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The bridge layout of a powerful Defiant-class warship is compact, but nonetheless accommodates the familiar engineering, tactical, science, conn, and ops stations.  The main bridge acts as the nerve center for this sleek escort, and the entire module is sunken into a much larger Deck 1 than on most Federation vessels to provide added protection during combat situations.  Access to the bridge is provided by two doorways at the back, located on both port and starboard sides.  Just forward of the starboard entryway is the location of the ship's dedication plaque, as well as an auxiliary computer access panel.  The port side of the bridge houses the Engineering and Tactical I stations while the starboard side features the Science and Tactical II stations.  Because of its nearly exclusive role as a combat vessel, stations aboard Defiant-class vessels are designed with speed in mind.  All of the five main stations on the bridge feature dedicated ODN access lines to the computer core, and can even bypass the core should it be taken offline.  Triple redundant access lines connect the entire bridge to the rest of the ship, and dedicated ODN relays allow for damaged systems to be bypassed and computer lagtime to be decreased.

The center of the bridge features the lone Captain's chair, which is on a raised platform and has a clear view of all the bridge stations, as well as the main viewscreen.  On both sides of the command chair are separate control panels, allowing the occupant access to virtually every system aboard the ship.

Between the command chair and the viewscreen is an integrated flight control and operations panel, capable of performing the joint duties of those stations' larger counterparts on other Federation starships.  Like all of the bridge stations on a Defiant, the Conn has been designed so that the time in between a command being entered in and the action being taken is close to being instant, allowing for the craft to be handled almost like a fighter when under the hands of a skilled pilot. 

The Engineering Station allows for a direct link to the impulse and warp engines, as well as monitoring of the other various systems vital to the operation of the ship.  This single station is capable of mirroring all the readouts and consoles located in Main Engineering, allowing the Chief Engineer or other officer to issue commands from the bridge.

Mirroring the Engineering Station on the port side of the bridge is the Science Station.  Normally occupied by the ship’s Chief Science Officer, the panels and readouts on this station allow direct access to the ship’s sensor systems and science labs.  Capable of taking high resolution scans of both natural and artificial phenomena, this station plays a vital role during reconnaissance missions.

Flanking both sides of the viewscreen are two Tactical Stations, which have primary access to the ship’s powerful pulse phaser canons, torpedo launchers and various other special ordinance packages.  Working closely with Conn, the officers stationed at these consoles are responsible for firing the various weapons aboard Defiant-class vessels during combat operations.  The purpose of the Tactical II Station is to lighten the load on its sister station, particularly in battle.  During normal cruise modes, this station can be reconfigured for other operating modes.

The aft portion of the bridge varies from starship to starship, but two popular models have come into use for the arrangements available.  Earlier versions of the Defiant make use of a multipurpose mission-planning table, which acts as an informal conference table for the bridge officers.  This table is capable of displaying various mission relevant information in a variety of forms, including a holographic projection just above the table’s surface.

The second available arrangement involves a two-man console that is situated just behind the Captain’s chair.  Like all other bridge consoles, with the exception of the Conn, this station can be reconfigured to suit the operator stationed on it.  Because of the limited space aboard Defiant-class vessels, the primary stations are designed to fill a variety of roles depending on the current situation or mission profile.  Available console arrangements preprogrammed into all the bridge stations include:

 

  • Communications
  • Operations (Dedicated)
  • Tactical
  • Science
  • Environmental
  • Damage Control
  • Engineering

While a flexible LCARS program allows for any variety of console reconfigurations, the above-mentioned presets are the most common chosen by bridge officers.  Should a situation warrant it, these stations can be configured to act as a secondary station, such as Tactical II or Science II.  It is the discretion of the ship’s Commanding Officer as to how to allocate bridge space.