Blood of War — Peter Salisbury

The long range scanner at Junker's Moon Scrap, Salvage and Maintenance Company picks up a ship flying under a notorious tag of convenience. The Lancer, owned by Captain Jack Hacket, lands with only fumes to run on and five hundred refugees on board, twice its registered capacity. When they leave the ship, Hacket's mercenaries enclose the refugees in a stockade. Shortly afterwards, the proprietor of Junker's Moon, Marshall Brion, learns that Hacket is wanted by the authorities for human trafficking. When two ships carrying Hacket's associates show up inbound at high speed, Marshall is certain that his problems are about to multiply.