Spacer, Smuggler, Pirate, Spy Series by J.A. Sutherland

Jon Bartlett's path is clear before him: finish his last year of schooling, then off on the family's ships to learn the intricacies of interstellar trade. But a message of tragedy at home comes for him, and his expected life is flung far out of reach and he's cast into a role he never wanted. A portion of Spacer was previously published as the short story Wronged, by J.A. Sutherland

There are 'nice' jobs that come my way, and there are profitable jobs that come my way. Now, these things do, on occasion, come along inside each other's orbits - but it's more of a cometary sort of thing, if you take my meaning. Avrel Dansby is troubled. He knew, going in, that the life of a smuggler would be filled with disreputable sorts - still, he'd like to imagine there are some jobs out there he can stomach without the desire nuke his client from orbit.