Eighteen docking latches provide the necessary physical connections between the major load-bearing members of both vehicles. the active side of the latches is located on the dorsal surface of the Battle Section around the periphery of the Battle Bridge and upper sensor arrays. The passive apertures for the latches are set into the aft ventral surface of the Saucer Module.
If Saucer separation is initiated at sublight, there exists an option to postpone the latch retract into the Battle Section, in case a rapid reconnection is required. Once in warp flight, however, the option is cancelled, as the latches must retract quickly to minimize vehicle stresses and any chance of collision with the Saucer Module.
As the Saucer Module is equiped with only impulse engines, special caution must be taken when attempting separation at high warp. Prior to leaving the Battle Section's warp field, the Saucer Module Structural Integrity Field, Inertial Dampening Field, and shield grid are run at high output. The Saucer Module's four forward deflectors take over, sweeping away debris in the absence of the main deflector on the Battle Section. Decaying warp field energy surrounding the Saucer Module is managed by the driver coil segments of the impulse engines. It will take approximately two minutes for the warp energy to dissipate, returning the Saucer Module to its original sublight speed.
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Over-all View
Navigational Deflector
Phaser and Torpedo Banks
Main Bridge
View of Ten-Forward
Warp Engine Nacelles