From Pirates of Drinax, Book 1
Like most dangerous professions, piracy consists mostly of waiting and watching; 99% boredom mixed with 1% terror and violence. These rules skip over the waiting and watching to concentrate on the hunt, the chase and the kill.
see also The Drinaxian Companion, p9
There is an unwritten code of understanding between pirates, merchants and the great powers. While stealing cargo is a crime, the cost of hunting down and exterminating such a pirate is far more than the value of the cargo that pirate is likely to steal over the course of a career. Some small-time pirates have survived for years by never taking more than the insurance companies and trading corporations can bear. As long as a pirate only takes cargo (or better yet, accepts bribes to leave a trader pass freely), the great powers will turn a blind eye to the corsair, at least for a few months. A pirate who intercepts a ship, steals a few tons of cargo, and leaves both merchant ship and crew unharmed is not considered a major threat. Killing crew, stealing ships or attacking Imperial convoys, though, is a different measure. Pirates who breach this unwritten code draw attention to themselves, and must be destroyed! Neither the Hierate nor the Third Imperium can tolerate any challenge to their authority.
The trade route between the Third Imperium and the Aslan Hierate is prime hunting territory for ambitious pirates. The cargo ships that ply those routes are heavy with valuable cargo, and the comparative lack of civilised worlds along the way means the pirates are less likely to run into System Defence Boats or pirate hunters. To avoid attack, most merchants travel in convoys escorted by either military vessels or armed mercenaries, but there are always a few unlucky ships who either cannot afford an escort or lose it along the way in a mistimed jump. Beyond the trade routes, the pickings are thinner. While there are always free traders and vagabonds chancing their luck in the backwaters of the Reach, pirates are less likely to find a suitable target in systems off the beaten track. When a pirate attempts to locate prey, roll on the Prey Encounter table to determine the most likely target. A result of ‘no prey’ does not mean there are no other ships in the system, it just implies that there are no other ships the pirate has a chance of successfully tackling right now, although this may change at any moment if a ship jumps in.
The amount of traffic in the system determines when to roll on the Prey Encounter table. Roll D66, applying DMs as follows:
Backwater System: DM-1 to first dice only Dangerous World: DM-1 to second dice only High-Traffic System: DM+1 to first dice only Secure World: DM+1 to second dice only Capital or other Key System: DM+2 to first dice only Naval Base: DM+2 to second dice only
<aside> ‼️ A backwater system is one with a Class X or E starport that is off the Imperium-Hierate trade route. A high-traffic system is one with a Class A or B starport and with at least one of the following Trade Codes: High Technology, High Population, Industrial, Agricultural, Rich, or a system on the Imperium-Aslan trade route. A capital or other key system is a subsector capital, like Pax Rulin. A dangerous world has an Amber or Red Travel code, a Law Level of 3 or less, or is otherwise unable to patrol its space. A secure world has a Law Level of 7 or more and has the technology to protect Travellers, or has a naval base present with six parsecs. A naval base in the system offers the best possible protection for Travellers
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Traveller: A vessel other than a cargo ship, such as a scout vessel, small military ship, fast courier or even another pirate. Travellers are poor targets for pirates, as they are unlikely to carry valuable cargoes. They can be looted for parts.
Small Freighter: A far trader, free trader or other 100-300 ton trade vessel. Such vessels are ideal prey for most pirates, as they can quickly be looted and are unlikely to have significant defences.