Shield envelope
There are at least two different shield configurations commonly used by starships when using their deflector shield. This shape is varied at the discretion of the tactical officer.
The first type, and the most popular, is a set of curved fields that interlock to form a large ellipsoid bubble over the vessel. Shield burn-throughs are more likely in this configuration because it needs to enclose a greater volume of space.
The other shield configuration is a contour-conforming shield layer that is projected a few meters outside the main hull. Shield burn-throughs also occur with this configuration, however, due to their proximity they cause greater damage to the hull.
The shield envelope may be "extended" to encompass another vessel, which is often accomplished by matching the ships' shield emitter frequencies. While the extended shielding can provide some protection in the event of a shield failure on one ship in a convoy, this technique can put a strain on ship systems, and the overall strength of the extended shields is generally not as strong as two independent shield systems.
