hp for bosses

Dark Stars never get a chance to power up unless something horrible happens like you lag and run up to Pap and get stunned or something. That's much less likely to happen than just getting run over by 2nd body by being careless.

I have never, ever, been hit by a powered lower dark star, and I solo quite often.
I take it you won't be hit by the 2nd form because cannon hit hard enough to keep it KBed, but if for some reason your ship just broke? Would rapid fire keep it back even though the separate hits are so weak?