V'Ket

VSS Rala

On Vulcan informally referred to as "The Guardians", the V'Ket are the planet's elite military force reporting directly to the High Command.

Mainly concerned with planetary defense, the V'Ket are also serving as honor guards at major events or certain religious rites. Under command of the f'rel-barr (Grand Admiral) they maintain a small fleet of starships.

History

Founded likely some four to five thousand years before Surak, the warrior-priest order of the W'há Ķed-esh (anc. Infinite Loyalty) first gained renown as exceptional bodyguards. Notoriously disinterested in either wealth or political machinations, their services could only be obtained by direct request; and such requests were granted or denied on a seemingly arbirtary basis.

Antiquity

While at times V'Ket bodyguards were a popular status symbol among Vulcan noble houses, at other times the order almost fell into obscurity. This waxing and waning of awareness among Vulcan's clans and historians has led to some confusion concerning the order's origin, and in fact its very tenets; though the V'Ket's current headquarters in Te'Rashar are said to contain extensive archives.

Most historical sources agree the first W'há Ķed-esh monasteries were likely located in the province of Tat'Sahr, and by roughly YS6300 the order maintained presences in Kir, Shi'Al and Kel. It is around this time that the ancient name W'há Ķed-esh first appears in its shortened form W'Kedh, and often referred to by contemporaries as 'warrior-caste'. While certainly not accurate, this term has nonetheless become somewhat of a colloquialism still in use today, and the V'Ket themselves tend to accept it as such.

A possible reason for the misconception of the V'Ket operating as a caste, or clan, is that historically the monasteries adopted and raised orphans regardless of their origins, and children of unknown origin and without clan-names would for simplicity often be referred to as 'of the V'Ket'. Another possibility is that the order, while not as strictly matriarchal as much of ancient Vulcan society and in fact often led by men, has historically counted between 50-65% women among its members, and their offspring was frequently raised within the order. While certainly not all those children would eventually come to enter the order themselves (good examples being the poet Ayhan and the mystic Haadok), it was also not uncommon for a V'Ket to have several ancestors within the order.

Post-Surak

By the mid YS 8600eds (the 21st/22nd century Federation Standard) the order had once more declined into twilight, the demand for highly trained bodyguards and fierce warriors having dwindled to near nothing since the Time of Awakening, and even the meditative techniques practiced by the V'Ket considered outdated. With Vulcan's emergence as a power in its own right and seething conflict with Andoria - not to mention a growing concern over Klingon expansionism - the by then increasingly militaristic Vulcan Council voted to call the Superior General (the head of the V'Ket order) to a position on the High Command. While the initial offer was declined, the successor of the aging Superior General eventually negotiated an agreement which established the V'Ket as the planet's elite security force under the High Command, while administration, training and spiritual matters would firmly remain under the order's aegis.

It is likely that this insistence on a measure of autonomy and their unwillingness to morph into a purely military force was what allowed the V'Ket to weather the upheavals of the High Command being returned to its original purpose after 2154. Remaining under the command of the Grand Admiral, the V'Ket returned to their more traditional role of guardians, although adapting it to the spacefaring age in their function of protecting starship crews and in some measure, their home planet.

Current

For the past centuries the V'Ket have been content to play a minor role as the small but well trained and highly efficient force in the background, rendering assistance in crisis situations as needed. Since YS 8972 (mid-24th century Federation Standard) the V'Ket maintain a small unit of emergency first responders in cooperation with T'Shen monastery. The two specially modified Seleya-class starships flying under the sigil of this unit are equipped to handle anything from natural disasters to high risk search and rescue operations and have gained a measure of fame due to their rapid deployment times and efficient track record.

Weapons

Swords

The traditional primary weapon of the V'Ket is the Ma'azikh sword, a lightly curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular (rarely a squared) guard, and a long grip to accommodate the two handed fighting style. Today the Ma'azikh is often referred to as a S'harien style sword, as the design was the one favored by the famous Vulcan swordsmith. In the style of desert travelers, and to allow for other, smaller arms to be carried on one's belt, the sword is carried slung across the back.

Some Vulcans hailing from the island continent Xir'Tan favor the Ahn'vahr type sword, a straight, heavier and longer double-edged blade. The use of Ahn'vahr is authorized if the V'Ket in question is able to wield it in the prescribed fighting style.

The trillpa, although it can be wielded as a two-handed weapon, and the D'Rash (a scimitar-type sword) are not used by the V'Ket.

Secondary / optional arms

The secondary weapon in ancient times were Lek'tana daggers, and many V'ket still train with these deadly close combat blades today. Similar in style to the Ma'azikh, the Lek'tana daggers possess a longer handle in proportion to the blade, and most designs have only a very light curve. Lek'tana are generally carried in pairs.

Since the invention of energy weapons the secondary weapon is usually a sidearm like a small phaser pistol. In 2307 the f'rell-bar permitted the use of customized energy weapons for V'Ket, however most still favor the sturdy Fisahr rev-gotavu (a sleek phaser-type pistol) for its light weight and superior accuracy.

On ceremonial occasions the V'Ket also carry lirpas, one of the oldest known weapons on Vulcan. The extent of use of this staff weapon in the order's history is uncertain, though several illustrations in ancient manuscripts point to it as being part of their standard weaponry at least during some time periods.

Khaiya longbows are used solely for ceremonial and practice purposes. Some V'Ket appreciate the meditative qualities of Khaiya-tal, and several archery science Masters teaching at the Institute of Defensive Arts are former or active V'Ket.

Fighting Style

The traditional fighting style of the V'Ket has by turns been described as 'effortless mayhem' or 'poetry with steel', pointing towards its origin as a meditative exercise/defensive art developed by warrior-priests.

Geared towards the defense of one or several persons in close quarters, the V'Ket fighting style is at once fluid and deliberate, centered on symmetry and balance. Many of its elegant, circular movements have influenced the trillpa-tal, though the trillpa cannot match the full range and deadly impact of a Ma'azikh in skilled hands.

The basis of the ancient V'Ket art is a heightened state of awareness and concentration, brought about by breathing exercises, meditation, and practicing the hundreds of forms until they become 'second nature'. Ideally, so the basic tenets available to the Institute of Defensive Arts state, the forms should "flow into one another as effortlessly as thought, rising from within as if from a well, unleashing a storm with the warrior as its calm center".

To master the many forms and rigorous discipline of the V'Ket fighting style takes many years, and it requires constant practice. While one may point out that such effort is somewhat pointless in the age of energy weapons, the V'Ket (quite logically) maintain that a sharp edge is a sharp edge, and a warrior able to focus on the important things in the midst of mayhem is an asset in any situation.

Structure

The V'Ket are under command of the f'rel-barr (Grand Admiral) who in turn answers to the Vulcan Planetary Council.

Due to their unique history the V'Ket ranking system is mostly a concession to the High Command's overall structure, as the order itself has but three distinctions: The Head of the Order, full V'Ket, and trainees.

In order to function efficiently when cooperating with other Vulcan agencies or external entities like Starfleet, full V'Ket may be distinguished by ranks:

• Sublieutenant
• Lieutenant
• High Lieutenant
• Subcommander
• Commander
• Commander-General

A senior trainee may be referred to as Subaltern.

Internally, V'Ket ranks are at best considered a formality, with individual V'Ket often ceding command to a more experienced member of the unit, or one better qualified for a specific mission. While this approach often baffles and confuses species with more rigid hierarchical military structures, the V'Ket themselves deem it perfectly logical, not to mention practical.

The V'Ket also maintain a separate headquarters near Te'Rashar with their own Superior General, who oversees training and internal administrative matters.

Known Personnel

• Sajel
• Sakarra
• T'Para