You start to create an organ that could store energy and release it in various forms. This is actually harder than it sounds, and you have trouble with the organ. Namely, it melts if you use it too long. Sadly, it won't be ready for the fleet that you are making.
After considering several other ideas, you reject most of them. Any type of organism that you could send out would eventually get sucked into the sphere, and until you figure out how to make organisms out of rock, or some other strong material, you doubt it would survive. You decide that until further experiments can be done, light-based weaponry is the way to go.
With your fleet constructed, you send them out to Joshua. As the sphere rises out from the gas giant's atmosphere, you blast it with your lasers. The surface of the sphere begins to change colour, going from black to blue to yellow, till at last, the sphere explodes.
FLEET 1: STATIONED AROUND JOSHUA
1 Cephalocarrier
3 Jellyminds
4 Cephaloscuttler Bands
Name: Jethro's Mind Probe.
Propulsion: Elevator: ACCELERATION: 1-5 light seconds/day
Extras: Cold fusion or fission
Armour
Creature Torpedo Launchers (Staffed with WOLFTOPI)
Solar Collection Array.
Flamberge for ground assaults.
COSTS: 500 Biomass, 150 Heavy Minerals, 800 Energy
Name: Prospector Drone.
Propulsion: Chemical: ACCELERATION: Enough.
Extras: Best sensors we have.
Drill
Solar Collection Array.
Description: Can be sent to airless bodies to search for valuable minerals and establish a forward base. Single use.
COSTS: 50 Biomass, 10 Heavy Minerals, 65 Energy
Colony Vehicle:
Propulsion: Conventional: Elevator: ACCELERATION: 1-5 light seconds/day
Extras: Heavily armoured.
Description: A gigantic, heavily armored schoolbus equiped to survive in both in atmosphere-less environments, as well as more life-friendly ones.
100 Biomass, 20 Heavy Minerals, 150 Energy.
Name: Generic ship
Propulsion: Elevator: ACCELERATION: 1-5 light seconds/day
Extras: Filled with Primpsks.
100 biomass, 5 Heavy Minerals, 115 Energy
Cephalocarrier:
Propulsion: Jets: ACCELERATION: 1-3 light seconds/day
Extras: Carrier ship
Heavily armoured
Smoke screen
Best sensors we have
Colour changing skin
Laser weaponry
Description: Giant octopus, it stores smaller vessels inside its body and hurls them out using its arms. It is armoured with thick layers of gelatinous material that is studded with hard plates and woven with strong meshes. Propelled using steam jets and can expel a massive cloud of dust capable of obscuring an entire fleet. Equipped with significant sensory apparatus and colour changing skin.
500 biomass, 120 Heavy Minerals, 900 Energy
Jellymind:
Propulsion: None: NEEDS CARRIER SHIP TO MOVE BETWEEN PLANETS
Extras: Support frigate
High redundancy
Best sensors we have
Highly intelligent
Toxic Tentacles
Explosive nodules
Laser weaponry
Can connect with other ships
Description: Giant jellyfish, modified for massive redundancy, has massive sensory and mental abilities, projects a network of highly toxic tentacles with explosive nodules beyond its body for close defence. Maintains connection to other capital vessels via many small tentacles. Uses these to enhance the other vessels existing abilities by providing shared sensory and status reports along with superior mental abilities when appropriate.
100 biomass, 100 Heavy Minerals, 300 Energy
Cephaloscuttler Band:
Propulsion: Jets: NEEDS CARRIER SHIP TO MOVE BETWEEN PLANETS
Extras: Composed of 10 Fighters
Heavy fighter armour
Shoots poison tipped darts
High strength disabling claws
Description: A crab, remodelled to survive in a vacuum and survive extreme deceleration, with squid mouth and legs in place of crab legs. Back armour massively built up, capable of regenerating, and sharpened to a dull point. Capable of propulsion using jets of steam. Has several small additional tentacles which shoot acid-laden darts. When launched at a target, will attempt to collide with it back-first, reach around and grab with its barbed tentacles, and cut a means of access using its beak. If it enters a target it will use high-velocity punching claws to disable threats and tentacle and beak to destroy them. Once a target is disabled they will leave it and seek other targets.
100 biomass, 85 Heavy Minerials, 200 Energy
CALEB: 1.4 Light minutes (lm) from the Caanan.
HOT
TIDALLY LAND-LOCKED
ROCKY
SMALL
JETHRO: 8.1 lm
NICE
HABITABLE BY LIFE
ROCKY
MEDIUM
HAS ONE MOON
CONNECTED TO MOSES BY TRACK.
100% COVERAGE BY JETHRO
PRODUCES: 100 biomass
60 heavy minerals
200 energy
STORAGE: 0 biomass
0 heavy minerals
0 energy
Space Station frame: 50% done.
BIGGLES (JETHRO'S MOON):
COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
ROCKY
SMALL
0.02% COVERAGE BY JETHRO
PRODUCES: 4 biomass
10 heavy minerals
20 energy
STORAGE: 0 biomass
0 heavy minerals
0 energy
MOSES: 9.6 lm
COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
ROCKY
MEDIUM
HAS FIVE MOONS
CONNECTED TO JETHRO BY TRACK.
CONNECTED TO HEPHAESTUS BY TRACK.
0.01% COVERAGE BY JETHRO
PRODUCES: 10 biomass
5 heavy minerals
25 energy
STORAGE: 0 biomass
0 heavy minerals
0 energy
ASTEROID BELT #1: 38 lm
VERY COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
ROCKY
0.001% COVERAGE BY JETHRO
PRODUCES: 1 biomass
1 energy
STORAGE: 15 biomass
15 energy
HEPHAESTUS: 50 lm
VERY COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
GASSY
LARGE
HAS EIGHT MOONS
CONNECTED TO MOSES BY TRACK.
CONNECTED TO JOSHUA BY TRACK.
JOB (HEPHAESTUS'S MOON):
COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
ROCKY
SMALL
CAN HOLD AN ATMOSPHERE.
CONNECTED TO HEPHAESTUS BY TRACK.
JOSHUA: 72 lm
VERY COLD
UNINHABITABLE BY LIFE
GASSY
VERY LARGE
HAS SIXTEEN MOONS
CONNECTED TO HEPHAESTUS BY TRACK.