Lieutenant Soraya Rezvani

Character Information

Gender		Female
Species		Human
Age		39
Date of Birth		28/07/2353
Place of Birth		Setareh VI

Character Type

Starfleet ID

Serial Number		EG-802-6320
Security Clearance		Level 6
Duty Watch		Pending

Physical Appearance

Height		5'4"
Weight		125 lbs.
Hair Color		Dark Brown
Eye Color		Brown
Physical Description		Soraya is fairly small and diminutive in both stature and frame. As a matter of style and tradition she keeps her dark brown hair partially covered whenever possible, generally off-duty when Starfleet dress regulations are more relaxed. Despite her modest size, she carries herself with a stately bearing that lends quiet authority and legitimacy to her presence. Her empathetic, genuine, understanding personality shines through in sympathetic eyes and a quick, warm smile. Off-duty she chooses elegant clothing that tends toward conservative styles but leaves her approachable and not aloof.
Body Art		Soraya occasionally wears earrings and other adornments but only while off-duty and never anything requiring the skin to be pierced or otherwise altered.

Family

Spouse		None.
Children		None.
Father		By all accounts a very quiet and serious man, Dr. Mehrdad Rezvani is one of the Federation's foremost experts on the preservation and conservation of marine habitats. Dariush and Soraya both inherited a certain severity from the elder Rezvani, as well as a love for the sciences. The loss of his son in the Dominion War embittered him, greatly diminishing his professional and personal lives. After his son's recovery from Dominion space, he has begun to show some signs of recovering his former life.
Mother		Naadia Nakhjavani is a former film and stage actress, as well as an occasional producer and director. She is a polarizing figure on her native Setareh VI as a cultural icon that regularly speaks against the planet's traditionally conservative government and society. She is a committed pacifist and has been critical of the militarization of Starfleet. She unseated the incumbent Federation Councillor for Setareh VI running on a reformists platform and is currently serving her term in the Federation Council.
Brother(s)		A warrior-poet, Dariush Rezvani was reported killed in action by Starfleet at the conclusion of the Dominion War, though his remains were never found. He served as a medic with the Setareh militia forces participating in the core worlds defense initiative against invading Jem'Hadar forces. His loss had a profound effect on the Rezvani family. In the mission that led to the dissolution of her command, Soraya led the USS Viking into Dominion space to recover Dariush and several other unreported prisoners of war.
Sister(s)		Shirin, the youngest member of the family, is every bit her mother's daughter: sarcastic, witty, and rebellious. Through no end of mischief, her childhood served as a counterpoint to the seriousness of her father and older brother and sister. Her vibrant and indomitable spirit were chiefly responsible for pulling the family out of its depression following Dariush's disappearance. She has recently graduated from Starfleet Academy as a structural engineer.

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Soraya is a naturally social person with robust social relationships. She has been described by colleagues as warm and approachable. She strives to maintain a supportive, happy environment for her subordinates, who she sees as an extension of family. In the workplace she is extremely meticulous, appreciates attention to detail, and works to exceed expectations; ultimately, she expects the same level of commitment out of her fellow crewmen and has no qualms about enforcing those standards. Her altruistic nature sees work as a form of worship and helps to give the mundane purpose. She has a healthy appreciation for the specialization of Starfleet personnel and will defer to her betters within areas beyond her expertise.
Strengths		Soraya is guided by the deeply held beliefs that coalesced in her formative years; they have been further refined through her service in Starfleet. From a young age, she has been committed to humanitarian ideals, seeing the ultimate goal of one's life to be service to others. On occasion this has placed her at odds with others around her, including superior officers, as she sought to find the most humanitarian options available to her rather than the most prudent. She has a fierce loyalty to those with whom she serves, and it manifests in a maternal and protective nature. Though taken to extremes at times (some might call it intrusive) she has others' best interests at heart in both personal and professional relationships. Seeing others around her as part of a larger family unit, she expects her department to operate in the same manner as her own family - consultatively. She never shies away from welcoming the opinions of others - indeed, relies upon it at times - but recognizes her own leadership role when it comes to forming consensus. In her field, Soraya is as much of a generalist as Starfleet requires from all its engineering officers, but her expertise lies with propulsion and energy systems and the mechanical underpinnings of the ship's systems. She considers herself a tinkerer and maker and enjoys looking for ways large and small to improve ship's systems.
Weaknesses		Self-assured as she is in her own intelligence and unquestioningly accurate moral compass, Soraya can come off as judgmental. Though she welcomes the opinion of others, she sometimes has difficulty understanding them. When someone's way of life differs greatly from her own, she can struggle to comprehend it. In many respects, she thinks she knows what is best for those around her and generally has no problem saying as much, though that character trait has been softened without the impeachability of holding command rank. Going hand-in-hand with her humanitarian ideals is a strong sense of altruism, which can make her somewhat naive and easy to take advantage of. Appealing to her humanitarian nature can make her easily manipulated. She is so quick to adopt the banner of a righteous cause that she can be blinded to its actual purpose, so willing is she to give her passion to it. Within engineering, there are many gaps in her knowledge. She relies heavily on the rest of her department when it comes to weapons' and defense systems, as well as holographic systems and the finer points of maintaining and modifying the main computer.
Ambitions		Soraya’s ambitions are limited in some respects by her personal commitment to altruism. She seeks to create an environment within her department that allows the crew to flourish personally and professionally and hopes to make her own mark on the Federation through good works. After being relieved of command of the USS Viking and demoted, she has had her career ambitions sharply curtailed, and she has abandoned any command aspirations.
Hobbies & Interests		calligraphy, poetry, saxophone, tea culture, astronomy, Razmafzar (Setareh martial arts), silversmithing & metalwork
Vernacular		Being exposed to interstellar entertainment and off-world educators at an early age eliminated most traces of the strong Persian accent familiar on Setareh VI but Soraya still speaks in a very specific, intentional fashion without skipping many syllables; often uses W and V interchangeably; and rolls her tongue on many hard sounds, such as the R.
Orientation		Heterosexual
Language(s) Spoken		Federation Standard, Persian, Romulan

Personal History		Setareh VI - Early Life “Ten years ago on my fifteenth birthday my mother gave a journal to me and the inscription said: ‘Azizam, yours is a high destiny among the stars. But keep your feet firmly planted and your soul humble. Be ever mindful of the nobility with which you were created and the purpose for which we were all made: to love and to serve one another. Do not be content with the ease of a passing day, and never barter the promise of eternal life for the dust-heap of the mortal world.’ I read the inscription every day and find that it is an immensely difficult struggle to stay true to that path. But is there any greater calling or a life more rewarding? Truly, I think not...” - Lieutenant (JG) Soraya Rezvani, USS Europa, Personal Log, Stardate 59219.4 Soraya was born on the deeply conservative colony world of Setarah VI to Dr. Mehrdad Rezvani, a civil engineer for the colonial government, and Dr. Naadia (Nakhjavani) Rezvani, a film and stage actress. The first daughter of well-educated and ambitious parents meant high, exacting standards in both school and personal conduct for the entirety of her formative years. Her mother especially emphasized the importance of a strong female figure within family life and laid the early foundations for a life of initiative and leadership through compassion, concern, and good works. She inherited a tempered severity from both parents that gave her focus in school and set her apart from her peers, many of whom seemed more than willing to shirk their duties and responsibilities in favor of a trip to the local oasis. Meanwhile, Soraya filled her own days with rigorous academic and religious education; the pursuit of the arts, including calligraphy, poetry, and the somewhat unorthodox saxophone; community service; and quality time with her family, particularly her two siblings. She also heavily involved herself in Razmafzar, a form of martial training that drew on ancient Persian techniques. She found a great deal of appeal in its basis on inner strength, discipline, and spirituality and progressed relatively far into the program during her time on the planet. While many characterized her as impossibly naive and sheltered, she was nonetheless aware of, understood, and appreciated the need for the mischievousness of her peers but simply never felt inclined to join in. Dominion War “In peace sons bury fathers, but in war fathers bury sons.” - Herodotus, Book 1 Chapter 87, “The Histories,” Earth At the outset of the Dominion War, the colonial government of Setareh VI placed the entirety of its local militia under the control of Starfleet Command, including Soraya’s older brother, Dariush, who served as a medic. Following the battle for Deep Space Nine and initial losses at the Battle of Tyra, Starfleet activated Dariush’s unit and deployed them with a Marine Corps contingent to Betazed as part of the core worlds defense plan. In the 2374 invasion of that planet the Setareh unit was quickly overrun and Dariush’s body, along with many of his comrades, was never recovered; he was initially classified as missing in action and later declared killed in action at the conclusion of official Betazed reconstruction efforts in 2383. The loss hit the family hard, particularly the committed pacifist Dr. Mehrdad Rezvani who had encouraged his only son to declare as a conscientious objector rather than participate in what was certain to be a brutal conflict. The strain of the loss of Dariush put Soraya’s entry into Starfleet Academy in jeopardy; her father objected in the extreme, and it was only the absolute laid down by her mother that allowed her to continue with her chosen career path.
Starfleet History		Starfleet Academy "Some question how a perfect Deity could create a universe filled with so much evil, hatred, and violence. They have missed the more perplexing question: why would a perfect Deity create a universe at all? But all these questions are secondary - leave them to mountaintop vedeks and those souls that find comfort in pursuits that begin and end in words and words alone. Seek instead to accept the universe for the way it is and find ways to alleviate the suffering of those who find themselves at its mercy." - Kai Eila Wenyo, “A Blessed Struggle,” Bajor Three months after Soraya arrived at Starfleet Academy, Breen forces attacked Earth and inflicted significant damage against Starfleet’s San Francisco campus. Although the Academy was largely spared, the psychological effects were nonetheless great; afterward, Soraya noted a disturbingly militant tone to the student body with many cadets volunteering for dangerous, risky missions and those with specific aptitudes being rushed to fill gaps in the dwindling officer corps. She found herself appalled in equal turns by the brutality of the war itself and the outright barbarism and racism many students devolved into. Soraya made a personal commitment to reconsecrate herself to the Federation’s guiding principles and declined all such opportunities for warmongering. She chose instead to double down on her studies, pray for an end to the violence, and hope for a return to Starfleet’s original mission by the time her education was completed. At the Academy, Soraya pursued a degree in applied and engineering physics and developed a specific interest in propulsion systems. In general, she excelled in the sciences; wilderness survival exercises; and team exercises. For extracurricular activities, Soraya was a member of the student government’s science & engineering advisory committees; the Colonial Worlds Student Association; the Vanderbilt Jazz Band; and the Persian Society. Graduate Program: Earth/Starbase 241 (Alteran Expanse) “The popular stereotype of the researcher is that of a skeptic and a pessimist. Nothing could be further from the truth! Scientists must be optimists at heart, in order to block out the incessant chorus of those who say ‘it cannot be done.’” - Academician Prokhor Zakharov, Academy of Science commencement speech, Deneb IV, Stardate 44332.5 After graduation, Soraya was presented with a number of opportunities to serve in the fleet; the war had concluded almost four years prior and there were still significant gaps in the officer corps. Under the advisement of her parents, she chose to delay her posting by enrolling in a graduate program operated by the Engineering Division of Starfleet that included a year’s worth of field study with propulsion systems on Starbase 241 near the Alteran Expanse. She wagered that by deferring entry into the fleet and specializing further she could be of greater service to the Federation. Her time with the program was academically stimulating and time on Starbase 241 was enlightening in terms of the responsibilities of being a member of the officer corps and the Engineering Division, but the work itself - studying advances in the interface between plasma injectors and warp field coils - seemed largely routine and unsatisfying. By the time she earned her master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Soraya had scrapped all plans to pursue a Ph.D. and yearned for a new experience within the fleet. USS Europa & USS Merrimac "That may be the most important thing to understand about humans. It is the unknown that defines our existence. We are constantly searching, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. We are explorers. We explore our lives day by day, and we explore the galaxy trying to expand the boundaries of our knowledge. And that is why I am here: not to conquer you with weapons or ideas, but to coexist and learn." - Commander Benjamin Sisko upon meeting the Prophets, Stardate 46392.7 Soraya transferred to one of the fleet’s new Luna-class long-range explorers prior to a five year exploration mission to the Gamma Quadrant. The Europa’s journey was the third such expedition launched into the largely unexplored quadrant of space since the conclusion of the Dominion War and offered up a large number of scientific discoveries, including three first contact missions and a new class of nebula. However, the most important discovery for Soraya was that she found herself less suited to academic and field research and more attracted to team leadership and functioning in a support role in the engineering department for other engineers. The Chief and Assistant Chief Engineering Officers were appreciative of her assistance in the day-to-day operation of the department, as well as the assistance and dynamic she lent to teamwork, and supported her ambitions as much as possible. Rather than locking herself in a laboratory where she might end up doing the least good given her inclinations and disinterest in theoretical work, she decided to place herself on a command track within the fleet’s continuing education system. Critically, the Chief Engineer of the Europa acted as her mentor and helped secure Soraya’s new position as Assistant Chief of Engineering aboard the Merrimac after the Europa’s return to the Alpha Quadrant. USS Venture "Soon will our handful of days, our vanishing life, be gone, and we shall pass, empty-handed, into the hollow that is dug for those who speak no more. We must gird ourselves for service, kindle love's flame, and burn away in its heat. We must loose our tongues till we set the wide world's heart afire, and with bright rays of guidance blot out the armies of the night, and then, on the field of sacrifice, fling down our very lives." - Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, Earth The Hobus Incident of 2387 had a profound effect on Soraya. As entire planetary societies broke down into wanton violence over the competition for limited resources, the tales of suffering and instability coming out of the former Romulan Star Empire moved her into applying for a position aboard one of the Starfleet ships tasked with providing evacuation and humanitarian assistance. She described the task of managing an engineering department aboard a massive Galaxy-class starship as “nothing short of a bureaucratic nightmare” and found herself in a deeply personal struggle with faith and certitude in the face of vast Romulan suffering. Nevertheless, she often recalls stories of her time aboard the Venture and describes as one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. USS Pulsar & USS Viking "You'll find that more happens on the bridge of a starship than just carrying out orders and observing regulations. There's a sense of loyalty to the men and women you serve with... a sense of family." - Captain Hikaru Sulu, USS Excelsior While Soraya learned many valuable lessons aboard the Venture, the most important to her future career was that she preferred to serve aboard smaller ships. The size of the ship’s crew clashed badly with her management style, which relied upon consultation and personal relationships with the officers and crew under her supervision. The Nova-class Pulsar proved to be a better fit for her personality, allowing her to excel at managing the crew and earn a praiseworthy recommendation from her commanding officer for promotion when command of the Viking became available. As commanding officer of the Viking, she and her crew discovered a sentient planet, infiltrated a pre-warp civilization to save it from the deteriorating orbit of a massive space station, served as the Federation's representatives during a Ro'zion cultural festival, negotiated with the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, and assisted in establishing a new colony world for Romulan refugees. Though successful in many respects, her command was marred by missteps and questionable decisions. At its outset, two crew members were accused of murdering a Bolian dock worker prior to the ship's launch. An ill-advised decision to take the ship into the atmosphere of an uncharted planet nearly led to its destruction. Upon encountering a cryogenically frozen Augment, Soraya chose in many cases to conceal his identity and whereabouts from Starfleet authorities and failed to retain him in her custody (though she was guided by her very strongly held beliefs and ethics). The infiltration of a pre-warp civilization became an unmitigated disaster following the kidnapping of a crew member and their unmasking to senior leadership within the primitive society. The use of experimental technology aboard the ship led to its displacement into Dominion space; the same technology later temporally dislocated the ship into the future. Eventually, Soraya made too many mistakes and too many enemies within Starfleet Command. An investigation into her command turned into damning evidence regarding the Prime and Temporal Directives, the possession and use of cloaking devices, and failure to discipline crew members. The final report issued by Starfleet Command highlighted many of her finer qualities but called into question her aptitude for command. She was ultimately relieved of command of the USS Viking and stripped of the rank of captain. Rather than wallow in the disgrace, Soraya tearfully called the event "a humbling experience" and vowed to continue her service to the fleet.
Service Record		2392: Chief Engineering Officer, USS Galileo 2392: Relieved of command of the USS Viking 2391: Commanding Officer, USS Viking 2389: Executive Officer, USS Pulsar 2387: Chief Engineering Officer, USS Venture 2386: Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, USS Merrimac 2381: Engineering Officer, USS Europa 2381: Completed M.Sc. in Starship Engineering 2379: Graduated from Starfleet Academy 2353: Born on Setareh VI (Federation colony)

Character Progression System

CPS Option

DISABLED

Skills and Perks

Skill Training