Even without the teraport cage, Cindercone was still a freighter large enough to transport things like battleplates or space stations. The ability to haul freight is never a bad thing.

As for meeting needs, the ship you have is never the ship you want. Also I'm not entirely sure what needs aren't being met, the ability to repel boarders? That's more on the crew than anything, and also their decision to lock the AI out of being able to gravy the insides.

And even if they did have better ships, the laws of dramatics would just refactor their threats to still be just as threatening. Bigger numbers can't save you from plot.