Warning: The following story contains mentions Adolf Hitler, the Nazi regime, terrorism, explosions and death.
The next morning, O.J. was on his way back from making a delivery Up River when he felt two tugs bump him side by side.
"What are you playing at?!" snapped O.J.. "When I was a young tug, we'd never… oh, Dear Neptune!"
"How are you, O.J?" Blair asked with an evil grin.
Warrior had a nasty encounter with Corona who was trying to block his way, but before he could turn around, he saw a certain U-Boat glaring at him.
"I've got a score to settle vith you," Hans said darkly.
Zebedee didn't notice two former shipmates sneaking behind him until…
WHAM!
A crate hit Zebedee on the wheelhouse and he was knocked unconscious. Zak and Zeus smirked evilly as they idled up alongside with a crane Zeus was towing.
Stormy and Hail were so focused on finding the villains they failed to notice the Poison Plant trio sneaking up behind them, or some men creeping onto their decks and pouring Green Water in their systems.
Little Owl had been diverted down the wrong line. She was about to reverse back when two figures rushed into her cab and knocked her crew out and threw them out of the cab.
"Engineer…? Stoker…?" she asked nervously.
"So sorry, your poor unfortunate soul," said a female voice, "but I'm afraid your engineer and stoker are indisposed at the moment." Little Owl was terrified.
I was about to phone Admiral Cardona to check how Ten Cents, Big Mac and Hercules were getting on. Before I could get to the phone, I heard a surprise knock at my office door.
"Come in," I said. "But be quick because…" I gasped when the three figures stepped in. "Oh… Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd. Er… is there an issue?"
"Captain Star," Mr. Lloyd said in a concerned tone, "something bad has happened."
"What?! What is it?" I asked in alarm.
"Captain Lucky found this note attached to my door," said Captain Salvage, handing me a note. Captain Lucky said nothing, but she looked like she had been crying, and I soon found out why. I read the message in horror:
THIS IS A MESSAGE FOR CAPTAIN STAR, CAPTAIN LUCKY, CAPTAIN SALVAGE AND MR. LLOYD.
YES, I AM STILL AROUND AND IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT OVER. HOWEVER, I HAVE DECIDED TO REASON WITH YOU AND INSTEAD OF MURDERING YOU FOUR, I HAVE COME UP WITH A COMPROMISE.
ME AND MY MINIONS HAVE TWO OF THE STAR TUGS, ONE OF THE Z-STACKS, TWO OF THE SALVAGE TUGS AND ONE OF THE DOCK RAILWAY ENGINES HOSTAGE RIGHT NOW IN DIFFERENT PARTS NEAR BIGG CITY PORT. IF YOU DO NOT ADHERE TO OUR DEMANDS, WE WILL BEGIN DESTROYING THESE MACHINES ONE BY ONE.
NOW THEN, HERE ARE OUR REQUESTS: THE FOUR OF YOU WILL MAKE YOUR WAY OVER TO ME, AND I MEAN ONLY THE FOUR OF YOU. NO POLICE WITH YOU AND YOU WILL DELIVER TO ME NO LESS THAN FIVE BILLION DOLLARS. CHECK OR CASH, WHICHEVER IS CONVENIENT FOR YOU.
ANYWAY, YOU WILL BRING THAT MONEY AND I SHALL LEAVE THIS PORT AND NEVER RETURN. THAT WILL BE THE LAST YOU HEAR OF ME AND THE REST OF YOUR HARBOUR WILL BE UNHARMED.
YOU HAVE UNTIL SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON THURSDAY, THE 18TH OF MARCH. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL START SCRAPPING THESE MACHINES. I HAVE LOTS OF EXPLOSIVES WITH US, SO DON'T THINK WE ARE BLUFFING AND THE SAME APPLIES IF THERE IS ANY POLICE INTERVENTION OR RESCUE ATTEMPT. I AM LOCATED AT THE OLD WAREHOUSE WHERE THOSE TWO GREEN EYED TUGS WERE ONCE BASED AND YOU MUST NOT SHARE THIS LOCATION WITH ANYONE ELSE, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
I HOPE WE CAN SETTLE THIS LIKE RESPECTABLE PEOPLE. ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE UNTIL 6:00 ON THURSDAY, MARCH 18TH. DON'T TRY ME.
URSULA ZERO
Once I had finished reading the message, my frightened look turned to anger and I growled like a wolf whose cubs were being threatened. "Settle this like respectable people?!" I exclaimed angrily. "WHAT UTTER RUBBISH!" Now, I didn't actually use the word "rubbish" – again, that is just a placeholder for something far more vulgar.
"What are we going to do, Patrick?" said Captain Lucky, her voice all shaky. "The poor dearies are in danger."
"Don't worry, Lenore," assured Captain Salvage. "We'll figure something out."
"My tugs are like my children," I said with worry. "I can't just let them be destroyed, especially after nearly losing Big Mac and actually losing Top Hat."
"I know how you feel," said Mr. Lloyd. "After losing Kirke, I… All we have to do is give Ursula the money and we can get her apprehended after she releases the tugs and engine."
"No!" I shouted. "Ursula Zero doesn't care about our money! Don't you see? She just wants us to go to her so she could kill the four of us like she did to Captain Zero! Why on earth would she suddenly want to go from wanting to murder us to simply wanting our fleet? It's a trap!"
"You're right," gasped Captain Salvage. "But this brings up an even worse situation – it's either our lives or the tugs and engines' lives."
"We'd better gather everyone at the Railhead and see who's been taken," sighed Mr. Lloyd.
Once we had done the number for all four fleets and got the names of those without numbers, we came to the conclusion who had been taken.
"Well, since Kirke's gone to the Great Railway, the only engine that is missing is Little Owl," Mr. Lloyd gulped, "and she's never forgiven Zak and Zeus…"
"As for the Z-Stacks," said Captain Lucky, tears forming again, "well, with Zug and Zilly in the Moonlight Oceans and Zak and Zeus being fired by Captain Zero just before he died, that means they've taken… Z-Zebedee."
"The two Salvage tugs that were taken were Stormy and Hail," Captain Salvage said with a look of fear on her face.
"In regards to the Star Fleet, it appears they took…" I said, looking at my list of tugs. "Well, Top Hat is at the Moonlight Oceans just like Zug and Zilly. But they've taken O.J. and Warrior. Oh, Moonlight Oceans above!"
"Nae Warrior!" gasped Big Mac. "Thae monsters!"
"O.J. as well?" cried Sunshine.
"I know we don't get on that much," said Scorpio worriedly, "but Stormy doesn't deserve it!"
"Neither does Hail," said Misty, trying not to cry.
"Why Zebedee?!" gasped Zip.
"Poor Little Owl!" sobbed Henney.
"What are we going to do?!" panicked Theodore.
"Our friends are in danger!" gulped Penny.
"We'll figure something out," I said. "Admiral Cardona, what do you think?"
"Well, Jimbo and I have spoken to Peeper Pipes and his team," replied the admiral, "and we agree this is a high stakes situation. O.J., Warrior, Zebedee, Stormy, Hail and Little Owl's lives are in danger but at the same time, we cannot simply give in to Ursula Zero's demands. She is likely within easy contact with her other minions within Bigg City, so we'll have to apprehend her without alerting the other captors."
"So basically, a simultaneous rescue?" asked Tillie.
"But we'll have to find where the hostages are being first," said George, "and that may be impossible without alerting the others."
"Well, Ursula did say he was at the old warehouse where O'Malley was kept captive," said Sea Rogue.
"And there's a possibility that some of them are being held at the breaker's yard," suggested Ten Cents.
"I've just remembered something," said Hercules. "There's a cave near Dem Der Rocks. Some of them might be there."
"So if we send in some spies," Captain Salvage said, "we can find out who's being held where and work out any potential traps without alerting Ursula Zero and her minions."
"That's perfect!" I exclaimed. "I couldn't have planned it better myself."
So it was that Skiff went with Chris Zero and his family to the old warehouse. The plan was that Skiff, Chris and John would pretend to be Nazi sympathizers whilst Amber and Jane would hide in plain sight and write down notes. Once Jane and Amber got off, they hid behind some crates and they could see that Zak and Zeus were keeping Little Owl captive. The poor engine looked terrified and was sobbing. She glanced over, and saw Amber and Jane.
"Shh," whispered Amber. "We'll get you out of here."
Jane nodded. "Don't worry. Just hang on."
Little Owl whimpered, but gave them a small smile.
As Skiff, Chris and John entered the warehouse, they saw a terrified Zebedee attached to a fuel barge, which was attached to the dock. Ursula was nearby.
"Excuse me," called Skiff.
"What do you want?" grunted Ursula.
"We've come to the realisation that you were right about Hitler, mother," replied Chris, "and would like to join your group. I swear that Star made my father soft in the head." John nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'll be delighted to welcome new recruits," said Ursula. "Now then, I've planned for the possibility that Star won't show up unaccompanied. He'll likely bring the military with him. We'll just have to play along and then we'll trap him and the other three, hence this fuel barge here. The fuel pipe is open so with just one spark, it will create a huge explosion."
Skiff, Chris and John did very well to hide their shock, though secretly, John was impressed.
"Don't worry, Zebedee," whispered Skiff. "Help is on the way."
All the while, Jane and Amber wrote the notes down.
Finbar pretended to conduct a fire inspection at the breaker's yard.
"Strange, I don't recall asking for any inspections," said Blair,. "Do you, Mr. Burke?"
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Blair," agreed Burke.
"Ah, yes, there's a new act that's been passed in City Hall," explained Finbar. "From now on, all businesses and households within Bigg City must undergo a mandatory fire safety inspection due to the risk of another attack. It's the law, and it's for your safety, gentlemen."
"Hmm, must have missed the memo," said Mr. Broke thoughtfully. "Ah well, right this way."
Some of the firefighters noted that O.J. and Warrior were being held captive by Burke, Blair, Hans and Corona.
"Hold on, you two," whispered Finbar. "We're making a plan."
"T-Thank you, Chief," said Warrior.
Captain Lucky's sisters, Lacey and Luna, and my wife Sarah traveled on board the shrimpers and discovered that Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove were keeping Stormy and Hail captive inside the cave.
"Hang on, girls," whispered Luna. "We've got this under control."
"O-okay," said Hail.
With all the information gathered, we arranged a rescue plan. Big Mac, Hercules, Jimbo, Meridian, Venus, Penny, Grampus were listening to Admiral Cardona.
"Alright," said Admiral Cardona. "Big Mac, Hercules, Jimbo, Meridian, Venus, Penny, George, Grampus, Peeper Pipes and I will go to the breaker's yard and rescue O.J. and Warrior. Jimbo will haul a cannon on board a barge to fire a shell, which will create a distraction for them."
"Ten Cents, Theodore, Zorran, Zip, Zob, Sea Rogue, O'Malley, Snowy and the engines will head to come with me, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage and Mr. Lloyd to rescue Little Owl and Zebedee," I said. "Thomas and Andrea will come too to turn off the fuel pipe and untie Zebedee from the barge whilst we distract Ursula with the fake cheque."
"Captain Star," said Ten Cents, "I would like to volunteer to rescue Zebedee."
"Are you sure, Ten Cents?" asked Hercules. "Ursula is going to set the fuel barge ablaze."
"I know," said Ten Cents, "but Zebedee is counting on us."
"Very well then," said Snowy. "I'll be ready to escort Captain Star, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage and Mr. Lloyd to safety."
"I'll come with you as back-up, Ten Cents," said Ariel.
"Thanks, Ariel," smiled Ten Cents.
"So that just leaves Pisces, Misty, Scorpio, Ember, Moonlight, Robin, Sunshine, Emily, Cappy and Davy to rescue Stormy and Hail," said Captain Salvage. "An Air Force plane will be used to drop a smokescreen. But we'll need someone to distract Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove."
"Ah'll do it," Sunshine said bravely. "If Ten Cents can face his fears of explosions, Ah can face mah fear of those three."
"That's very brave of you, Sunshine," said Misty.
"Mmm-hmm," agreed Moonlight.
"I'll be on standby in case of fire," said Finbar.
"Right then," said Admiral Cardona. "We'll meet here at 2200 hours Wednesday night."
"Er… what's that military time code for?" whispered No. 73.
"It means 10:00 pm," explained Hercules.
"Ah, got it."
On Wednesday night, we all gathered at the Railhead. Henney had a passenger car to carry me, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd, Thomas and Andrea. Theodore, Zip, Zob, Sea Rogue, O'Malley, Puffa, Porter, Maeve, Lexi, Placido and Tillie had disguised themselves as ghosts to frighten off Zak whilst Zorran would distract Zeus. Ariel was going to act as backup for Ten Cents in case he went into shock. Sunshine, Robin, Emily and the Salvage tugs were wearing special goggles to help them see through the smokescreen. Jimbo had a barge with a cannon on board. Meridian was towing the shells for it.
"Alright," I said as I placed the fake cheque in my pocket. "Are we ready?"
"I've never been ready," admitted Captain Lucky, "but we have no choice. O.J., Warrior, Zebedee, Little Owl, Stormy and Hail are counting on us."
"We'll have your backs the whole way," assured Thomas, who was in undercover clothes.
"The future of Bigg City depends on it," agreed Henney.
"Our lives depend on it, not just Bigg City," said Scorpio. "I'm ready for action."
"Excellent," I said as I boarded Henney's passenger car, followed by Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd, Thomas and Andrea. "Let's get moving!"
The conductor blew his whistle and Henney set off.
"Alright, everyone," said Jimbo. "Let Operation: Bigg City Eagle begin!"
"For our friends!" said Sunshine.
"For the fallen!" said Pisces.
"For Bigg City!" shouted Zorran. With that, the cavalcade set off in different directions, ready to show Ursula's gang who was boss.
Henney pulled up outside the warehouse.
"Alright," I said as Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd, Thomas, Andrea and I stepped out of the passenger car. "Here we go."
"Be careful," called Henney.
"We will, Henney," assured Mr. Lloyd.
Thomas and Andrea waited outside whilst Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I entered.
"Ursula Zero!" Captain Salvage called. "We're here."
"Well, hello," called a voice from behind us and we turned to see Ursula approach us. "So nice of you to come."
Whilst we were talking, Zak was keeping an eye on Little Owl, when suddenly…
"What's that?" he asked, noticing an ominous glow and he looked ahead to see…
"GHOSTS!" he shrieked in horror. "DON'T TAKE MY SOUL! PLEASE! HELP!" And Zak raced away, screaming at the top of his voice.
"Well, that worked," chuckled Tillie.
"Guys, is that you?" gasped Little Owl.
"Don't worry, Little Owl, you're safe," assured Porter as she coupled up to her.
"Oh, Porter…" whispered Little Owl. "Everyone… am I glad to see you… thank you."
Zeus was keeping a lookout when he felt someone bump him from behind.
"Well, well, well," sneered Zorran. "If it isn't the traitorous ocean-going tug who thinks he's too good for us Z-Stacks. Well, why don't you prove it with a duel? Bumper to bumper! If I win, you and Zak will leave Bigg City forever. But if you win, I will commit myself to the Final Firing and let Zak take over."
"Challenge accepted," said Zeus and the two tugs set off. Ten Cents, Ariel and Snowy watched from a distance.
Sunshine, Robin, Emily, Moonlight, Pisces, Scorpio, Misty, Ember, Davy Jones and Cappy arrived at the estuary.
"According to Hercules, the cave is right over there," said Pisces. Sure enough, they could see the Poison Plant trio in the distance.
"Are you sure about this, sis?" asked Moonlight. "I'm sure one of us can distract them instead."
"No, no," insisted Sunshine. "It's got to be me."
"You're very brave, Sunshine," said Pisces.
"Thanks, Pisces," replied Sunshine. "Alright, here Ah go. This is for you, Zug, Top Hat and Billy Shoepack." With that, Sunshine moved forward towards the Poison Plant trio.
"Man! Kidnapping innocent tugs is really fun!" Nightshade said evilly.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Foxglove.
"Yeah! Kidnapping innocent tugs is really fun!" agreed Oleander, who got bumped by Nightshade. "Ow!"
"Dude, that is the dumbest thing you've said all day!" snapped Nightshade.
"Well, you said the same thing!" retorted Oleander.
"Yeah, but it sounds cool coming out of my mouth!"
"Nothing sounds cool coming out of your mouth!" snapped Stormy from inside the cave.
"You girls are gonna eat your words, spit 'em out, and eat 'em again!" Oleander retorted.
"That doesn't even make sense," called Hail.
"I know you are, but what am I?" Oleander retorted.
"Shut up, you idiot!" snapped Foxglove, bumping Oleander. It was at that moment Sunshine approached the Poison Plant tugs.
"Hey! It's that little shrimp who stole Corona's spot in the Star Fleet!" growled Nightshade.
"Sunshine! Is that you?" called Hail.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Nightshade.
"Nothing you know of," replied Sunshine innocently.
"Don't tell me you've come all this way for nothing," snapped Nightshade.
"No, no. Ah am working, Nightshade."
"You've nothing in tow. Nothing on deck. Working at what?"
"Well, you see Ah was… it's secret work."
"Oh yeah? What secret work?"
"Well, if Ah told you, then it wouldn't be a secret, would it?"
Inside the warehouse at the breaker's yard, Mr. Broke, Burke, Blair, Hans and Corona were grinning evilly at the captives.
"I'm almost hoping that Captain Star doesn't give Ursula the check," sneered Blair, "just so we can scrap O.J.."
"Should we just give him the Final Firing and scrap him anyway?" asked Burke.
"Wait until we get word from Ursula," said Mr. Broke. "But if she succeeds in killing Captain Star, then we will scrap O.J.."
"And zis clumsy ape as well," growled Hans, glaring at Warrior, who looked shame-faced.
"And then I'll finally get round to killing that traitor Sunshine!" cackled Corona.
No, actually, you won't, O.J. thought to himself. He and Warrior knew that the villains were in for a nasty surprise.
Hercules' group had gathered outside the breaker's yard. Whilst Jimbo got the gun in position, Big Mac and George approached the outskirts of the warehouse with Hercules and Venus slipping into a nearby dock. Grampus went to survey the scene. Penny and Meridian stood by in case they needed backup.
"All set, Admiral," said Jimbo.
"Alright," said Admiral Cardona. "When the villains flee the warehouse, Big Mac and George will go in there and rescue Warrior and O.J.. The rest of you get ready to apprehend them. But don't let anyone contact Ursula."
Grampus bubbled up to the surface.
"It's all clear, admiral," he called.
"Fire away then, Jimbo," instructed Admiral Cardona.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" shouted Jimbo. The gun fired a shell straight into Mr. Broke's office. The noise of the explosion startled the captors.
"GOTT IN HIMMEL!" exclaimed Hans. "VOT IS HAPPENING?!"
"Retribution," Warrior said with relief.
Outside, the office was completely destroyed and the flag was toppled over by the resulting explosion.
"FIRE!" shouted Hercules as he, Venus and some of Admiral Cardona's men started firing at Mr. Broke's workers.
"Burke, Blair, Corona, Hans, retreat!" ordered Mr. Broke as he hopped onto Blair. "And when we get to safety, contact Ursula! It's a rescue attempt!"
With that, the four villainous vessels sped out of the warehouse, allowing Big Mac and George to enter.
"Don't worry, Warrior," called Big Mac. "I've got you."
"Come on, O.J.," called George. "Let's get you two out of here."
"Aren't we glad to see you two!" O.J. said with relief.
Burke, Blair, Corona, Hans and Mr. Broke fled the breaker's yard with Corona going slightly ahead… right towards Meridian.
"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" roared Meridian as she charged forwards and rammed into Corona. With a scream of terror, Corona crashed into Blair, Burke and Hans and the four vessels ran aground onto the mudbanks. Mr. Broke was crushed between Blair and Burke.
Then Big Mac and George arrived with the now rescued Warrior and O.J., followed closely behind by Jimbo, Grampus, Hercules and Venus, along with Mr. Broke's workers who had all surrendered.
"Well, I guess the mission was a success," said Penny.
"Indeed," agreed Venus. "We didn't need any backup after all."
"Right then," said Peeper Pipes. "Jacob Burke, Ebenzeber Blair, Corona and Hans, you four are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and terrorism. We'll also be adding treason to your lists of charges, Burke, Blair and Corona."
"It looks like your scavenging days are over, Burke and Blair," O.J. said with a smirk. The four villains just groaned.
Whilst we were talking to Ursula, Thomas and Andrea snuck onto the fuel barge so they could untie Zebedee and turn off the fuel pipe. Zebedee was about to say something until Andrea put a finger to her mouth, indicating for him to keep quiet.
"Now then, Ursula," I said sternly, "show us you don't have anything in your pockets and we'll hand over the money."
"My pockets are completely empty," said Ursula. "Well, except for this lighter I use for smoking." Of course, we knew that Ursula never smoked. This was also part of her trap.
"All we want is the safety of our tugs and engines," said Captain Lucky crossly.
"Just hand over the cheque and then, yes, I will leave them alone," replied Ursula.
"Alright," I replied, handing over the check. "Here it is."
"Ah, yes, the exact amount," Ursula said with satisfaction. It was during this that Thomas and Andrea exited the building.
"Alright," Ten Cents said from outside. "Time to get ready."
Back inside…
"Now then, leave and never return," I ordered.
"Oh, don't worry," said Ursula as she slipped through the exit. "No one will ever see me alive again. In fact, no one will see you alive either." With that, Ursula snapped a rope near the door and a barrel of oil crashed onto the floor, spilling it over. Then, Ursula turned on the lighter and the oil ignited. Ursula ran to a safe distance just before the fuel ignited. Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I bravely fought the flames back to give Ten Cents and Snowy time to enter the warehouse.
"You've only got one shot!" called Ariel.
Inside, Snowy stopped by some steps.
"Get on board!" she ordered. Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I obeyed whilst Ten Cents threw a towline to Zebedee. Then Ten Cents saw the now flaming fuel barge and almost went into shock, but remembered Captain Lucky's advice and breathed in and out.
"No," he said to himself. "I won't go into shock this time."
Ursula had seen Ten Cents and Snowy enter the burning warehouse and cackled evilly, thinking there would be two more casualties. But then she realised something. "Hold on, where's the explosion? Why hasn't the fuel barge gone off?! ITS FUEL PIPE WAS ON! IT SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF A LONG TIME AGO!"
"The joke's on you, Ursula!" called Maeve. "We knew you would try to kill them thanks to Skiff, Chris and John, so we got Thomas and Andrea to switch off the fuel pipe."
"WHAT?!" roared Ursula.
"Eeyup," replied Placido. "Your plan is foiled."
And sure enough Ten Cents emerged with Zebedee in tow. Snowy followed with myself, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage and Mr. Lloyd on board.
"This isn't over, Star!" Ursula growled before storming off.
"Ten Cents…" whispered Zebedee. "Thank you…"
"Ah, it's alright, Zebedee," smiled Ten Cents.
Zorran and Zeus prepared for their duel.
"Ready?" said Zorran.
"Ready!" said Zeus. The two tugs engaged in combat. At first, it looked like Zeus had the upper hand.
"Do you really think a harbour tug like you can defeat a superior ocean-going tug like me?" sneered Zeus.
"Well, there's something I have that you don't," Zorran said with confidence. "Superior brain power!"
Without saying any more, Zorran maneuvered around Zeus and rammed his rear into the quayside, damaging his propellor.
"Alright, alright!" cried Zeus, not wanting to risk further damage. "I surrender! Just take me to Dry Dock!"
Zorran lashed a towline onto Zeus, and then he saw something up ahead.
"No," he said sternly. "I have a much better idea."
"You know what?" snapped Oleander. "I'd say that she's here to rescue Stormy and Hail."
"For once, you're right," agreed Nightshade.
"Shall we destroy them then?" asked Foxglove.
"Nah, let's keep the shrimp as hostage as well," sneered Nightshade. "I mean, what is one switcher going to do alone?"
"Ah, but Ah'm not alone," Sunshine said with a smirk as a United States Air Force plane flew overhead.
"Bombs away!" shouted the pilot as he dropped the smokescreen, startling the Poison Plant trio. The rest of Sunshine's team arrived and the snipers on board began sorting at any Nazi soldiers on board the Poison Plant trio.
"Surprise!" called Emily.
"Misty! Robin! Get in there and rescue Stormy and Hail! Quick!" ordered Pisces. The two tugs obeyed and entered the cave. They quickly threw towlines onto Stormy and Hail and charged out. Then Sunshine's group raced off.
"After them!" snapped Nightshade as he and the other two Poison Plant tugs gained chase.
"Faster, guys!" called Emily. "They're gaining on us!"
"Watch out, girls!" called Moonlight. "Dem Der Rocks!" He, Sunshine and the rest of their group swerved out of the way just in time but Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove were going too fast to stop and crashed onto the rocks. The impact broke their hulls apart.
"We failed you, Ursula!" sobbed Oleander and Foxglove as the three tugs began to sink into the ocean.
"Stop crying, you sissies!" yelled Nightshade, but soon, he ended up sobbing himself.
"That was too close," sighed Ember as the three Poison Plant tugs finally sank into the ocean.
"Yeah," sighed Hail. "Thanks, guys. You saved our lives."
"I think the biggest praise should go to Sunshine for conquering her fears," said Pisces. "I'm proud of you." Sunshine just beamed.
Back at the warehouse, Ten Cents, Ariel, Snowy, Zebedee, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I met up with the rest of the group.
"Captain Zero would be pleased with you for saving one of his tugs," I said.
"And best of all, you conquered your fears," praised Ariel. "You didn't need my help after all."
"It's all thanks to Captain Lucky," Ten Cents said gratefully.
"Glad to help, dearie," smiled Captain Lucky. But the happiness was about to be cut short…
Meanwhile, Zak was in hiding when Ursula ran up to him.
"Come on!" she ordered, hopping aboard Zak. "Let's get out of here!"
"What about the explosions?" asked Zak.
"It's too late!" replied Ursula as Zak started to reverse away. "We'll have to try and kill Star another way!"
"No, you won't!" a voice shouted. Then, with a loud bang, Zorran rammed into Zak, causing Ursula to topple over on Zak's deck. Zorran then threw a towline to Zak.
"Don't worry, Zak," said Zorran. "I'll make sure that building explodes."
With a loud blast of his hooter, Zorran charged forward with Zak (who still had Ursula on board) and Zeus in tow and started heading towards the warehouse, much to Zak, Zeus and Ursula's horror.
"Zorran!" cried Zak. "Are you insane?!"
"What are you doing?!" screamed Zeus.
"I'm taking you three to the only place fit for Nazi scum like you – Davy Jones' Locker!" shouted Zorran. Zak and Zeus screamed their wheelhouses off in horror while Zorran kept calm.
"Stop! STOP! STOP!" shouted Ursula. But it was too late. Zorran rammed Zak into the fuel barge, causing the fuel pipe to burst open. The resulting explosion was so powerful, it caused the entire building to collapse and any waves caused by it put the fire out.
Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I were shocked by what we had just seen, as were the present tugs and engines.
"Oh no, Zorran!" gasped Zob.
"No, no, no, no!" yelled Zip, trying not to cry. "Tell me this isn't true…"
"I'm afraid it is true," replied Zebedee glumly. "Zorran has gone to the Moonlight Oceans."
"I'm sorry, dearie," sighed Captain Lucky. Zip burst into tears.
"But he had Zak and Zeus attached to himself," said Ten Cents, "and Ursula was on board Zak."
"That means… Zorran's avenged our fallen friends' deaths!" exclaimed Porter.
"Goodbye, brother," said Zob, shedding a quiet tear. "You deserve your place in the Moonlight Oceans on this basis alone."
By morning, the group had all gathered and we told everyone else what had happened. They were relieved that Zak, Zeus and Ursula Zero were dead, but were also saddened that Zorran had died as well.
"Oh… Zorran…" sobbed Zip. "Why did you have to go?"
"He was a brave tug, Zip…" whispered Venus. "He'll be honored…"
The vessels all lowered their flags to half mast. Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and I all took off our hats in respect. The engines all remained respectfully silent.
"Ah'm so sorry about Zorran, Zob," sighed Sunshine. This time, Zob really had lost his brother to wartime.
"At least he died a hero," Zob said with a sad smile.
"Indeed, he saved us from Nazi occupation," agreed Hercules.
"I reckon he was the bravest tug to ever set sail in Bigg City Port," said Ten Cents.
"That, coming from you, is saying something," replied Penny.
"Now, Zob, Zip and I are the only Z-Stacks left," said Zebedee sadly, "and there's no way the Z-Stacks can survive with three tugs."
"Plus, we don't even have a captain," whimpered Zip. "Ursula shot Captain Zero dead, remember?"
"Well then, it looks like the Stars have won the rivalry between them and us," Zob said sombrely.
"But it's not a victory worth celebrating," sighed O.J., "given the circumstances of how Zorran, Zug, Zilly and Captain Zero died."
"And we lost one of our own," said Sunshine. "Top Hat was killed in the blitz as well."
"And then we have Zak and Zeus' deaths," said Ten Cents, "although, I doubt anyone will miss them. Plus, Captain Zero had already fired them."
"Yeah, good riddance to those two," agreed Zebedee.
"Don't worry, you three," I said. "Captain Zero's dying wish was for me to take you three and Zorran into my fleet. Although Zorran is no longer able to join the Stars, you three still can… if you wish to, that is."
"Well, I never told anyone this," replied Zebedee, "but Ten Cents made that exact same offer to me twenty-one years ago after Johnny Cuba was captured the first time around. I refused it back then, but I'm more willing to take up this offer. This is what Captain Zero wanted, after all."
"Zebedee…" breathed Ten Cents.
"Indeed," agreed Zob. "He would have wanted us three to be safe."
"Plus, you've been a fantastic captain to your fleet," complimented Zip. "We would be honored to join the Star Fleet."
"And… we would be honored to welcome you aboard," smiled Ten Cents.
"Hear, hear!" agreed the rest of the Stars.
"That's settled then," I said. "I'll contact Zero Marine Bigg City and see to it that you three are purchased by my company."
"Err, Captain Star," asked Moonlight, "I was wondering if you'd be willing to take on another switcher after the war is over?"
Everyone, except for Robin, looked at Moonlight in surprise.
"Moonlight?" gasped Captain Salvage. "Are you saying you wish to leave the Salvage Fleet?"
"Mmm-hmm," replied Moonlight. "Don't get me wrong. It's been an honor serving as a Salvage tug, but the war has left poor Sunshine rattled, what with losing Top Hat, Zug and Billy Shoepack; plus the return of Corona and the Poison Plant trio, as well as her friends being kidnapped made matters worse. I think she needs her older brother by her side to comfort her."
"Well," said Pisces, "if that's how you feel… we respect your wishes."
"We're going to miss you, though," sighed Misty.
"Don't worry," replied Moonlight. "I'll be still around, just with a different fleet. Oh, and I would like to recommend that Robin takes my place in the Salvage Fleet."
"Moonlight and I discussed this idea and were going to suggest it after the war, but given everything that's happened, well…"
"Say no more, Robin, dear," said Captain Salvage. "It would be an honor to have you on board."
"Plus, you've been a great ally to us since you arrived ten years ago," said Pisces.
"And I would be delighted to let you join the Star Fleet, Moonlight," I added.
"As would Ah," said Sunshine. "Oh, thank you, Moonlight."
"In that case, Moonlight," said Captain Salvage, "once the war is over, I will sell you to Captain Star and buy Robin off her owners to take your place."
"Thank you, Captain Salvage," said Robin. "You won't regret this."
"Since we're making offers," said Hercules, "Meridian, m'dear, if you wish to join us as well…"
"Well, I have enjoyed my time in Bigg City," said Meridian, "and I've enjoyed meeting you all, but I'm actually thinking of moving to the Island of Sodor just off the coast of England after the war is over."
"I understand," smiled Hercules, "and I respect your wishes."
"But there will be one other tug joining you, sweetie," said Venus. "Captain Star, after the Clearwater incident, you made an offer to me and Hercules to join the Star Fleet. Whilst Hercules accepted the offer, I politely declined the offer back then. But after growing fond of this place and a desire to get to know my little sister a bit better, I think I'm ready to take up the offer now. Also, I think Hercules could do with some company up the coast."
"Well, it does get a bit lonely when I'm away from port," admitted Hercules.
"Oh, Venus, I would love for you to stay in Bigg City," said Zip.
"Well, Venus," I said, "you have done an excellent job covering for Hercules' duties whilst he's been serving the Navy, and I am still grateful for you and Hercules saving my life in World War I. I'd be delighted to have you in the Star Fleet. As soon as the war is over, I'll make arrangements with the navy to sell you to me."
"Thank you, Captain Star," said Venus. "I promise, on my honor as an ocean-going tug, to be loyal, supportive and protective of those around me." She glanced at Zip, who smiled gratefully.
"On behalf of myself, Zebedee and Zob," said Zip, "we promise to be loyal, hardworking and, most importantly, not devious."
"I promise, on my honor as a switcher, to always be kind, thoughtful, honest and forgiving," said Moonlight.
"And I promise," I said, "on honor as captain of my fleet, that you Zebedee, Zip, Zob, Moonlight and Venus will be treated just as well as the rest of my tugs with the utmost care that Captain Salvage would want and what Captain Zero would have wanted. Welcome to the Star Fleet, you five."
"Thank you, Captain Star," said Zob. "It's a great honor."
"We're delighted tae have ye," said Big Mac.
"Thanks, Big Mac," replied Zebedee.
"Say," said Zip, "you know how you said you need some help around your yard, Captain Lucky? Well, I know an Eagle Works switcher and a Mermaid Works harbour tug who could help."
"You mean us?!" gasped Ariel and Penny.
"Bingo!" said Zip.
"Well, I did have a lot of fun looking after both of your fleets," admitted Captain Lucky. "Ariel, Penny, would you two like to help me out after the war is over?"
"I'd love it!" Penny said in excitement. "That means I'll get to see my two awesome brothers more!"
"I'll be glad to help as well," said Ariel. "I'll miss my sisters back home, but at least I'll have you guys to keep me company – especially you, Ten Cents."
"Well then, you two are hired," said Captain Lucky. Ten Cents beamed happily, knowing that Ariel and Penny would be staying in Bigg City.
"Although the Z-Stacks no longer exist," said George, "Theodore, Emily and I will stay in Bigg City to help with the extra work until the war is over."
"We appreciate the gesture, old darling," said Hercules.
"Now then, I think we'd better arrange a joint funeral service for both Zorran and Captain Zero," I said. "But… I don't think we'll bother giving a funeral to Zak, Zeus or Ursula Zero."
Everyone else agreed.
When the engines returned to the Railhead, Henney was silent.
"Are you alright, sis?" asked Porter.
"I've been thinking about the war in the United Kingdom," replied Henney. "They'll probably need help to rebuild after the war is over. If it's alright with you, Mr. Lloyd, I'd like to volunteer to go and help out."
"I'm going to volunteer to help as well," said Lexi.
"Count me in," said Maeve.
"Eeyup," said Placido.
"Lexi, Placido and Maeve, I'll inform your owner about your decision," said Mr. Lloyd, "and Henney, you've given many good years of service to my railway and I thank you for it. I suppose the only problem I have with your decision is how much I'm going to miss you."
"I think you speak for all of us, sir," said Porter. "Kirke would have been proud of your decision, Henney."
"I'm just glad we were able to save Bigg City from destruction," said Henney, "but I'm going to miss all of you."
"We'll miss you too, Henney," said Little Owl, trying not to cry.
"Well, at least those villains have been caught at last," Placido said with relief.
"And hopefully, Burke, Blair, Corona and Hans will get their just desserts," No. 73 said darkly.
No. 73 was right. All four were found guilty of their crimes and each had varying punishments. The authorities gave me permission to decide Corona's fate, and given that she not only tried to murder Sunshine, but also held O.J. and Warrior hostage, I came up with the perfect punishment for her. I had Penny tow Corona to Lucky's Yard with strict instructions she was never to be used as a tug ever again, no matter what. To that end, Corona was converted to a goose house at a farm near Dun Tuggin'. Heh, needless to say, the bratty switcher hated every second of it.
"This isn't fair!" she ranted. "Sunshine joins Captain Star's fleet! Her brother joins her as well! The Salvage Tugs get a new recruit! And what do I get? A bunch of fat birds leaving presents all over me every second OF THE DAY!"
A goose hissed angrily at her. "OH, SHUT UP, YOU RAT WITH WINGS!" Corona snapped. The goose, seeing it as a sign of aggression, flew up and attacked the switcher. "Ow! Ow!" cried Corona.
"They're alright if you leave them alone!" called Boomer, trying not to laugh.
"Someone give me the Final Firing, please!" whined Corona.
"If anything, I think Corona's been jinxed now," smirked Boomer.
"Sounds about right," chuckled Penny.
"Mmm-hmm," agreed Moonlight. "Oh, how are you today, Boomer?"
"Very well, thank you," he smiled. "How are you feeling about your new roles after the war?"
"I'm excited," said Penny. "When Hercules, Ten Cents and Big Mac come back, I'll be seeing them every day."
"I can't wait to join the Stars," smiled Moonlight. "It'll be good to see my sister some more."
Burke and Blair were taken to Lucky's Yard by Scorpio and Stormy. They had been sentenced to the Final Firing, and both Captain Lucky and Captain Salvage were instructed to give it to them. The Coast Guard team was there waiting, along with O.J., Warrior, Zebedee, Zip, Zob and myself.
"Well, Burke and Blair," Captain Salvage said darkly, "it's about time you two got a taste of your own medicine."
"I don't normally like having to do this," Captain Lucky said with an unusually angry tone, "but in this case, I'm willing to make an exception! There's a special place in Davy Jones' Locker for a pair of murderous vultures like you!"
"B-but we were j-just trying to d-do our job," said Blair in an unusually terrified tone.
"Y-yes," insisted Burke, also scared. "Always on t-the lookout of w-who's next to g-go."
"Well, it looks like you two will be next to go," said Zob darkly. "Hopefully now, Zug can rest in peace, knowing that his killers have been caught."
With that, Captain Salvage and Captain Lucky opened the barrels of Black Water.
"Right then," said Peeper Pipes. "Ladies, pour it in!"
On cue, Captain Salvage and Captain Lucky tipped the barrels over and despite Burke and Blair's pleas, they couldn't fight it and they both fell into a permanent deep sleep, their faces forever frozen in a neutral expression.
"Good riddance," O.J. said to himself. Then Pisces, Ember and Misty bought in Zak, Zeus and Otto's remains. It had been decided to just leave the Poison Plant trio's remains at the bottom of the ocean to serve as artificial reefs.
"Here you go," said Pisces. "Three more murderous tugs for you to scrap."
"Thank you, dearie," said Captain Lucky. "I take it that the Navy is dealing with Hans."
"Jimbo's towing him out to sea as we speak," replied Ember.
"That's good to know," said Zob.
As his punishment, Hans had had his engine stripped out, and he was to be used as target practice. This time, no one bothered to rescue him.
"Right, Jimbo," said Admiral Cardona once the U-Boat was secured, "let's get out of the danger zone."
"Yes, sir," said the diesel tug, racing away. The naval destroyer took aim at Hans.
"Ah, vell," Hans said to himself. "It's better to die trying than not to try at all."
With that, Hans closed his eyes and accepted his fate. Then, the naval destroyer fired the first shot, and it was a perfect hit!
A week after the rescue mission, a joint funeral service was held for Zorran and Captain Zero.
"We'll miss you both," said Zip through tears.
"You may not have been perfect at first," said Zob stoically, "but you both came through in the end."
"We hope your journey to the Moonlight Oceans has been a smooth one," said Zebedee.
"I remember when we were called to rescue Zorran after he was swept on the rocks by Billy's dynamite," chuckled Scorpio. "I can't repeat the things Stormy and I said to him, but they weren't very polite."
"Ah remember when Captain Zero and Captain Star both laughed at the jokes Zip and Ah made after Bulstrode's accident with the grain," chuckled Sunshine.
Everyone had a good laugh. Then I held up my hand for silence.
"This past year has been one of the darkest in Bigg City's history," I said. "We faced a massive threat to our freedom and liberty. We lost many friends as a result. However, let me emphasize that this is not the end. Ursula Zero and her gang's main objectives were to make us cower, but they failed. Instead, we came out stronger and determined to put an end to the threat. Our main objectives were to make sure that Ursula would face the full bite of justice, which she did, thanks to the heroic actions of the Zero Marine's number one, Zorran, who sacrificed his life for it. It's thanks to Zorran that Bigg City is still flying the Stars and Stripes and not the Swastika."
"And let me just say you, Captain Lucky, Captain Salvage, Mr. Lloyd and the late Captain Zero have been extremely busy as well," said Ten Cents. "We've always admired you as our owners, but we cannot emphasize how much respect we have for you now."
"Absolutely," agreed Sunshine.
"You are our saviors," said Zebedee. "Three cheers for all four captains and Mr. Lloyd!"
The tugs and engines all blew their whistles, horns and hooters in admiration.
"Thank you," I said, with a small tear coming from me. "That means so much. But you owe us nothing. Let me tell you no matter how much you have for us, it will never be on the level of respect we have for every one of you tugs and engines after this past year. You are the true saviors of Bigg City Port."
"Absolutely," agreed Captain Lucky. "In the past, you've had various quarrels and rivalries over things like size, strength, fuel type, fleet status, et cetera. But recently, you've done something remarkable – you put aside all your differences and worked together to save us. From the largest ocean-going tugs and engines to the smallest switchers and engines, you stood your ground and together, you put an end to Ursula Zero's campaign of terror. All of you deserve the biggest praise of all."
This resulted in an enormous applause all around.
"And let me say one more thing," said Ten Cents, before turning to Ariel. "When we first met, I thought you were the most beautiful tug I had ever seen. I was worried about saying this because we lived in different harbours and in different states. But now that you're moving here… I love you, Ariel."
"Ten Cents," Ariel said with a smile, "I love you too." This was such a beautiful moment and just what we needed after such a horrific year.
After that, the Nazis never attacked Bigg City Port again, realising that our spirit could never be broken. Ten Cents, Big Mac, Hercules and Zip continued to serve the navy. By now, the Soviet Union had become an ally to the United Kingdom and the United States. Then, on June 6, 1944, the Allied forces launched an operation at Normandy, where troops landed on the beaches there and liberated France. From then on, British and American troops liberated the West of Europe whilst the Soviet Union drove the Nazis from the East of Europe. Sadly, President Roosevelt would not live to see the end of World War II, as he died on April 12, 1945, barely three months into his fourth term. Vice President Harry S. Truman took office and finished what FDR started.
Then, on April 30, Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide in their bunker a day after they married as Allied troops stormed Berlin. Eight days later, on May 8, Nazi Germany surrendered, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The fighting continued between the United States and Japan for a few more months until August, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Whilst this remains controversial to this day, it led to Japan's surrender, thus ending World War II entirely.
There was massive relief in Bigg City at this news as the suffering was over at long last. But we never forgot those we had lost in the conflict. Always value your loved ones, for one day, they will not be around.
Dedicated to those who lost their lives in wars and conflicts past and present
Lest We Forget
The End
Athour's notes: So there we go. The wartime trilogy has turned into a wartime quadrigalgy. This story has the most death ever seen in the TUGS series, but besides Zorran and Captain Zero, I doubt anyone will be missed. That being said, a Survival AU will be posted in short order. And plot twist: Zebedee, Zob and Zip join the Star Tugs, and Zorran almost did before he was killed. Moonlight and Venus also join, and Penny and Ariel are now owned by Captain Lucky. Just to let you know, the last part of the TUGS Surivial AU will have the most changes.
Next time, we see the Aftermath of the war, and the effects it has on the survivors. See you then.