Chakotay (Vanguard)

Chakotay was a Starfleet officer, most famous for his assignments to Federation starships USS Voyager and USS Livingston.

Early life
Chakotay was born in the year 2329 on Solosos IV, to Kolopak and his mother Julia Daniels. Daniels later left Chakotay and Kolopak when Chakotay was five and never returned. Chakotay was never interested in his father`s spiritual beliefs while growing up, even more so when his father took him back to Earth for a hiking expedition to the jungles of South America in 2344. Chakotay recieved news before the trip that his application to Starfleet Academy would be sponsored by Captain Hikaru Sulu. Kolopak was not happy with his son's decision and it drove a wedge between them for years.

Chakotay arrived in San Francisco in September 2344. He was assigned quarters at Starfleet Academy with Cadet Matthew MacTavish and the two became close friends. Chakotay was serious about the Academy and studied hard for every exam in all of his classes. Chakotay made the academic list at the Academy every year he attended. Chakotay later graduated from the Academy along with MacTavish in 2348 with honors in quantum mechanics, engineering, micro-dynamics and warp propulsion theory.

Starfleet career
After graduation, Chakotay was assigned to the USS Merrimack with the rank of Ensign in the command division. Chakotay was in charge of maintaining the ship's environmental systems. Chakotay was happy to learn that Ensign MacTavish had also been assigned to the ship with him. On one of their first missions, Chakotay and MacTavish had to head down to planet Beta Gigah VII to collect plant specimens, since they were needed for an antidote on a Federation colony. On the planet, a group of dangerous Romulans were waiting for Starfleet officers to beam down, laying a trap for Chakotay and MacTavish. They were both captured. Chakotay, remembering his Academy fight training, broke one of the Romulan's arms and tapped his combadge for two the beam up. The Merrimack was able to leave at maximum warp. For saving the planet with the plant specimen and thus saving an entire species, Chakotay and MacTavish were both promoted to lieutenant junior grade.

Chakotay spent the next several years on the Merrimack before transferring to the USS Ajax in 2355. He and MacTavish both parted ways after MacTavish recieved a promotion to Lieutenant and was assigned as chief engineer of the USS Melbourne the following year. During his time on the Melbourne, Chakotay saved himself and the entire crew from certain death when he ejected the warp core from the ship. Radiation poisioning had flooded the ship and Chakotay was the only one conscious. For this action, Chakotay was awarded the Starfleet medal of honor and a promotion to Commander. He was named first officer of the USS Livingston in 2358, under the command of Captain Grady Howard.