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, SD 237604.30
- 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 SD 237701.01
- 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. Some have said it is relaxing.
- Manner of Speech: When in a professional context, Savan's speech borrows common Vulcan locutions in Federation standard. However, when speaking among close friends and family from his life on Terra, Savan quickly takes on a far more colloquial and almost human tone. Some wonder whether is his manner of speaking in Starfleet is some kind of affectation or a personal cover, a way to cover up for his more emotional nature. When asked, Savan insists that his formal way of speaking is an adaption of the usual, polite honorific speech commonly used by Vulcans. Casual speech is reserved only for close friends and families, he insists.
- 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.
- Fascial Expressions: Savan shows a far more dynamic range than most Vulcans. Sometimes, he seems very serene. In the midst of intense activity, he can look intense, even fierce. His gaze can be very strong at times. Obviously, this can intimate some. Often, he will show an almost smile, not bearing his teeth, but it does convey friendliess. When in very comfortable situation, his expression becomes almost human. With close friends and family, he can smile. The sight surprises some humans when they see him like this for the first.
- 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.
- Telepathic Skills: Savan missed much of the mental training that occurs during young Vulcan adulthood. His adoptive father Torin only has basic training. Several private psychiatrists recommended Savan avoid the training that would lead to the ability meld, as his emotional boundaries were to weak. That said, Savan possesses some intuitive abilities, often able to detect subtle emotions from others. His lack of strict mental disciplines came make him more telepathically pliant, which could cause dangers from telepathic species.
- Special Skills: Savan is highly trained in martial arts, holding expert status in Suhs Mahna and Wushu. He has advanced training in Klingon Mok'bara. He has also studied other martial arts traditions. His preferred weapon is the Vulcan lirpa, followed by the ahn woon. His Mok'bara instructor noted, however, that the Vulcan is a formidable opponent with the bat'leth. "Not a bad for a kid from a planet of pacifists," he joked.
ATTITUDES 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, Savan does eat raw fish on special occasions.
- 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.
- Favorite Places: His hometown of Santa Cruz, where he first felt at home. Also wild or isolated places, including Alaska, the Yukon, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. He is also fond of beaches in tropical climates, and will not miss the opportunity to get into the water.
- Musical tastes: Classical Indian music, Chinese opera, Vulcan lyre, Terran jazz, Andorian blues
- Dislikes: Bureaucracy, 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.
- On his appearance: From the end of high school, several humans have considered Savan good looking. As he grew into maturity, especially with his intense physical training, he does gain his share of attention. (Savan admits that he did "indulge" himself during college.) Regardless, he is still sometimes baffled by the reaction of others to his appearance. He states that, like any Vulcan, he does appreciate beauty and may be more expressive about what attracts him. With the indulgences of young adulthood behind him, he is amused by how much time humans spend idoling others.
- On Vulcans: Savan prides himself on his Vulcan heritage but has a difficult relationship with Vulcans. He does tend to do better with Vulcans who have been raised on other worlds or who simply do not fit into the rigorous structure of Vulcan society. For all the supposed non-emotionalism, Savan often detects a good deal of hypocrisy. He has noted that his presence in the company of other Vulcans can inspire among them feelings of arrogance, fear, disgust, and suspicion. Of course, this may not be detectable to humans, but Savan can usually sense them. When told that Vulcans have no emotions, Savan usually retorts quickly and quotes the memoirs of legendary, late Ambassador V'Lar: "Upon observing the passions in humans and other species, many in our society have insisted that we do not have emotions. But this is false. The emotions of the humans are our own." Savan tends to avoid Vulcans socially but has no issues working with them in a professional context.
- On Humans: In general, Savan appreciates humans and respects their culture. Terra became his home when he would have been rejected on his home world. For humans unfamiliar with his background, his relatively friendly demeanor compared to the rest of his species throws them off at first.
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 temperament.
In terms of general personality, Savan is regularly described as friendly. Nevertheless, 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 psychological 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 Personal Relations
Family Relationships
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Close Friends
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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, when 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 her 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.
Evantually, Staran was able to find his distant 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 basic mental disciplines in order to help contain any vestigal 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.) While Torin could not consider himself a pure Vulcan, he did pride himself on his Vulcan ancestry, over the years, and was eventually able to reestablish and restablished contact with his father’s family.(Selon had a falling out with his father when he joined Star Fleet and later did not invite his family to his wedding.) 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.
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 the child 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 prescribed 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, including 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 he entered high-school. At 15, Torin enrolled him in the Interspecies Day School of California in San Francisco, which boasted rigorous programs and students from across the Federation. He managed to develop several friendships with humans, most notably, his best friend John Torres, and later graduated as class valedictorian. Throughout high school, he participated in several extracurricular martial arts events. Notably, he even dated a classmate during his senior year. This was a first for any Vulcan student attending IDSC.
College and Preparing for Starfleet Savan's love for nature and wild spaces inspired him to pursue environmental studies at the University of California. His original plan was to enter the planetary parks service. He was also admittedly happy that his best friend John Torres was going to the same school. The two friends shared an apartment for much of the time during their studies, which Savan enjoyed but confessed it was not the most productive environment for academics. Savan admits that university was perhaps his wildest and most unruly time as an adult but appreciates he had the chance to explore human life. It is from a few "incidents" during college involving Torres that Savan developed an ongoing disdain for tequila. His first semester his junior year was very lackluster. As a consequence, Savan took a few months off to hike around Terra to clear his mind. He returned for a stellar senior year that fall. During that time, Savan intensified his martial arts training, eventually meeting a former Starfleet Marine David Ironwood. Seeing Savan's high skill level, Ironwood introduced him to modern tactical training and the use of energy weapons. . The retiree eventually inspired Savan to apply to the Academy, helping him to overcome his personal concerns about his ESFD. Prior to joining the Academy, Savan served as Ironwood's assistant. During this period, Savan is awarded expert status in Suhs Mahna from the Interplanetary Martial Arts Association, the only organization off Vulcan authorized to give such recognition. His teacher Savrak, also a former Starfleet officer, admitted to Savan that he was initially skeptical of Savan because of his condition, but realized his judgment was in error. Ironwood was later instrumental in securing for Savan the opportunity to train with a group of marines in Alaska for three months, prior to his arrival at the Academy. Savan says the experience was the most challenging physically in his life up to that point and deeply appreciated the training. He has also repeatedly said that it gave him an edge for his training in security at the Academy.
TIMELINE
- SD 236403.15 - Born in V’ral Kol, Voroth Province, Vulcan to Varis and T'val.
- SD 237405.02 - Savan (age 10, Earth years) and his family are on a transport to the V’Radan colony when, following a containment breach in the storage hold, Trellium D is released into the ship’s air supply. Savan and his parents suffer from Trellium D exposure, leading to irreversable health problems
- SD 237506 - When Savan is 11, Savan’s father, unable to cope with ESFD, commits, suicide. Two few weeks later, his mother T’val transfers custody to her older brother, Staran.
- SD 23760415 - Savan’s maternal uncle Staran transfers custody of Savan to his half-Vulcan cousin, Torin Marcus Bergen
- SD 237604.30 - Savan’s adoption is registered on Terra, and he is given the legal name Savan Bergen. Savan is 12.
- SD 237701.01 - Savan’s planetary citizenship is transferred to Terra from Vulcan.
- SD 237809.05 - Savan (age 14) is enrolled at the Interspecies Day School of California, located in San Francisco.
- SD 238206.025 - Savan (age 18) graduates from IDSC as class valedictorian.
- SD 238209.01 - Savan starts his studies at the University of California.
- SD 238501.15 - After a very lackluster first semester his junior year, Savan takes a leave of absence during the 2nd semester. He hikes several mountain ranges on Terra.
- SD 238609.02 - Savan (age 22) returns to the University of California.
- SD 238610.12 - Savan (age 22) begins study at the private tacitcal academy established by retired Starfleet Marine David Ironwood.
- SD 238712.12 - Savan (age 23)graduates with a BA in Environmental Studies with High Honors from the University of California.
- SD 238805.25 - After a four month intensive, Savan (age 24) is awarded status as a Suus Mahna expert, the second highest ranking, by the Interplanetary Martial Arts Association.
- SD 238807.07 - Savan trains in the wilderness of Alaska with a group of Starfleet Marines.
- SD 238901.04 - Savan (age 24) enters Starfleet Academy.
- SD 239301.20 - Savan (age 28) graduates from Starfleet Academy with a concentration in security. He takes the weeks off before his cadet cruise to travel Terra with his adopted family.
- SD 239303 - Savan arrives at Starbase 118 for his cadet cruise.
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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