Rear Admiral Elizabeth Hayden
One of the most experienced and decorated commanding officers of her generation, Hayden is an accomplished diplomat and explorer. After sixteen years as a botanist, Hayden transitioned into the command division following the Battle of Wolf 359, serving in starship command roles for the next two decades. Reserved and contemplative, she prefers to let her officers speak before making her decisions, but when she has made up her mind she communicates this with an authority that few would dare question.
History
Early Life (2332 – 2350)
Born in Upstate New York, Elizabeth Hayden had an early fascination with nature, especially the vast forests near her family’s home in the Adirondack Mountains, where she spent many long days sketching the flora and fauna that thrived there. As the only child to a former Starfleet officer, George, and a conservation scientist, Alexandra, she was homeschooled all the way up through her high school years, which led her to be both socially reserved and academically inquisitive. The Hayden family often went camping, and she learned survival skills including hunting and fishing from an early age.
As a teenager, Hayden developed an interest in horticulture, learning how to grow and cr0ss-breed roses as part of her scientific studies. This led to her to start to think about a career as a botanist, working with nature as her mother did, but she was also fascinated by her father’s stories of the time he’d spent on starships exploring the galaxy.
Service Record
| Start | End | Rank | Role | Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2350 | 2351 |  Cadet Freshman Grade | Student Officer | Starfleet Academy |
| 2351 | 2352 |  Cadet Sophomore Grade | Student Officer | Starfleet Academy |
| 2352 | 2353 |  Cadet Junior Grade | Student Officer | Starfleet Academy |
| 2353 | 2354 |  Cadet Senior Grade | Student Officer | Starfleet Academy |
| 2354 | 2355 |  Ensign | Botany Specialist | USS Malinche (NCC-38997) |
| 2355 | 2357 |  Lieutenant Junior Grade | Botany Specialist | USS Malinche (NCC-38997) |
| 2357 | 2363 |  | Head of Biological Sciences | USS Galaxy (NX-70637) |
| 2362 | 2367 |  Lieutenant Commander | Head of Biological Sciences | USS Galaxy (NCC-70637) |
| 2367 | 2370 |  Commander | Chief Science Officer & Second Officer | USS Magellan (NCC-71820) |
| 2370 | 2376 |  Commander | Executive Officer | USS Magellan (NCC-71820) |
| 2376 | 2390 |  Captain | Commanding Officer | USS Antares (NCC-74800) |
| 2390 | 2395 |  Captain | Commanding Officer | USS Lafayette (NCC-78441) |
| 2395 | 2399 |  Fleet Captain | Commanding Officer | USS Lafayette (NCC-78441) |
| 2399 | 2399 | Fleet Captain | Commanding Officer | USS Arcturus (NCC-84000) |
| 2399 |  Rear Admiral | Commander | Task Force 9 |