Sa'val Stryker

Lt. Cmdr. Sa'val Stryker is the Chief Tactical Officer of the USS Odyssey.
== Early Life ==
Sa’val Stryker was born to two members of Starfleet who had served aboard the USS Decatur together, Captain Vaal and Executive Officer Christopher Stryker, christened with a name from both. His parents had both been Starfleet Officers for most of their lives and had instilled in Sa’val the same sense of dedication to the Federation that they exhibited every day. Growing up on a Starship, Sa’val quickly got used to the sound of the Warp Core thrumming throughout the halls and the tight quarters inherent with life aboard a vessel Warping from one Galaxy to the next. Sa’val quickly came to recognize the small crew as his family with the Tactical Officer and Engineering Officer acting as surrogate Uncle and Aunt respectively; the numerous Exocomp Crew as playful and mischievous siblings; and the distant Admiral as a sort of Grandmother.
== Reasons for Joining Starfleet ==
Sa’val’s upbringing was a refined mixture of his parents’ backgrounds. He learned  the importance of Logic and the steadied, analytical approach to exploration that his Mother prided herself upon. This was tempered by the optimistic outlook and emotional recognizance that his Father imparted upon him. Despite this imbalance, Sa’val was able to find a way to develop his own values and beliefs that happened to coincide with those of both of his Parents. Experts in their own fields prior to their ascension to Command positions, Vaal and Christopher both took turns introducing Sa’val to the disparate disciplines of Science and Tactical as embodied by Starfleet Personnel. Despite his keen analytical mind and aptitude for Scientific pursuits, Sa’val seemed to particularly excel at the career path his Father had previous experience with. His Mother would often find the two practicing combat with pillows in their Quarters after a Shift on the Bridge, much to her chagrin as the Quarters were often askew. Sa’val could see no other life for himself other than being in the service of Starfleet, protecting the Crew with whom he served. 
== Academy Life ==
When the USS Decatur had finally made Drydock both of Sa’val’s parents had seriously considered retirement. Sa’val himself had reached the required age to apply to the Starfleet Academy. After very little discussion, Sa’val applied and was quickly accepted, much to the mixed pride and concern of his parents. Sa’val approached his time at the Academy with a relish usually not so readily expressed by his Vulcan classmates, but certainly noticed by his Professors. Sa’val seemed to particularly excel at Classes that involved Tactical Analysis and Strategy, often involving himself in discussions over proper use of Terrain in the Defense of a Colony or utilizing Surprise to disorient and delay an Enemy response. Sa’val demonstrated an affinity for approaching a Tactical situation analytically, accumulating all of his resources and previous knowledge, and postulating the most likely course of action that his enemy would take. As a result, many of his Tactical classmates would find themselves in the unenviable position of being bested by the upstart Human/Vulcan prodigy. Unfortunately, Sa’val had some difficulty thinking outside of the syllabus. 
In the Final Exercise of his Advanced Tactical Training course, students were pitted against instructors to plan and execute an assault on a heavily defended position. Sa’val managed to orchestrate a cunning plan that considered all aspects that the course had taught him. In preparation he read and reread all of the manuals to ensure he had not missed anything. As the students created a mock simulation of the run, it was clear that the selected approach was obviously the best means of reaching the compound based on an observation of the terrain. Satisfied with their planning, the class executed the Mission exactly as planned...and within minutes found themselves surrounded by well-prepared instructors who had fully expected their approach. A difficult lesson, Sa’val took the failure particularly to heart. He felt responsible for leading his classmates into an ambush and blamed himself for the disastrous result. It took Sa’val some time to overcome his confusion and guilt, but he finally realized that this Exercise had actually been the final lesson. 
Sa’val completed his courses and managed to graduate from Starfleet Academy with honors. He embarked upon his career in Starfleet with the intention of continuing his learning, ensuring that he would never fail to live up to the image of his Mother and Father, always endeavoring to make them proud of him. Sa’val would never forget the lessons he learned during the Academy, but he stepped eagerly into his position out in the Fleet, intending to continue his education through first hand experience.
== Department Selection/Training ==
Sa’val conducted Advanced Fleet Training aboard the USS Delaware, a New Jersey-Class Battle Cruiser assigned a Shakedown and Orientation cruise through the Sol System before traveling to Vulcan. Sa’val was no stranger to life aboard a Starship, but it was an entirely new experience being a sworn Officer with Duties and Responsibilities inherent with his new Position. Sa’val adapted quickly to Watch Standing and performed well during the numerous Boarding Simulations that we conducted between the Security graduates and the Tactical graduates. Sa’val quickly earned the reputation for being a devious opponent who would find some unorthodox hiding places to spring a trap on a Security Response Team. Further exercises included a simulated Landing Party using shuttles to land on Mars followed by a forced march through barren desert to the nearest settlement. Sa’val was among the select few who truly enjoyed the excursion and, when Shore Leave was granted, spent his extra R&R time exploring the wilderness near Lake Cassini. 
Following the excursion on Mars, the USS Delaware continued out of the system on the way to Vulcan. Sa’val took the opportunity to cross deck in the Operations Department and learn more about the running of Ship Systems, maintaining the performance of the ship, and the intricacies of Flight Deck routines. Sa’val also spent some time interfacing with the Security contingent, often taking some of their free time to engage in hand-to-hand combat and competitive shooting matches. Upon the arrival at Vulcan, and the subsequent extended Leave offered, Sa’val took the time to explore the planet of his ancestors. Taking time to visit the major cities, some of the temples, and even went to see the Apartment his Parents had shared when they had been on a temporary sabbatical from Starfleet. Recharged and feeling reconnected to his Parents, Sa’val looked forward to his next posting. 
Just before he was sent out into the Fleet, Sa'val met with an old friend of his father's, an Admiral with whom he had a great deal of respect. The Admiral offered Sa'val the possibility of a position as a member of a Team of Ground Combat Experts utilized in conducting Operations in a subtle manner without the need for excessive Starfleet intervention. While this position would be contingent upon a successful probationary period learning the ropes as a Tactical Officer, the Admiral assured Sa'val that he would be a likely candidate and he was assured of his success. Sa'val jumped at the chance, as much as his calm and even temper allowed. Unfortunately, this had been a terrible blow for his relationship with his Vulcan girlfriend at the time who could not understand the logic of throwing away a path to Command in order to conduct hit-and-run missions against enemies of the Federation. They both parted ways as Sa'val received his first assignment after graduation.
== Additional Assignments ==
# USS Portsmouth (Newport-Class) - Spent assignment as Tactical Officer, required to shadow Senior Officers and had very limited duties on Beta and Gamma Shifts in maintenance and upkeep during the end of the Undine Insurrection (1 year).
# USS Indefatigable (Sao Paulo-Class) - Utilized as Tactical Duty Officer, Gamma Shift. Conducted routine maintenance and upgraded to Phaser Arrays and Torpedo Tubes under strict supervision (6 months). 
# USS McNerney (Rademaker-Class) - Assigned as Weapons Specialist for 2745th Tactical Division (nicknamed the "Black Knights"). The 2745th was assigned to complement the personnel of USS McNerney and conduct Away Missions with the focus on direct action, specialized ground reconnaissance, internal force protection, and unconventional combat. During this tour, the 2745th conducted over ten Operations in a variety of climates, including some cold weather operations on Delta Vega, with the loss of only two Officers to minor injuries (1 year). 
# USS McDonough (Imperial-Class) - the 2745th (and Sa'val as a Designated Marksman) were assigned to the USS McDonough in the Alpha Quadrant to conduct targeted operations against an insurgent presence on the planet of Capella IV. Utilizing counter-insurgency techniques and through the consistent support of the Federation populace, the USS McDonough was able to eliminate the last Insurgent hideouts and restore peace to the system (2 years). 
# USS Hendrickson (Typhoon-Class) - Following the deployment of the 2745th to Capella IV, the team was transferred to the USS Hendrickson and Sa'val was promoted to a Team Leader during this cruise. The USS Hendrickson was detailed to the Combined Fleet to combat the Iconian Threat and the 2745th was utilized in Boarding Operations against enemy ships as well as a blocking force in defense of evacuation operations and systematic withdrawals. Casualties had increased during this period and the losses had begun to seriously impact performance of the Division. With the cessation of hostilities, the 2745th was disbanded and the members were distributed amongst different Starfleet Vessels (6 months). 
== Other Information ==
Seemingly taciturn and introverted, Sa’val takes some time to warm to new friends. When that does occur, however, he can become an entirely new person. Optimistic and friendly, Sa’val is a dedicated and loyal friend who does his best to see that the needs of his acquaintances are always met and the safety of his Crew is never in jeopardy. Sa’val is a dichotomy that comes from the unusual upbringing of his parents in which his mother, while a Vulcan, realized the importance of recognizing and acknowledging emotions and his father, particularly gregarious, instilled a sense of humor and outgoing personality in Sa'val.
Following his involvement in the Iconian War, Sa'val returned to the Fleet significantly changed. His Division had been disbanded and the whole purpose of his career now seemed to be lost. Compounded by the personal loss of his teammates and officers for whom he was responsible, Sa'val returned to a duty in Tactical he had not been familiar with since his beginning days out of the Academy. 
Likes: 
* Military History
* Target Practice (Small Arms) 
* Swimming
* Hiking
* Climbing
* Literature
* Exercise
* Rudimentary Philosophy
* Barbecue
Dislikes: 
* Tofu
* Mathematics
* Socializing
* Crowds
* Seafood
== Photo/Art ==
File:Saval No.jpg|Art by Lavender
Category:Characters
Category:Odyssey Crew
Category:Tactical
Category:Lieutenant Commander
Category:Vulcan
Category:Human
Category:Male
Category:L. King
Category:Department Head
Category:Senior Staff
Category:Junior Officer