Being posted on a garrison near Earth really sucked, this wasn't what I had joined the marines for. The advert had read 'See life on the edge, Explore new world's', I was expecting excitement, not day in day out guarding boots and back packs.
This really was a bad first Tour no one had prepped us back in boot camp for this, how do you overcome boredom, do you out flank it, charge straight at it or sneak up behind and twat it, no one seemed to know or really care, they said just make the most of it, it'll make up for the rest. One of my buddies seemed to be doing just that, Sergeant Tibbs had come up with a cracking good idea to relieve the boredom and some military issue equipment at the same time.
He had met some business associates who knew where this pile of equipment could be put to really good use and aid the military at the same time, something to do with selling it to rebels on some third world getup. We didn't really care since if a few crates went missing no one would really miss them, just put it down to an error in paper work. Corruption in the ranks wasn't uncommon, most personnel had the same thoughts, but not the balls to carry them out. Tibbs on the other hand had balls, his scam would see us through with a few extra creds in our pockets, it would help to make ends meet as the pay we were getting was a crime. I know we didn't have living expenses like the civilians, food and accommodation was supplied but all the little extra bits were more than the little wage we earned. Besides most of the equipment we were looking after would have been out of date in the early part of the century.
Anyway Tibbs' contact turns up with an old Truck ready for his load, Tibbs' and I disappear on patrol somewhere and he gets his truck loaded. When we got back the truck was gone and an envelope was waiting on Tibbs' desk. Tibbs pocketed the envelope and gave me my share of the transaction. It was all in cash as an electronic transfer would have been too suspicious.
It had all gone smoothly, maybe we could set up a few more of these paperwork errors, Boy! how wrong can one be, the silly git with the truck had tried to take too much and had blown a tyre on his way out, he then asked a passing MP to help fix it! Anyway the back hander I got from Tibbs was pretty light compared to the back hander from the MPs. The grilling I got from the C/O made me wise up, he was defiantly not amused. I was lucky not to be thrown out there and then, my record was not exactly exemplary and I had only been in the Colonial Marines eighteen months.
I was severely reprimanded by the court for this skirmish and was demoted to Corporal, that hurt badly, I had taken pride in my career during boot camp and had shown promise, after only six months I had taken my NCO exams and passed with flying colours wearing sergeant stripes had been the greatest feeling of control now I would have to live without them. But I had to learn that there was more to being a Colonial Marine than front-line activity and big guns.
The Colonial Marines performed many tasks, for each task that happened on the front-line there were ten happening behind the scenes, without the other ten the front-line wouldn't exist.
I suppose though it could have been worse, I had done my homework, shown remorse for my crimes and a few crates of scotch to Lt Demitrie who but in a good word in the right ear and the judification was pretty light! I was still in the Colonial Marine Corp., but I knew I was going to have to tread more carefully in the future.
I was able to keep from naming anyone else apart the smuggler so Sergeant Tibbs kept his reputation in tact. Lt Demitrie even though he was a bit of a drinker probably saved my butt, I never got the chance to thank him as he was being stationed elsewhere for now.