In The Expanse (TV), why was Thoth Station so poorly guarded?

Question

During the battle of Thoth station in Season 1, there was only

one stealth ship and one cannon. Even the guards in the station weren't armed with lethal bullets.

I know that

most of the other stealth ships were destroyed and the non-lethal bullets were used due to the surgically induced sociopathy of the crew

However, all that explains is why there weren't more "special" weapons. Why weren't there conventional ships guarding the station? It seems to be an extremely important facility that is absolutely central to the ongoing plans...

Answer 1

Thoth was defended, just externally.

the station was being guarded by the Osiris, Protogen's last functional Amun-ra-class stealth frigate. Emerging from behind the station, Osiris fired two torpedos at the Guy Molinari. However, it had not seen Rocinante, and Holden's frigate jumped into action. Shooting down both torpedoes, Rocinante moved to engage the stealth ship with PDCS. While the two other ships battled, Molinari launched two breaching pods full of OPA mercenaries, along with Miller, towards the station.

At first, the larger and more advanced Osiris got the upper hand, disabling one of Rocinante's portside thrusters and driving her into cover behind the station. When the station's "dumb gun", a cannon designed to protect the facility from debris and moving asteroids, threatened the breaching pods, Rocinante came out to try and take out the cannon. Osiris put a rail gun round into the frigate at close range, doing little damage but driving her back. The station's cannon destroyed one of the breaching pods and set its sights on the other, but Amos Burton repaired Roci's damaged thruster and the frigate swung up and over the station's habitat ring, destroying the cannon and proceeded to dance circles around the Osiris, riddling it end to end with PDC fire until it lost power and was left adrift. The remaining breaching pod attached and Miller's group assaulted the station.

Source - Expanse Wiki

The Osiris very nearly destroyed the Rocinante (itself an extremely capable ship under the control of an extremely capable pilot), so was probably deemed sufficient defense, along with the static cannon. There just didn't seem to be a reason for more than a token defense on the station itself.

Answer 2

The subject does not come up in the show so there is no canon explanation.

But the answer seems obvious when you consider that this is supposed to be an ultra top secret laboratory being operated by a private company:

Secrecy.

• The more activity at the station, the more likely it is that somebody will notice the activity and investigate.
• More ships to defend the station means more activity that might be noticed.
• More ships to defend the station means more crew and any one of them might let something slip out about the base.
• More crew also means more risk of a spy or mole getting into the area.
• More ships and more crew means more supplies are needed. More supplies being sent and more ships carrying those supplies means more activity that might be noticed.

Also, the station needed to be protected not only from physical attack. When the UN seized Protogen, if they knew the lab existed then they would also send forces to seize the lab. Keeping labs like this secret would prevent (or at least greatly delay) their seizure.