Starships

In the year 2631 the company Sail the Stars got to work on a new type of spaceship. Breakthroughs in solar technology along with space-safe wood, oxygen fields and experimental batteries enabled their vision of traversing the System in what they called 'true starships'. These ships, modelled after the sailing ships of old, were well-constructed, the safest space travel could be at the time, and quickly became fashionable.
Soon, the only spaceships anyone wanted were these starships. The rich used them for luxury, colonists used them to transport people and supplies to the budding settlements off Earth, and average people admired them. Dreams of becoming a starsailor took hold, the world ready for a new age of sail.
Sail the Stars collapsed in the year 2757 due to actions taken by their CEO. As a result, their designs were free for any other company to use. New starship companies popped up and disappeared over and over again, only a handful of managing to get a true foothold. Bridgelectrics, CrystalTransport, and Vine Technologies became the most well-known in the Third Age of Sail.
Travel through the System became common. It was still dangerous, of course, but there were ships carving their way through the Void in the thousands for a time. The System was more connected than it had ever previously been. Of course, with this increase in travel, in trade and in connectivity, there was also an increase in piracy.
Starships were made with the ability to engage in combat at the urging of Earth military, long before the Crown truly held control over almost all the scattered colonies throughout the System. Some argue that this is, in part, why pirates found it so easy to gain a foothold once more in what became the Third Golden Age of Piracy. It was all too easy for those wishing to do ill to steal a ship and attack whoever they needed to attack.
The design of a starship may be in the form of ancient sailing ships, their internal workings are more complex.
The sails, also known as solarsails, are made of a fabric that is capable of absorbing energy from the sun. Through various wires, they send that power to the batteries stored in the bilge. They are attached to masts, and they inflate as if catching wind through a process added entirely for visual effect. The ship itself is made of a wood designed and created entirely to be safe for space travel. It keeps the Void out and the air in. 
Another thing used to keep the air is the oxygen field. A barrier, not unlike a forcefield, keeping breathable air trapped inside. A piece of the ship's engine filters the air to keep it breathable. Passengers and crew are also advised to wear a cuff somewhere on their bodies. This cuff will produce a personal oxygen field for up to five minutes in case they find themselves overboard somehow.
Starships also typically have kitchens and at least one private cabin, as well as spaces for crews to sleep, usually communally. Brigs are found only on ships that are not luxury class, unless specifically requested upon commission. The engine room is usually found toward the front on the lowest level of the ship, taking up the front of the bilge. Behind the engine room, usually separated by a wall for safety reasons, is the rest of the bilge. This area is filled with batteries. These batteries produce a sort of grainy ooze, commonly referred to as 'bilge slime' or 'battery slime'. Said slime produces an odd, almost electric feeling upon contact with skin. It is only mildly toxic, though still inadvisable to prolong contact with the substance for longer than needed. Scraping this slime from the batteries is one of the many tasks that much be carried out to care for a starship.
The main thrusters are located low on the back of the ship. They propel the ship forward, while the smaller thrusters on the front and the sides will keep the direction of the ship under control and allow it to slow. Starships also have cannons. They are controlled from the cannon room and will fire large projectiles toward other ships in the event of violent conflict. One last feature of a starship is the pod bay. Here, the pods that are uses to travel from ship down onto planets or onto other ships are stored. In an emergency, these pods can also be used as lifeboats of a sort.