I LIVE! Finals are done, and I have a few weeks until the start of a new semester! We finally have major character death, so be warned.

The morning briefing at the Star Dock had become rather chaotic, as Big Mac was telling everything he had seen and done to Captain Starr. He had already alerted the Coast Guard and the Port Authority about what was happening, and now the captain had to be caught up to speed. "Zak was hauling a barge full of plane fuel and tried impressin' Lillie with it." He stated, drawing gasps from the other tugs. "He started becomin' aggressive when she turned him down, but she called for help. I heard it and stepped in before worse came to worse."

"Why was Zak stealing fuel barges? It's not like he works hard at all anyway." Top Hat asked in a haughty tone. "Besides, he's the one who convinced Zebedee to sail through a canal during high tide. No one was hurt, but-"

"We know what happened Toppy!" Sunshine interrupted. "We've been seein' Zug scurry around, especially during morning briefings. One of the fishing vessels we were supposed to help almost sank because of him."

"We've been wondering if Zak and Zug were working together." Ten Cents added. "Zug's a wimp unless he has another tug guiding him. That's why he usually stuck to Zorran or Zip unless the work was serious."

"I did hear Zak and Zug talking plenty of times. And there's been the thing with Zug looking bruised and battered." Zip said, looking at the other tugs with a frown on his face. "Maybe they're trying to revive the Z Stacks and make it better than when Zorran was in charge."

"I figured we'd all come to that conclusion one way or the other." OJ remarked, looking at Zip. "Everyone knows that fleets are more than just businesses. They're family too."

"OJ is right!" Captain Starr said, finally speaking up, "Now, I will be contacting the Navy about this matter. Given how they usually respond to issues, it might take a few days before they get here. In the meantime, I recommend working something out with the Coast Guard. Dismissed!" The Star Tugs sighed a breath of relief, and each tug went their own way to go and do work. However, many of them were thinking of ways to bring Zak and Zug to justice.

Later on that morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine were sailing through the harbor on their way to the estuary. They had been tasked to tow vessels who had been coming out of quarantine, and it was important that they be there. "I'm still wondering about Zak and Zug." Ten Cents said, looking at Sunshine. "Do you think they're gonna be up to their old tricks now that the Coast Guard's been made aware?"

"Perhaps they'd be forced to hide after the fight with Big Mac." Sunshine mused. "Or Zak's getting really desperate and wants a way out. You just never really know with him."

"His engine still hasn't been worked on yet though. Or last I heard." Ten Cents added, but then he spotted some unused barges. Almost immediately an idea came into his head. "Maybe we can use these barges as bait! We can say it's engine parts, or really expensive machinery!"

"That'd be brilliant!" Sunshine said. "I'll let the others know and see what they think of it. Who knows, it might actually work!"

"Sounds great!" Ten Cents said. "We need to keep this in the back of our minds though, we have work to do!"

It was afternoon, and Ten Cents and Sunshine were hurrying into the harbor to alert the other Star Tugs about their plan. When they arrived, they noticed that several of their fleetmates were talking amongst themselves. "What's wrong?" Ten Cents asked, noticing that they looked like they were serious.

"We told the Coast Guard and he said that he needed proof." Warrior answered with a frown. "He says that there's more than just seeing stuff happen."

"Warrior's right, you need proof in order to even have someone pulled aside for questioning." Big Mac added. He looked down at Ten Cents and Sunshine and said, "You guys look excited. Is everything alright?"

Sunshine nodded and said, "Tenny and I might have come up with a way to draw out Zak and Zug. We can use an old barge, fill it up with junk, and say that they're very expensive parts!"

Warrior was enthused at the idea. "I can get some garbage and use that! We have some old Model Ts sitting at the dump."

"Would those imbeciles fall for battered automobiles though?" Top Hat asked, raising an eyebrow. "You need a tarp to go and hide them."

"Even if Zug fell for an empty barge, Zak probably wouldn't." OJ added. "It would be quite ridiculous putting a note in a barge and covering it with a tarp."

While they were talking, Grampus emerged from the water. He noticed that the tugs looked quite concerned, and he thought he might be of assistance. "I might be able to sneak in and listen!" He smiled and offered. "I helped Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Sea Rogue get the pirates arrested!"

"That's a good idea Grampus!" OJ said. "However, since you're one of us, they might notice you."

Hercules soon arrived, and he looked quite positive compared to the others. "What are you all talking about?" He asked.

"We wanted to find a way to stop Zak and Zug from causing more problems for us." Ten Cents answered. "Zak already tried to cause trouble for Lillie."

"Lillie told me everything when I went to check on her." Hercules said, and he quickly became serious. "What sort of method are you using to get Zak and Zug into a corner? It might not work if it's planned poorly."

"Good point Herc." Big Mac said. "We were thinking on making a fuss over a barge of junk. Maybe even cover it and say that it's something else."

"We just need someone to catch them in the act, and maybe follow behind them to where they're hiding." Grampus replied.

"I'm sure you'll be of great assistance, but we need another vessel to trail behind them. You'll make yourself obvious to them, especially if Zug met you." Hercules replied, looking down at Grampus. Then, an idea came into his head. "Perhaps we can hire a motorboat. The vessel might not talk, but their owners can be easily swayed when money is involved."

"Perhaps we can convince the Coast Guard to send his messenger to go and trail behind them! He's elusive to where he caused my accident with the Fultan Ferry." OJ said, soliciting a groan from Top Hat. "We just need to contact the Coast Guard and let him know of our plan.

"Then it's settled." Hercules grinned. "Now, time is not on our side, so we need to make this quick." Once everything was said and done, the vessels went to their assigned positions and Grampus submerged underwater. Now it was a waiting game.

It was the early afternoon, and Zug burst into the hideout he and Zak had been using for months. "Zak wake up!" He shouted, noticing that his leader was asleep. "There's something coming into the harbor tomorrow!"

Zak woke up with a groan, and he was too furious to be talking to the switcher. Especially after cocking up on fuel. He was tempted to ignore Zug and simply go back to sleep, but he was forced to pay attention after feeling a bump on his bow. "What is it?" He asked, not looking at his partner.

"The Stars are saying that a barge is coming in from New York tomorrow." Zug answered. "No one knows what it is though."

"We get 'em all the time, especially since New Jersey and New York are right next door to each other." Zak yawned, still ignoring Zug. "Did they ask if it was anything important?"

"Well, the three little jerks said they were engine parts." Zug answered, inching back in case Zak was going to lash out. "I went to ask the top hatted bast-"

"Engine parts!?" Zak was now wide awake. "So Starr's finally true to his word and giving my engine the love it needs! Hell, we have enough money to cover the cost of the replacement!"

Zug was trying to tell Zak that the barge might have something else, but Zak was so excited that he went silent. "If he gets his engine fixed, that means that he'll stop beating me." He thought. "But how'd Zorran react to all this?"

The next morning, Zak had sent Zug to steal the mystery barge from the Star Tugs. Zug looked around to make sure that no one was watching, as he worried that someone might spy on them and lead to their downfall. But then again, Zak had a massive ego. He spotted a barge neatly moored at one of the docks, and he was intrigued. The barge had a massive tarp draped over it, as though to cover it from the elements.

"So that's the barge they were talking about." Zug said, quickly undoing the lines to the barge before throwing his own lines over it. "Zak will be very pleased!" Once he tied his own lines to the barge, he set off. Nearby, Grampus and the Coast Guard's messenger emerged from their hiding spots. The messenger began to slowly trail behind Zug, doing his best to make sure he wouldn't get caught.

Zug was sailing through the harbor when he spotted Ten Cents and Sunshine. Worried that he was going to get caught, he veered towards a canal that he knew would allow him to avoid capture. He still wasn't aware that the messenger was trailing behind him. Or that the barge was lighter than what he was expecting. A bump made him yelp, but he realized that it was just the barge.

Ten Cents and Sunshine watched Zug try to haul the barge, and they were struggling to not laugh. "They don't know what's in there!" Sunshine chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Zip asked, steaming up them. "I noticed you all looked so quiet."

Ten Cents silenced Zip, and then told him what was happening. "It's for Zug's sake. He's been way too off ever since he's been with Zak."

"Gotcha." Zip replied. He watched the Coast Guard follow close behind, followed by Big Mac and Warrior. "Do you think those guys will win?"

Meanwhile, Zug had evaded the switchers and was close to the hideout. However, he turned around to see the messenger. "It's probably just a motorboat." He said to himself, and steamed on. After a few yards, he turned to see that the messenger was still behind him. Zug panicked, and put pressure on his engine to speed up. After half an hour, he arrived at the hideout. "Zak look!" He said with a smile.

"Excellent!" Zak smirked, feeling proud of what he had Zug do. "What's with the tarp though?"

"Maybe to keep the parts from rusting." Zug remarked. He didn't notice that Grampus was close by and hearing everything that he and Zak were saying. "Maybe it could be expensive machinery under that tarp instead of parts."

"Who cares about the tarp. We can just sell the parts for money and get enough to fix my engine. Soon, we'll be a force to be reckoned with." Zak chuckled. "Now undo the lines and put the barge over there, next to the coal barge."

Zug did as he was told, and hurried over to place the barge next to some other barges he and Zak had stolen. At the corner of his eye, he noticed the same motorboat he had seen. "Don't you think someone's watching us?" He asked, starting to become shaky.

"Nah." Zak replied. "This place is difficult for multiple tugs to travel at one time." However, he quickly spotted the motorboat near the entrance. "It's just a lousy motorboat Zug, what could go wrong?" He said, steaming out of his hideout to scare off the intruder. Zug trailed close behind, worried that his boss would beat him again. The moment Zak got outside, he saw the Coast Guard and Grampus standing side by side.

"Zak and Zug, you are under arrest!" The Coast Guard shouted. "We have been getting reports of missing barges for months, and now we have sufficient evidence to hand you two over to the Navy."

"The messenger and I followed Zug over here. What I heard should be plenty." Grampus said, watching Zak become apprehensive. Then, with a sly grin, he said, "You might want to take a look at the barge you had Zug take."

"It's bullshit officer!" Zak pleaded, wanting to save his own keel. "Zug's been the one stealing the barges and should be arrested, not me!" A loud "we've been tricked" drew his attention to Zug, and he turned to see that the barge he sent Zug to go steal did not contain the engine parts or the machinery. Instead, the barge was full of rusted out car parts and some wood. He now turned back to the Coast Guard and said "It's clearly a misunderstanding-"

"Ye won't be getting away with it this time Zak!" Big Mac shouted, steaming into the scene. "We haven't seen ya touch a single barge or escort a single schooner ever since Zebedee had his accident. What does that say about yer credibility?"

Warrior trailed close behind Big Mac, and he too was serious. He spotted some coal barges and he immediately recognized them. "Hey, that's ours! We were supposed to deliver 'em a few days ago." He said, starting to get angry.

"Big Mac, Warrior, it's all a misunderstanding!" Zak started, but he was sweating profusely. "You really expect me to do all that? I didn't touch a single barge like you said. Zug took these and wanted to respect Zorran's memory! He's too obsessed with the-"

"No. More. Games." Big Mac snapped, getting dangerously close to Zak's bow. "Zug would've blasted his engine towing some of those barges all by himself."

"That's why Zak took some of 'em- SCHEISSE!" Zug said, cursing when he realized his mistake. Now he and Zak were really going to get in trouble.

For the first time in years, Zak felt fear at what was to come. If he and Zug were indeed arrested, there was a good chance that he would be auctioned for scrap. Or worse, executed for his crimes. The words Hercules told him echoed in his mind, and the Z Stack realized that his time had likely come. "Over my dead body!" Zak shouted, smashing into the Coast Guard before hurrying off.

"Oi!" Big Mac shouted, trying to throw his lines at the renegade tug. Grampus quickly went under, not wanting to get sunk. "You're not getting away Zak!"

"That's where you're wrong Star Stack. I always do get away!" Zak spat, exerting pressure into his engine. He sped past Big Mac and Warrior before both harbor tugs had time to block them.

"What about me?" Zug asked, trying to inch forward. He too did not want to get arrested, and he wanted a way out

"I'm sorry Zug." Zak said, but there was a hint of mischief in the way he spoke. "But you outstayed your welcome. Auf Wiedersehen!" With that, he steamed off into the harbor in an effort to find a out of Bigg City.

"Warrior, stay here with Zug and the Coast Guard!" Big Mac ordered. "I gotta make sure Zak doesn't make it to the estuary. Or worse, Up River." He hurried out of the canals and into the busy harbor, quickly spotting Zak amongst the traffic. Big Mac narrowly avoided some pleasure boats, and watched as Zak slinked into some canals. "Damn!" He said to himself. He turned to see that Warrior was with Zug and the Coast Guard, and groaned in disappointment. "We gotta make sure Zak doesn't leave this city. If he does, it's all over."

Zak, meanwhile, was trying to evade capture. He had stolen a coal barge and stashed some of his remaining money into it, but the weight of the barge meant he had to exert power. Although he was trying to sneak through the canals without drawing the attention of the other Star Tugs, his engine was protesting. White smoke started to billow out of his hull, a telltale sign that things would go wrong. "I gotta find a way to get out of here!" He thought, not knowing where he was going. He spotted Top Hat with Frank and Eddie, and realized that he was doomed. He quickly changed direction to avoid the railway tug, and spotted a path that led towards Up River. "Maybe I can be a river tug and start anew there!" He said to himself, but he panicked upon hearing a distinct two-toned whistle. One of the Star Tugs must have spotted him! With no options remaining, the harbor tug steamed towards the river. As he sailed, the current was making it difficult for him to haul the barge. "If I can just get past Mittsville, I can bring back the Z Stacks!" He said to himself, and he pressed on.

At the same time, Ten Cents was towing a timber barge to one of the villages after delivering some barges in Mittsville. He spotted a vessel out in the distance, and noticed the distinct burgundy paint. "What's the bloke doing up here?" He asked himself. However, he figured that it must have been some other tug and not Zak.

The distinct thrums of his engine were echoing throughout the riverland, and Zak was struggling to make sure he wouldn't get caught by Big Mac or one of the other Star Tugs. The pressure put on his engine combined with the river was making the task of hauling the barge almost impossible. Thick black smoke started to billow out of his engine room, and Zak started to suffocate. To make matters worse, the smoke was making it difficult for him to see. Zak cursed and tried to move forward once more, but he spotted a maroon tug in the distance. "What the fuck?" He shouted, and tried to stop. With a loud explosion, Zak's engine had finally failed. He tried to scream for help, but it was immediately muffled. Cinders and flames escaped out of his stack, and and a massive hole blasted open in the center of his body. Pieces of his framey were thrown into the riverbed as well as the barge, and some stray embers coming where his engine once was set it alight. While all of this was happening, Zak rammed into some rocks and got stuck.

Ten Cents heard the explosion and jolted in shock and fear. The urge to go reap started kicking in, but he was mortified. He couldn't come down the river and put someone out of their misery, it wasn't in his nature! "I can't continue doing this Charon!" He shouted to no one in particular, trying to resist. "I just can't!"

"You best have a look Tenny." Charon's voice came into his mind and said. It sounded blunt and to the point, unlike the other times Ten Cents heard it. "Once we're done, Bigg City will have one less crook to worry about."

With hesitation, Ten Cents sailed down the river. After several yards, he spotted the burnt out remains of Zak settled amongst the rocks. Zak was almost completely unrecognizable, as his body was mangled in the explosion. His face was also badly burned, and flesh had melted away to reveal bits of a proper wheelhouse. "What happened?" Ten Cents asked, but his question was quickly answered when he spotted some stray dollar bills floating on the surface of the water.

""Now you get my point?" Charon sneered, his familiar tug form manifesting in the water below. "He's been trying to steal money all for himself, but he paid the price! Ironic, isn't it?"

Ten Cents became apprehensive. It was truly a terrible sight to behold, and he inched back in fear. He didn't want to let Charon do the deed of putting Zak out of his misery, but Zak had been causing enough problems for the Star Tugs and making Zug teeter to the point of insanity. Suddenly, Zak started wheezing in an effort to breathe. "How's he still alive!?" The switcher exclaimed, and tried to close his eyes.

At that moment, Charon took control of Ten Cents's body. "It's all over now." He said to Zak, smoke billowing out of his stack. With not a second to spare, the smoke sharpened and went straight for the harbor tug's burning hull. Zak let out a pained gasp before closing his eyes and going limp.

A loud two-toned whistle caught Charon's attention, and Ten Cents found himself in control of his own body again. However, he was in a state of shock. Did he just witness Charon kill Zak? If someone caught them, it would be all over. Ten Cents looked up, and was surprised to see Hercules. "Hercules, you need to leave." He pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. "I just-"

Hercules said nothing, but he steamed up to the switcher. He was clearly concerned, as a tug as young as Ten Cents should not go through these experiences. He tried composing himself, but it was too tempting to break down and grieve beside his friend. "I am so sorry." He somberly whispered. "I'll explain to the others what happened to Zak."

"Will they view me as a monster?" The switcher asked, looking at Hercules. "I killed him. I don't want to-"

"Don't cry Ten." Hercules replied, knowing that the Star Tugs would soon arrive to see a scene of devastation. "Get the Fire Tug. He shouldn't be too far from where we're at."

Ten Cents wanted to stay at his spot, but Hercules had a point. He undid the lines to his timber barges and hurried back up the river to go and alert the Fire Tug. However, he was still worried. Would his fellow Stars see him as a monster? They likely didn't see him and Charon do the deed, but there was still the small likelihood that they did.

It was just after midnight, and Zak's burned out remains were still wedged on the river. The Fire Tug had finished putting out the flames, but it was too risky to prepare Zak's body for a final trip to the breaker's yard. Within the charred metal came a small flickering light. Moments later, Zak's soul emerged. "What happened?" He asked himself, slowly opening his eyes. He noticed that no one was around, and then it hit on him that he had died. That meant he was free from his engine troubles! With a groan, he tried to move out of his body and onto a place where he could pass on in peace. However, relief turned to panic when he felt that he wasn't moving. Zak looked down and noticed that there were chains wrapped around his bow. Then, he looked up and gasped.

There, in the distance, was Hercules. And it looked like he was all too happy to see Zak looking like this...