Lieutenant Soleta. Science Officer aboard the Starship Excalibur under the command of Captain Calhoun.

Background:
Soleta was born on a scientific Vulcan research planet in 2340. She was an only child, and she grew up there and was trained in traditional Vulcan disciplines. In addition, Soleta had some medical training at the hands of her parents. She entered the Starfleet Academy in 2357 in the same class as Zak Kebron, Mark McHenry, Worf and Tania Tobias. The five cadets were often called the dream team because their various talents and temperaments complemented one another and they were quite effective at the various missions they were sent on. Upon graduation in 2361, she was posted as a junior science officer aboard the Oberth-class U.S.S. Aldrin. In 2362 the crew of the Aldrin captured a notorious Romulan criminal who had built up quite a reputation and had a very impressive smuggling operation set up. Soleta had, of course, heard about Romulans, but had never met one, so she went to the Brig where he was being held. While trying to shock the young Vulcan officer, the Romulan man told her the particularly distasteful tale of how he brutally abused and forced himself upon a Vulcan woman some years ago on a Vulcan science colony. The details of the incident made it clear to Soleta that this man was her biological father. He had no idea that he was talking to his daughter. She later visited her parents on Vulcan who confirmed the awful truth that she suspected.

After the revelation about her true heritage, Soleta took extended leave and decided to roam space to sort things out. She felt that her whole life as a Vulcan was somehow a sham, and she needed time to consider who she was and just what was her place in the universe. In 2364, during this time, Ensign Soleta ventured to the planet Thallon to study the extraordinary geological makeup of the planet which she had heard about. Shortly after visiting the planet, she was arrested by the xenophobic Thallonians and thrown into a dungeon. She was able to escape with the help of Ambassador Spock, who was on Thallon as a undercover cultural observer, and Lord Si Cwan, a member of the Thallonian royal family. Afterward, she continued her soul searching. A year later, in 2365, Starfleet Command got word to her that she would be removed from the rolls of Starfleet if she did not return. Soon after this she received a grave message from Vulcan informing her that mother was dying. Soleta returned home and was with her mother when she passed away. It was her dying wish that Soleta return to Starfleet, which she did after some thought.

Upon her return to Starfleet in 2365, Soleta was posted as an instructor at Starfleet Academy and she remained there for eight years. In 2367 Soleta received a promotion to Lieutenant junior grade, a number of years later than her Academy classmates, owing to her three-year unauthorized "sabbatical." She then became a Lieutenant two years later. In 2373, the Thallonian Empire collapsed. Starfleet Command made the decision to send the Starship Excalibur into the former Thallonian Empire to act as a Federation presence and to lend assistance. On the recommendation of the legendary Ambassador Spock, Lieutenant Soleta was assigned as science officer of the Excalibur under the command of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.

Personality:
Although raised as a full Vulcan, Soleta is half Romulan. She often appears to be in a bad mood due to her stern expression. In her twenties, she was good at making friends even though she was characteristically unemotional even then. She always had a zest for life especially while at the Academy and in her early career. After the revelation about her true lineage, however, Soleta became increasingly withdrawn. She began to have trouble deciding how she should feel. As a Vulcan, she does not readily admit it, but she does have some close friends, all of which were classmates with her at the Academy. These are Zak Kebron, Mark McHenry, Worf and Tania Tobias who was her roommate. All of these friends were made before that character defining incident with her father. Soleta is especially gifted in scientific subjects and geology and astrophysics are particular interest of hers. She is also fairly adept at the Vulcan mind meld and mind brush and has performed the technique while on various missions with the dream team. Soleta almost always wears a particular hair pin which has the Vulcan IDIC symbol on it. The pin was somewhat of a cherished family heirloom. It had belonged to her mother, and she had given it to Soleta when she went off to the Academy.

Current Assignment/Duties:
Lieutenant Soleta is the Science Officer aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur. A ship's Science Officer is responsible for investigating any new phenomenon and acts as an advisor to the command staff regarding questions of science, such as spatial phenomenon, new lifeforms and unknown energy forces. The science officer presides over all science missions performed by the ship, and is in charge of any visiting science teams. Not all Federation vessels have science officers. On those ships, science duties are often delegated to the operations officer. Scientific research starships, however, have large science departments and the CO and/or XO are usually science specialists in their own right. All Federation ships sent on exploration missions always have a science officer aboard.

Recent Events:
In 2373, Dr. Selar started having trouble with her emotions. Fearing the onset of Bendii Syndrome, Selar turned to Soleta, the only other Vulcan aboard the Excalibur, to help her determine what was happening to her. They mind melded and Soleta determined that Selar had entered pon farr. Through dealings with each other during this difficult time for Selar, the two revealed much about themselves and the two formed a friendship. Selar is the only member of Starfleet who knows that Soleta is half Romulan.

• The characters of Zak Kebron, Soleta and Mark McHenry first appreared in three STAR TREK: The Next Generation Starfleet Academy books written by Peter David and published in 1993 by Minstrel Books, an imprint of Pocket Books.

• The Vulcan character of Lieutenant Saavik, who appeared in the features STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Kahn and STAR TREK III: The Search For Spock, was originally intended to be half Romulan, like Soleta. The scenes in STAR TREK II in which her dual heritage was mentioned were cut from the film.

Other Members of the Excalibur Command Staff:

STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The STAR TREK: New Frontier books are published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Shuster Inc., under exclusive license from Paramount Pictures. New Frontier concept by John J. Ordover and Peter David.