Soraya Rezvani
Male

Place of Origin: Setareh VI

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.

Soraya is a naturally social person with well-developed people skills and robust social relationships. She has been described by colleagues as warm and approachable; indeed, she has little desire to issue dictates from on high and prefers instead to work alongside subordinates while organizing people and minimizing opportunities for conflict. She has an ability to connect with others on an intimate level and uses that gift to maintain a supportive, happy environment for those under her command, who she sees as an extension of family. Being well-tuned to the emotions of others, she often chooses empathy over quick judgment and can be almost too easy to forgive. 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 crew. Her altruistic nature sees work as a form of worship and helps to give the mundane purpose, and her love of teamwork makes her a universal, hands-on helper. Her consultative leadership style leaves her receptive to change and new ideas, and she has a healthy appreciation for the specialization among Starfleet personnel.

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 fisheries scientist with the Federation Department of Agriculture. 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. 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. 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.

In 2381, Soraya was 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 science department for other researchers. The Chief and Assistant Chief Science 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 lab work, she decided to place herself on a command track within the fleet’s continuing education system. Critically, the CSO of the Europa acted as her mentor and helped secure Soraya’s new position as ACSO aboard the Merrimac after the Europa’s return to the Alpha Quadrant. While Soraya learned many valuable lessons aboard the Merrimac, 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. While in command of the Viking, Soraya led missions that established contact with the sentient planet known as Mother; freed Indisian prisoners held in an unethical justice system; intervened to prevent an artificial intelligence from destroying a pre-warp civilization; negotiated with the Ferengi Grand Nagus; assisted a fledgling Romulan colony; rescued personnel classified as “missing in action” during the Dominion War from their captors within the Gamma Quadrant; and returned the ship to the normal space-time continuum after being displaced to the year 2617. While captain of the Viking, she was subjected to a board of inquiry that reviewed her command decisions. She emerged without a more formal legal process, but her reputation and confidence were shaken. With the psychological effects of that carried with her and the physical scars of their mission in the year 2617, Soraya resigned from command of the ship and left fleet operations. She accepted a position with Starfleet Academy’s Command School teaching leadership ethics.