Saavik, Captain Of The U.S.S Eridani

Saavik, Captain of the U.S.S Eridani

Saavik was born approximately in the year 2265, on the Romulan colony of Hellguard, a mining planet of arid temperature also hosting the site of technological development of a bioweapon. The leaders of the colony intercepted four ships from the Vulcan Science Academy, and their crew were brought to Hellguard to serve as test subjects for the weapon, as well as provide a new generation of subjects through their rape. Being half-Vulcan, half-Romulan and hailing from such a violent planet where murder and famine ran rampant would most likely have meant a death sentence for Saavik and the other hybrid children of the colony, until Spock and the Vulcan high council learned of it and deployed a rescue mission.

At about 9 or 10 years of age when she was rescued, Saavik already had a keen and curious mind, and after saving Spock’s life one night in Hellguard’s desert and briefly bonding with him on the subject of stars, with Saavik claiming their ownership, she refused to trust any other Vulcan adults that were a part of the rescue mission. Spock convinced her to rejoin the Vulcan vessel by promising to take her to her stars, and secretly trading her knife with his tricorder, promising to keep the weapon that kept the child alive safe on his person while allowing her to embark.

After this rescue, Spock took it upon himself to raise Saavik, as she refused to take the DNA tests that would have allowed the Vulcan Council to trace back her remaining family, as she knew that it would mean to be taken from Spock’s care. While spending a year with Spock on the planet Dantria IV, Saavik’s interest for stars and space travel only increased, with Spock often using mission logs and stories of the Enterprise’s crew to impart life lessons to Saavik. In that time, she learned proper language, Vulcan philosophy and the rudiments of logic, before continuing her education on Vulcan while living with Ambassador Sarek and the lady Amanda once Spock returned to the Enterprise. Already, she wished to enroll in Starfleet when she would be old enough.

In 2281, Saavik entered Starfleet Academy as a first year cadet, aged approximately 16 years old. Her hybrid heritage was kept relatively secret, with only a few select admirals being aware of it, but considering her grades and recommendation letter from Spock, it wasn’t a problem for her admission. During that first year, she notably joined the cadet baseball team as pitcher, as well as participating on a highly classified mission that brought her and Spock back to Hellguard one last time. After these events, she pursued her studies in the command track, meeting Joanna McCoy in 2282 while she joined Starfleet Medical to get her xenomedicine and space travel formations.

In 2285, at around age 20, she was in her last year as a cadet, and after taking the Kobayashi Maru test, and succeeding in the test of character, she took part in the training cruise led by Captain Spock, and later Admiral Kirk as a Lieutenant junior grade. When Khan Noonien-Singh began his revenge and search for the Genesis device, she participated closely in the event of the battle, also taking part in the landing party to Regula 1. After it’s detonation and Captain Spock’s death and subsequent funeral, Saavik was transferred to the Grissom as a lieutenant, albeit now no longer junior-grade, implying a field promotion for her implication in the event of the Battle of the Mutara nebula and preceding it. As Grissom inspected the Genesis planet, she worked mainly as a science officer, and beamed down to the planet with David Marcus when life signals that could be associated with Captain Spock were detected on the surface. The pair discovered the young, regenerated body of Spock, yet it lacked its mind and spirit, as it was with Dr. Leonard McCoy. Saavik had to meld with the young Spock when he began experiencing severe pains she wrongly associated with Pon Farr at first, but were in fact the results of his telepathic centers lacking the stability of familial and amical bonds, these bonds having been broken by his death and remaining with his mind and spirit out of his body. The telepathic centers send painful telepathic nerve input through his body, aggravating his already painful aging along the surges of the Genesis planet. Klingons in search of the Genesis later ambushed them and after David’s heroic sacrifice to save Saavik from Kruge’s order to kill one of the prisoners, she melded with him, accidentally creating a sibling bond between them while also saving his life. After the fal-tor-pan, Saavik remained on Vulcan for a year, mainly to watch over David as he recovered and keep him company, as his state was too fragile to travel back to Earth for a long time.

Following that year of sabbatical off-fleet, Saavik returned to San Francisco, where she had to argue with Starfleet Academy admissions for them to allow David Marcus to enter the school for command, field science and space training and then the fleet. The Admiralty eventually allowed it, but it was made clear that anything that could go wrong with David within the fleet could be of consequences to Saavik’s career.

Saavik was then assigned once more as a lieutenant, this time on the U.S.S Agincourt, and served as helmsman, tactical officer and sometime navigator, as needed be. Her captain appreciated her efficiency, and in 2287, when now once more Captain Kirk requested for her transfer at the helm of the Enterprise-A after Hikaru Sulu’s departure to command the Excelsior, she wished her good luck and many successes. She then also earned the rank of lieutenant-commander along with a full helmsman task.

Saavik remained aboard the Enterprise-A until 2289, when the post of First Officer of the Eridani opened and fleet command decided to promote her once more, this time to commander. She served on the Eridani for six years under captain Bowman, until he decided that it was time to retire once the ship returned to Space dock for maintenance and updates.

As Eridani was planned to go back for a five-years mission in deep space, Saavik was seen as the best candidate to take on command of the ship, being one of the officers serving on it for the longest time and having shown a neat track record. Saavik was made captain in 2296, at approximately 31 years old, making her in her time, the youngest Starfleet captain, beating her former mentor James T. Kirk by 2 years.

Saavik’s captaining style was influenced by her use of logic and reason, but considering how important her survival instinct has been in her youth, she didn’t shy away from following her instincts. Her knowledge of ships, strategies, weaponry and scientific instruments from the Federation and out of it was extensive, as well as her knowledge of norms and regulations. Her service under James T. Kirk, namely during the training cruise, taught her about the importance of knowing when to bend the rule. Despite these capacities and Starfleet command’s trust in her, she often wondered if she is good enough to be a captain, and hoped that she would be making her mentors proud.

Saavik doesn’t express her emotions a lot, but Spock having met V'ger before rescuing her and her many years serving among humans taught her how important emotions, feelings and connections to others are. She valued her close friends, namely David Marcus and Joanna McCoy, but also tried her best to be available to subordinates and bond with her department heads and crew, as much as the chain of command allowed. Despite all of that, she struggles with opening up to others about her fears or deeper insecurities, being a part of why she had a hard time falling into a rhythm with her First Officer at first, even if she was supposed to rely on him.