Well in all my time here, I've not noticed that in-RP people should expect planets to automatically vaporize them solely with their own weapons (and not ships). All the way from Schultzky's assassination in SP to the Xenos in New York today (That is, half a year ago since I've not been on mine in a while).
Anyways, had those ships went into Malta, killed the smugglers, lingered on and fought the defenders of the system and died/won, then I'd understand you here. But from what it seems to me, and remember that I wasn't there and am judging this from what you and the Colonials have said, this was a quick get 'em and get out operation. Something I don't really have a problem with.
I understand that fighting near an enemy installation is not really the smartest thing to do, but unless it's right there, and by right there meaning in actual weapons range for an extended period of time, it's not really that much of a fault. As far as we know, planets don't necessarily have that strong defenses anyways and I've never heard that their range was supposed to be longer than what the range of current ingame docking ring and station weapons is.
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<span style="color:#000000">All morons hate it when you call them a moron.
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