I didn't think about that. That would probably work well for fuel. Still kinda weird to have a flying fuel pod with crew quarters onboard, and you'd probably be better off just adding the fuel storage in place of the tractor beams.
Jump engines wouldn't work though, unless you made the "pod" as massive as the ship you're attaching it to. Although, having a heavily armored "jump pod" full of fuel tanks and one big military jump engine might be nice to stick on ships for them to make jumps then toss aside for the battle. Maybe even extra ammo on it for rearming.
Although you'd lose 1 squadron size since it would count as a separate ship, and a defenseless immobile chunk of metal floating in space with a bunch of crew onboard in a war zone doesn't sit right with me, heh.
Well for jump engines, the mass of the drive itself isnt as large as the mass its able to carry.
As for the crew issue, I would imagine that there would be extra automation which could translate to larger HS or material component, or the ability to overstock a crew. I think it would probably need a new type class, as I dont think a component check would work, as I see needing a component similar to a hangar for the mothership and the sled to be on both. I dont know, maybe having crew quarters or bridge though not a flag bridge, and this sled component would make it count as a parasitical sled.
I also dont see an issue with it being dead in the water, that would be part of its balance in a sense, and offering its own form of peril.
In many way, this would be redundant in what can be done in the game as of now, just another mode to do to add more diversity to ship creation, which I dont consider a bad thing.
Steve does have a point, about using tractor beams to carry along things like this but the speed penality for that be very prohibited. There would also be several components that woulnt work in this method.