Core command is the central nerve center of a Colonial battlestar. It is the bridge of the ship, where the ship's commander oversees operations.
Core command is separated into three tiers. The upper tier is a small rotating platform. It has a chair and a keyboard and scanner setup. It is often manned by either Adama, Tigh, or Omega on Galactica. The middle tier surrounds the room in a ring. There are various scanners and stations on this level. People walking into core command enter at the middle level. Athena often mans a scanner at this level.
The bottom tier is recessed in the middle of the room. There are several stations on this level. Rigel coordinates Viper launches from a station on this level.
During a battle, the commanding officer may order that shields be activated, which drop to protect Core Command from direct attacks.