Good advice ATMLVE, initially The Cluster will be small and weak, and will need to be extra careful in where and how it navigates. Later when The Cluster is quite sizable, I think it would have suitable defensive capabilities(hangar bays, turrets, etc) to ward off pirates and the like. I like your idea of mining ships that attach to the ship and I do plan for having a contigent of mining ships with their own hangar bay.