IRL, I would build a hangar on rear, so that docked craft can fire their thrusters to help the mothership.
They would also always help the mothership with stealth, etc when they can.
But someone else would build a modular ship where the assault shield of advanced armor at front is docked and generates own power for ion effect and additional dps - giving characteristics of a higher class ship.
Especially when it comes to damage output and damage block.
One solution
I post in discord/elsewhere for discussion could be reactor-placeholders so that the ship can be enhanced with docked ones ...
They would be light but only work with docked reactor count as support.