USS Blythe
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- "Beware of little expenses - a small leak will sink a great ship."
- —Benjamin Franklin - Ship's Dedication Quote
USS Blythe (NCC-12114) is a California-class utility cruiser assigned to the Fourth Fleet's Task Force 72. The Blythe initially was equipped as a engineering support variant of her class, with yellow markings on the hull and significant interior space devoted to cargo bays, workshops and industrial replicators. In 2401, the Blythe underwent a refit aimed at reconfiguring it for a Command role, and as part of this transformation, it was repainted in a distinctive red colour to signify this change in its mission profile.
First Commission (2385 - 2390)
Throughout the initial decade of active service, the Blythe was intermittently utilized for short transport, scientific, or repair assignments, although not on a significant scale. Under the leadership of Captain Frank Tipper, the Blythe was just one among many, with no notable events documented during this period.
Decommissioned Period (2390 - 2393)
Following Blythe's initial commission, it was temporarily decommissioned, partly due to the California-class starships gaining notoriety for structural issues. Given a lower priority by Starfleet, the vessel underwent a gradual refit at the hurriedly reconstructed. The ship's refit was performed at Luna shipyards. However, the political environment led to occasional delays in the refitting process.
Second Commission (2393 - 2401)
The Blythe's crew under the command of Captain Leeroy Jenkins included a sizeable science department, half of whom were civilian scientists. By the end of the rotation, part of the diplomatic efforts of Task Force 17, the joint crew was engaged in a long-term mission to explore lasting peace between the Federation and the Free State by working together in the pursuit of knowledge.
Relishing in exploratory research of the social sciences, the Blythe's crew of archaeologists and anthropologists often took the slow road, following in the footsteps of explorers and cruisers discovering new civilizations.
After a successful tour of duty, much of the crew was reassigned, and the Blythe was quietly scheduled for decommissioning again.
Third Commission (2401 - Present)
After the events of the 250th Frontier Day in 2401, the decommission orders were cancelled and the USS Blythe was brought into active service again. This time, the Blythe donned red colors and served as a support vessel for the deep space operations of Task Force 17 once again.
Being one of the few ships left in Starfleet without the NX12.11 Fleet Formation Protocol, the USS Blythe was commissioned by Starfleet instead of another newer, unnamed vessel. The Blythe and its newfound crew were tasked with investigating a potential Dominion threat in the Alpha Quadrant.
Following several months during which Captain Crowe and his crew contributed to the peace and security of the Deneb sector, the Blythe received orders to return to Deep Space 17.
Later in 2401, now under the command of Capt. Bixx, the vessel was transferred to TF 86, based out of the Starbase that it shared a number with. Roughly 5.5 months later, the ship had been forced to crash land onto an asteroid after a brief fight with the Vaadwaur. They had sheared off one of the nacelles, and 3 weeks after later all but 3 of the crew had died before the ship was salvaged, and the 3 survivors were rescued.
Later in 2402, the Acting CO, Fred Tyler, made history as the first CO to appoint a Cetacean officer as a member of his command team. LCdr Mee IH was the first Beluga to ever command a non aquati Starfleet capital ship when he took command of the Blythe, during Delta shift at 0000h on July 16th, 2402.
Command History
As of 2402, the Blythe has had 6 commanding officers.
- 2385 - 2390: Captain Frank Tipper
- 2393 - 2401: Captain Leeroy Jenkins
- 2401 - 2401: Captain Silas Crowe
- 2401 - 2401: Captain John Rutledge
- 2401 - 2402: Captain Bixx
- 2402 - Present: Captain Frederick Tyler-Acting
Configuration
Main Article: California-class utility cruiser
The USS Blythe belongs to the California-class utility cruiser category, configured now for Command, Courier, and Relief missions. Similar to other ships of the California-class, the Blythe is a member of a prevalent and versatile starship class that has played a significant role within Federation space. But the Blythe is somewhat rare, in that she was one of only 12 Command variants in service, since command variants were only produced in 1 batch as a part of California class mid-life upgrades. She is also 1 of only 3 of those that have since had some of its standard Engineering support facilities reinstalled, making it a Command/Engineering Support variant. This had significantly increased the number of support missions profiles she is capable of undetaking.
The interior design of the Blythe closely mirrors that of the much larger Galaxy-class starships, providing a familiar and consistent atmosphere. The main noticeable difference between the 'Cali's' and their larger Galaxy cousins is the large communal berthing hallways on the lower 3 decks of the ship.
In 2402, the Captain, Cmdr Tyler, and his Chief Engineer, LtJG Tesa, drew up and initiated plans to install a large water duct 7 feet in diameter running from one of the Cetacean Ops Officers' quarters to an opening in the corner of the bridge next to the Navigation console. Ostensibly, this cosmetic (no structurally significant work required) alteration was designed to allow Cetacean Ops officers to potentially serve watches on the bridge. Though records are incomplete, this is likely the first ever vessel to be commanded by a Cetacean, even if it's only as the 2nd Officer in charge of the Delta shift.