Born on Sol, I always wondered what lay among the stars. I once dreamed of joining the UEE Navy, following dad's footsteps until life derailed my plans. Instead ended up in college, settling into a minor gov't job.
A couple years ago, some guys I met in school called me up one night. Hitting a bar, we spent the night drinking as I listened to stories of freelance piloting on the fringe. Mostly it was simple jobs, but simple became exciting in a flash, especially of guns. Seeing my interest, they offered to take me along when they left. It would be a crew position to start, but I realized it was my last chance. I could have a comfy retirement dreaming of what I could have done, or…. Yeah, I signed on.
Turns out those years of college and gov't work paid off. Understanding accounting and bureaucracy, I helped find profits. It's buy low, sell high, and confuse gov't agents with paperwork or a little "green grease." It's the fringe after all: small comforts are high demand, anything for a price.