Dust on the Wing — Parker Foye

Captain Tam spends his life travelling through space on his beloved ship, the Paradigm Princess, and he likes nothing better than being alone with the horizon. However, when a routine stop on his favourite planet brings an unexpected new crew member, he breaks routine and agrees to take her on board -- because if Tam plays this through, the powerful Marquis will owe him a favour. Surely that's worth a detour.