Hangarshuffle, you need to go back and look up what war is about. These armed "drones" are machines of war, just as a Vulcan was. What you don't appear to understand in your huggy fluffy spew is that war has never been a rugby match, and is a use of force to achieve an end. The nature of the world has changed since the obsession with rules in war became the norm, but the rules that were finally adopted seem resistant to change.
I will also note that the Empire is no more.
It's a new world, get out of your old box.