Interesting, she thought.  Is it a random guess, or does know something that I don’t? “I’m sorry, Legate, but I seem to have missed something here,”  she answered.  “The Anglic Union to my knowledge does not register space ships.  Our ships have file entries in All the Galaxy’s Merchant Spaceships, our entries actually being reasonably up to date, but that’s a courtesy to our regular customers, not a registration.”

“If you build a space ship,” Bronkowski said, “you have to register your construction project.  It’s  the law.”

“That’s a very interesting claim,” Broadhurst said.  “Could you by some chance quote the Anglic Union Legislative Code section to which it corresponds?  I hadn’t been aware we regulated space ship construction.”  What, she wondered, is he talking about, and why does the Stellar Republic care?

“I am not referring to Anglic Union Law,” Bronkowski said.  “I am referring to True Law as set down by the wealthiest, most progressive, and best-run star nation in the galaxy, namely the Stellar Republic.  Under our laws, before you start to build a starship, you must register your plans and have them approved by Republic inspectors.”

“I still seem to be missing something,” Broadhurst said.  “We are in Northern California, a part of the Anglic Union, not someplace in the Stellar Republic.  Why do your laws matter here?”

“Of course, you are in the Anglic Union,” Bronkowski said calmly.  “I actually was aware of that.  However, it is generally the case that space yards in minor nations along our borders willingly and voluntarily agree to participate in our registration process.”

“I seem to recall that there are certain fees involved,” Broadhurst said, “large fees, payable in Stellar Republic currency, a commodity in very short supply within the Anglic Union given your new trade regulations.” Let us see where he goes with that, she considered.

“The fees are very reasonable,” Bronkowski said, “and easily paid under our highly equitable trade regulations, namely the space yards in question agree to take a Stellar Republic spaceship construction firm as its senior investor, in which case the senior investor pays the fees.”

“I’ve heard of several of these,” Broadhurst said.  She shook her head.  “It always seemed that after a while the senior investor ended up owning and then closing the yard in question.”