Elsie Drake

In 2364, Commanders Michael and Allison Drake, the Chief Operations Officer and the Chargé d’Affaires of the USS Regal respectively, welcomed Elsie Drake into the world. Fearing that she and her older brother Robert would not have a normal childhood aboard Starfleet vessels, the couple decided later that year to return to Earth. Michael took up a position at Starfleet Command, while Allison retired from her post with the Diplomatic Corps.

Growing up in Marin County, Elsie and her older brother Robert attended prep schools intended to prepare them for their eventual careers in Starfleet. Where Robert dedicated himself entirely to social studies and debate club in preparation for a career in Federation law, Elsie was a more well-rounded learner. She was also about the only person who could soften the sharp edges of her brother’s antagonistic contrarianism.

At Starfleet Academy, Elsie enjoyed every track before her, and her varied interests pushed her towards the multi-disciplinary field of strategic operations. She graduated with high honors and received a premier posting as a Strategic Operations Officer on Starbase 72 straight out of the Academy. For four years, she supported regional and sector operations for Task Force 72, but then she decided she wanted to get some time on a starship rather than just positioning other starships. This prompted her to seek a transfer for a front line explorer.

From 2388 to 2393, Elsie Drake remained on the fast track, demonstrating her skills in borderlands strategic operations alongside frontier captains. She learned from them, and she tried her hand at command as an Officer of the Watch, eventually concluding that she would like to pursue the Command track more fully. This prompted her Commanding Officer aboard the USS Eos to recommend her for the Command Academy.

Graduating the Command Academy in 2396, Lieutenant Commander Drake accepted a posting as Chief Strategic Operations Officer and Second Officer aboard Starbase 375. She learned the ropes of command while continuing to coordinate strategic operations for the busy starbase that sat near Cardassian and Ferengi space. Looking for more command opportunities, Drake then did a stint as Executive Officer of Starbase 45 along the Romulan border before returning to Starbase 375 in 2398 as its Commanding Officer. 

Elsie Drake served as the Commanding Officer for Starbase 375 for three years. As pathfinding operations continued to heat up in the galactic west, Elsie Drake’s experience along that border of Federation made her a prime candidate for further leadership roles, and in 2401, she was tapped by the Fourth Fleet to serve as Staff Adjutant to the Task Force 47 Commanding Officer, Rear Admiral Grayson. Enjoying a strong working relationship with Grayson, she chose to follow him when he was reassigned as Commander of Archanis Sector Operations, taking on a starbase command role once more as the station commander for Starbase 27. This assignment also put colocated her once more with her father, Ambassador Michael Drake, who was heading up the Federation Diplomatic Corps’ diplomatic mission in the Archanis Sector.