Two more noob questions

As I wrote in the OP, i did try using the attack command, and it didn't work.. I double checked, i have no treaties with the empire (i'm at war with them).

Any other ideas?

Just to add something abotu question 1, I *suspect* the problem is that the asteroids are providing occulsion? The game maybe is confused because the planets themselves ought to be "cloaked" in that I shouldn't be able to even see they are there. But, being planets, I can see them. And I see the enemy empire flags on them, too -- but NOT in the system map (weird, huh?) -- I only see the empire flags in the bottom center box when I click on the hex. (Does that make sense?)

So maybe the game prevents me from attacking, because the enemy population is stealthed. The buggy part of this, however, is that this is a PLANET, not a ship, so (1) I don't really think it should be cloaked! -- and the game agrees, since it is only cloaking the presence of enemy, not the planet itself, and (2) if I can move a colony ship into the space and colonize the planet, I ought to be able to realize by that point that there are enemy on it, and I ought to get the option to attack them.

Anyway, this is just theorizing. Does anyone know what's actually going on? And if there's any way for me to work around this? If nothing else I'm going to be real bummed if I'm never able to win because I can't kill those two colonies.... (maybe eventually I just have to get planet smashing technology).

That's too bad about the space stations....

I wonder if its possible, as a future change, to make resupply facilities also send out crew each turn? It would make sense, I mean, presumably, having a resupply depot means that the planet is not only manufacturing supply and ordinance, but also transporting it (via small civiilan ships, etc.?) to ships and planets in the system. There's no reason they couldn't move crew members around too. Just a suggestion for future patches or the next version!