The Family Trade, Vol. 1

By Justin Jordan

A chick, Jessa (who isn't officially introed til the second issue) follows some guy out a window as she talks of the rich having the prob of fanning their paranoia, but the view of the floating Free Republic of Thessala is beautiful, and her fam had the job of keeping the city afloat. She describes of the city's probs including the guy she's invaded the bedroom of, Gerhardt, he getting what should come to him. Unfortunately, the fool wakes and throws her through his glass window. She falls in front of a different window, and using her rope slings herself though where more baddies wait, so she barrels past them, and through another closed window, she landing in water, and when swimming, and reaching surface, is met by a Tom cat, who she follows per its wishes.

A history lesson of how the city developed is given, beginning with a nutter King, and the people instead becoming a free republic. It also is the neutral zone to do dealings with states and world gov't's, since it has the weaponry to back them up. The fam, who are actually blood relations are a secret entity keeping the balance between the officers and diplomats in power. Her ma is killed on the job, today she's greeted by her uncle Christian, who apparently followed the Tom, as well in order to meet up with the Bookmaker, who keeps track of their assignments.

The Bookmaker doesn't appreciate Jessa going rogue, and almost kills a popular rich fool. Jessa has a day job teaching the rich clan kids languages, which gives her an auto-source of intel on their parents. She goes to a speech given by Gerhardt, when he's stopped by the clans military, a fight amongst the citizens breaking out, and Jessa taking the op to hide under fool's carriage as he chats of knowing about the fam, and security going to be tighter.  

As Jessa struggles to come up with an escape plan, a cat helps by scratching the face of 1 of the men, she yoinking the cat, and fleeing. The Bookmaker notes the cat she'd saved had been pleased she'd compassionately brought him back, Bookmaker finally introing her. He's telling of rather having her live her life, since she isn't quite ready to work the field, Cecil the cat saving her ass, afterall. Bookmaker is given the info she overhears, but disregards it, saying he'd have it looked into, but not by her.

Jessa's discouraged, and doubting herself when she sees Ri playing violin, she offering to chat over coffee. Somehow, Ri's also agreeing with Bookmaker due to Jessa messing up, which gives her the plan to pretend she's a maid with broken English, to get into a building and memorize the layout when she's noticed by someone with a familiar voice. Mikkaelson is grilling her til a Christian distracts him claiming to be her cousin, Jessa able to slip away, but peeved by the menfolk. Jessa picks a lock and discovers a letter about the Bookmaker, Mikkaelson then walking in.

Jessa hides in time, and the Bookmaker qs his kitty about being unable to track Jessa. Christian reads the letter she snatched, and points his gun at her. Ri next writes of the Toms which roam everywhere on the Float, they talking of everyone like chatty catties. These loyal fuzzballs report to the Fam, they a special breed, which actually have a language and are larger, and live longer than average cats. Ri explains Jessa is the only 2 in the Fam who doesn't know Tom, but knew 8 other languages; she learning at the age of 4. Ri's Tom is called Courage, she showing her the hidden gems of the Float.  

Jessa then reveals Christian, being smug and arrogant, had also been kind, in some fashion. She gets him chatting, and he says her pop survived, sort of, and Jessa hopes she could use the time to finagle an exit. He gives her a chance to play ball, but she refuses, so he shoots her into the water, making her escape. Jessa senses Christian's next move being to out her as a betrayer of the Fam, and the Bookmaker would be after her.

As predicted, Christian shows up to a meeting with the letter, and outs Jessa as traitor. He starts pointing his finger at the Bookmaker too, so he distracts with the order to locate Jessamin Wynn! Meanwhile, Jessa is alive due to her dress having boob-enhancers which prevented the bullet fr..pff haha! Jessa heads for her hidey hole, and finds Ri waiting.

Ri's q'ing chatter has a plan surface for Jessa, which involved Ri's height. So, her plan is to have Ri act as decoy, and run around the city allowing the Fam to follow her as Jessa used the sewer systems to track down where the Bookmaker is. She ends up walking right into Christian and his many lackeys. Ri gets another written end chatting of growing food hydro-style.  

Jessa decides her only way out, is to fight, she subdued pretty quick. Meanwhile, the Bookmaker chats with Oriantha, she getting her way, and having the Bookmaker send the other fools out, she acquiescing to his q of where Jessa was. She is currently bored to sleep, bound to a chair with a bag over her head, Berghardt finally coming in to chat. Jessa's reeling him in to approaching closer when Christian calls her out on it.

Berghardt declares he wouldn't look at her again til she is deceased. Her unc reveals he'd discovered where the Bookmaker's book was hidden. Meanwhile, Jessa is being a smartass to the Bookmaker, her name changing to Orianna. Ri gets him to realize Jessa isn't coming probably being due to capture, which he then deduces they'd attempt to get her to tell them where the book is.

Jessa's attempting to loudly get loose, which brings in her guards, 1 having a grudge, and she getting him to try and punch her. She allows him a hit at the top of her skull, gets loose and stabs a fella, throw-style. She escapes and heads for a spot only 1 other person knew, leading Christian there. Ri describes what the Ballast is, the worst people going to the bottom of the Float, and getting injected with "half life", and seeing where they're kept still haunts her.  

The Bookmaker shows the place only 2 other people'd seen to Jessa, it opening into a huge room, she surprised to find the Bookmaker there, he revealing she'd led her unc directly there. The Bookmaker decides he'd handle Christian whilst she actually took a moment, and thought before she acted. The Bookmaker doesn't take any shit from Christian despite getting shot with arrows and he pointing his gun at him. As the Trump-like Berghardt is attempting to keep the people on his side, the Fam is reminding him of the shit he's done, and promises he's breaking.

Christian is readying to kill him off when Jessa interrupts, Christian's lackey turning on him. Jessa is able to force a confession with unc hanging out a window, the Toms hearing. They are in time to be found by Gerhardt attempting to out them. As the much-needed kick to the balls, as deserved to Gerhardt. Christian gets pommeled in the head by Ri, as needed, as well.

Christian's punishment is going to the Ballast, and Ri takes out Gerhardt. The Bookmaker gives Jessa backwards props for fucking up and fixing it, she looking at the beauty of the city. So, fine story (with the exception of missing or misspelled words.) The art is where it's at with it paint sketch-style. I'd most likely read more if the story continued but it's definitely a passive interest. Couldn't care for the Trump-like Gerhardt, but at least he's dead.