Zhat Vash
The Zhat Vash was an ancient and secret Romulan cabal of Tal Shiar operatives. According to Laris, it was thousands upon thousands of years old, and it supposedly predated the Tal Shiar, which she said functioned merely as a mask for the Zhat Vash. Zhat vash was also a term sometimes used to refer to the dead, the "only reliable keepers of secrets". ()

Its sole purpose was claimed to be to keep a secret so profound and terrible that just learning it could break a person's mind. When she was a Tal Shiar recruit, Laris heard a drunk handler claim to her that the organization was motivated by hate, fear and pure unassuageable loathing for artificial intelligence, including androids, AIs, and other forms of synthetic life, which they attempted to seek out and destroy. ()

Allegedly, the Zhat Vash operated without regard for treaty or jurisdiction, not just on Romulan worlds, but also in the Klingon Empire, the Gorn Hegemony, and even the United Federation of Planets. ()

History 
The Zhat Vash were formed hundreds of years before the 24th century, when a group of Romulans investigating the mystery of the Eightfold Stars discovered the Admonition on the planet Aia. After experiencing the memories of the utter devastation wrought by the synthetic "Destroyer", called Seb-Cheneb, contained within the Admonition, they dedicated themselves to eliminating synthetics so as to prevent another such event. Subsequent generations of Zhat Vash would also submit themselves to Admonition, so as to strengthen themselves for their task. ()

The story of the "Zhat Vash" was sometimes told to frighten Tal Shiar recruits, with its alleged motives known to very few; Zhaban was largely skeptical of their existence and equated it to stories of "boogeymen". In 2399, former operative Laris related the rumors about the Zhat Vash to retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard; they came to believe that the Zhat Vash were likely behind the attacks on Dahj Asha on Earth. ()

General Oh later led a warbird squadron to destroy the planet's population of synths, but encountered s and a fleet of Starfleet starships led by the . During that battle, Narissa was killed in combat with Seven of Nine on the . It was that event that the Federation came to believe that the Zhat Vash were likely behind the Attack on Mars and lifted the ban on creation of artificial lifeforms. ()

Members 
 Narissa
 Oh
 Ramdha
 Eight unnamed female Romulans

Appendices

Appearances

External link
 

De:Zhat Vash
Romulan language
Romulus
Groups