USS Benaiah
From Alpha Fleet
Press Release
From: Federation Associated Press
USS Benaiah is an Akira Class Starship built in early 2385, and rushed through production to a hurried launch in February of that year. The ship is considered a medium cruiser and light carrier, but left dock with enough ammunition to stand toe to toe with nearly any adversary. Constructed at the Utopia Planetia shipyards it was quickly moved to and launched from the "Sierra Six" fleet supply station in orbit of Kyrr Prime. The christening ceremony included several highly decorated Officers from the base, including the Commander in Chief of Alpha Fleet - then Vice Admiral Jack Carter. Several have speculated the reasoning for it's rushed production and unusually heavily attended launching ceremony, but there is no official word on the reasoning. Vice Admiral Carter christened the ship herself before it departed.
The Official assignment for USS Benaiah is a border control and observation cruise of the neutral zone bordering the Delta Quadrant, mostly in a region known as the Borg Exclusion Zone. Many officials have speculated that the Federation is fearing another invasion attempt by the Borg, possibly in retaliation for the USS Voyager's destruction of one of their Trans-Warp hubs. The Admiralty has denied repeated requests for a statement about this speculation.
Adding to the peculiarity of the Benaiah's rushed production was the selection of crew. Command of the vessel was bestowed on Commander Duncan Ballard, his first, in a series of what seem like odd selections. Ballard is often sighted in files as unorthodox, insubordinate, unruly and even irritating. For a ship whose importance seems to be higher than is officially stated, Ballard seems an odd choice for command when seasoned veterans are available by the handful in Alpha Fleet. The peculiarity continues when it is discovered that most of the crew were not briefed on or asked to volunteer for their posting, but rather reassigned and recruited mere days before the launching of the ship. In at least one case, crewmen were arriving at the station mere hours before the launch with no knowledge of the mission ahead. The ship also carries a marine special operations staff (unusual for this class ship and almost never seen on any 'border cruiser') headed by an Alpha Fleet JAG Officer whose name we could not obtain. The most disturbing aspect is the recruiting of Ballard himself, who was shipped to Sierra Six after being reassigned from a personal leave a mere five days before the launch.
Officially, the purpose of Benaiah seems dull in comparison to some of the larger, well-staffed starships in Alpha-Fleet. As a result, it has garnered little to no public attention. But to this reporter at least, the purpose of this ship seems to be grossly underestimated.
Ship Crest
Task Force Assignment:
Currently, USS Benaiah is assigned to Task Force 41.
Originally the Benaiah was assigned to the now defunct Task Force 912. After the disbanding of that group, the Benaiah was assigned to the 205 under Commodore James Sharpp. The Benaiah was then further divided into Task Group Archer, where she served as the flagship for a short time. When task groups were disbanded, the Benaiah remained in the 205 for a short period before being transferred to the new Task Force 800. After a dispute within the 800's command staff, the Benaiah was transferred to the 316 for the sole purpose of serving as the TFXO's flagship. When the new Task Force 701 was conceived, the Benaiah was transferred there to serve as the TFXO's Flagship once more. After the disbanding of Task Force 701, The Benaiah was transferred to Task Force 41.
Engagements:
- Skirmish at Federation Listening Post Three-One-Six-Theta
As part of their first assignment, the USS Benaiah investigated a loss of communication from a listening post placed deep in the Borg Exclusion Zone. There they encountered a Borg tactical sphere, and engaged it and the Borg drone militia that had taken over the station. The borg suffered heavy casualties inside the station, meeting in battle with a small detachment of security personnel led by Marine Captain Gerrard Turill and his operatives. The Benaiah suffered heavy damage, losing 3 fighters from the 181st and a total of 9 men.
Casualties of Skirmish at Three-One-Six-Theta
(in order of rank)
Lieutenant JG Liam O'Malley - Unknown Illness
Ensign Kelly "Fluffy" Wagner - KIA
Ensign Boris "Maniac" Gorden - KIA
Ensign Gary "Axe Man" Lewis - KIA
Master Sergeant Geido Karans - KIA
Crewman Torm Bartol - Unknown Illness
Private First Class Hodan Makith - KIA
Private First Class Michael Reston - KIA
Private First Class Kristen Theida - KIA
- Skirmish at Port Kardis
Under the advisement of Gerrard Turill and his own unclear motives, Captain Ballard led the USS Benaiah to the secretive installation of Port Kardis to gather information on the mysterious virus that claimed the lives of two crewmen. Unfortunately, the Borg followed the Benaiah to the station and launched an assimilation fleet in hopes to destroy the virus and the ship once and for all. After a short battle that nearly saw the end of the Benaiah and involved the Tactical Officer allowing the Borg to board the ship, the Benaiah managed to escape from the system and flee to a Federation outpost for repair and recovery. Several pilots and security personnel were lost in the encounter.
USS Benaiah Main Boards: [1]
