Rooks

The first obstacle for any invading force, Rooks are orbital defense platforms that take the shape of an X or cross. At each of their four ends are powerful thrusters allowing the platform to strafe around whatever planet or body of gravity they are anchored to. The burden of a Rook is to have sufficient armour so as to withstand incoming enemy fire. They have powerful energy shields are slated to aid deflection, however planetary scale weaponry will not be haulted by a Rook with noble intentions. With that in mind; these platforms are a fundament of defense in the decelleration phase of enemy incoming. Rooks operate as deployment carriers for skirmisher craft, and boast heavy guns located adjacent the thrusters.
  Rooks were invented by Jupiter Faction in the 25th century; when tensions with the new regime of the EMC threatened to someday blossom into war. JF Rooks deploy skirmish fighters along the neck of their anatomy, once launched the fighter may return to its home Rook, or land in a different Rook for a moment of respite before tactfully returning to the ongoing engagement. Both the Rooks and the skirmishers utilize soma to perform Vulcan Meditation, allowing the pilots and crew to reduce apparent G force during maneuvers.
  The EMC released their own variant of the rook, Sentinels, which guarded the Earth for 200 years without ever firing a shot. After the great demonstration won victory for the synth rebellion, they were decommissioned and repurposed as the Earth Shell's founding infrastructure.

The virtue of orbital defense is that it cannot be used to invade.

-- Argus Thousand Eyes

At the open of the Reclamation War, the EMC fleet was soundly neutralized by the JF Rooks. While the Rooks were ultimately overpowered when Ceres entered the combat theatre; their early success of against the EMC Reclamation force is well remembered. Today the Rooks still guard the bodies of Jupiter. Modern JF Rooks boast a QFE, as Ceres did when they were first defeated. Additionally the central power system of this warcraft may now be unshielded to deliver devastating energy bursts toward any who would fail to learn from Reclamation.