Bravo Fleet
Appearance
Catherine has muted Cardassian features, and while she does not dislike that half of herself, she underwent cosmetic surgery to have them removed. She has a fairly petite build and moves quietly, either to be stealthy or because she doesn’t want to disturb others, who knows.
Her sharp features are framed by wavy brown hair that reaches down to her shoulders, and when she isn’t in uniform, she wears clothing that could easily be mistaken for one.
History
Catherine was born in 2367 as the result of a brief union between Camille, a young Starfleet officer serving as Diplomatic Attaché, and the Cardassian in charge of making sure the negotiation between Starfleet and Cardassia failed. As such, her father didn’t learn of her existence, and her mother opted to have her adopted.
Cat grew up with loving adoptive parents and several siblings in a fairly tolerant community. However, at the age of six years, Cardassian aggression resumed, and subsequently, the Dominion War began. Despite being young, she noticed a shift in how others treated her. Other parents no longer wanted their offspring to play with the Cardassian-Human hybrid, and Cat began to spend more time alone, and feel more comfortable in her own company than that of others. After the aftermath of the Dominion War and the reconciliation with Cardassian, the situation relaxed.
However, Catherine had already learned that she was better off on her own, and remained distant throughout the rest of her childhood and early adolescence, which caused her to readily take the role of a highly competitive outsider.
In 2385 Catherine finished her education with good grades and had attained a passion for literature and holo-novels. As a novice holo-programmer, she showed enough talent to be selected for a two-year internship in a well-respected civilian company specialised in personality subroutines. While enjoying her time, Catherine eventually realised that she didn’t want to stay on Earth. Upon discussing her wish to leave with her adoptive family, they suggested she take a Starfleet preparatory course.
To her surprise, the structured but accommodating nature of Starfleet was something she quickly took a liking to. She began her formal education as Engineering Officer in 2388 and finished it in late 2392.
Catherine was first assigned to the USS Rheinfels. Even for an Ensign fresh out of Academy, the position was a prestigious one as large parts of the ship were dedicated to an experiment investigating the development of social relationships between organic and artificial lifeforms.
When the experiment ended two years later, she was reassigned to the USS Helsinki, where a long-overdue promotion to Lt. JG came a year later. The tight-knit group of engineers quickly became Cat’s friend, and the young woman thrived in the environment.
The most notable event occurred in 2398, when a questionable command decision had CO, XO and SO on away teams, and the USS Helsinki, while orbiting a planet, encountered a hostile vessel. To cover up their command officers missing, Catherine suggested and initiated the use of well-hidden holo emitters and holograms – a ploy which succeeded, and contributed to the safe return of the missing officers.
Catherine was promoted to Lieutenant and served on the USS Helsinki for another year before being reassigned to the USS Cupertino.