So, what do interstellar pirates do? Why would they go to the rather hefty expense of acquiring a ship, and maintaining it, just to thieve and extort?
Well, they don't do it to steal space ships. Once away from a planet, it can be rather difficult to catch a star ship. Space is pretty big, and it is relatively easy to see some one coming and run away. Add to that the dangers of ship to ship combat, and space-born piracy is both difficult and unlikely to be profitable.
Most pirates make their living stealing essentials like food and water from newer colonies, or selling black market equipment to established but under-supported colonies. It generally depends on how desperate they are.
A lot of pirates start out as legitimate business folk such as miners, long-haul traders, or floating hospitals. When these businesses inevitably fail, the crews sometimes get desperate. food, water, and the desire to be free are strong motivators. Desperate folks do desperate things when survival is on the line. Some just establish themselves as colonists, using the resourse thier ship provides as leverage to join a new colony. Others take what they need and leave, often by force or extortion.
The violent ones usually target very new colonies, and steal food, raw ore, and people. Yes, sadly there is a market for people out there. The less violent act as illegal traders and "defenders", extorting protection money from the local population. either way, pirates tend to be underfunded, and often stay away from any place they know to be defended. A real military or militia can often drive them away with ease.
As the UNCN garrisons more and more fledgling colonies, the pirate element grows more and more desperate,
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