The following is a short list of many of the characters with brief descriptions readers can expect to run into when reading about the adventures of Thomas Sullivan, Lawman of Beta Prime.

Thomas “Sully” Sullivan: Our hero. A former member of the Shore Patrol (M.P.) for the Interplanetary Alliance of Planet’s Space Marines, Sully is a gruff Inspector in the IAP Police Force. He bends the rules of the laws he enforces to deliver justice for those who need it. Sully has a past he feels compelled to make amends for, making him a troubled and mysterious individual, even to those who know him well.

Father Nathan: To be so far from the planet Earth, Father Nathan is a rare individual. He is the newly assigned Anglican Priest. His parish, New Washington, the Capital City of Beta Prime. Like so many of the people who have immigrated to Beta Prime, Father Nathan has a shady past, something he hopes to make amends for.

Sarah: First introduced as a possible stowaway on board the St. Gabriel, she catches Sully’s attention. Determined to both learn the young woman’s identity and find her, Sully soon learns Sarah has a reason to be fearful. Like Sully, she has a past that troubles her and secrets that could end her life.

Chief of Police O’Brian: Referred to simply as “Chief,” O’Brien has the difficult job of balancing the pressures of solving crime and cleaning up the corruption and lawless elements on Beta Prime with meeting the demands of the movers and shakers of the planet, both legal and less than legal. Facing what can only be described as working in a “grey world,” the Chief if constantly torn between good and bad.

Captain/Chief Markeson: The successful detective who leads the Homicide and Major Crime Units in New Washington. Handsome, well groomed and connected, Markeson has an agenda, and it may or may not include solving crimes and delivering justice. Regardless of Markeson’s agenda for the day, week or case, he is a by the book investigator and frowns on Sully’s sometimes unorthodox methods. Especially when those methods cut into his take.

Joe Maynard: Owner of Joe’s Bar and Grill. A businessman who runs a successful restaurant and bar, serving both the local neighborhoods and the wealthy of New Washington. What else Joe does as a businessman remains to be seen.

Ralph: One of the first humans Sully met upon his arrival on Beta Prime. Sully likes to use Ralph’s services as a cabbie from time to time. Sully also finds his relationship with Ralph useful in other ways, such as the cabbie’s extensive knowledge of the people and activities of New Washington.

Alice: Ralph’s wife and a waitress at Joe’s Bar and Grill. A friend to both Sully and Father Nathan, providing a sympathetic ear to listen to the two men as they work through the tough issues facing them as they do their jobs.

Molly: Sully’s grumpy landlord who has no issues with some of Sully’s strange requests as a tenant. So long as he pays in advance.

Toby: Leader of a juvenile gang of pickpockets operating in the business district and neighborhoods near where the working class neighborhoods of miners and plant workers butt up against nicer middle class neighborhoods. The Metro stop brings workers, shoppers and tourists to the area, making it a popular hunting ground for the gang of pickpockets.

Detective Josephson: A newly minted Detective, Sully is worried Josephson may have been promoted for his naivete and sometimes inept police work, making him an easy fall guy if things go wrong. As eager as a puppy, Josephson looks up to Sully as his mentor, determined to prove to Sully and his fellow police officers he’s deserving of his promotion to Detective.

The Cowboy: Named by the media, this psychopathic killer enjoys the hunt as much as the enjoys the torture and killing of his victims. Named “the Cowboy” because of his practice branding his victims postmortem, the killer views himself as an alpha predator. Driven to kill by his uncontrollable rage, the Cowboy feels unappreciated by his peers which only serves to fuel his murderous anger.

Anna: Second in command of the band of pickpockets. The older sister of Lucy, a greedy but crafty pickpocket. She steals out of necessity, not because she wants to.

Lucy: Anna’s younger sister. Unlike her older, wiser sibling, Lucy likes steeling. Crafty and with an uncanny sense of reading potential marks, Lucy’s greed becomes the source of her undoing.

Governor Rankin: The territorial governor of Beta Prime. Like a territory in the former United States, Beta Prime cannot apply for, and be granted, full membership in the Interplanetary Alliance of Planets until it’s population is large enough. Rankin has plans to obtain more power than what a simple territorial governor wields.

Mayor Xue: The mayor Capital City. Of Earth-Asian descent, Mayor Xue is driven by greed. Fearful and cautious by nature, Xue is a dangerous opponent. Manipulation of the media is a game he has long ago mastered. Like many fearful but ambitious men, Mayor Xue has tied his fortunes to those of a more powerful man who needs the skills Xue possesses. He is often in the company of Governor Rankin, the man who Xue serves.