets to the other. Any aggression taken towards the two planets could be easily dealt with on the ground in honorable combat.  

After several weeks of debate by correspondence, the senate capitulated. Proponents of a space defense program were outraged,claiming Khnialmnae had used its power to stop legislation to preserve its own power, when it had sworn to protect the twoplanets.  

The senate was becoming quietly divided on the subject when the Federation's U.S.S. Carrizal entered Rihannsu space. Eyes grew wide as the tiny vessel screamed away greetings at the two planets. The senate tried to slap a classification on the occurrence at s'Khnialmnae's behest, but it was two late, and public dissatisfaction (and shear panic) grew to a head.  

The Dark Years

Then Fvillha Ael demanded that action be immediately taken, and ordered s'Khnialmnae to begin training its knights in aerospace combat tactics using the few Aero craft the government possessed.  

s'Khnialmnae refused. "We cannot and will not." Lweiss tr'Khnialmnae, a young officer in the new military, openly attacked the Fvillha. He called his rapid demands "as reactionary as his family. We should have expected such a thing from such a dull-witted man. No harm has been done, or will be done. We will see to that. There is no need to expend precious resources in pursuit of death in space."  

The people disagreed. In fact, Khnialmnae was again accused of neglecting the defense of the people for its own gain. Khnialmnae was not the only defense for the planets, far from it, but it had set the "mood" for centuries, and some felt betrayed.  

The space galae was conceived, and construction began immediately while s'Khnialmnae receded into the shadows. It was far from being powerless, but the great days were gone now. Finally, the fleet was ready, and it was deployed.  

No members of Khnialmnae had participated directly in constructing the vessels. No members of Khnialmnae now manned any stations. And Khnialmnae still openly opposed space travel for anything other than transportation of goods.  

The Rihannsu began to see Khnialmnae not as the fore-front of innovation, but a backward conservatory, safeguarding nothing but their own ideals. After the capture of U.S.S. Stone Mountain, the conflict with Khnialmnae came to a head.  

Lweiss, now an aging veteran again attacked the Fvillha openly, stating that now, for certain more ships would come and would haveto be dealt with. Aidoann ir-Ihhlai t'Khnialmnae, then hru'hfirh agreed. The public would humor the house no more. Lweiss was charged with treachery, and the name Khnialmnae was treated with disdain.  

Aidoann received a number of swords from her district, and took the hint to commit honorable suicide. In her last statement she said, "the ways of old are a hinderance to the new age, yet I can find no place there. I must be as I am, therefore I will find my own place among the elements, that honor may return to find favor with my house once again."  

Lweiss was sentenced to death.  

The Frontier

Budgeting became intense and one of the most historic events in Rihannsu history came to pass. Ne'fvekh tr'Khnialmnae re-affirmed the old blood-oath to defend the imperium and said, "In order to affectively defend the imperium we must be ready to defend her at the extremities, not relaying upon the resources of our government. Every member of our house must be ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of the empire. We must be ready to meet the enemy on the frontier. And we will." After a few quizzacle looks he explained bluntly, "We're moving to Gorwah."  

This however, was not just an ordinary move. For decades funds were laid up in preparation for the great trek to the new homeworld. Engineers were hired and ships chartered. Finally all was in readiness.  

Brick by brick the Khnialmnae castle was deconstructed and transported to Gorwah. Brick by brick the great structure was reassembled on the cold banks of the River Rhannasa. Khnialmnae had come to its new home.  

At least that is the story that others in the empire were told. In truth, the house's eri'hfirh, Arrhae had fallen in love with a member of a rival house, sAnnhwi. The hru'hfirh of s'Annhwi refused to allow the wedding unless s'Khnialmnae was removed from ch'Rihan. Shamed that house s'Annhwi had effectivly blackmailed them off ch'Rihan, the true story was covered up. 
 

Redemption

Khnialmnae still strives to achieve and hold its status as a great house, and requires its members to be as knowledgeable as possible in science, arts, literature, religion, and of course, traditional swordsmanship.  

 There is no canonical information on House Khnialmnae, save that both "My Enemy, My Ally" and "The Romulan Way" infere that it exists. Aidoann t'Khnialmnae, one of the officers aboard Ael's vessel Bloodwing was considered a feature character, although she had little more than a cameo appearance. 

 On TOS TrekMUSE, Khnialmnae has had three  Aidoann t'Khnialmnaes. The first Aidoann was the founder of the house in 1991. Through the circumstances explained in the history above, she committed suicide. The second Aidoann disappeared after moving from here to somewhere in the midwest, where I lost track of her. =( The most recent incarnation of the name, was the actual feature characterfrom the novels. She  was killed in a space-faring accident near the spacedock ChH Rokhelh'Ael, in which the destroyer Memory  collided with the RHA Transport Star Dragon. Both ships were lost with all hands, thus ending this character permanently. 

 But in Star Trek there are always...possibilities. 

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