So'Dan Leva

So’Dan Leva was the chief tactical officer and third officer of the USS Eagle. An extremely skilled tactician, Leva’s career in Starfleet was often overshadowed with issues pertaining to his mixed heritage. (The Star Eagle Adventures)

Early life

So’Dan Leva was born on November 8, 2339 on the planet Henaka, a Romulan colony near the Klingon border. So’Dan’s mother Sonara was a Romulan diplomat assigned to the Romulan embassy on Earth. While stationed there she fell in love with a young human liaison officer named Daniel Anderson. They kept their relationship a secret, fearing repercussions by the Romulan government. Sonara traveled to Henaka, the home of her parents to give birth to her illegitimate half-human, half Romulan son. It was decided that he be raised on Henaka as a Romulan.

Due to his mixed heritage So’Dan developed less prominent forehead ridges and was often considered inferior to other Romulans when growing up, however the truth of his heritage was never revealed.

When So’Dan was eleven years old he witnessed a ruthless attack by rogue Klingon forces on his home town. He watched helplessly as many of his people were killed by the Klingons, including his grandparents. He developed a deep sense of resentment towards Klingons of which he was never consciously aware.

After the attack he was put in the care of foster parents until his mother was granted permission by the Romulan government to have So’Dan join her at the embassy on Earth. So’Dan came to Earth at the age of seventeen where he eventually learned the truth about his human father. Even though in denial at first he learned to accept his heritage. However feeling betrayed by his parents he decided to leave them behind and found that joining Starfleet would be the best way to accomplish that.

Starfleet career

He signed up to the Academy in 2357 where as the first Romulan serving Starfleet he was welcomed with mixed feelings. He had to fight both prejudice cadets and over excited and interested faculty members. So’Dan never felt entirely comfortable with Vulcans at the Academy as many students and officers mistakenly assumed that he himself was one.

In 2359 he took part in a six-month training assignment on the frigate USS Bellevue. His superior strength and body stature made him an ideal candidate for the security department. A position that he would come to embrace in his career in Starfleet. So’Dan graduated from the Academy in 2361 and was assigned as a security officer on the heavy cruiser USS Endeavour. In 2365 he was promoted to deputy tactical officer.

As one of the very few, if not the only member of Starfleet with Romulan blood coursing through his veins, So’Dan quickly realized that his career in Starfleet would be filled with challenges in times of rising tensions between the Federation and the Star Empire. In his early years in the fleet his path crossed with that of Ousanas Dar, one of the Federation’s most famous Romulan defectors. The older man, recognizing Leva’s struggles with which he could easily sympathize, took it upon himself to mentor the younger Romulan even while So’Dan turned out to be a very reluctant student.

In 2367 So’Dan accepted a posting on the space station Deep Space 2 as chief of security. It was there that he met Lieutenant Nora Laas. They became close friends, realizing that they had much in common; both of them were in conflict with their origins and out of touch with their respective birth places.

So’Dan found his posting as security chief challenging but became more interested in serving on a starship.

In 2369 he took a temporary position as the chief tactical officer of the frigate USS Providence. One year later, close to the end of his assignment the Providence was faced with two tactically superior Breen battle cruisers. The Providence was hopelessly outmatched but So’Dan engaged in a risky maneuver which resulted in Providence’s victory over the Breen. Starfleet awarded So’Dan with the Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry for his efforts and a free choice of assignment.

In 2371 So’Dan decided to join the newly commissioned Eagle as chief tactical officer.

Later that same year he participated in an ill-fated covert mission into Romulan territory seeking to extract possible high-level defectors, an assignment which would reunite him with his self-proclaimed mentor Ousanas Dar. (Dark Territory)

Psychological profile

So’Dan Leva did not have it easy in Starfleet and yet it would be wrong to presume that many of his problems were solely caused by his fellow officers. While he has encountered a large number of mistrusting or prejudiced Starfleet members it is fair to say that So’Dan has tendency to create his own challenges.

While he tries hard to suppress it he possesses a distinctly hot-headed side which is most likely caused by his attempts to ignore his Romulan heritage while at the same time refusing to completely embrace the part of him which is human.

He often claims to have a dislike for everything Romulan and becomes visibly uncomfortable when he comes in close proximity of other Romulans who usually regard him as impure and unworthy of being one of them. He has never explained exactly how he feels about other Romulans but continues to avoid them whenever possible.

His adult life was very much influenced by his rough childhood on the Romulan border colony on which he was raised. He was often the target of childish mockery and cruelty due to his less developed forehead ridges typical for Romulans. He eventually learned to deal with bullying and claims that it made him a stronger person.

The most traumatic event of his childhood occurred when his home was attacked by Klingon outlaws which raided his colony and massacred most of its inhabitants. Leva was spared but was forced to witness the slaughter of his grandparents with whom he lived and many others.

While most Starfleet officers pride themselves with their tolerance and openness Xylion has been remarkably prejudiced against Romulans, Klingons and Vulcans throughout his career.

His apathy for Vulcans is perhaps the most puzzling but has been attributed to the fact that many of his colleagues often mistook him as being Vulcan. He eventually managed to rid himself from any preconceived notions while serving on Eagle.