dANdeLION wrote:ItisWritten wrote:dANdeLION wrote:Well, you appear to know more about fictitious alien mining ships than I do.

Thank you.
Yeah, I may be projecting logic that doesn't exist. Still, if I were writing a space mining vessel for an aggressive race, it would be able to defend itself as well as extract minerals from rock.
Aggressive races don't concern themselves with defense; just like normal miners don't concern themselves with ways to shut down communications and transporters planet-wide. They were also supposedly part of the Federation at the time Romulus died; who exactly were they 'defending' themselves from?
You're right. Romulans don't
defend. But that would be the diplomatic line if the subject of weapons aboard a mining ship ever came into question. And that "minimal" weaponry would suddenly be a powerful arsenal 130 (IIRC) years earlier.
I don't recall (but then I'm not up on ST canon) that the Romulans ever joined the Federation. There were overtures and treaties, of course, and even promising incidents. But the Romulan Empire was still the Romulan Empire. Prime Spock made a promise to save Romulus, but that's in keeping with his interest in their common genetics.
As for the communication-dampening drill, seems to me that would be a handy effect when poaching existing claims or raiding other species resources. But that begs the question, why would the effect be limited to use of the drill?