Saavik

Saavik
Full name:	Saavik
Species:	Half-Romulan/Half-Vulcan
Gender:	Female
Born:	2264
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Family
Parents:	Adoptive Father: Sarek Adoptive Mother: Amanda Grayson
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse(s):	Spock
Career
Previous Assignment:	Commanding Officer, unknown Starfleet science vessel
Assignment:	Commanding Officer, USS Alliance
Rank:	Captain
Insignia:

Saavik was a half-Romulan/half-Vulcan who overcame her difficult childhood to become a successful Starfleet officer and wife to Ambassador Spock.

Early Years

Saavik was born on the planet Hellguard in 2264. Saavik had a harsh childhood living on Hellguard, a planet which bordered the Romulan Neutral Zone. In either the Vulcan or Romulan language, her name means "little cat." Her life changed in 2274 when the Vulcan vessel Symmetry arrived and she was rescued by Commander Spock. Spock took a leave of absence and began to teach Saavik the Vulcan way of life, but had great difficulty with her. After a year of living on Dantria IV, Spock decided to take Saavik to Vulcan where he would care for her with the help of Sarek and Amanda. (TOS novel: The Pandora Principle, TOS - Untold Voyages comic: "Worlds Collide")

In accordance with Vulcan traditions, Sarek arranged for Saavik to be bonded to a young Vulcan boy named Xon, whose original bond-mate had tragically died in an accident. (TOS - The Origin of Saavik comic: "Pon Far!")

Saavik was given an excellent upbringing on Vulcan and soon embraced the Vulcan way of life, but decided that she wanted to follow Spock into Starfleet and entered Starfleet Academy in 2281, assigned to live in Residence Complex Three. Her time at the Academy was not the easiest, and many of her classmates viewed her as an enemy, but she became a valuable resource for Starfleet in interpreting intelligence data and putting many myths to rest about Romulan psychology. She also forged a friendship with Cadet Peter Preston, whom she tutored in Advanced Theoretical Mathematics. (TOS novels: The Pandora Principle, The Captain's Daughter, TOS novelization: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Starfleet Career

Saavik was granted her commission while still studying at Starfleet Academy. In 2285, as a Lieutenant, junior grade, she served as navigator of the USS Enterprise under Admiral James T. Kirk on their mission to recover the Genesis Device. (TOS movie: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Soon after, Saavik began to feel the effects of pon farr, the Vulcan mating urge. She sought out Xon, who was working undercover for Starfleet Intelligence with the Romulan Star Empire, to the galactic barrier where the Romulans were trying to duplicate the experiment that gave Gary Mitchell his god-like powers. With the assistance of the Enterprise, Saavik and Xon defeated the Romulan plot. With the needs of their Pon-Farr sated, Saavik and Xon returned to their respective assignments. (TOS - The Origin of Saavik comic: "Blood Fever")

Xon's ultimate fate is unknown, but as Saavik married elsewhere, it can be assumed that his fate wasn't a pleasant one.

That same year, she transferred to the USS Grissom, along with Doctor David Marcus. The two discovered the reborn and rapidly maturing Spock on the surface of the Genesis Planet, where they were stranded after the destruction of the Grissom by Klingons. Saavik helped guide the young Spock through the pon farr, and accompanied him, and the former crew of the Enterprise, back to Vulcan to be rejoined with his katra. (TOS movie: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

In the novelizations of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Saavik had started a romantic relationship with Dr Marcus which led to her transferring to the USS Grissom.

The Strange New Worlds story "The First Law of Metaphysics" has Saavik remaining on Vulcan from 2285 until at least 2293, teaching at the Institute for the Transmission of Vulcan Culture. This is contradicted by several other stories which have her as part of the crew of the USS Enterprise-A.

In 2288, following the promotion of Hikaru Sulu to Captain of the USS Excelsior, Saavik rejoined the Enterprise crew, this time serving on the Enterprise-A. (TOS comics: , "Tests of Courage")

On stardate 8625.2, Lieutenant Saavik and Captain Spock were part of a diplomatic mission to Mardelva. During an attempted coup on the planet, their shuttle was caught in the crossfire and crashed on the planet's surface. (TOS comic: "Deceptions")

On stardate 8748.4, Saavik was assigned an undercover mission into Romulan space to retrieve Professor David Erikson, who was attempting to defect from the Federation. (TOS comic: "Renegade")

She was present when the Enterprise-A was sent to the planet Mestiko to retrieve a weapon stolen by a local terrorist group called the Torye. (TOS - Mere Anarchy eBook: The Blood-Dimmed Tide)

She served on the Enterprise-A for two years before a disagreement with Spock about his new protégé, Valeris, prompted her to request a transfer. (TOS comic: "A Question of Loyalty")

According to the novelization of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Saavik met Valeris at a governmental office in shi'Kahr, and was responsible for her sponsorship with Spock.

In 2293, Saavik attended James T. Kirk's memorial service in the grounds of Starfleet Academy, along with many other former Enterprise crewmembers. (TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose).

After The Enterprise

Saavik was an eye witness to the events of the Tomed Incident in 2311. During that time, a child ran from her in terror at the sight of her "Romulan" features.

Saavik made her way up through the ranks, and by the year 2339, Saavik had become the first officer of the USS Armstrong. She held that post until at least 2344.

She and Spock had remained close over the years, and their relationship eventually grew beyond camaraderie into something more. In 2339, the couple became betrothed in a formal ceremony on planet Vulcan that was attended by Admiral Leonard McCoy and Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard.

In 2344, she was sent to the Romulan Star Empire on an unofficial assignment by Captain Uhura of Starfleet Intelligence to retrieve Spock, who had answered a mysterious summons from the Romulan commander Charvanek. When Saavik arrived on Romulus, she found the Romulan capital in a state of turmoil.

The mad Praetor Draleth was planning on launching an unprovoked attack on the Klingon colony at Narendra III in order to start a quadrant-wide war. Spock instructed Saavik to leave Romulus and raise the alarm for Narendra while Spock (who was suffering from the beginning stages of Pon-Farr) and his ally Ruanek took care of Draleth.

Saavik managed to reach the USS Enterprise-C, who went on to defend Narendra, while sending Saavik back to Vulcan, where she was soon reunited with Spock. Soon after, the couple were officially married in another ceremony, this one attended by both McCoy and Uhura. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Heart)

The Alliance

Saavik eventually rose to the rank of Captain, and was content for a time to command science vessels while the Federation was at peace. When the war with the Dominion broke out in 2373, she requested command of a combat-worthy vessel, and was given command of the USS Alliance.

At some point during the war in 2374 she was injured in ship-to-ship combat and transferred to home duty on Vulcan. Her former first officer, Captain Howe, sent her a "get well cactus". (ST short story: "Blood Sacrifice")

In early 2377, she led a diverse convoy of vessels into the space of the mysterious Watraii, who had announced plans for a genocidal war against the Romulan Star Empire. In this first encounter, Admiral Pavel Chekov was believed to have been killed in a transporter accident. (TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel: Exodus)

After it was discovered by Uhura that Chekov had not been killed, but was instead languishing in a Waatri prison cell, Saavik took the Alliance back into Waatri space for a rescue operation. The effort was successful, but Saavik had to deal with the immediate consequences of the rescue operation. (TOS - Vulcan's Soul novels: Exiles, Epiphany)

Saavik remained in command of the Alliance until at least the year 2379. (TTN novel: Taking Wing)

External link

• Saavik article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.