[Attack sequence resolution if no hits are are scored]

When attacking a ship if after step 3 of the attack sequence ( Resolve Attack Effects)  there are no hits or critical hits (if you ended up with all blank dice faces etc) does the attack sequence end or does step 4 (Spend Defence Tokens) and 5 (Resolve Damage) still take place?

[Shield Dial Question]

Are you required to have the cardboard shield dials on a ship base or can they be removed and kept with/under the ship's card to track its remaining shields?

I know for the purpose of overalapping things the dial is considered part of the ship base as per the rules reference but that suggests that at all other times it is not part of the ship base (so no having ships in aura like effects by having just the dial in range).

However as a ship in the reference "...consists of a ship base, a ship model, a ship token, and a ship card." it sounds a lot like a the dial is not actually part of there ship at all and so possibly not required and therefore could just be thrown aside to make overlapping less fiddly.