Bravo Fleet
Summary
Maran is a kind, empathic, and genuinely caring soul. He has been “stationed” on Roosevelt Station for the past 5 years, tending to the spiritual needs of the crew of the station, as well as acting in the role of an ‘alternative counselor’ when asked. He has been a Vedek for the better part of the last 10 years, and is devout in his beliefs.
History
Childhood
Maran was born at the latter end of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, to parents who were ostensibly farmers. They also happened to be heavily involved in the Resistance, and worked to house resistance militia, as well as help to smuggle the disenfranchised off-world when their lives were at stake. They were discovered when Maran was still a child, and while the original idea was to put them in a labor camp, a scuffle ensued and as a result both of his parents were killed.
Mercifully, he was taken in by the local Vedek, and sent to a monastery in the Hill Province, to be protected from the occupying Cardassians until next of kin could be found. He was 6 years old when the Occupation of Bajor ended, and lacking any next of kin, the monks decided to take him in officially, and make sure he received a good life and good education. He learned much about his peoples’ history, the Prophets, and myriad other things he found interesting.
Young Adulthood
In 2370, At the age of 20, Maran was invested as a Vedek. He was sent off to Deep Space Nine to study with the monks there, as they knew he wanted to see more of the galaxy than just Bajor’s Hill Province. It was here that he discovered his love for helping people. He spent many long hours in meditation at the temple, and talked to any who wished. He also found he had an interest in other religious practices, and enjoyed practices other cultures considered “occult” such as cartomancy and rune-reading. In his studies, he found similar practices in Bajoran history, and began teaching himself these older arts as a hobby.
Additionally, he found that he had an interest in solar sailing, and took to building his own solar sailing ship in the historical tradition of his people. While most of his experience in this happened on the station’s Holosuites, once he had completed the ship, he has taken long “sabbaticals” to go on sailing trips.
The Temple
In 2394, Maran was allowed to enter the Celestial Temple on a runabout. He had hoped he would be able to speak to the Prophets, and while this didn’t happen, the sheer beauty of the interior of the Temple awed him to such an extent that he knew he wanted to see more of the galaxy.
He petitioned both Starfleet and the Kai to open a small shrine on an outlying station. They approved, and advised him to report to Roosevelt Station. He booked passage on a Lagashi trading ship for the voyage, finding their culture interesting, and having more than a few conversations with the inquisitive crew.
Roosevelt Station
Maran has now been aboard Roosevelt Station, and operating his own small shrine for the better part of the last 5 years. He has loved every moment of it. The unique space around the station has allowed him to continue his love for sailing; the unique crew and civilians have allowed him to continue his love for divination. And ultimately, the needs of the people aboard the station have made him feel that he was legitimately helping them.