I shared a couple beers with Luigi today
15 Oct 2017Greybeard LXI
I shared a couple beers with Luigi today.He started talking about growing up in the Bolonii system. His parents were part of the Bolonii Empire Pact. I responded by talking about growing up on Sy Orbital in Pequen.
He joined the security forces shortly after he joined the pact and flew Vipers. He moved into a station field security job after being out matched by pirates a few too many times. Later he moved to a desk job.
I told him Dad flew vipers and vulcans for the Imperial Navy. Dad got out when Mom wanted a more stable life before having kids. There were two of us, my little sister and me. Dad got a Type-6 and hauled cargo around the area, mostly for the Pequen Empire League.
We shortly got into how I joined the IN, about six years ago.
The Bureau of Pequen was ruling Sy Gateway at the time. One of their managers, Cedrick Poole, convinced Dad to take out a loan to buy a bigger FSD. Then when Dad was on the way back with a load of tobacco they changed the laws. The loan became due when Dad was convicted of importing contraband.
All four of us had to go to the labor indenture market to pay off the loan. We got offers and went before Magistrate Devon Wong to certify that we were voluntarily entering the market and were of sound mind. Magistrate Wong said the offers were fair, but the Imperial Navy enlistment bonus for me would pay almost as much and he would loan me the rest and I could easily pay it off from my salary. So I went down to the recruiter and signed up.
I suspect Magistrate Wong may have gotten a kick back from the recruiter which would have meant nothing out of his pocket for the loan if I didn’t pay up. But somebody willing to enter indentured servitude for a parent’s loan probably has enough honor to pay up.
I did pay the loan back, and early. My Drill Instructor saw how I was saving money and brought me into this little scheme he had. Three others and I would go around to other platoons and offer to play Parcheesi. We didn’t use a board, just a blanket and some dice. One of us would throw, another would return the dice and I would be one of the side betters. The shooter would bet, but the real earnings would come from the side betters. Win some times, loose a little some times, and over the long haul come away a winner. Never make a big score.
If an officer or sargent came around we would pick up all the money and I would play my mouth organ, just a bunch of guys telling stories.
Billy, the shooter, and I tried the same thing when we got to our first base. Billy got greedy and they must have seen the scam before so when someone else returned the dice I knew the gig was up. So I put a fairly large bet I knew would lose and turned into just another mark. They threw a blanket party for Billy and I haven’t seen him since.
After a couple years I was selected for pilot school and graduated near the top of my class. I flew the GU-97 for a while, and then was promoted to commander and ordered to a new Imperial Eagle Squadron.
Luigi could see I didn’t want to talk any more about the navy so we talked about null-ball standings for a while before the crowd started picking up and he left.
Loved the Navy.