Ramona Chekhova

Ramona Chekova
2635-2667 (Aged 32)
Place of death	Vukar Tag Orbit, Vukar Tag System
Allegiance	Terran Confederation
Service/branch	Terran Confederation Navy
Years of service	-2667
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Battles/wars	Vukar Tag Campaign

Ramona Chekova was a female officer from the Terran Confederation and an intelligence specialist of the Terran Confederation Navy.

History

Ramona Chekova was an up-and-coming officer of the Terran Confederation who held the rank of Lieutenant Commander by 2667. She quickly became known among her subordinates as a cold, domineering personality who demanded respect and authority, even from those who exceeded her in rank. However, she was not a practical tactician, and occasionally committed actions that would be considered counterproductive to the mission at hand.

In 2667, Chekova was present on Hilo Base when the TCS Johnny Greene was reassigned to performance top-secret reconnaissance on the Kilrathi planet of Vukar Tag. Chekova was assigned to the Johnny Greene to oversee the mission, much to the chagrin of the vessel's commanding officer, Macmillan Harcourt. Chekova was instantly despised by the crew for her authoritative persona and attempted multiple times to take charge from Captain Harcourt.

During the voyage to Vukar Tag, Chekova ordered the vessel to speed towards the Vukar Tag jump point at full acceleration, bluntly ignoring warnings that the vessel could not sustain the stress of the maneuver even with the presence of four engines, two of them captured from the Kilrathi. Upon discovering this, Harcourt reprimanded Chekova and confined her to her quarters for her brazen move.

Upon arrival at Vukar Tag, the Johnny Greene parked in an asteroid belt and investigated the hulk of the TCS John Bunyan, which was lost in its attempt to scan Vukar Tag. When Harcourt investigated the vessel, Chekova accompanied him, and successfully retrieved the ship's logs. Seeing the critical nature of the situation and Vukar Tag's formidable defenses, Chekova formed a crack plan in which she would pilot the John Bunyan's hulk to planetary orbit and scan the surface while Harcourt distracted the Kilrathi fleet through a diversionary assault. Harcourt protested, but Chekova, desperate to complete the mission successfully convinced him to adhere.

While Harcourt carried out his assault, Chekova piloted the wrecked John Bunyan to Vukar Tag, and successfully photographed the surface and with it, the planet's strategic point: the ancestral home of the Empress Graknala. Chekova transmitted the data to Harcourt and ultimately perished when the Kilrathi discovered the ruse and destroyed her craft. Chekova's sacrifice ultimately allowed Harcourt and his colleagues to escape with the intelligence, which proved vital to Operation Back Lash. Ramona Chekova was 32 years old.