Katara was born to her parents in the area of Nottinghamshire, UK, Earth. Her parents had left Cardassia when they had found out that her mother was pregnant and her father, being formerly of the Cardassian military was able to see that the trouble on Bajor was only going to escalate. Her brother did not follow them, believing them to have turned their back on the great power of Cardassia.

Her mother had been a civilian worker in the Cardassian corridors of power and her father had, until forced retirement through injury, been a Gilnn in the Cardassian military.

They settled in the unspoiled area of Nottinghamshire in the UK in order to give their daughter an upbringing free from war and conflict. This, however, did not mean that she did not receive a 'proper' Cardassian upbringing and her parents taught her the values of tactical thought and bold actions and the nature of deception in relation to self-advancement and protection.

She attended a good school where she excelled, as Cardassian females tend to do, in the field of science. This continued into her further education where she obtained high grades in maths and biological sciences. During this time she was able to meet a large and diverse group of people who gave her a chance to experience a rich blend of cultures and ideologies. She also came to admire the rich history offered by her surroundings. She found the contrast between the Cardassian loyalty to the state and the ideology of folk tales, such as Robin Hood, startling.

After she finished college and following discussions with her parents she decided to join Starfleet. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do when she finished but being a graduate was not going to hurt her chances. It was during her second year at the academy that her decision was made for her.

She received word that brother had been killed in action during a conflict between the dominion and UFP forces. After some digging by here mother and father it was found that he had been left to die because they did not have enough medical personnel to treat him and there were more higher ranking personnel to help. This made her blood turn to fire and then quickly to ice as she realized that this might be the fate for her friends at the academy.

She began to study medicine along side her regular academy duties. Being Cardassian and demonstrating high test scores from ESI she was awarded entry into the second year of medical studies.

Her single minded attitude towards medicine, combined with her burning desire to succeed and not allow the fate of her brother to befall others, allowed her achieve high grades in her studies, most notabley in emergency trauma care. Following her graduation from the academy she served as an intern and medical officer at Starfleet medical, helping refugees and wounded from both the Klingon-Federation and Dominion-Federation wars.

Following her service at Starfleet Medical, Katara was now ready to take up a position of medical officer aboard the USS Dark Dragon. She was joined on this posting by one of her friends from medical school, Dr Sarah McLeod.

Her posting went on nearly two years without incident; Sarah was promoted to Lieutenant and made assistant chief medical officer, while Katara continued to show excellence in the field of trauma medicine and surgery. It was during the penultimate month of this posting that her life path would change once more.

During a patrol along the borders of Romulan-Federation space they received a report that one of the Federation outposts was under attack. They attended and sent down an away team of rangers and medical personnel to investigate. The medical officer for the mission was Sarah. The away group was ambushed and word returned that Sarah had been wounded; Katara tried to get down to the surface but was told that the area was too dangerous for any additional non-combat personnel. Once the rangers had cleared the area she went down and found Sarah had bled out from her injuries. Angry and upset by the lack of front line and battlefield medical support that had cost the life of her friend she applied to join the Starfleet rangers.

Despite having to adapt to a more military style of life Katara threw herself into her new training regimen with all the dedication that might be expected of a Cardassian. Her skills as a medic served her well and she found that, as well as her skill in medicine, her sharp vision and patience made her an excellent scout. After a year on Wolf Station she joined a team of rangers aboard the USS Omega. Unfortunately this posting was highly uneventful and Katara began to feel increasingly frustrated that she was not able to apply her skills more as she had intended.

The attack on Star Base One, and other locations at the heart of Federation space, threw into sharp relief what she needed to do and where she needed to be to do it. She learned several ships were involved but one in particular stuck in her mind, the USS Miranda. She had heard of Captain Elaithin Jii regarding the action at Galvanis III and the destruction of the shipyard there, and felt that the Miranda would grant her the chance she desired. She filed an application to transfer to the USS Miranda as a member of their multi-purpose, rapid response unit; the Hazard team.

Following the assignment of the 101st battalion of the SFMC aboard the Miranda, and the amalgamation of the Hazard team into the Security force, Katara returned to medicine, while still acting as medical support to the Hazard team when required.

In early 2382 Katara aided in a rescue mission, under the command of Ariss Edon, to Planet EU-791, a Cardassian mining facility, where POWs from the Dominion war were still being held and put to work. This was a large step on her road to acceptance on the Miranda, especially by the large contingent of Bajoran crew.

Katara was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, as well as Assistant Chief Medical Officer, in mid-2382 following the events of Federation Day that year. She was also awarded the 'Golden Starburst' for her actions that day.

In 2383 Katara was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and, following the formal disbanding of the Hazard team (their duties now fully integrated into the Marine and Security forces) continued to serve as Assistant Chief Medical Officer on a more intensive basis.

Katara was awarded the Pulaski Star for medical achievement in 2384, together with a medical commendation, for the successful diagnosis, classification and treatment of a new condition concerned with the hybridization of Breen and T'Kith'Kin biotechnology and it’s effects on living organisms.

Following a restructuring of the Atlantis sector task force Katara was reassigned as Chief Medical Officer of the USS Reliant, attached the Starbase Atlantis. When not serving on the Reliant, Katara acts as ACMO for the Atlantis hospital facility.

After only six months stationed aboard Atlantis, Katara was reassigned to the USS Galaxy to aid in there front-line efforts against the Triad.

Katara, while previously a detached individual on her previous postings, seems to have come out of her shell considerably having been posted on the Miranda. She can be cold, calculating and deceptive and, in this respect, she is Cardassian in every sense of the word. This state tends to be reserved, however, for when decisions need to be made, no matter how unpleasant the options may be.

She is a fiercely independent woman and has come to terms with being a Cardassian in a society that still harbours a great deal of resentment and hatred towards them. She has little time for people who belittle her efforts because she is a Cardassian or, as a result of her special forces training, a woman.

Her ranger call sign was 'Snapdragon' this is not only an allusion to her Cardassian 'lizard-like' appearance but also as a refernece to a parlour game from the 17th century. The aim of the game was to snatch raisins from a vessel of burning brandy without being burnt yourself. This was seen as a suitable parallel to her role as a combat medic.

While at Starfleet academy and medical she taught some of her fellow cadets the rules for Kotra, and successfully cleaned them out every time. She enjoys gambling and games of chance and is a regular participant in the ships Women's Poker Tournaments.

She also obtained a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in college and she can be found practicing on the holodecks She has also developed an interest in Cardassian history, more specifically the occupation of Bajor and Cardassian society before the rise of the military.

As one of the only Cardassians on a Federation starship with a large compliment of Bajorans on the staff Katara faced a large amount of hostility upon her initial arrival. Some members of the Bajoran crew, notabley security officer Ariss Edon and counselor Navarre Shinta, were initially hostile but, over time, Katara was able to earn both there respect and trust. She still maintains close contact with Shinta.

Since the incident on the parallel Vulcan moon, which left her and many others with images of their own deaths, she has become a follower of the Cardassian faith, the Orelian Way. This faith is coming back into more mainstream acceptance on Cardassia following the 'Scorched Earth' action at the end of the Dominion war leading to the fall of the Cardassian military rule and the deaths of over 800 million Cardassian citizens.

Despite now being a 'full-time' doctor, she maintains her Starfleet Ranger and Hazard certifications, believing them to be invaluable attributes to posses, and is part of the Ranger reserve forces.