OK..now its time to throw the Murphy's twist into it.....lets see which one of you Einsteins can figure it out.
1.group of ,oh,say 3 bombers and 1 fighter are taking out the trade lanes in New York for some fun and profit.
2.while on patrol,lets say a Lib BC and 2 fighters get distress calls from some traders that just got dropped out of the trade lane,and they want help...not to "pay 2 mil or die".
3.The aformentioned BC and fighters arrive on the scene...during the ensuing combat ( which we all know is a fluid thing of beauty,not something static) the bombers and fighters ,using their thrusters like they are meant to, get out of range of the BC's guns.
Now I ask you......did the pirates flee?...they are still engaged with the 2 fighters....BUT...they thrusted away from the BC....and by your own definition,they have fled from the BC,and must leave the system,as the BC AND the 2 fighters were part of the same group.
This is similar to the rule about being grouped together with a cruiser who may be 15k away from the fighters/gunboat who is pirateing...and I seem to remember some sanctions is the past for the same instance.
NOW that I have your attention, this is ( is not?) a hypothetical situation.....or did it really happen?
And I want something clear-cut,carved in stone,roundhouse delivered by chuck norris,admin approved,this is your final answer for this......Thats what the new people want....not crap that you need 5 years of law school to attempt to try to figure out,but then get told something else.