Leyton

Vice Admiral Leyton was a high-ranking Starfleet officer in the 24th century. 

The Okinawa
Before rising to the rank of admiral, Leyton was captain of the USS Okinawa. During the Federation-Tzenkethi War, Benjamin Sisko served under Leyton as the Okinawa's executive officer. It was during this conflict that the Okinawa encountered three Tzenkethi raiders, which Leyton decided to pursue into an asteroid belt. During a staff meeting, Sisko voiced his opinion that chasing the raiders was an "unnecessary risk," and continued to press his point even after Leyton had made his decision. Leyton responded that "a good officer has to respect the chain of command. There comes a time when you have to accept the orders of a superior officer and carry out his orders, whether you agree with them or not." Sisko would later concede that Leyton's decision was the right one. Coming to respect Sisko's forthrightness, Leyton would later personally recommend Sisko for the command position of Deep Space 9. 

Attempted coup
In 2371, Constable Odo, the Changeling chief of security on Deep Space 9, learned from one of his people that Changelings had infiltrated the Federation. Not long after Odo gave this information to Starfleet, Leyton, by now an admiral, led a contingent of high-ranking officers to meet with Federation President Jaresh-Inyo to recommend implementation of sweeping security measures meant to protect Earth, measures which Jarish-Inyo rejected as "extreme." 

The next year, when the Dominion bombed a high-level diplomatic conference between the Federation and the Romulan Empire taking place on Earth, Leyton became convinced that the Changelings posed a greater threat to Earth than the president was prepared to deal with, and initiated a conspiracy to attempt a military takeover of Earth. Assigning Sisko, by this time a captain, as acting head of Starfleet Security, Leyton utilized an elite group of Starfleet cadets known as "Red Squad" to sabotage Earth's global power grid, in an attempt to spread paranoia regarding Changeling infiltration. When Sisko uncovered Leyton's plot, he ordered the USS Defiant (2370) to bring Lieutenant Arriaga, a conspirator stationed at Deep Space 9, to Earth, where he could testify that Leyton ordered him to attach a subspace modulator to the relay satellite at the far end of the Bajoran wormhole, which caused it to open and close at random, making it appear as if a cloaked Dominion fleet was entering Federation space. Leyton subsequently had Sisko framed as a Changeling infiltrator and imprisoned, but Odo was able to break Sisko out.

Leyton ordered Captain Erika Benteen, commander of the USS Lakota, to intercept the Defiant and prevent them from reaching Earth, telling her that the entire crew had been replaced by Changelings. Sisko, however, was able to convince Benteen that Leyton had been lying to her, and she called off her attack, allowing the Defiant to reach Earth. When it became clear that his plot had failed, Leyton offered his resignation. 

Background Information
Leyton was played by Robert Foxworth. The script of "Homefront" states that Leyton is "a veteran of conflicts with the Romulans, Tholians, Cardassians, and Borg."

Foxworth played the very similar role of General Hague on the series Babylon 5. On that show, his character also attempted a military takeover of Earth, but the attempted coup was shown in a very different light, as an attempt to overthrow a totalitarian government. Foxworth was originally set to reprise his role, but was unable to do so, as he was filming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the time. As such, his character was killed offscreen, and the role changed to that of another character, played by Bruce McGill. (In one outtake, when asked where General Hague was, McGill jokingly answered "he's on Deep Space Nine").

Apocrypha
According to the Deep Space Nine novel Hollow Men, Admiral Leyton's first name was James. The novel shows Sisko going to meet Leyton in the New Zealand Penal Settlement.

The character was also mentioned in the "Star Trek Online" novelization "The Needs of the Many". The mentioning occurred when Jake Sisko's talked of traitor from the recent Undine War and people committing treason in the name of saving the Federation.

The character has also appeared in the Star Trek: The Lost Era novel Catalyst of Sorrows and featured in Rough Beasts of Empire in scenes set during the Tzenkethi War.

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