I have a fun thought - what about an additional option in the pre-combat dialog where you offer to bribe an opponents fleet to let you be? Or the other way around where you demand payment? My reasoning is as follows:
If I encounter a much weaker fleet than me, it is not in anyones best interest for me to destroy them utterly (other than leveling up my crew, but nevermind that for the moment). I don't get all that much loot - usually less than the value of one of their ships - and I might lose a fighter wing or a frigate myself. They all die - lose/lose. It makes sense that I would offer the weaker fleet a chance to run if they paid me more than I would otherwise expect to gain. They get to live - win/not dead.
The bribe could be money or supplies, or maybe even a whole ship!
What do people think?