Have played around with it for a bit and I have to say, I don't really like the "tuning" for the early game. If you setup in an sector without providing your own defenses, you simply cause the sector to die. I just started a new game to confirm it and currently have 9 pirate ships and 5 xotan killing a home sector which as of now only has freighters and loaders remaining. All the combat ships got destroyed.