First Command Read Online Free Page A

staircase to the ground floor.
    The staircase led into the main parlor, which had the plush adornments one would expect in a Riverfront brothel. It had overstuffed sofas and ottomans around a bar, and several low coffee tables that held hookah pipes. Nathanael the bartender-cum-bouncer was already at work tidying the place up for the midday rush. Seeing Jonathan emerge from the staircase, Nathaniel smiled and nodded. An ex-Army Lance Corporal, he and Jonathan maintained a cordial if contentious relationship. Army and Navy men after all had the same natural relationship as cats and dogs. In contrast to the vulgar parlor, the kitchen was quite homey containing all the amenities one would find in any house, including a large and welcoming kitchen table. Ms. Dufrey had already set seven places and was distributing toast to accompany the eggs, coffee, sausage, waffles, falafel, homemade bagels and assorted spreads. The old gal did love to cook. Jonathan sat on the right side of the round table where Ms. Dufrey had laid out his morning newssheet. Sumi, Jonathan’s third downstairs neighbor, was already at the table, bleary-eyed sipping coffee. She nodded a good morning to Jonathan which he returned as he flipped through the news sheet downloading stories that interested him onto his sleeve display to read on his way to the office.
    Certain people, perhaps those who disguised their own insecurities with moral superiority, would have commented on the unusualness of Jonathan’s living arrangements.  Even by Solaria’s easygoing, moral standards they were a bit peculiar. Jonathan was after all a commissioned officer in the Republic of Solaria Navy, which theoretically made him a “gentleman” in social circles. However, the arrangement Jonathan had with Ms. Dufrey suited both of them nicely. Ever since its earliest days the Solarian government had been marked by a pragmatic streak. As part of that, the founders of the original Solarian law code laid down during the first constitutional convention three hundred and twenty years ago, recognized that human vices could never be fully suppressed. Therefore, it was in everyone's interest -the state, the citizenry and the providers of said vices- if such things were regulated and taxed. On Solaria or any of her daughter colonies, prostitution, gambling, assorted liquor, various uppers, downers, and a whole myriad of substances were legal and more importantly from the state’s perspective taxable. Ms. Dufrey’s establishment was a fully licensed bordello, and boarding house and all of the sex workers who lived there or rented cubicles downstairs were fully paid-up Union members. Ms. Dufrey’s license as a boarding house let her take on residents as she wished. About a year ago, a very drunk Jonathan had been availing himself of the Blue Moon’s services when Ms. Dufrey overheard Jonathan complaining about the state of the City Garrison. Naval Officers not assigned ship duty were put on half pay, and expected to find private lodgings until they were assigned a space posting. A housing allowance was provided if an officer was assigned a groundside post only if the officer in question couldn’t find or more likely not afford private housing. Even with a service housing allowance the only place in Singking Jonathan could afford was the City Garrison. The old Army base in the south west of the city, which once had been a very active facility, was now mostly decommissioned, either converted into a museum, or warehouse space for civilian agencies. Though part of it was still an active military base and used to house the, mostly ceremonial, but still extremely well armed Premières Own, and Senate Guard regiments. The Garrison also contained a few dilapidated barracks for transient officers, who had to reimburse the government the cost of housing, and feeding them, because the part of the complex they lived in was not technically military property. It belonged to the Government