Quote:
Originally Posted by Doitsu
How about some equivalent of UN Peacekeeping forces in space? Once asteroid mining, terraforming etc. becomes a reality, someone needs to make sure that all international space treaties are enforced.
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UN peacekeepers are not elite combat forces.
They're glorified traffic cops, for the most part.
They've been known to go out with unloaded rifles and instructions *not* to shoot *even* if shot at. And end up as hostages, handcuffed to the radiators of their vehicles.
"Cannon fodder in space" would be an interesting story, mind you (Harry Harrison had an amusing take on the idea) but that is not the sort of troops you send to deal with a breakaway mining colony. Not unless you want their corpses as an excuse for a scorched-earth counter. (Again, another interesting story idea. But again, not a job you give to elite forces that cost a lot of time and money to train.)
Oh, and international Space Treaties will only be observed as long as nobody can actually establish a commercially-viable space operation. The moment that comes to pass... well, all treaties have opt-out clauses.