ANT Corsair attack side effect

[ms99x1]

An ANT Corsair threatened one of my traders in Morning Star 4, it became red and I had a fleet there and continued to attack it. The ARG local forces attacked it as well, but gave up after the ANT Corsair fled. I continued to chase it and it remained red, lees then a minute or so later I saw all local ARG forces became red and started to chase me. The Corsair was continuing to run away, I had not killed it yet.

I have a police license and allied level with ARG, not sure how this happened.

For SCA and other pirate/corsairs I never had issues. And I can chase and kill them without problem. Is this expected behavior for ANT Corsairs?

[Alan Phipps]

It was almost certainly a Duke's Corsair flying a false flag as ANT. The ARG forces may previously have seen it whilst exposed and without the false flag and so considered it as an enemy, but later after fleeing combat with them it reverted to its false cover. Unfortunately, you attacking it whilst under that false flag is enough to upset the local authorities because you 'appear' to be attacking somebody they consider as a friend or a neutral in their areas and so under their protection. Attack timing is all in such piracy and subterfuge scenarios.