Helms
You decide where the ship is. Everybody else’s plan — the shot, the scan, the escape — only works if the hull is in the right piece of space at the right moment. That’s you.
What the console does
- Heading and throttle. Point the ship, and decide how fast. Big ships turn like the tankers they are; plan your turns early.
- Warp or jump. Depending on what you’re flying, you’ll have one or the other for covering real distance. Jumping puts you somewhere instantly — including somewhere stupid, if nobody checked.
- Combat manoeuvring. A short burst of sideways or forward movement that recharges between uses. It’s how you get a fresh shield facing the enemy, or slip out of a missile’s path.
- Docking. Get close enough to a station or a friendly ship and request docking. That’s how the ship gets repaired and restocked — and how Weapons gets missiles back.
[ SCREENSHOT — the Helms console, in flight ]
Doing it well
Range is a weapon. Most fights are decided by who chose the distance. Ask Science how far away the thing is and what it can reach, then pick a range where your guns work and theirs don’t. Charging straight at something is a decision, not a default.
Turn the damage away. Shields are per side. When Weapons says the front is nearly gone, spin — give them a fresh face while the other recharges. This one habit keeps more ships alive than good shooting does.
Announce the manoeuvre before you make it. Weapons is aiming, Science is scanning: both of them are working with a picture that your turn is about to invalidate. “Coming about to starboard” costs you a second and saves them ten.
Who you’re working with
Weapons needs the target inside their firing arc — they can’t shoot through the hull. Science is the one who can tell you what’s out there before you’re on top of it. And Engineering decides how much of the ship’s power your engines get: if you need speed now, say so out loud rather than wondering why the throttle feels heavy.