Recent (intense) discussion about naval bases triggers a question: how do their orbital elements survive a battle? FFW, Invasion Earth, TAS news reports, odd mentions of war and its effects scattered through Library Data, and other bits of canon, none of them show any indication of naval bases degrading in performance as the result of battle damage. We hear nothing in canon about attacks on orbital elements until He with No Honor does his dirty deed and triggers a civil war. Yet destruction of orbital elements would appear to be a prime military objective, inasmuch as degrading the enemy's ability to maintain his fleet will degrade the range and performance of his fleet. What gives?
Options:
A. Orbital elements are fortified.
The orbital structures can fend for themselves. However, the things can't be so well armed and defended that their presence influences the larger battle for the system or one would expect their mention someplace, and there's nothing in canon about orbital facilities shooting up invaders or defending themselves in battle. That doesn't prevent it, but it does set an upper limit - beyond a certain point, the things would have a major impact on the battle for a given system, and there's nothing suggesting such a scenario. And if there's an upper limit, then overwhelming the orbital's defenses is a likelihood, and we're back where we started.
Problem: no evidence in canon. Might make for an interesting battle, though.
B. Orbital elements are not legitimate targets.
Easiest is to say there's some convention or agreement that infrastructure is not a legitimate war target. However, agreements to limit the scope of war tend to - mostly - restrict themselves to governing conduct that does not have a direct bearing on the war effort or that would have impacts well beyond the war. One can see an agreement restricting attacks on civilian high port facilities on the argument of limiting long-term impact of war on civilians. Making the same argument for militay structures would be unusual but not impossible - they'd be treated as the military equivalent of open cities, not legitimate targets but eligible to be boarded and taken by the enemy for their own use.
Problem: unlikely, though not impossible.
C. Orbital elements can deorbit and return.
The orbital structure's equipped with gravitic propulsion units that allow it to come down into the relative safety of the atmosphere to avoid battle, perhaps hovering like a flying city; perhaps it's even able to hide itself in water, crew and all, until the battle's over. There's no mention of anything resembling such a capability, but certainly the technology is there for it.
Problem: no evidence in canon but boy, it'd be cool, wouldn't it?
D. Orbital elements are jump-capable
The orbital structure is equipped and fueled for two jump-1's. When threatened, it jumps to the safety of some remote part of the system, then returns afterward.
Problem: no mention in canon, and it leaves the base without its orbital elements for a minimum two weeks while the element goes through jump space out and then back.
Thoughts? Preferences?
Options:
A. Orbital elements are fortified.
The orbital structures can fend for themselves. However, the things can't be so well armed and defended that their presence influences the larger battle for the system or one would expect their mention someplace, and there's nothing in canon about orbital facilities shooting up invaders or defending themselves in battle. That doesn't prevent it, but it does set an upper limit - beyond a certain point, the things would have a major impact on the battle for a given system, and there's nothing suggesting such a scenario. And if there's an upper limit, then overwhelming the orbital's defenses is a likelihood, and we're back where we started.
Problem: no evidence in canon. Might make for an interesting battle, though.
B. Orbital elements are not legitimate targets.
Easiest is to say there's some convention or agreement that infrastructure is not a legitimate war target. However, agreements to limit the scope of war tend to - mostly - restrict themselves to governing conduct that does not have a direct bearing on the war effort or that would have impacts well beyond the war. One can see an agreement restricting attacks on civilian high port facilities on the argument of limiting long-term impact of war on civilians. Making the same argument for militay structures would be unusual but not impossible - they'd be treated as the military equivalent of open cities, not legitimate targets but eligible to be boarded and taken by the enemy for their own use.
Problem: unlikely, though not impossible.
C. Orbital elements can deorbit and return.
The orbital structure's equipped with gravitic propulsion units that allow it to come down into the relative safety of the atmosphere to avoid battle, perhaps hovering like a flying city; perhaps it's even able to hide itself in water, crew and all, until the battle's over. There's no mention of anything resembling such a capability, but certainly the technology is there for it.
Problem: no evidence in canon but boy, it'd be cool, wouldn't it?
D. Orbital elements are jump-capable
The orbital structure is equipped and fueled for two jump-1's. When threatened, it jumps to the safety of some remote part of the system, then returns afterward.
Problem: no mention in canon, and it leaves the base without its orbital elements for a minimum two weeks while the element goes through jump space out and then back.
Thoughts? Preferences?
o:
