Jeffrey Bridges

Jeffrey Bridges was the captain of the USS Defiant (Defiant). He was married to a Bajoran woman (Laine Rael) who also acted as his first officer. He is well known for his scruffy face. (Star Trek: Defiant)

Background
Very little is known of Jeffrey Bridges' history before his command of the Defiant. What is known is that he served on multiple starships and fought in several fleet engagements, including the Battle of Wolf 359. The losses and casualties continued to haunt him. This made him very protective of the crew. Despite that, he was a skilled diplomat as well as an accomplished tactician. He had earned multiple awards and commendations from several commands. Though he displayed them. It was more to remind him of the cost in lives rather than his skill or gallantry in combat. The years of conflict and the stress of battle contributed to him coming down with a neuromuscular disorder that caused him to lose all feeling in the lower part of his body. Despite this, he managed to recover and return to duty.

Senator Dreschik
Bridges met Senator Dreschik onboard the Transport Moon Six following his rescue from the Romulan Prison know as Zaid. The prison isolated prisoners in their own separate time bubble so time moved differently inside their cells. Though being a captive for only a few days, Jeffrey lived through eight years imprisonment in relative time. Senator Dreschik had been captive for nine years, but to him it felt like ninety. Grateful for his rescue, the Sentor was pivotal to the survival of the Defiant in its battle with the Romulan warbird Shinake and its sadistic Commander Minnet. In exchange for ceasing hostilities with the Defiant following the rescue of their kidnapped crewmembers, Dreschik would allow Minnet to transport him home aboard his ship. An action sure to garner considerable prestige. Dreschik was also the lone dissenting voice when militarists seized power and started a war with the Federation. He later died of a broken heart, unable to bear what his people were becoming.

Commander Minnet
The Romulan Commander had an unhealthy obsession with the Captain and crew of the Defiant, wanting to "Test them". It started with the Task force crewmembers. Capturing them following their visit to a derelict Borg station, he started with Oren Gannix. Following their escape and recovery by Captain Bridges and the Defiant, Minnet was excited for the chance to finally test the legendary Captain Jeffrey Bridges. The 'test' was cut short by the timely intervention of the Romulan Senator Dreschik. Despite that, Minnet never gave up on his obsessive desire to 'test' those he considered inferior, right to the end.

Begrugia
At some point in the past Bridges invited the Klingon female to come aboard the Defiant and join his crew. She declined, until the day her "Idiot husband" passed on to Stovokor. To Jeffrey's delight she joined the crew and took over the running of "3 forward" the crew's lounge. She was an instant hit, despite the fact that she new absolutely nothing about bartending. "You pour a few drinks, you kick out the loud obnoxious ones. How hard could it be?" She knew a great deal about Captain Bridges, to the point of being familiar with his favorite music.

Lieutenant Commander Kit Barton
Assigned to the Defiant at the behest of Admiral Bavrotti, His arrival engendered immediate suspicion, especially from the Captain. "I have no objection to you personally, Commander Barton, only to the circumstances of your assignment." When Barton promised to try to stay out of the way, Bridges countered; "This ship is too small for anyone to simply stay out of the way. We all depend on each other onboard the Defiant".

Ensign Holubiak
The male El-Aurian was one of the survivors of the transport ship Lakul. He joined the ship late, along with Magus Brel.

Commander Laine Rael
The Bajoran Chief medical officer was Jeffrey's wife, best friend, sounding board, confidante. Their relationship was balanced between her duties to the ship, crew and captain, and his duties to her, the mission, the crew and the ship. That did not mean there weren't clashes. Jeffrey intervened when Magus pleaded with Laine to be returned to duty during a battle with a Romulan warbird. She had been injured on a earlier mission, and her eyes required regular treatment. Magus finally did an end run and pleaded her case directly to the Captain. Jeffrey then called Dr. Laine urging her to release Magus so she could return to the bridge. Over her better judgement, Rael relented. After the battle, Bridges had to endure "The wrath of my wife".