Armor
A warship's kinetic barriers reduce the damage from solid objects, but can
do nothing to block GARDIAN lasers, particle beams, and other forms of Directed
Energy Weapon (DEW). The inner layer of warship protection consists of
ablative armor plate designed to 'boil away' when heated. The vaporized
armor material scatters a DEW beam, rendering it ineffectual.

A scaffold was built aroundt he interior pressure hull, with sheets of
ablative armor hung from the structure. Ships typically have multiple layers
of armor seperated by empty baffles, spaces often used for cargo storage.
Cruisers, which lack the internal space to fit dedicated fighter hangers,
store the shipboard fighter complement in the baffles. It is not unknown
for enlisted crew to build illicit alcohol distilleries in some obscure corner
of the baffles, safe from prying eyes.

Weapons
Disruptor torpedoes are powered projectiles with warheads that create random
and unstable mass effect fields when triggered. These fields warp space-time
in a localized area. The rapid asymmetrical mass changes cause the target to
rip itself apart.

In flight, torpedoes use a mass-increasing field, making them too massive for
enemy kinetic barriers to repulse. The extra mass gives the torpedos a
very sluggish acceleration, making them easy prey for defensive GARDIAN
weapons. So, torpedoes have to be launched at very close range.

Torpedoes are the main anti-ship weapon used by fighters. They are launched
from point-blank range in 'ripple-fire' waves reminiscent of the ancient
Calliope rocket artillery launchers (thus their popular nickname 'Callies').
By saturating defensive GARDIAN systems with multiple targets, at least a few
will get through.

A ships' General ARea Defensive Integration Anti-spacecraft Network (GARDIAN)
consists of anti-missile / anti-fighter laser turrets on the exterior hull.
Because these are under computer control, the gunnery control officer needs to
do little beyond turn the system on and designate targets as hostile.

Since lasers move at light speed, they cannot be dodged by anything moving at
non-relativistic speeds. Unless the beam is aimed poorly, it will always hit
its target. In the early stages of a battle, the GARDIAN fire is 100%
accurate. It is not 100% lethal, but it doesn't have to be. Damaged fighters
must break off for repairs.

Lasers are limited by diffraction. The beams 'spread out', decreasing the
energy density (watts per m2) the weapon can place on a target. Any high-
powered laser is a short-ranged weapon.

GARDIAN networks have another limitation: heat. Weapons-grade lasers require
'cool-down' time, during which heat is transferred to sinks or radiators. At
lasers fire, heat builds within them, reducing damage, range, and accuracy.

Fighters attack in swarms. The first few WILL be hit by GARDIAN, but as the
battle continues, the effects of laser overheat allow the attacks to press
ever closer to the ship. Constant use will burn out the laser.

GARDIAN lasers typically operate in infrared frequencies. Shorter frequencies
would offer superior stopping power and range, but degradation of focal arrays
and mirrors would make them expensive to maintain, and most prefer mechanical
reliability over leading-edge performance where lives are concerned.
Salarians, however, use near-ultraviolet frequency lasers with six times the
range, believing that having additional time to shoot down incoming missiles
is more important.

Lasers are not blocked by the kinetic barriers of capital ships. However, the
range of lasers limits their use to rare 'knife fight'-range ship-to-ship
combat.