The Vengeance-class warbird was developed and launched in the 2290s shortly before the Heavy Defender cruiser, and was the largest Romulan vessel of her time. Bearing a bulky and somewhat unusual profile, the Vengeance did not display the same leaps forward in design as the Heavy Defender, but its size, overwhelming firepower (for the time) and utility made it a mainstay of the Romulan fleet during the first few decades of the 24th Century. Despite its graceless appearance, the Vengeance was and remains a true warbird, serving even today in Romulan battle formations as a heavy troop transport. The Vengeance's vast holds contain a full legion of Romulan soldiers eager to serve the Empire and prove their worth. Beamed down en masse by the Vengeance's heavy transporters, these calculating and professional soldiers can quickly overwhelm whatever opposition remains after the Vengeance's bombardment and establish a garrison, holding a new world for the glory of the Romulan Star Empire.