Erika Benteen
Gender:	Female
Species:	Human
Affiliation:	Starfleet
Rank:	Captain
Occupation:	Commanding officer, USS Lakota
Status:	Active (2372)
Played by:	Susan Gibney

Erika Benteen was a 24th century Starfleet officer who served as adjutant to Admiral Leyton, who later granted her command of the USS Lakota as part of his plot to execute a military coup of Earth. (DS9: "Homefront", "Paradise Lost")

In 2372, while serving as Leyton's adjutant under the rank of commander, Benteen assisted the admiral in implementing sweeping security enhancements at Starfleet and Federation Headquarters, in an attempt to combat the threat of Changeling infiltrators. (DS9: "Homefront")

Later, as he was preparing to take over, Leyton promoted Benteen to captain, and granted her command of the Lakota. When Leyton learned that the USS Defiant was en route to Earth, carrying proof that Leyton had been manufacturing evidence of a Changeling threat, he commanded Benteen to intercept and destroy them, claiming that the entire Defiant crew had been replaced by Changelings. the Lakota engaged in combat with the Defiant, but was unable to disable her due to the Defiant's ablative armor. Benteen subsequently contacted Leyton for further instructions, and was told to utilize the Lakota's quantum torpedoes to destroy the Defiant, but ultimately chose to defy orders, upon becoming convinced by Captain Sisko's impassioned argument that Leyton had been deceiving her. Benteen ordered the Lakota's weapons deactivated, and escorted the Defiant to Earth, averting Admiral Leyton's attempted takeover. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")

External link

• Erika Benteen at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works