Elizabeth Lense was Human female who served as a Starfleet medical officer in the late-24th century.
History
Doctor Lense graduated from Starfleet Medical Academy as class valedictorian in 2369. Her first assignment was as Chief Medical Officer on the USS Lexington, to the envy of many in her class.
Though originally happy to be posted to the Lexington, Lense later wished she had taken a posting on Deep Space 9 so she could conduct a long-term project, something she was unable to do on a starship that traveled from system to system.
In 2371, the Lexington conducted a layover at Deep Space 9, during which Lense met with Doctor Julian Bashir for the first time, though the two had attended Starfleet Medical Academy together. Lense was a follower of Bashir's work and had read a paper on an immuno-therapy project he had conducted on Bajor.
During their conversation, Lense recalled a New Year's Eve party at the home of Bruce Lucier in 2369, during which a friend of hers confused Bashir with his Andorian friend Erib, leading Lense to believe the Human doctor was an Andorian for the four years prior. Bashir asked her if she had witnessed him give his speech upon graduation, but Lense said she was backstage waiting to deliver hers so had missed it.
When the conversation turned to her posting on the Lexington, Lense told Bashir how she would have preferred to work on a long-term project and was envious of his work on Bajor so Bashir invited her to look over his latest medical results. (DS9: "Explorers")
Appendices
Background information
Lense was played by actress Bari Hochwald.
Star Trek author Keith R.A. DeCandido said of the character's appearance in "Explorers", "I just find it impossible to credit that Lense never saw Bashir except at one party. Leaving aside any other consideration, there would’ve been a rehearsal for the graduation ceremony, so her claim that she was too busy stressing about her speech to see his doesn’t track." [1]
Apocrypha
Elizabeth Lense features in a number non-canon works.
According to the SCE eBook Oaths, Lense is detained by Starfleet in 2374, on suspicion of being genetically enhanced, following the revelation that Julian Bashir was enhanced at a young age. She is subsequently questioned by a Commander Seldon at Starbase 314, but later freed without charge.
Following on from this, as shown in the two-part novel series War Stories, Lense returns to the Lexington just prior to a battle against Dominion forces in the Setlik system, during which the entire medical staff is killed. At the end of the Dominion War in 2375, Lense is transferred to the USS da Vinci where she replaces the former Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Tydoan.
The novel Wounds includes a two-part story of the same name, which states Lense began dating a man during her time at Starfleet Medical Academy who she later marries, but then subsequently divorces. In late-2376, she is nominated for the prestigious Bentman Prize, along with Julian Bashir, but loses out to Doctor Dennis Chimelis. While en route to the awards ceremony, both she and Bashir become trapped on a war-torn planet in a parallel universe. During their time on the planet, Lense has a sexual encounter with a rebel leader named Saad and later discovers she is pregnant as a result. Lense and Bashir are eventually rescued by the crew of the da Vinci.
This story is continued in Ghost, which has Lense being promoted to the rank of Commander and transferred from the da Vinci to take maternity leave on Earth, in 2377. While on Earth, she learns her mother, Jennifer Almieri, has been killed and is later instrumental in discovering the identity of the murderer. She later goes on to accept a posting at Starfleet Medical Forensics Division in Washington, DC, turning down an offer to join Doctor Bashir as part of his staff on Deep Space 9. The story also reveals Lense was one of a pair of fraternal twins, her brother being Jonathan who died at the age of sixteen.
Lense also appears in Turn the Page, set in 2377. She voices her objections to Doctor Sarjenka's appointment as Assistant Chief Medical Officer on the da Vinci.
In the Star Trek: The Fall novel A Ceremony of Losses, Lense is still working at the Forensics Division when she attends a medical conference, hosted by Doctor Bashir on Bajor, in the year 2385.
Authors Keith R.A. DeCandido and Ilsa J. Bick had planned to do a six-part series featuring Lense at the Forensics Division, with the novel Ghost serving as an introduction for this. However, the monthly eBook line was cancelled before this idea could be developed further. [2]
External links
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