Pirate-modified merchant ship

This is a merchantman gutted and modified into an ambush configuration (probably by a pretty good shipyard; it’s not an easy task). It should ideally get a targeting feed from an overt pirate, and engage at extreme range; it can’t stand up to much enemy fire. Fortunately, pirates generally have trouble getting hold of X-ray, nuclear or antimatter warheads. The nuclear thermal rocket is used for combat manoeuvres, leaving the antimatter out of the hydrogen stream, for greater acceleration but vastly less efficiency.