Savan
Cadet Savan is currently in training.
| In training | ||
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| Savan | ||
| Position | Cadet | |
| Rank | Cadet | |
| Species | Vulcan | |
| Gender | Male | |
| DOB | 236403.15 | |
| Age | 37 | |
| Birthplace | T'Vral Kol, Voloth Province, Vulcan | |
| Writer ID | A230001AA0 | |
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STATS
- Birth Name: Savan v'Risalthis (Approximated from Vulcan)
- Terran Legal Name: Savan Bergen - entered upon registration of adoption by Torin Marcus Bergen, stardate 237804.30
- Species: Vulcan
- Age: 28
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: 236403.15
- Place of Birth: T'vral Kol, Voroth Province, Vulcan
- Planetary Citizenship: Terra - transferred from Vulcan effective stardate 237901.01
- Hometown: Santa Cruz, California, Terra
APPEARANCE AND TRAITS
- Height: 1.98 m (6'6")
- Weight: 97.52 kg (215 lbs)
- Hair Color: Dark brown
- Hair Style and Length: Savan varies the length of his hair, from shortly cropped to medium long, at which he points he ties his hair in a simple pony tail. He also varies his hair style. The one haircut he absolutely avoids is the Vulcan bowl cut. When Savan first arrived on Earth, his cousins repeatedly made fun of it but he stubbornly kept it until age 14. At that time, when Savan later admitted he was possibly interested in a classmate, they suggested he change it to a more Terran style. They also added it increased his chances of going out on a date. He immediately cut since the new haircut would more effective, hence a more logical. And it was.
- Eye Color: Green with brown tint
- Skin Tone: Medium olive tone. When on Terra for an extended time or after visits to warm planets with sufficient UV exposure, Savan develops a dark tan.
- Build: Lean and muscular with long torso and limbs
- Handedness: Ambidextrous
- Scars: There is long scar at the top of his skull from when he bashed his head against a rock while surfing. This is usually hidden by his air, however.
- Tattoos: Savan has a tattoo on his upper left back, above his shoulder blade. He usually won't discuss it, but it is for a friend who died while he was in college. He also has a Tahitian tattoo on his right leg, which was done by his adopted mother's family in Tahiti.
- Taste in Clothing (when off duty): When out of uniform, Savan tends to dress in a minimally decorated soft suit in neutral colors, underneath which he wears a solid-colored sweater or t-shirt. Sometimes, this can be long or short-sleeved depending on the temperature. He tends to dress in one single color, with a strong preference for dark blue, white, black, and grey. For meditaiton, he wears a Vulcan robe but notably without any of the usual Vulcan markings. Due to living on Earth and spending time in humid tropical climates, he does enjoy wearing resortwear like swim trunks when the time and location are appropriate—a rare sight for Vulcans.
- Voice: Savan’s voice has a warm, deep timber.
- Manner of Speech: When in a professional context, Savan's speech borrows certain Vulcan locutions. However, when speaking among close friends and family from his life on Terra, Savan quickly sounds far more colloquial. Some wonder whether is his manner of speaking in Starfleet in some kind of affectation or a personal cover, a way to cover up for his more emotional nature.
- Physical Mannerisms: When on duty, Savan adopts an almost military posture, leaving his hands at his side or behind his back. When confronted with items of interest, surprise or humor, he often cocks his right eyebrow. Depending on the occasion, he will show the beginning of a smile.
- Carriage: Because of Savan’s intense training in martial arts and sports, he moves with an elegance and quiet power. In fact, there is an almost some feline, animalistic way to how he moves at times, especially when he is tight quarters. Generally, though, he walks with a clean, confident stride, more expansive than other Vulcans.
BEHAVIOR AND INTERESTS
- Personal Philosophy: One of Savan’s friends in college at the University of California joked half-seriously that Savan “aims to live long and prosper on his own terms.” While it was meant to be taken humorously, Savan found the description to quite “logical and accurate.”
- Quarters: Clean and minimal but scented with incense. He often includes one or two orchid plants. On display are his weapons (including a lirpa and a bat'leth) as well as a surf board and a canoe paddle.
- Habits: When on a normal day shift, Savan rises daily betwen 0300 to 0400 hours. His morning routine consists of bathing, meditation, and one to two hours of physical traning before eating breakfast. He also is meticulously groomed. On occasion, unlike most Vulcans, he does grow a beard. Savan does go to bed regularly at 1130, after a period of medtiation.
- Diet:In keeping with Vulcan custom, Savan is usually a vegetarian. However, after having grown up on Earth, he has acquired a taste for spicy or strongly flavored cuisines. (His friend John Torres inspired his like for Mexican cuisine, in particular.) After spending time throughout the Pacific, Savn does eat raw fish.
- Drink: Savan mainly drinks strong coffee, Vulcan and Terran teas and water. Savan also drinks alcohol but only on limited occasions, when he describes it as an “unnecessary but pleasurable indulgence.” He does have an affinity for Japanese sake. He will avoid Romulan ale and tequila, as he has noted that both spirits produced “somewhat regrettable after-effects.” He has admitted that he did partake of too many “indulgences," including tequila, while a university student.
- Religion/Spiritual Devotion: Savan expresses interest in traditional Vulcan philosophy, but also pre-Surakian belief systems. He meditates twice daily. He also maintains an altar.
- Hobbies and Pastimes: Savan is an undeniably an active outdoors person. His main pastimes include martial arts, hiking, wilderness survival training, surfing, swimming, and outrigger canoe paddling. He is also developing an interest in holophotography.
- Musical tastes: Classical Indian music, Chinese opera, Vulcan lyre, Terran jazz, Andorian blues
- Dislikes: Vulcan snobbery and arrogance, tequila,
- Pets: When Savan was a child on Vulcan, he had a pet Sehlat. But he was unable to bring him to Earth, so it was given to a cousin. While he does not miss Vulcan much, he still misses the Sehlat. He is also fond of cats and kept two while in college. They now live with his adopted parents.
- Ambitions and Goals: Savan joined Starfleet with the idea of contribute to the understanding between species. He is uncertain if Starfleet will be his long-term career. He considers that he could return to Terra to join the planetary parks service when he is older.
- Nicknames: While in high school, several classmates were interested in Savan because of his good looks. Finding humor in the attraction to the sometimes reserved Vulcan, Savan's best friend and classmate John Torres would eventually call him "Suave" or "Suavan." Savan does not share this name with ship mates, but it is still used by his close friends from high school and college. Upon hearing his nickname, Savan tends to smile despite himself. | Savan's cousins will sometimes call him Sav.
PERSONALITY AND PSYCHOLOGY
In one of his most remarkable traits, Savan is far more open emotionally expressive than what is typical of average Vulcans. The personality trait is a result from early Trellium D exposure at age 10 and his subsequent development of ESFD (Emotional Suppresion Failure Disorder), which rendering him unable to develop the skills and technique to suppress his emotions. Moreover, he grew up on Earth from his early teens, so exposure to non-native cultures has also made significant changes to his overall temperment.
In terms of general personality, Savan is regularly described as friendly. Neverthleess, Savan remains comparatively reserved compared to humans. On a unique note, Savan does have an occasional habit of smiling and even laughing or, more usually, almost smiling. Equally, Savan can express on occasion emotional upset, such as anger or sadness, though he is more likely to retreat into privacy on those occasions or wait for the emotional climax to pass before discussing it. Savan has regularly explained that Vulcan emotions are far stronger and wilder than those of humans, therefore requiring far more attention and discipline. Due to his ESFD diagnosis, Savan does have to regularly moderate the intensity of emotions. Extreme emotions, whether positive or negative, can have a negative impact on his pyschological well being, undoing his usual reserve and producing behavior that can be erratic, disruptive or even dangerous. However, Savan maintains a regular program of intense physical exercise, meditation, and sport. Coupled with regular medication, EFSD generally causes no problems.
It should be noted though that Savan, despite his emotional expressiveness, has not turned his back on logic in favor of his passions. In this sense, Savan would not be considered as one of the Vʻtosh Kaʻtur (Vulcans without Logic), which is understandable as his psychological condition is medical. Instead, Savan has dedicated himself to finding internal harmony between the path of logic and his undeniable emotional nature.
Savan places high value on his personal friendships, though he has preferred a small circle of family, close friends and intimates. He will go beyond the limit to ensure and protect the well-being of those he values.
Another strong character trait is intensity and dedication. Savan will apply himself completely to both work and leisure. Besides his openness and relative friendliness, Savan’s intensity is frequently noted by non-Vulcans. Most frequently, he is described as “passionate” and “deeply dedicated” to his interests, personal and private.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
- Father: Varis
Born in Shi'Kahr, Vulcan, Varis showed a promising career as a geologist. He married T'Val at age 24. After exposure to Trellium D and consequently developing severe ESFD, Varis found himself unable to function, lost his post and had great difficulty with losing emotional control. Toward the end, he began to regularly hallucinate. He committed suicide at the age 36. While raised in the Vulcan way, Varis became more expressive about his feelings before his passing. In a moment of lucidity, Varis left a final holographic message for Savan, who finally watched at age 18. Varis' final message: "Savan, I realize you will not have the future I had hoped for you. But I trust in your ability to find your own path, even if it means you leave our planet for other worlds. I apologize I can not fulfill my duty to you as a father. And forgive me for this final outburst, but I need to tell you this as my time is now short: I love you, Savan and that you have brought me much joy as my son. Live long and prosper, my child."
- Mother: T'Val
Born in T'Vral Kol, Voroth Province, Vulcan, T'Val was a botanist in the Vulcan Colonial Corps. Like her husband, T'Val suffered from severe ESFD after exposure to Trellium D. Following Varis' death, she transferred custody of Savan to her older brother Staran. T'Val now lives in a remote care center in a rural area of Voroth Province, where she maintains the facility's arboretum and garden.
- Uncle: Staran
Born in T'Vral Kol, Staran considered entering Star Fleet but decided to serve in Vulcan's self-defense fleet. While Staran was first officer on a vessel in the Vulcan home system during the Dominion War, he received news of his sister's accident. He did his best to raise Savan after receiving custody, but as a disciplined, logical officer, he could not handle the emotional and often unruly child. While Staran had difficulty in maintaining contact with his nephew, he reached out after Staran reached out to Savan after he entered the Academy. The two now stay in occasional contact.
- Adopted Father: Torin Marcus Bergen, PhD
Born from a former Vulcan Star Fleet officer Selon and and a human mother in Federation Ambassadorial corps, Stephanie Bergen, Torin was raised between San Francisco and Vancouver. An only child, his mother notably insisted Torin take her family name. Most often, he will just use his Vulcan name. While raised mainly in the Terran tradition, he has progressively embraced Vulcan culture over the years and shared it with his family. He currently serves as a professor of interspecies anthropology at the University of California. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife of 35 years, Tevai. He expressed some disappointed that Savan joined Star Fleet instead of continuing in the planetary parks service, partially as he considered Savan as his own son. However, he remains supportive of Savan's career decision.
- Adopted Mother: Tevai Heremoana Duval, MD
Born and raised in Tahiti, Tevai Heremoana Duval is a noted former surf champion. Following her surf career, Duval became a doctor specializing in sports medicine. Tevai found Savan's presence initially challenging when he first arrived, finding difficulty in supporting Savan's deep emotional problems. But the two became close after Savan went on a surf trip home with her and her sons to the South Pacific.
- Cousin: Taurin Michel Bergen-Duval
The eldest son of Savan's adopted father Torin, Taurin is three years older than Taurin. He is a champion surfer and has won several planetary competitions. Taurin now splits his time between the South Pacific and Southern California, where he has become a leading surf teacher. His nick name is Tau. Taurin shows more interest in Vulcan culture than his younger brother and has even learned to speak conversational Vulcan, but finds it difficult.
- Cousin: Tarek Marama Bergen-Duval
Torin and Tevai's youngest son, Tarek is a year younger than Savan. Tarek was also a competitive surfer but instead pursued swimming. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia. While he is called Tarek by his father, his mother and friends often call him by his Tahitian middle name, Marama. Tarek appreciates his Vulcan heritage but associates far better with his human side. He gave up learning Vulcan at a young age. But thanks to Savan, he has learned the basic of using the lirpa and rudementary Suhs Mahna.
- Close Friend: John Torres
Savan met John his sophomore year at the Interspecies Day School, where Torres' family enrolled him so he could get a better understanding of other species. The two became close friends and shared an apartment while attending the University of California. Torres would regularly introduce Savan as "the baddest ass Vulcan you'll ever meet," to which Savan would often cock his eyebrow and frown. John is now married and works as an architect in Mexico. Savan is godfather to Torres' young daughter. Torres is the person who has the easiest time in making Savan laugh. Torres and Savan remain in regular touch via subspace messages.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Early Childhood Savan was the child of two Vulcan researchers—Varis, a geologist, and T’val, a biologist, both of whom had promising careers in the Federation colonial service. The coupled married quite young, shortly after completing their university studies. While in their mid-twenties (Earth standard), T'val gave birth to Savan in the city of T'Vral Kol, at her family estate. Much of Savan’s early childhood was without incident and quite typical of Vulcan children. The only exception was that he accompanied his parents to two new Federation colonies at age 5 and age 7. On each occasion, the family spent a year away from Vulcan. This gave Savan an early exposure to other species and fostered his curiosity about other worlds and cultures, a quality encouraged by his parents.
The Accident On Stardate 237405.02, hen Savan was approximately 10 Earth years, he once again accompanied his parents. Their journey meant to take them from Vulcan to a new Vulcan colony. During the final leg of their journey, the independently run transport became caught in an ion storm, causing irreparable repair to the warp drive and leaving the ship with no option but taking refuge in a nearby unexplored solar system. Unbeknownst to the the Vulcans, the transport was carrying a large shipment of Trellium D that had been safely contained. However, a breach in the containment field caused for a gradual release of Trellium D into the ship’s ventilation system. Eventually, Savan’s parents suffered from moderate exposure. While the exposure did not lead to the violent, irreparable state that had been seen on a Vulcan ship in the 22nd century, Varis and T’val both lost control of their emotional suppression, leading to progressively worse states of paranoia and rage. After the couple nearly killed the ship’s captain, the physician managed to put sedate them and put them into stasis. Savan had been in a different area of the ship and suffered a lesser degree of exposure. While the exposure was not fatal for his parents, both were never fully able to recover and sent to a hospital facility on Vulcan.
The Aftermath In the months after the accident, the family was treated first in a Federation medical facility and then transferred back to Vulcan. Initially, it was thought that the family could regain a normal life. Varis' treatments--which even included a session with a Vulcan priest--proved to be ineffective. Faced with the end of any career and irreparably permanent loss of emotional control, Varis, committed suicide about two years after the accident. T'val managed to show more improvement but the loss of Varis affect her deeply, leading her to seek refuge in a Vulcan clinic located in Voroth province. Before going into retreat, T'val passed custody of Savan to Taris' older brother Staran, who, despite his initial efforts, gradually realized he was unable to raise the child on Vulcan. The Trellium D exposure, coupled with the loss of his parents, left Savan unable to develop the emotional suppression common in Vulcans, consequently rendering him unable to effectively function and thrive in the rigorous education expected of the average Vulcan youth. A near fatal attack on two schoolmates led to Savan's permanent supsension from school, leading Staran to look for some way to send the child off-world for a better life.
After some effort, Staran was able to find T'val's cousin Torin, a half-Vulcan who was an interspecies anthropologist in Northern California. Torin’s father, Selon, joined Star Fleet and married a human female, with whom he had three children, Torin being the youngest. Despite his father’s preference for alien cultures, Torin managed to raised his own two sons with some Vulcan culture and taught them certain mental disciplines in order to help contain some of the stronger Vulcan drives, all the while knowing their dominant human blood left them for all intents and purposes humans in the eyes of fellow Vulcans. (Their Vulcan features did make other humans considered them as Vulcans.) TWhile Torin could not consider himself a pure Vulcan, he did pride himself on his Vulcan ancestry and was eventually able to reestablish and restablished contact with his father’s family. Thankfully, the family hailed from the small city of T’Vral Kol, located on the shores of the Voroth Sea, Vulcan's largest ocean. In keeping with the general culture of T’Vral Kol, the family was more liberal and open-minded compared to Vulcan's in the capital when it came to dealing with other species. Hence, for Staran, Torin seemed the most logical option to raise a Vulcan child who would never be entirely accepted in the narrow constraints of Vulcan society.
Relocation to Earth After several months of discussion between Staran and Torin, Torin travel to Vulcan to meet Savan and, after a positive meeting with Savan and his uncle, Savan took the then 12-year-old Savan into his custody and brought him to Santa Cruz. Savan proved to be an entirely new challenge. Unlike his own children who were of a mixed background—and hence with more moderate human traits—Savan was a pure Vulcan who possessed the strong emotions and passions of his ancestors. In some ways, Savan had the raw, unfiltered rage fit for a Klingon youth—an emotional quality that Torin knew came from Savan’s loss of his two parents and the inability for Vulcan society to accept him or his parents. Moreover, the proscribed medical and psychiatric treatments proved only to be moderately effective at best. As an anthropologist, Torin contacted parents of mixed species children for desperate advice. . The parents of two part-Klingon children had found one successful outlet for their children: intense physical activities that required immense discipline. Their advice proved to be an effective channel for Savan. Torin managed to enroll Savan into various martial arts programs and wilderness survival programs. Then came the ocean. Torin's wife, Tevai, was a human and originally an accomplished surfer from Tahiti. Already in their late teens, his sons, Tauvin and Tarek, had proved highly successful in their mother's posrt and eventually taught Savan the art of wave riding and competitive swimming. As the human expression goes, Savan took to the sport like a fish to water. Tevai and his cousins would eventually take Savan on trips around Terra to different surf spots, Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia and Indonesia. It was during these travels that Savan discovered a love for the sea and tropical climates.
Late Teens in California Despite the initial challenges, Savan had managed to successfully adapt to life on Terra by the time he reached 15. Torin enrolled him in the Interspecies Day School in San Francisco, which boasted rigorous programs and students from across the Federation. He managed to develop several friendships with humans and later graduated as class valedictorian. Throughout high school, he participated in several martial arts events. Socially, he developed close friendships with mainly humans and dated during his senior year.
Service History
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| Insignia | Rank | Dates | Posting | Assignment |
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Cadet First Class | 239302 | Graduated Starfleet Academy | Security Cadet |
Awards & Service Ribbons
- For award descriptions, see: Awards and Service Ribbons
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