It is implied that prior to the 1920s, Ten Cents was a switcher who did basic jobs for Captain Star rather than bigger ones alongside the other, larger tugs in the Star Fleet. However, Ten Cents got his chance of helping tow in an ocean liner when the Z-Stacks knocked Big Mac out of action. Ten Cents usually works with Sunshine, the Star Fleet's second and smallest switcher. They have shared many adventures, almost to the extent that it is impossible to imagine one without the other. Ever since Sunshine joined the fleet, he and Ten Cents have been the best of friends. Hercules often relies on Ten Cents to look after others such as Lillie Lightship or the Duchess. When Zorran successfully framed Sunshine for an accident during the towing in of the Duchess, Ten Cents was the only tug that didn’t lose his likeness for him and tried to find him. The truth soon got out thanks to Izzy Gomez being a witness. When a mysterious tug was stealing barges delivered by Ten Cents in the night. Ten Cents was blamed since he was the one who delivered them, but Captain Star's suspicion that he was the thief went after multiple thefts. The poor switcher still felt that his own fleet was losing their trust in him, like Captain Star. On the night the tugs were sent out to nick the thief, Grampus found Ten Cents and Sunshine and told them the real thief was being blackmailed by criminals. After finding the tug (Sea Rogue), they waited for the Pirate Tugs to come out their warehouse and then captured them. Ten Cents' actions that night repaired his credibility and Sea Rogue and his uncle return to their home upriver. For the annual regatta, Ten Cents towed Little Ditcher. During a time when vessels were being quarantined outside of Bigg City Port for 40 days, Ten Cents risked getting infected as he raced with Zorran to Nantucket after hearing from Sunshine that the tramper's flags down had gone down - without authority in sight. O.J. (Old Jones) stopped him and his faulty engine overheated in the process. Ten Cents' lack of thinking was what stopped Captain Star from selling O.J. (Old Jones) for scrap. Ten Cents and Sunshine found Boomer one night and stayed by him as every job he took, even the simplest, resulted in some form of serious misfortune for him and others. Sunshine theorised that the jinxes were caused by Ten Cents' hooter whistling. Ten Cents denies it, though a test proves otherwise. Even so, a schooner towed by Boomer gets set alight by a lightning strike without Ten Cents being there. Despite everything, it turned out well in the end when Boomer was converted into a houseboat. Though a tree fell down, no one got hurt by Ten Cents blowing his whistle near Boomer after he was rebuilt. Ten Cents was the Star Tug who helped Zebedee with a loose barge. Later, Zebedee unwillingly saved Ten Cents, Sunshine and Scuttlebutt Pete, then the entire Star Fleet and the Princess Alice, leaving Ten Cents and Sunshine a lot to repay him. For the Z-Stack's good deeds, Ten Cents offered Zebedee a place somewhere, but Zebedee (knowing what it was) rejected it before it could be said. As they parted ways, Zebedee told Ten Cents he thought too much. As winter was coming in, Ten Cents and the other Star Tugs completely dismissed Big Mac when he said he saw ghosts on his way back to the Star Dock. The next night however, Ten Cents and Sunshine saw some pale ghostly tugs sail by and a galleon emerged from under the sea, accompanied by a terrifying face. In the morning, Hercules explained to his fleet who the white tugs were and that the galleon was frozen in an iceberg. Books While the Star Fleet were struggling to find contracts, Ten Cents offered to help Zorran find some crates (with unknown contents inside) on the condition the Z-Stacks gave the Star Tugs some work. The Stars found the crates and due to a furious Captain Zero, Zorran was forced to keep a promise. Salty's Lighthouse Ten Cents is depicted as being the older brother of Sunshine (who in this series is depicted as female). Personality Ten Cents is one of the younger and braver Star Tugs. He has a tendency to be a bit cheeky at times, but is strong-willed, and it takes a lot to break him. He is quick-witted and takes action swiftly without hesitation. He never lets other tugs bully him, never fails to stand up for others, and is always willing to set aside his own safety for the sake of others. He has a bit of a short temper, but he is also smart enough to listen to the advice of the older, more experienced tugs. He also shows a great deal of respect and kindness to others around him, by tooting his whistle all the time and greeting other tugs such as Boomer, or even the likes of the Z-Stacks. Ten Cents is young, impulsive and quick to anger. In several stories, Ten Cents is always so quick to put himself in danger, mostly for the greater good, but is then pulled back by a wiser character advising against it. He is very lovable, though, and has a heart of gold. He is very loyal to his fleet and his Captain, playing by the rules and being a real hero.