Pirates / relays

Remove all relays.

Create Pirate King (PK) planets, 2 planets per galaxy (20 total). Different PK on each planet

Planets are empty to start and your alliance can send ships to become the pirate Kings champions.
When you take/win planet fight you have a squadron style view where you have the chance to sort the ships into 5 squadrons.
No logistics limits per squadron but limit of 10(?)million for all 5.
Allow general & colonel level to sort ships.
As defender you don't have to have ships in each squadron.
Spying a planet will show you a list of all ships there but not the order. And only the ships of the current champions, not any other alliance readying to attack.
To contest you send ships as current way for relays.
When attacking you will be attacking in 5 waves, no logistic limit per wave but total limit of 10(?)million. As attacker you must have at least 1 ship in each wave. General / colonel can sort the waves.
Each round follows normal fighting procedure, and mechanics with skills and tech influence.
To win or stay as PK champions you need to win minimum 3 out of 5 rounds.
If defender has no ships on any round then attacker wins by default of 1 ship vs 0.
Each successful defence earns the alliance (?) reputation and (?) honor for each member equally.
If no attacks in a week alliance is gifted (? Maybe random) reputation and (? Maybe random ) honor for each member equally. Then removed by the PK (randomly stealing ships 0-25%)

A successful attack wins the alliance (? Double defence? ) reputation and (? Double defence?)

Alliances can only attack each planet once a week? (maybe, not sure just don't want them spammed)

Pirate King planets are surround either side by an esoteric void (rename tech 'Void Manipulation' to stop confusion)

If you are a PK champion all alliance members can explore either void for extra bonuses from the PKs.

Random success including:-

Gain honor (only to explorer)
Gain reputation
Gain ships (explorer or for champion fleet?)
Gain tech (explorer)
Lose ships
Have champions attacked by aliens (random 100% weaker to 10% stronger each attack wave)
Have pirates steal random ships from champions defence.

PKs are picky and will randomly kick champions for no reason and steal ships as per above. (pirates after all!)