Bio: Captain Saylek

[Saylek 0]

Saylek, Captain: COMMANDING OFFICER, USS Columbia (NCC-2001)

Species : Vulcan

Gender : male

Age : 86 (born 2207)

Height : 5'8"

Weight : 150 lbs.

Eye Color : Blue

Hair Color : Black

Place of Birth : Vulcan

 

Service Record

2207 Born

2260 Entered StarFleet Academy, engineering/science

2266 USS Berlin, Larson-class destroyer, high-energy physics/warp technician

2268 USS Hastings, Loknar-class destroyer, warp specialist/chief engineer [acting]

2271 USS Salazaar, Thufir-class destroyer, chief engineer

2277 USS Triumph, Soyuz-class research cruiser, chief engineer

2278 USS Patton, Chandley-class frigate, chief engineer

2280 USS Enforcer, Miranda-class cruiser, chief engineer

2281 USS Indarax, Andor-class missile cruiser, executive officer

2282 Starfleet Corp of Engineers, Transwarp Project

2286 USS Columbia, Excelsior-class battleship (Mk I), shakedown integration/chief engineer

2292 USS Columbia, Excelsior-class battleship (Mk I), commanding officer

 

 

History

Saylek is a seasoned starship officer. In nearly thirty years of active service, he has been posted on eight starships, five of them as chief engineer. Saylek is known as a competent, efficient officer who tends to be more cerebral than aggressive in resolving issues. However, despite his racial background, he has been willing to exercise the military option if it proves to be logical course. As a captain, he has tried to balance lessons from his former commanders against his own Vulcan philosophy.

 

Saylek considers himself fortunate to have served alongside several notable officers. He gained tactical skills under command of Captain Chase Schwab, who earned a distinguished reputation along the Romulan Neutral Zone on the frigate Patton. He was groomed for command by the noted diplomat and explorer Commodore Theodore A. Harrison, with whom he served on the Hastings, Enforcer, and Columbia. Harrison commanded the one-year shakedown and first five-year mission of Columbia before his retirement in 2292. Saylek was then promoted to captain and assumed command that same year.

 

Saylek is a vigorous defender of the Prime Directive. Having worked with emotional species for most of his life, he understands their behavior and tolerates their humor. He has a long association with tactical officer Kal'don, each having saved the others' life aboard the Enforcer. Drawing from his service on two ships of the "Blue Fleet", his Columbia engineering team holds a disproportionate number of Andorian engineers, including his first officer shiKaan Raumuk. Saylek has an avid interest in temporal and interdimensional physics, although he has refused to confirm any personal experience with either. He is a strong proponent of education – idle bridge time is often filled by instructive lessons and he is known to teach off-duty classes in the ship's learning center.

 

His career has not been without incident, including a number of disclipinary councils. As a lieutenant commander, charges of treason were levied, but dismissed in closed hearing (2279). A board of review cleared him of wrong-doing in the death of Admiral T. Clancy Freeburg (2280). A court martial found he had properly obeyed orders in abandoning his captain and landing party during a failed mission (2281). Just prior to assuming command. two of his long-term associates were lost during a science mission, requiring him to select an alternate executive officer.

 

Notable Career Events

Rescue of Gorn diplomats, Maltharax II

Engineering survey of 2nd Doomsday Device, Ectair system

Evacuation of Romulan science base, USS Patton

Exposure of plot by rogue Federation dissidents against Romulans [classified]

Recovery of lost starship USS Regulator - injured by Klingon boarding party

Investigation of destroyed civilization, Pyradana system - cultural contamination reversed

Exploration survey of Nadarkis Dust Cloud - captain and senior staff lost, presumed killed

Investigation of Prime Directive violation on Helene IV - kidnapped and rescued

Loss of starship USS Enforcer during nebular probe - communication and science officer lost

 

Decorations

Grankite Order of Tactics; Order of Excellence, Engineering Honorium; Starfleet Medal of Honor [classified]

 

Challenger Sim Awards

Bronze Conduct Medal, Golden Quill, Second Chance (Omega 13) award

Edited July 20, 2008 by Saylek

[Saylek 0]

The starship Columbia is an Excelsior Mk I (pre-refit) class starship, which was launched for its shakedown cruise in 2286, about a year after the Excelsior and eight years before the initial setting of Challenger.

Columbia was second-off-the-line for the Mk I, incorporating lessons learned from the pathfinder Excelsior. In this way, she may be considered a sister ship to the Challenger, which incorporated lessons learned from the too-early launch of Enterprise-B.

 

Officers wishing to join Challenger might consider having previously served onboard the Columbia under Captain Saylek and accepted transfer and/or promotion. This would provide their characters reason to have prior experience with Excelsior-class systems. [Players wishing to use Columbia as part of their background are welcome to. Please contact me if you'd like to work out any prior mission/posting details for your bio, or if you'd like to develop a joint-log "transfer" scene.]

Edited June 18, 2008 by Saylek