I'm not a big fan of Equinox either. I may not be Star Fleet enough, but I was 100% with Janeway. Steal parts off my ship, and kick the hornet nest leaving me with the hornets? When I found that ship, I'd dump every torpedo I had into it. Never mind harvesting aliens so they could get home quicker. AFAIC, they forfeited any right or privilege, and became enemy combatants.