Marla Gilmore was a Human female serving in the Federation Starfleet first as an officer but later was demoted to enlisted rank.


Early lifeEdit

In her early life Gilmore worked with her brother Karl as an undersea geothermal engineer mostly alonge the East Pacific Rise off South America. She loved the sea, but their parents died in a boating accident while visiting them. After that she couldn't stay near water, so she turned toward space and decided to enter Starfleet Academy. (VOY short story: "Bottomless")

Starfleet career Edit

Equinox Edit

In 2371, holding the rank of ensign Gilmore served on the USS Equinox under Captain Rudolph Ransom, when it was pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker while exploring an uncharted star system. During their voyage home most of Equinox's engineering crew lost their lives including the chief engineer. Gilmore remained the most senior officer so she became acting chief engineer.

In the fifth year of their journey Equinox's power and food supplies ran out, and was barely able to enter orbit of an M-class planet. Gilmore was part of the away team that went down to the planet where they encountered the native Ankari. They were friendly with the Starfleet crew, gave them supplies and even summoned their spirits of good fortune to bless Equinox's voyage. The crew soon realized that these 'spirits' were Nucleogenic lifeforms, and after one of them died in a failed scientific examination they learned it had the potential to be a power source.

Gilmore in cooperate with the crew constructed a warp drive modification that was powered by the dead creatures. With this they were able to travel 10.000 light-years in less then two weeks. However the beings started to attack Equinox further damaging the ship and decimating the remaining crew. They had no choice but to send out a distress call.

The USS Voyager picked up their call and rushed to their help. Gilmore was discovered by First officer Commander Chakotay, and they worked together in the next few days. She tried to run away from what she did and spent a most of her time on Voyager. However the other Starfleet crew uncovered their secret and arrested the Equinox crew.

With the help of their EMH they escaped and ran from Voyager. However Captain Kathryn Janeway, Voyager's commander became obsessed with hunting down Equinox. After a while Captain Ransom decided to stand down and cooperate with Janeway. But Equinox's first officer staged a mutiny and took command. Gilmore played along with him only to free Ransom. Together they managed to transport the remaining crew to Voyager before Equinox was destroyed by the Nucleogenic lifeforms with Ransom onboard. After that Gilmore with the rest of the survivors were merged into Voyager's crew stripped of their ranks, under close supervision. (VOY episode & novelization: Equinox)

Voyager Edit

In 2376, Gilmore offered to help with the modification of a multispatial probe. (VOY short story: "Brief Candle")

In the following months she grew isolated and resentful. She was forced to do low-level maintenance work, despite being a class one engineer. She accepted it because she knew Janeway didn't trust the Equinox survivors. She didn't even consider herself a part of the crew. She also received a letter from her nephew that Karl died in an accident.

In 2377, the Voyager visited the Falnari homeworld. On the way to the Fanari's underwater habitations the submarine that carried Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay vanished. Due her experience with underwater operations, Lieutenant commander Tuvok assigned Gilmore to assist Lieutenant Tom Paris with the rescue, during which the Delta Flyer was disabled as well. Gilmore determined that a sentient race called the Nimtra lived in the water and the passing ships were killing them. She managed to communicate with them and save the injured Janeway, Chakotay and Paris while almost dying in the process. (VOY short story: "Bottomless")

In 2378, she returned to Earth with the rest of the crew. (VOY novel: Homecoming)

Appendices Edit

Connections Edit

USS Equinox personnel

Appearances Edit

External linkEdit
