General Overview: Primary operational control of the Akira Class is provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. It is located on Deck 1. The Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations (with the exception of the Flight bay and assorted craft) and coordinates all departmental activities.

The Main Bridge is a highly restricted area; only Beta-Two security clearance personnel (Officers with the Rank of Ensign or Higher) and authorized bridge personnel are allowed on the bridge. All bridge officers carry a type II phaser.

The Main Bridge is an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters.

Layout: The new primary Bridge configuration is a combination of the Galaxy and early Soveriegn designs including features from the Intrepid Class. The central area of the Main Bridge provides seating and information displays for the Captain and two other officers. These chairs are located in the middle of the bridge, and are reserved for the highest ranking officer onboard the ship. The center chair is the Command Chair, used by the commanding officer when his presence is required on the bridge. Often the XO can be found sitting in the command chair during shifts the the commanding officer is not active. Finally, to the right, is the Chief Counselors chair otherwise known as the Guest Chair.

Directly fore of the command area is the Conn Station, which faces the main viewer. The Conn is equipped with a console that proceeds around an almost one hundred and eighty degree angle.

At the very front of the bridge chamber is a large viewscreen. This main viewer performs all the standard duties expected of it. However, the viewscreen is not always activated like most other Starships. It is a full Holographic display, that can be activated upon request. When the screen is not active, a standard bulkhead is present. This addition was made into the Akira Class, so that Star-Field syndrome among Bridge officers would be stopped. Too many officers became hypnotized during warp.

Aft and to the left of the command area is the location of the tactical control station and in the mirrored place on the right side is the security controls. These consoles are to the left and right sides of the Captain’s Chair, no longer in the direct middle.

Also located on the platform, against the aft wall of the bridge, is a large Master Display Monitor, similar to the one in main engineering. All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the Akira Class. This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. On both sides of the Master System Display Monitor are the doors to the Observation Lounge thats behind the Bridge.

Afew feet towards the front of the bridge near the tactical station is the Operations station and similarly on the other side near the security station is the Science I station.
On the left side of the bridge are three stations as follows from fore to aft, Mission Operations station, which monitors and lists the progress of mission currently being undertaken, as long as duties and assignments within the ship. Then theres the Space Traffic Controls that allows the Bridge crew to monitor the Shuttles/Fighters that may have launched from the ship. The next console is Environmental controls, used to monitor and adjust the artificial environment within the ship.

On the Right side of the Bridge is another set of three stations from aft to fore, first is the engineering console. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the Akira Class, which displays all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output. This console also has priority links to the computers, the WPS (Warp Propulsion System), the IPS (Impulse Propulsion System), navigation, SIF, and IDF. Although usually unattended, the Chief Engineer can bring this console to full Enable mode by entering voice codes and undergoing a retinal scan. Directly next to this console is the Engineering II console, which is fully programmable to run any Secondary Console function, including Sciences, Medical, Operations, Limited Helm control, or Security.



This console, as does every console on the bridge, also has the hand-input sub-console for use in setting the auto-Destruct of Akira Class. The auto-destruct sequence follows Standard Starfleet security procedures which can be accessed via any secured Memory Alpha ODN connection.

Next to this is the Science II console, which can be used by any personnel. Science II has access to all science, navigational, sensor, and communications systems. Science II can be configured to operate in tandem with Science I, although security links and all other non-science data is withheld from Science II. Science II usually works independently of Science I.

There are two turbolifts that lead directly onto the bridge that can handle normal transit around the Akira Class. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to Deck two. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room, Executive Officer's Ready Room and two side rooms with Bathroom facilities for any Bridge crew on duty.

Like with other ship classes, there are some variants to the Bridge module, but follow a similar layout.

There are No escape pods connected to the bridge. Pods are located on all decks below Deck three. For more information on the specifications of the Lifeboats, please refer to section 11.2. Two pods are reserved for the top four officers in the chain of command on the Akira Class, because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on Deck two. As the number of experienced Captains dwindles in Starfleet, the notion of a Captain going down with his ship has been abolished. If the ship is abandoned, the top four officers in the chain of command will wait until everyone else is off the ship, opt to arm the auto-Destruct (not always necessary, but there if needed), and then leave in the two escape pods.