Criminal ships sometimes have crew with non-criminal crime factions, such as UC
bescript controls the boarding quest and the spawning of the crew. This script gives the crew the same crime faction as the ship, UNLESS the ship has no crime faction. This means the ship can be destroyed without committing any crime. However, if you board the ship, the crew generated cannot be killed without it being considered murder and a crime. You will get bounties and your companions will hate you.
This is inconsistent behaviour. Why would it be considered a ok to destroy a ship and kill all onboard before boarding, but a crime to board it and kill everyone onboard?
Further inconsistency arises if you board the ship, which triggers the creation of the crew via script, but you return to your own ship and blow up the enemy ship from space. This would now be considered a crime for killing the newly spawned crew.
1.7.33.0
Yes
Destroy ship in space, not a crime:
Board and fight the crew. Considered murder:
Board, don't fight, leave. Then blow ship up in space. Considered murder: