Joe’s Cantina Episode 4: Pocket Full of KryptoniteIn this week’s episode we will meet a new character from Joe’s Cantina, and get an overall better feel for how these guys interact with other characters from this universe.
There will be the in-story debut of Percy Ajax, a new version of the figure for his pal, Dexter “Baby Boy” Rollins (the son of Big Papa for anyone paying attention to the non-JC part of the story), a handful of not-shown-before background actors (not named ZombieGuide), and a couple teasers. I apologize if the story is too much all at once. I’ve been working on the framework for this verse for awhile, and I want to start putting it, and Joe’s Cantina, in context. Without actually writing out a novel, I’m trying to keep it simple. But you know me… For now, on to the show…---
From the Chronicles of Marshal Raymond P. Spinner…
It was an exciting day for the residents of the Artifex, the virtual ghost town of a space station orbiting the booming mining planet of Farhaven. While the luminous green ore (nicknamed Kryptonite)/potential fuel strike planet-side has resulted in near-constant traffic bustling through the new planetary spaceport, the arrivals coming to the orbital station were sparse, to put it kindly. But this day was different. This day there were
two arrivals.
Granted, one was just the return of
The Talon, the personal starship of IPA Pirate Hunter (and former Avalonian Paladin) Percy Ajax. But his crew seemed to grow every time they ventured out into the Fringe, and the heavens only knew how much the station’s merchants needed the business.
The second arrival was also seemingly mundane – a simple shuttle from the planetary hub - except that Farhaven control had radioed ahead to let the Artifex know there were two passengers arriving with both having purchased one way tickets only.
There was a buzz in the air.
The first passenger was known by virtually every remaining resident of the station. During the heyday of the Artifex* Marshal Raymond P. Spinner was THE law on the station. Yes, the station had its own security force, Customs detachment, and various traveling military personnel on-station at all times. But as the head of the Inter-Planetary Authority’s regional agency, Marshal Spinner was
the law officer responsible for enforcing the laws of man, and keeping the peace, lest the Law of the Fringe take over.
Marshal Spinner’s fame as a lawman went beyond just the Artifex, with him having been trained by the finest law enforcement agencies and officers on old Earth itself. Over the years he made his way through the star systems looking for a home. He had found one at the Artifex. Moderating the peace amongst drunk patrons of Joe’s Cantina was honest, if not exciting work, but he had a number of interesting criminal cases during his tenure. If you asked him about them, he would mention only two…the only two he couldn’t solve.
Marshal Spinner wielding his famous spaceship-friendly needle blaster
His run as Marshal reached a high point just before the opening of Farhaven Spaceport Prime, as word of the ore strike spread and the station was pushed beyond its natural capacities to keep up with the inflow of new traffic. Once the Farhaven Spaceport opened for business, however, the IPA closed the Agency’s office at the Artifex. Though offered the job of regional director of the new office planet-side, Marshal Spinner turned in his badge instead. He later reflected he had stopped enjoying the life of a lawman. Too much work, too little praise, too many enemies.
Spinner claims to be retired, and has settled into a small estate on Farhaven, setting his sights on life as a prospector. He’s had modest luck at best, though he is known for coming up to the Artifex when he does make a strike, to hang with his old buds, talk shop with Officer Jonn and Percy Ajax, and maybe even gamble away a bit of his hard earned capital – hence the working title of this chapter (amongst other reasons
)
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Some residents of the station wait for the arrivals
“Here they come honey”
The Talon was the first to arrive.
Percy is joined by Baby Boy Rollins (aka Dex), and his former squire, now second in command, Serena Cartuth as they disembark.
“What the… ‘Frak Joe’s Cantina?’” Dex was perplexed. “Nah, it couldn’t be. Not the damned rodent again…”
“What’s up Dex?” little Luc Ajax interrupted.
“Nuthin to worry about pal. Nuthin’ at’ll”
“So Percy – have you heard yet that Officer Jonn snagged a pirate while you were away?”** Bex Ajax seemed bemused.
“You’re serious? "LASER BLAST".” It had been several months since Percy had snagged an IPA bounty. Now he had to listen to his wife describe how station security had nabbed one on his own turf.
As the Ajax family leaves the terminal, the rest of
The Talon’s crew begins to unload. First is the ship’s new Tech, Chase Alexander, along with the exotic Aqualarian assassin Vox Caeda***
Next are Ajax’s bodyguard, Aeron Cole, and ship’s Mech, “Da Vinci”
Cole hangs back to chat with Officer Jonn, and Marshall Spinner, as Spinner disembarks from the shuttle.
…while Da Vinci is told to piss off while hitting on Vox Caeda…
The security minded folks are taking a keen interest in the other shuttle passenger, and linger to get a closer look…
“Well hey there,
Stranger”
“shushhh blue heathen womannn….”More of Spinner – here with the near entirety of station security – no other humans, just more droids…
---
Later that day…Dex: “Marshal, tell the boss here that I ain’t crazy.”
Spinner: “He’s right Percy. This isn’t just graffiti. It may seem like harmless trash talk about the Cantina, but there’s something more treacherous lurking there. It’s been years since we’ve seen this…symbol. But it has meaning. And this isn’t a hoax. It’s the same symbol as before.”
Percy: “Well at the risk of sounding insensitive, I don’t get what the big deal is. The symbol I mean. Looks like a poorly drawn beaver. On a space station. Space Beaver? Is that what has you both worked up? Space Beaver?
Spinner: “Listen, Percy, you’re new at this. You weren’t here for very long when this place was terrorized by this guy…”
Percy: “You mean terrorized by Space Beaver?”
Spinner sighed.
“Here’s the thing. It’s just a symbol man. What it really stands for is corruption. Gang warfare, social unrest. As best as we could tell before it was done by some ex-patriot, trying to take over the place. But back then, this place was too busy; there were too many people to narrow down even a solid list of suspects. But now…”
“Now…” Ajax interrupted, finally appreciating why Spinner was getting excited. “Now, if this is still happening in this ghost town, we can maybe catch the "LASER BLAST HOLE". I’m in. Dex, grab all your space safe weapons. Tell the crew to do the same. We’re going hunting…no, wait. We’re going Space Beaver hunting…”
*That is to say during its heyday as a commercial station and space port – the station was originally constructed as an Avalonian naval shipyard.
**Tune into chapter 4’s epilogue for more…
***Though the remnants of the Aqualarian Empire are sworn mortal enemies of man, Caeda holds asylum in the realms of humanity for her role in helping end the war between the Aqualarian Empire and the Two Kingdoms.
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Epilogue: That night at Joe’s CantinaPercy: “So tell me what happened…”
“I was just doing my job, Percy, plain and simple. I caught him in the act, and I took him down...”
“Hey, you there! Stop!”
“And that’s how it went down.”
“So what clued you in on the fact he was a notorious pirate, and a ten most wanted criminal by both kingdoms? Was he wearing the red sash?”
“I guess, yeah, in hindsight he was. But Pirate? Yeah, I had no clue.”
Ajax looked puzzled. “But why then?”
“Littering. I tackled and arrested one of the most notorious criminals in the universe for missing the trash can with his frakking gum…” Officer Jonn’s voice trembled. “I haven’t slept since. Spend every night listening to those yokels make up new drunk songs…”
“I don’t feel good taking this bounty…”
“I don’t feel great giving it to you either, if we’re being honest.”
“Say, can I have a 6-pack of Nukes to go?”
“Geez, Dex, really?”
“But it’s gonna be a long night!”
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Tune in next time to find out if Percy Ajax can catch his man...er...beav...uh suspect, or will a mall cop take his bounty once more? Will the so-called-retired Marshal Spinner finally get to close out one of his last two cases? And what exactly is the other one anyway? And who in the world was the stranger in the mask?
Find out all of this and more, only at Joe's Cantina!
That back you're seeing is just your ride parked in the handicap space...
:inferno: