High Speed Projectiles ...

	I'd always assumed that the reason weapons like that weren't used
by anyone, ever, was that they were 'unthinkable'.  If you've read the series
of Foundation books by Asimov, you may recall mention of the fact that nobody
ever considers using nuclear or like weapons against planets... the one
admiral ever to propose it was lynched by his own fleet.
	It's a massive balance of terror.  It's such an obvious threat,
like nukes and bio warfare, that you probably would see enemies band together
to stop such assaults.  Permanently, if need be.
	I would assume that weapons like biiiig mass drivers that give a
projectile enough energy to be nuclear-class fit under the Imperial
Weapons of Mass Destruction laws, too...  [see Imperial High Justice Crimes,
spec. _Manufacture of Prohibited Weapons_ (HAF-M Universal Legal Profile),
_Posession " " "_ (HAD-M), _Use " " "_ (HAF-MV), and probably a charge
of _Waging Illegal War_ for the hell of it (HAF-MV).  Challenge 50, pp 22-26,
and appropriate Imperial Code sections (go buy it now if you didn't already
8-) ]

- - -george

(ps- is anyone interested in the Imperial Ministry of Justice?  feeler for
potential followup article...)