UT, war, and logistics

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

What is the motivation for fighting on a planet that has no local food supplies? If there's any population there, they'll necessarily have some source of food. If there's nobody there but enemy troops, why bother invading?

The planet in question might still have a closed system (due to an inability or lack of interest in terraforming and agriculture) or even be dependent on external sources for some portion of its food supply. The planet could be a mining colony, or could be inhabited solely as a strategically-located military base, for example. Both would be valid military targets, neither would likely maintain any local food production in excess of actual need.