Hello Drian,
thanks for this mod it's really great and although I just started it I allready have a small wishlist for you if you don't mind:
1. I would like to start on a real 'Pirate base', I would'nt mind the decreased income, maybe just add a couple of tactical slots so you can basically have one simillar to the native pirate faction. I wanted to do it myself via Galxy Forge, but although it's working fine for Diplomacy I can't do it for Rebellion (the one provided inside the game folder just crashes on startup, but that's not your problem 
2. Maybe have the native pirates enabled as an option so you can race for the bounty yourself before the timer runs out. Preferably I would like to be able to replace the pirates completely myself so while they are disabled, the factions can still set out bountys which I can collect - if the engine allows this.
Which leads to
3. Reenable the bounty hunter tech in the research tree, although I like the tag 'what is diplomacy' harrrr, harrr..
(maybe it's possible to change the missions factions give you so the reward will be money instead of relation bonus or a bit of both).
4. This is probably a bit more complex and maybe more of a longtime goal: Be a complete mobile faction, a bit Vasari-style, for example have a deconstructible starbase. You can only occupy one planet (preferably an asteroid a magnatic cloud- harrrr) or whatever. A couple of Vasari-techs would perfectly fit in there, like having your populations and research within your capital ships and this one homebase. Well I guess I know in what direction I would like this to develop.
I know this is just a personal whishlist but maybe you like some of the ideas too and I'd suppose 1-3 would not be that hard to archive.
And I guess you are concentrating more on your other mod right now. So if there is no way you will implement any of these, please tell me, I would totally understand and had therefore undergo the hardship of learning how to mod it myself (preferably not!).
Anyway thanks again for the mod I love space pirates "they are like pirates - just in space!"
And good luck for Sins of the past too.