These tiny battleships are like the cells of an organism. They are identical in form but different in function. From what they can see, each cell can also change and replace each other's functions, thanks to the Supreme Law that's holding them together. Such is their versatility, and yet there are trillions of them in a battleship.
The tree father was impressed by the ingenuity. "These battleships aren't battleships. It is the Authority within them that is the battleship."
He is impressed because what others see is only the shell of the battleship. The tiny, top grade artifacts that formed the shells are just accessories. It is the Authority that each battleship carries that is the core or foundation of the battleships.
