Free Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon

wary. “Even though I know the account numbers and passwords—of course even with the best security such things have been compromised. But I want to open a new corporate account. We have funds coming in, owed us by the convoy that just arrived, and I want the same terms as in the other Vatta account.”
    â€œEr…that seems reasonable,” the man said. “And if you really needed…perhaps something could be arranged…”
    â€œNo need,” Stella said, smiling at him, watching him react as nearly all men did to that smile. He was certainly more susceptible than Customs and Immigration’s Inspector Knae. “But I don’t want to be paying higher bank charges than the regular account; it will annoy our people and give me a black mark.”
    â€œSurely not,” the man said. “In such an emergency—”
    â€œYou don’t know my aunt Grace,” Stella said ruefully. “She doesn’t believe in excuses.”
    â€œA close family firm,” the man said, smiling now. “There’s a dragon in every family, isn’t there? With me it was my mother’s mother. Until she died, we were all hauled up at least once a ten-day.” He shook his head. “Let’s see, then. In the present state of things, with financial ansibles down, we aren’t taking credit transfers from outsystem institutions, but we are accepting hard currency or trade goods from incoming spacers.”
    â€œOf course,” Stella said.
    â€œExisting Vatta corporate accounts fall into our Preferred category; I believe you’ll find the amenities acceptable.” He passed across a hardcopy sheet; Stella glanced over it quickly.
    â€œYes, that’s quite acceptable. Now if you can refer me to a licensed appraiser…”
    â€œCertainly. Ballard Valuations is bonded, quite reputable. So is Actuarial Appraisals.”
    Stella flipped a mental coin and chose Ballard. Two of Aunt Grace’s diamonds produced a respectable first deposit to the new Vatta account. Stella sent the necessary information to the other convoy captains and instructed them to make their deposits promptly, then told Mackensee that she had done so.
    She had just returned to the ship from Crown & Spears when the station security chief called.
    â€œWe’ve checked your story with the Mackensee commander and your crew personnel; we are now satisfied that you are not a pirate and that you are in legitimate command of your ship, though you are not actually qualified…but that’s not your fault. We accept that in an emergency you did what was necessary. Nonetheless, we require that you hire an experienced captain and necessary crew before proceeding.”
    â€œThank you,” Stella said. “I fully intend to hire someone who knows more than I do.”
    â€œWe are not yet convinced that your cousin is as blameless as you think, however. She failed to submit to our judicial investigation.”
    â€œKy is…impulsive sometimes,” Stella murmured. “She was always very upright, however.”
    â€œThat may be, but she is now running an armed vessel to which she has no adjudicated title and she claims to have a letter of marque and thus a prize claim—”
    â€œShe has the letter of marque,” Stella said. “I’ve seen it.”
    â€œAnd there’s the matter of the person with her whom you think is working on behalf of the ISC. But he didn’t fix
our
ansibles the way you say he fixed others.”
    â€œDid you ask him to?” Stella said.
    â€œWell…no.” A longish pause, then a grudging nod. “All right. I see your point. We didn’t ask for that help, and we weren’t being overly welcoming to your cousin. I suppose if she felt she had to exit the system, he could hardly have jumped ship into vacuum.”
    â€œPrecisely,” Stella said, smiling. “And now, I’d like permission to unload my