A regular fixture at the bar, Kessler is a Callistan starfarer who loves to stop in at the Ox & Carriage whenever he's on Titan. Kessler is in the long-haul shipping business, piloting a small cargo vessel not unlike the Grand Elk. He prefers to keep as small a crew as possible, and generally only flies with crewmates he trusts. Kessler stands eye-to-eye with Rocky, cutting an imposing figure with his thick mane of Callistan quills, but if you take the time to get to know him you'll find he's a very chill and gentle person. He has two kids- two little girls- and if you share a drink and get to know him he will almost certainly show you holographs of them. He'll tell you what their interests are, how they're doing in school, he'll speak proudly about the time they trounced a bully- when you look at his holographs you will see what a young Callistan looks like, as they are little bundles of big quills waiting to be grown into with big gold eyes looking up at you, it's really quite adorable. Being a trucker means he doesn't get to see them as often as he'd like, and they are his motivation to get a job done quick so he can head back to Callisto and see his girls.
- Kessler can be hired as a low-profile transportation option, letting you ride along in his cargo vessel, but only if your stop is somewhere along his route.
- Kessler offers jobs on his crew but only after you have built sufficient trust with him.
Part of the reason Kessler stops in at the Ox & Carriage so often is because of Rocky. The mining Android loves a good story, and Kessler picks up his fair share of tales on his journeys, both from his own encounters on the Sol system's trade routes and secondhand stories he hears from other starfarers at the many little pit stops in space, like Gus's Galaxy Grill just outside Caelus's orbit- avoid the house special, he'll tell you, just trust him on that. Being as well-traveled as he is, Kessler has a lot of friends in low places in all corners of the system, so if he likes you and you mention you need something he can pass word along to one of his friends and tell you, go see so-and-so out in some hole in the wall, they'll take care of you, and if you take him up on his word you'll find he was right.
Since Kessler runs a slim crew he likes to handle all his maintenance preventatively while he's station-side prepping for the next leg of his run. When he's flying into Titan Garden he likes to radio ahead to Red Raven and see if they've got a spot open in their back lot for some maintenance. He'd met the crew, as you'd expect, when he blew out an engine warp-skipping past Saturn and he needed a tow and a repair job. Titan Dispatch sent out Red Raven and the Jackrabbit II latched on and towed Kessler to safety. The crew respected his time and expedited a service job so he can get flying again, and Kessler appreciated the gesture and not having to bum around Titan Garden waiting for his ship to get fixed so he can do his job and go see his girls again. Since then Kessler has made Red Raven a regular pit stop on his journeys, getting Lydia to calibrate his warp engines, hitting up Clover to make sure his computer systems are operating correctly, requesting an astronav diagnostic from Haley and asking Amy to look over his ship for early signs of wear or breakdown. While they work he likes to share a word with Keera, speaking his native tongue with a fellow Callistan and sharing news from back home. He'll even get a check-up from Dr. Lin to make sure he's in good shape himself. He treats the crew like he's visiting extended family, and he pays above asking price for their time and is always warmly received, with everyone asking to see the latest holographs.
When he spots the Red Raven crew coming into the Ox & Carriage after a long day's work Kessler will excuse himself from propping up the bar and step over to come sit with them. He always believes in keeping up with the people earn his trust, because more often than not they're the ones who will help him safely along his way. With their help he can get his job done sooner, and all the sooner he can make his way back to Callisto and see those two bouncing bundles of quills he loves so dearly.