Just a thought...
To help increase the space trade and pirating section of the Universal, would anyone want to participate in something of a star system battle between ships? You take your ship, loaded with missles and such, go to a designated system where missles are available at a spacestation or two, and have it out with other captains... hone those pirating or bounty-hunting skills, or learn how to evade and escape from pirates or bounty hunters.
If anyone's interested, leave a message here. I'll look at a system that's not too far away from the core and has the necessary supplies. If quite a few are interested, I could start keeping track of larger battles and rank who is the best of the best.