Quote: 3.1 An attack is any hostile action that drains shields to less than 50%. Saying "Engaging" is not sufficient and aggressors are not allowed to destroy a ship before allowing sufficient time to respond. If a player is attacked he has the right to defend himself regardless of who is attacking. Trading nanobots, shieldbatteries or other ammo and equipment during a fight is also considered taking an active role in the engagement.
Consequences:
I'm not really sure why you brought a Corsair Dreadnaught into New Berlin, but you definitely can't shoot ships down for fun without saying a word to them. Your guns have fallen off and there is a sanction notice in your hold.