Ok, I know this is gunna get flamed like crazy, so I'm going to put on my flame retardant posting suit and go ahead anyway, please don't all shoot me at once, it only needs one person to tell me I'm stupid.
*takes deep breath*
I don't think we should leave the system if we run from a fight.
The simple reason is, it makes no RP sence. I mean, if you are in a town and someone punches you in the face and you run away, you don't leave town to the duration of four hours. Instead you patch youself up, and continue with your day... (not that this happnes to me that often, or ever for that matter)
If you get killed then thats another matter, the four hours you have to observe in this case is about the amount of time it takes for you to get another ship prepared or the wreckage of your one repaired, four hours is a bit unrealistic in this, but its a game, so we can live with that.
I like the idea of people running from a fight then trying to lose the pursuer in (insert nasty sounding place here) playing cat and mouse... If you get away, kudos, start pirating again I say, and wait for the cops to come looking again.
(For the record I do play by the rules but I just don't much like doing so in this instance)