Captain Susanna Leijten in 2378
Captain Susanna Esther Leijten commanded the USS Silverfin (NCC-4470), a border cutter assigned to the Third Cutter Squadron along the Talarian border during the 2370s. (Border Cutter Silverfin)
Onboard the USS Silverfin[]
Assigned to the Silverfin in 2370 as a full Commander, she held the position of First Officer, serving under Captain Hilgrat Ja-Inrosh. It a very short space of time, they formed a close friendship and solid command team. He was someone that she respected and admired greatly, from who she learned a great deal. During her tenure as as XO, she formed a close friendship with Lieutenant Commander Amorin, the ship's Benzenite Second Officer and Chief Engineer, so much so that she could even tell the subtle facial expressions he has beneath his breather mask. She was also close to Doctor Tunde Mbeki, Tactical Officer Ling-Na and Operations Manager Alex Murphy.
She served as First Officer for five years, up until March 2375. On a mission into the Badlands, to rescue some of the last Maquis survivors from the planetoid Alpha 441, the Silverfin was ambushed by the Jem'Hadar. During the battle, Captain Ja-Inrosh and Lieutenant Murphy were killed at the Operations console. Badly injured, Leijten took command and managed to destroy or disable the ships. Afterwards, whilst going through Ja-Inrosh's personal effects, she found a message from him that recommended her as his replacement, should anything happen to him.
For well over a year after their deaths, she found it difficult to look at Ops without being reminded of the two friends she had lost at the post. That changed over time and as she came to welcome and embrace her new Ops Manager, Kolanis Daezan.
In 2378, whilst on lay over at Star Station Freedom, she learned that her old lover, Senior Chief Henry "Hank" Mitchell, was now working on the base as Squadron Quartermaster. Despite a lot of complex emotions and a very personal history between the two, they started dating again.
Background information[]
The photomanipulation of Captain Susanna Leijten, played by Maryann Plunkett, was made FltCpt. Bossco.