Bravo Fleet
Summary
Commander Marlon Smythe is shaped by legacy, duty, and the quiet resolve of a life spent in uniform. Born into a lineage steeped in both Starfleet tradition and Earth’s long military history, he carries that weight with an almost unshakable discipline. His manner is reserved and often unreadable. His dry wit surfaces when least expected. Raised aboard starships and trained in the crucible of command, Smythe is a tactician and executor. He’s more comfortable with action than reflection.
Many see him as a calm, composed officer who rarely lets emotion pierce his professional exterior. Beneath the surface, there’s a mind always in motion. Marlon is constantly calculating risks, reading people and quietly absorbing every detail. He doesn’t chase attention, but his presence can’t be missed. Behind the rank and regulations is a man who has seen much and learned even more. Marlon is still along the path of discovery as he enters his mid-thirties.
Appearance
The Commander stands at 6’1″ with a lean, athletic build that was shaped by years of Starfleet training. His appearance is plain but carries a rugged charm. He has a square-shaped head and a strong, angular jaw that adds to his no-nonsense presence.
His skin is a smooth salted caramel tone, evenly blended and warm. Light honey brown eyes are steady, observant and often unreadable. His hair is cut short and close to the scalp in a standard regulation style. It seems to emphasize his disciplined bearing.
Marlon keeps a neatly maintained uniform and carries himself with quiet confidence. There’s nothing flashy about his appearance, but his physical presence has a subtle gravity to it. He looks like somebody who’s always ready to act, rarely wasting effort or motion to bluff.
Personality
Commander Smythe is a man of measured words and deliberate silence. He carries himself with the disciplined poise of someone raised amid the gravity of command. It shows in every aspect of his demeanor. His bearing is military to the core. The man is straight-backed, clean-cut, and emotionally restrained. His tone is calm and controlled in most situations.
Beneath that composed exterior lies a dry, hard to detect sense of humor. He rarely laughs outright, preferring instead to deliver one-liners with a perfectly neutral expression. This leaves others wondering whether he’s joking at all. It’s part of his charm and part of his armor. Most people find him hard to read, and he doesn’t mind keeping it that way.
Smythe is fiercely intelligent and strategic. He observes before he speaks. Marlon is the kind of officer who listens first, processes quickly, and acts with precision. His leadership style is thoughtful and efficient. It leans toward trust through competence. He expects excellence but doesn’t demand it. He simply leads by example. When tensions run high, Marlon’s calm becomes a rallying point.
Marlon still remains a deeply private man. Even among those who serve closely with him, few know the full measure of his inner world. He rarely speaks of his family or past unless asked. The Commander is not one to linger in personal conversations. When emotions surface, they’re tightly reined in. Losing crew weighs heavily on him, but he tries not to show it.
Though not unfriendly, Commander Smythe tends to keep most people at arm’s length. His reserved nature sometimes leads others to assume he’s detached. Those who get to know him recognize the depth of thought beneath his silence. He’s not cold, just guarded. The proverbial walls he places are high, but not impenetrable. Marlon does let a select few enter his inner circle. Although he places distance between himself and others, he internally wants to be pursued. He often runs from relationships, only to later wish things had worked out.
History
Marlon Smythe was born on the outskirts of Earth’s Seattle into a storied lineage of service. His family history is etched deep into the annals of both Starfleet and terrestrial military tradition. From Black infantrymen in the trenches of World War I to forward observers in the Iraq conflict, the Smythe name has long stood for discipline and sacrifice. That legacy only deepened in the centuries that followed. By the 24th century, both of Marlon’s parents were Starfleet officers. His father rose to the rank of Captain, while his mother was a distinguished systems designer at Avalon Fleet Yards. She specialized in designing internal propulsion relay grids.
Marlon spent most of his formative years aboard starships, drifting from assignment to assignment in the vacuum of deep space. He was raised in narrow corridors and vast observation decks. Young Marlon absorbed the culture of Starfleet life with the same ease most children learn their local neighborhood. He understood the chain of command before he could write a poem. By age ten, he could identify warp signatures by the sound of a drive spin-up. Duty, precision, and restraint were spoken in his household more frequently than topics like love and empathy.
He entered Starfleet Academy at seventeen, already fluent in tactical operations and small-unit command theory. While his early academic performance was solid, it was his unshakable command presence that drew the attention of instructors. Those who trained him often remarked on his subtle sense of humor and a guarded bearing. You could never quite tell when Cadet Smythe was joking.
After graduation, Marlon’s rise through the ranks was swift. He served with distinction during patrol missions in volatile sectors. This included several under-the-radar operations near the former Romulan Neutral Zone. His leadership style was concise, calm under pressure, and deeply rooted in tactical doctrine. His plans and tactics weren’t without flexibility. He proved capable of reading a situation and shifting strategy with minimal warning. He rarely raised his voice, yet his orders were always followed.
By the time he was assigned to the USS Brawley, Smythe had developed a reputation as a rising star. Starting the post at age 34, he serves a role in where his blend of restraint, intellect, and precision is invaluable. Many see him as a closed book. Others see him as a standard bearer. Commander Smythe is a leader carved from generations of service. He carries the quiet strength of those who came before him… One mission at a time.