ORIGINS: Sohte

LT Sohte- Chief Security Officer, USS Hood

• Player: Rogers, Alan
• Contact: Email
• Last Updated: SD 2261.222
• Return to Roster

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LT(sg) Sohte SEC USS HOOD NCC-1703
Played by: Alan M Rogers (masterofwords@sbcglobal.net)
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I. Personal Data
====
Full Name:  	Sohte	
Surname:  	none
Given Name:  	Sohte
Nickname:	none
Current Rank:  	Lieutenant, Senior Grade (o-3)
Current Billet: Chief of Securit, USS HOOD NCC-1703
Species:  	Vulcan
Gender/Sex:  	Male	
Age:  		68 (Earth-standard)
DOB:  		January 13, 2190
POB:  		Unknown	
Parents:  	Unknown
Siblings:  	Unknown
Spouse:  	None
Children:  	None  		

A. Physical Description

HT: 		6'4" (1.93 meters)
WT:		220 lbs (99.8 kilo)
EY: 		Green
HR: 		Brown	 
SK:  		Tan	
Blood Type:  	T-		
Religion:	Vulcan mystic	
Citizenship: 	Vulcan
Languages:  	Vulcan (several dialects, including many old dialects),
Andorian, English, Latin (and several other ancient tongues used for
religious studies), Orion and a smattering of others.  		


==============================================================
II.  Educational Background
===============
A. Academic Institutions Attended

   -- Star Fleet Academy: Officer's Training School
         (Xenolinguistics)
   -- Vulcan Academy of Sciences
	   - Bachelor of Arts: Religious Studies
	   - Bachelor of Arts: Xenolinguistics
	   - Master of Arts: Vulcan history and language
	   - Doctorate of Arts: Vulcan history and language

VULCAN TRAINING:

-> INDUCTION
Visual Mathematics, Basic Calculation, Neurological organization.
Identity Meld.

-> LEVEL I
Preliminary telepathic communication and etiquette.  Clan History, Vulcan 
History, Vulcan Anthropology, Calculus, Quantum Physics.  Introduction to the 
teachings of Surak.  Initial meditation training.

-> LEVEL II
Suppression of cortical stimulae in dominant hemisphere.  Vulcan cultural 
history.  Study of Vuclan Rites of Passage.  Begin study of martial forms.  

-> Level III
Pressure points of mind melding.  Memory accuracy.  Internal time-counting.  
Introduction to logic and reason.  First meditations on Cthia.  Principles of 
Analysis.  Concreteness of thought.  Physical deportment.  Second circle martial 
forms.

[Kahs-wan]

-> TAL T'LEE
First meditations on a'tha assisted by an Adept of Syran Clan Council.  Control 
of subdominant cortis.  Third-Fifth Circle martial forms.

-> DWEMISH NI-AN
Identity isolation.  Brain control with number systems and equations.  Fifth 
and Sixth Martial Forms.  Introduction of weapons.  

-> ENOK-KAL FI LAR
Process of definition.  Concepts of givens.  Study of 'THE RUNES OF T'VISH'.  
Logic paradigms, behavioral modification and Isolation of Katra.  Second-tier 
martial forms.  Nerve pinch.  Neuropressure.

-> SELE'AN T'LEE
Subdominant brain organization, advanced philosophy and logic, muscle 
coordination and control of will.  Five steps belief disciplines, reality 
awareness, and sensory acuteness.  READINGS: 'LOGIC AND DEFINITION' by 
Lyras; 'ESSAYS OF DISCIPLINE' by Surak; 'THE INTERIOR' by Tal Luxur of 
Romulus; 'EQUATIONS' by Scorus; 'ANALYSIS OF PSUEDOXY' by T'verne; 'PURPOSE AS
PRIME MOTIVATOR', 'SYSTEMS OF LOGIC', 'PASSION'S MASTERY: THE FORGE OF VULCAN' 
by Surak.  Mastery of martial forms.  Test of Tal'Shaya.

-> NORN LA-HAL
Superior control.  Meditations on arie'mnu and cthia.  Advanced neurological 
organization and subdivision.  Advanced mind meld techniques.  Advanced reading 
and meditations on mystagogues Surak, Scorus, Lyras, T'enre, T'vis, Prisv, 
T'Pau, T'Pol and Seltar.

-> VELINAHR

State of most adult Vulcans.

-> AKKINAHR

Mastery;.

B. Service Schools Attended

   -- Star Fleet Space Warfare Officers School
      
C. Qualifications (MOS/MOCs)

   -- MOC:  Security
   -- MOC:  Communications

D. Star Fleet Academy Record
 
Honors: 		Xenolinguistics		
Academic Major: 	Xenolinguistics
Professional Major: 	Security and Investigation
Class Rank:  		3rd
Reprimands: 		"Cadet Sohte took an emergency (and unauthorized) leave
of absence for three weeks during his second year for undisclosed medical 
reasons.  Prior to this, Cadet Sohte was involved in three separate incidents 
with two cadets and his unarmed combat instructor.  Cadet Sohte has been 
unwilling to discuss the nature of this, only citing 'personal and medical 
reasons.'  As he has apologized to all involved and served punishment duty and 
at the urging of his teachers, Cadet Sohte will be allowed to continue as a 
Starfleet cadet."	
Commendations: 		"Cadet Sohte has been a great help as a teacher and 
tutor in armed and unarmed combat, helping less skilled and hesitant students 
train up to much higher levels of proficiency.  If a Vulcan could be described 
as a 'people person', Cadet Sohte is that.  He is quite willing to socialize and 
to help bridge cultural gaps."
	-- CDR Dr. Devaraja Karan

Athletics: Academy Unarmed Combat Team, Academy Archery Team, Academy Riflery 
Squad 		
Activities:  Taught a meditation class and taught Vulcan martial arts classes   


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III. Biographical Notes
===========
A. Chronology (tabular form)


0-36:  	Was given to the Masters of Seleya because of his high psi-score.  Grew
up in the monastery there as a priest.  Underwent Ta'loth and Kahs-wan. 
Betrothed to T'lana.  Attended the Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts.  Entered
Vulcan Academy Sciences.  

36-39:  	Served as priest at Seleya; training for Mastery.  Served as an 
instructor at the Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts.  Taught meditation and 
other skills to Vulcan youth.  Achieved Akkinahr.  Attended Vulcan Academy of 
Sciences.

40-46:	Attended Vulcan Academy of Sciences.  Achieved Mastery.  (Not the 
youngest Master ever, but one of the top 200.)  Visited Earth as part of a 
cultural exchange.  Underwent Koon-ut-Kali-fi.

46-54:	Served as a Master of Seleya and instructor in Vulcan history and 
languages at the Vulcan Academy of Sciences.

55-64:	Left Vulcan.  Travelled as something of a cosmic vagabond.  Spent two 
years as a Federation customs agent.

65-68		Attended Starfleet Academy (accelerated program)

68-Present:	Active duty in Starfleet.

B. Background Summary


Vulcan culture frowned on mind-melding and the use of their innate psionic gifts 
until the re-discovery of the Kir'Shara in 2154.  During that era, only the 
religious and mystical sects on Vulcan could practice psionic crafts without 
stigma (though, not without suspicion and fear).  It became tradition to give 
any child with unusually high psi to one of these sects at birth.

Sohte was such a child.  When he was born, the doctors tested him as having a 
psi-rating in the top .001 percentile.  His parents opted to have him given to 
the monastery at Seleya.  

Raised among the priests, Sohte was given a thorough education in Vulcan 
culture, history, logic and ethics and was trained extensively in psionic 
technique (as is necessary for any Vulcan with high psi.)  He showed a 
particular aptitude for some of the more difficult elements of Surak's 
teachings, such as IDIC and Arie'mnu, or 'Passion's Mastery.'  His academics 
were above average, but was a prodigal student of language.  His teachers 
supposed this was because his psi-training began even before he could talk, 
giving him a stronger grasp on the 'word to concept' translation.

Sohte's psionic skills were very advanced for a Vulcan; he had a very limited 
range empathy, though he had to be standing close to someone for several minutes
 before he could get 'read' on them.  His touch telepathy was almost 
instantaneous and his mind-melding skills were very advanced.

Sohte was an indifferent student of the 'hard' sciences arts and of music, 
though he excelled at animal husbandry, survival and martial training.  Often 
considered to be 'restless and impulsive' by his teachers, they assigned him 
many extra hours of physical activity to burn off his excess energy.  When 
allowed the choice, Sohte focused on the martial disciplines, often seeking out 
other teachers to instruct him in styles and forms he had yet to master.

Despite the Masters' misgivings about his interest in martial arts, they allowed
him to attend the Vulcan Academy of Defensive Arts and to continue his training, 
being unwilling to refute his logic that there was no logic in not allowing him 
such study.  Such arts were about focus and discipline, as much as any of the 
other training he recieved.

He spent many hours in the desert, travelling between Seleya and Gol (the 
location of the Vulcan Institude of Defensive Arts); this was a traditional 
pilgrimage for the Akkinahru, the warrior-psions of Vulcans ancient past.

Sohte became known as a keen observer and a practical philosopher.  He was able 
to apply Surak's teachings to daily life and often found applications his 
teachers had not considered.  He often made observations on what many considered 
trivial things, but would later use his trivia to cement a point or make an 
observation.

He completed the rites of tal'oth and Kahs wan with distinction, allowing him 
the status of 'adult' in Vulcan society.  He was then able to chart the course 
of his own training to a much greater extent.  Sohte chose to puruse Akkinahr - 
the warrior's path.  Most Vulcans sought Velinhar, or the mastery of emotion and
ascendance of logic over desire and a very few chose to seek Mastery by becoming 
Kolinahru.

Sohte chose a different path: though less traditional, under Surak's teaching,
Akkinahr was still mastery and allowed for logic and control to triumph over 
emotion.  However, where Kolinahr focused on expelling emotion, Akkinahr focused
on understanding, controlling and directing mastered emotion and finding a path
of service.

When he came of age, Sohte entered the Vulcan Academy of Sciences to study 
mysticism and religion in a more academic sense and split his time between the 
temple and the Academy.  He began teaching classes at the Vulcan Academy of 
Defensive Arts and taught meditation to Vulcan children who visited the temple 
while studying for his Mastery and completing his Academic studies.  He also 
served as one of the few priests practicing the traditions of Akkinahr.

He studied many of the more ancient and esoteric psionic disciplines, including
some mind-healing, and psychometric techniques ('reading' the psionic 
impressions left on an object) and became skilled in the transfer of katra as 
well as psycho-metabolism - using psionics to control his body's functions, such 
as suppression of pain and other physical sensation, slowing his heart rate, 
expelling poisons and the like.

During this time of intensive study and service, Sohte noticed his own growing
dissatisfaction with Vulcan society and culture.  He felt the insular nature, 
epidemic arrogance and lack of interest in new ideas and experiences to be in 
direct conflict with Surak's teachings of IDIC.  When he began to speak out 
with these ideas, he was asked to no longer teach children.

He was approached by the Vosh'ka'tur who sought to recruit him, but he found 
them to be undisciplined and dangerous and refused to associate with them.  One 
of the Vosh'ka'tur - a woman who was a priestess of the ancient (pre-Surak) 
goddess T'vet, sought Sohte as a mate, but his interest in T'risi was academic 
only.

Sohte began to try to understand his own people better, gaining the right to
study the Kir'Shara directly.  He interviewd and mind-melded with the High 
Priest holding the katra of Surak and began his upper-level academic studies of
Vulcan language, history and culture.  

He achieved Akkinahr at a relatively young age, but was by far not the youngest 
to achieve Mastery and took a Master's duties at Seleya.  The Vulcan Institute 
of Defensive Arts had started to allow non-humans to attend.  One such, an 
Andorian named Tarus, told Sohte he needed to get out off Vulcan and see the 
cosmos and suggested he visit Earth as part of a cultural exchange.  Sohte spent 
a year on Earth with such a program, visiting with the Dalai Lama and studying 
human martial arts from human martial arts masters.  Tarus was part of the 
program - he and Sohte became friends, though Tarus often joked Sohte only 
became his friend because he knew it would bother the more conservative Masters.

T'risi was also part this exchange, and went out of her way to flirt, annoy and 
provoke Sohte, but she proved unsuccessful.  Upon his return to Vulcan, he 
experienced his first Pon Farr.  T'lana Challenged, not wishing to be married to 
a Master, much less a controversial one.  Her chosen champion was a middle-aged 
Vulcan scientist who specialized in artificial intelligence programming named 
Sedren.  He was no match for Sohte and was killed during Kali-fi.  Sohte 
released T'lana from their bond.

Though legal and allowed and not widely known, killing Sedren was a black mark 
against him.  Though he was a sitting Master, his voice was given little heed in 
councils, though he had become a respected instructor of history and language 
at the Vulcan Academy and one of the chief instructors at the Vulcan Institue 
of Defensive Arts, having mastered many of the forms taught there.

He recieved word that Tarus had been killed in inter-clan fighting on Andor 
about the same time his teaching appointment at the Academy was up.  Now 
considered something of a controversial figure often at odds with the 
conservative and traditional elements of Vulcan society, Sohte retired to Seleya
to continue his service as a Master.  Very soon thereafter, the Akkinahru who 
had instructed him passed away of old age (223 years old), leaving Sohte as the 
last of the Akkinahru.

Sohte quickly discovered himself becoming more and more isolated from his 
people, spending more and more time at remote shrines and walking the desert for 
weeks at a time.  He had become what he most disliked about his people.

It was not unusual for Sohte to just up and leave for long periods of time.  
None of the Masters or Acolytes thought anything of it when Sohte left Seleya 
without a word, dressed for travel, taking almost nothing with him.  His absence 
was not remarked upon until almost two years after he had left.

Sohte walked to the nearest public transit station, where he went to Vulcan 
Space Central in ShiKahr.  Sohte got a berth on a cargo frieghter as a last-
minute replacement.  He spent the last 11 years travelling around space as 
something of a cosmic vagabond aboard various ships, including several ships he 
now knows were smugglers.  He served as the security chief for an exclusive 
cruise ship and as the supercargo for several massive freighters.  He would 
often find himself planetside for a few months, where he worked as a police 
officer and in various other law enforcement positions, including one stint in 
Federation customs.  He told no one of his past as a Vulcan Master, though he 
continued his linguistic and cultural studies with every species he met as well 
as continuing to practice, study and collect martial arts skills.

He recieved a modicum of training in engineering, navigation, helm and medicine,
but was thoroughly trained in forensic investigation during his time in law 
enforcement.  Sohte also developed an interest in cooking due to bad experiences 
with food aboard ships, and often found himself in the role of ship's cook.

Although Sohte did experience pon farr during this trip, he has never spoken of 
it.

His experiences travelling re-shaped him from a contemplative mystic to a man 
who believes strongly in action.  He now feels it is action and experience that 
Surak wanted his people to seek, not perfection and academic knowledge.  He is 
friendly and outgoing and tends to get along with everyone and tends to avoid 
snap judgements.  He sees himself as an eternal student and is very interested 
in contuing to travel and explore, finding there is more in knowledge, wisdom 
and skills to learn than he can do in the short 200 years allotted to a Vulcan.

One ship Sohte found himself on was a specialized transport, ferrying live 
animals from Earth to colonies.  He met a human named Esteban Morales, the 
foreman of the A-Zone ranch on Earth.  The A-Zone specialized in exotic horses 
and special breeds.  Sohte was invited by Esteban to work at the A-Zone on Earth 
for a season or two.

Sohte accepted, deciding Earth was as good a place as any to stop at for 
awhile.  He was on Earth when he got word of Vulcan's destruction and when he 
heard Starfleet had mustered the entire available fleet to fight for his world,
he was stunned.  Vulcan, which had shunned humans, treated them as second-class 
citizens and continued to think itself superior had been defended by the very 
people it had scorned for so long.

The act of sacrifice re-awoke in him his desire to serve and made him ashamed of 
the cynicism that drove him to leave Vulcan in the first place.  Sohte applied 
for a place in Starfleet.

The Vulcan interim government opposed his application and asked that he not be 
allowed to join Starfleet.  Starfleet was asked to send him, with all due haste,
to the Vulcan colony where he could take his place helping re-build.  The 
pressure on Starfleet was great enough that a hearing was held.

Sohte defended himself, citing every sentient being's right to self-
determination.  The Vulcans countered with an axiom: "The needs of the many 
outweight the needs of the few, or the one."  The Vulcan government wanted Sohte
to help restore the priesthood and the mystic traditions and teach the next 
generation.

Starfleet decided in Sohte's favor and he was admitted to Starfleet Academy in 
late 2258.  Sohte applied himself to the Academy with what his teachers would 
call 'passion.'  Sohte called it 'dedication.'  He tested out of as much of the 
purely Academic material as he could, focusing, instead, on the military 
training.  His previous experiences in law enforcement and his (relative) 
indifference to the hard sciences led him to pursue security training, though he 
also qualified for communications.

During his second year at the Academy, Sohte took three weeks of emergency 
leave, citing personal and medical reasons to deal with pon farr - though he 
chose to respect the privacy taboo and did not speak of it to his fellow cadets 
or his instructors and superiors.  (Sohte, himself, is not ashamed of pon farr, 
but knows other Vulcans are, and respected their privacy by not revealing this 
secret.)  He even requested intevention by the Vulcan consulate, who, 
surprisingly, agreed.  Sohte has never spoken of what happened during those 
three weeks.

Sohte was a member of the Academy's unarmed combat team, the archery team and 
the marksmanship team and placed very highly in almost every competition.  He 
made friends easily at the Academy (as he had during his vagabond phase) and was
well-liked and well-respected by his classmates.  He got a reputation for being
an excellent listener, giving good advice, and being someone that could be 
counted on to keep secrets, not judge, and help out when he could.  He freely 
answered questions about Vulcan, and often taught meditation and martial arts 
classes in his free time.  Sohte continued his interest in cooking and often 
cooked for large(ish) groups of students during study meetings, finals prep and 
other occasions.  He provided his services as a tutor - and had to find a tutor 
to pass Astrophysics.

He graduated in 2261, 3rd in his class.  His training cruise was aboard the USS 
COPERNICUS NCC 623 and was uneventful.  Due to his extensive interstellar 
experience, Sohte was given the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to the USS HOOD
NCC 1703 as the Chief of Security.


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IV. Official Star Fleet Record
=================
A. Promotion History:
=================
2257.213:	Entered 1st Year, Starfleet Academy
2258.214:	Entered 2nd Year, Starfleet Academy
2259.213:	Entered 3rd Year, Starfleet Academy
2260.213:	Entered 4th Year, Starfleet Academy

2260.115:	Promoted to Ensign (O-1)


B. Service History

2257.213:	Entered 1st Year, Starfleet Academy
2258.214:	Entered 2nd Year, Starfleet Academy
2259.213:	Entered 3rd Year, Starfleet Academy
2260.213:	Entered 4th Year, Starfleet Academy

2261.115:	Graduated from Starfleet Academy; assigned to
	 	  cadet cruise aboard USS GALILEO
		  NCC-0594.
2261.213:       Finished Cadet Cruiser, commissioned as Ensign (O-1);
                  assigned as <<position>>, <<ship name and registry>>.

C.  Medals and Commendations

None at this time.


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V. Skills Profile
======
- Skilled martial artist
- Master marksman
- Psychometry
- Mind meld
- Natural linguist
- Eidetic memory 
- Skilled chef (Vulcan, Human, Andorian, Tellarite)
- Trained interrogator
- Trained investigator



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VI. Recent Fitness Reports
==============
"Sohte is in excellent physical shape.  Though he has scars from his years 
abroad, there is nothing that would impair him.  His ability to suppress pain 
and forego sleep put a strain on his body, but he is very adept at handling 
this.  His blood type is very rare, so I have cautioned him to donate regularly 
on whatever ship he serves on."

-- Dr. Isabel Patrick, Starfleet Academy


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VII. Psychological Profile
==============
Sohte sees himself as an eternal student and as a warrior poet.  He was a 
controversial figure on Vulcan and has survivor's guilt he has not dealt with in 
regards to his leaving Vulcan.  His rejection by Vulcans has left him somewhat 
cynical, though he is careful to hide it.  He is skilled at reading people and 
skilled at dealing with people.  Unlike many Vulcans, he does not shy from 
social interaction or experience.  If any Vulcan could be considered a 'people 
person,' it would be Sohte.

He is still very much a priest at heart, though he is loathe to admit it and 
often provides an ear, a shoulder and advice to those who need it, and 
frequently finds himself in the role of advisor and confessor to most of his 
social group - and many outside it.  While he does not seek such a role out, 
he is eager for it when it is thrust upon him.  

Sohte is very open-minded and non-judgemental, preferring to draw conclusions 
through observation and analysis.  He is very calm natured, but somewhat 
restless.  I feel he will make an excellent Starfleet officer.

--CDR Dr. Devaraja Karan


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VIII. Current Recreational Interests
======================
- Cooking
- Martial arts
- linguistics


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