This is to add a new element to the NPC's you fight (or players). Added under some of the sensor upgrades would be various salvager modules. After disabling an NPC or player you would have a salvage option (it would be greyed if you didnt have one installed on your ship). When salvaging you have a chance to find busted but not useless parts of the ship as artifacts, CTP, or even credits.

Lower level salvagers will have a lower % chance of getting something from a disabled ship. Another note is that every time you salvage there is a chance to damage the salvage module somewhere between 1-10% module damage. More salvagers raise the chance of finding something from a disabled ship (max of 4) but having higher leveled modules is more effective.

if a low tech/level module has say a 10% find chance and you have 4 of them it would work like this.
Initial salvager - 10% find chance
added salvagers - +25% to find chance % of similar salvagers +10% to others

So if you had 4 of the same kind of salvager you would have 17.5% chance of finding an item in a disabled ship.

Disabling common NPC's would give artifacts (nothing super rare) and credits
Disabling uncommon NPC's would give artifacts (the occasional rare), credits, research, and possibly CTP
Disabling rare/elite NPC's would give everyone who fought it 1 chance to salvage (it would show up in your BT as an extra slot that doesnt interfere with your others) They could drop almost anything even dark badges could be salvaged.

Players on the other hand would provide mineral points, artifact points, and research (these would not deduct from that players minerals/credits/research however). The amounts found would depend on, the size of the ship (mineral points), the active modules that require CTP or EM or anything more then minerals and credits (artifact points) and the tech of the ship (research). If the person has higher tech then you the research could also be applied to that specific tech. Say you have antimatter weapons and they have null weapons and you salvage, the research gained would go straight to null weapons.

If a player ignores a ship (closes after disabling) you lose your chance at salvaging it.

If exploration is ever added to this game disabled ships could provide people with an alternative to fighting or missioning (explore and salvage)

We kinda already get rewards from killing npc's sorry but it's a -1