Right now, you need time, and going into the nebula to make what repairs you can makes the best tactical sense. You still have working sensors, which are better than the pirates' gear, so you will see them coming long before they get there by dropping a relay just outside the nebula relaying sensor data to the ship. If you have shuttles which are or can be more heavily armed, place them on each side of the ion trail you are going to leave (and the pirates will follow) and ambush them, quick striking the pirates then retreating into the nebula, where your superior sensor capability will give yo