Fleet formations and the Defiant as an escort

Ships waiting for the operation would normally form within squadrons, tactical wings, or other groups instead of orbiting as unrelated hulls. Those groups reflect the command relationships and manoeuvre units the ships will use once the operation begins. Three Galaxy-class ships already make a formidable concentration, while the shortage of Defiant-class escorts seems odd at this stage of the war. The Flower-class and Death Star comparison captures the Defiant's inconsistent role: Star Trek treats it as a workhorse escort when the fleet needs numbers and as an exceptional wonder weapon when the story needs spectacle.